Gone to the Dark Side.....

On 08/08/08 at 8pm, DASF journeyed into the darkness…COMPLETE DARKNESS!!! We dined at Opaque/Crimson Lounge using only our smell, taste, touch and sound to taste the food. We had a fun group of diners: The Phan's, The Curry's, and the Chan’s.
When we arrived, they had us wait in the narrow crimson hallway until everyone in our party showed up and since this was the last time we will have the use of our sight for the evening, our waitress (Coco – who was legally blind) took our food ordered. The menu was a pre-fixe menu and the price is similar to those of a dinner show or cruise, except here we are paying for the experience.

Once you enter the space at Opaque, you can’t see a thing…it is complete darkness. Coco has us formed a chain and she led us to our table. Without your sense of sight, the other senses take over and are heightened. I could hear conversations nearby and smell the steak and asparagus nearby. Once seated, my hands did a lot of the "leg" work, trying to find where things were.

Now close your eyes and use your other senses for the ratings. . .

Food: 88
Normally, the food here would have received an average score of around mid-70’s to low-80’s but with our taste bud on overdrive and our sense of smell heightened, the food really do smell and taste better than they really are. It was a challenged trying to cut your meat into bite sizes and getting food into your mouth. Winnie gave up her knife and fork and used her hands instead. So I decided to toss her some of my mashed potatoes. I know there was also a lot of food thief going on.

A note on the wine. . . the ladies didn’t want us to order red wine fearing that we may purposely spill it on them but we did it anyways and the bouquet smell fabulous!

Service: 90
Coco did a good job guiding us through a fun and successful evening. We had a chance to experience for a few hours what her world is like without sight.

Atmosphere: 85
Hmmmm…close your eyes and use your imagination. The chairs were comfortable and the music was decent, although a bit too loud. The room was bit too warm but since no one can see you, you can take off as many layers as you like (right, Victor??).

Value: Going in, we had the expectation that you are paying more for the experience in addition to the food. It is like going out to a dinner show or cruise. The interesting part is that "the show" is basically about you, your senses and your friends. This was a fun experience that adventurous folks should definitely try. Definite go with friends or guests visiting.

Until September, happy dining!