I guess you could say I'm a person adventuress (in italics to avoid abuse lol).
I travel to different countries, I've already done some extreme activities, exchange… I don't have so much I have trouble leaving my comfort zone.
So it's funny to think that, until recently, I always used to go to the same restaurant and order the same dish.
Today I have lost this habit, and I believe that getting to know new cultures has helped in this aspect. I'm already into trying new flavors, and I think it's really fun.
So, I couldn't leave out of the Thailand itinerary what would be the greatest gastronomic adventure of my life.
Dinner at Dine in the Dark.
Where I chose a menu blindly and ate dinner in the dark, literally, without imagining what was on my plate.
How Dine in the Dark works
O Dine in the Dark It is located in the Sukhumvit neighborhood in Bangkok, inside the Sheraton hotel.
In this restaurant, the proposal is for customers to make a sensory journey, without knowing what they are eating. The main hall is kept in the dark, and not even cell phones or watches are allowed.
Before dining, you must choose one of four menus: Asian, Western, Vegetarian ou surprise, the latter known as the boss's choice. The fun starts at this point, as it is not known which dishes will be served!
All meals are made up of four parts: two starters, the main and dessert. Water and teas are included, but alcoholic drinks are charged separately.
The most interesting thing, however, is that each table has a helper visually impaired. They are the ones who guide guests to their seats, explain what is on the table, serve the food and make suggestions about , the it must be consumed.
In the end, outside the dark room, an employee is responsible for telling customers or that they ate, explaining the ingredients and showing photos.
My experience with dining in the dark
This was, without a doubt, the best night in Thailand!
Despite the reception being a bit chaotic inside the Sheraton, we were attended to and soon received our aprons to enter the lounge. One stewardess He explained to us how everything worked and we were soon introduced to Noi, our night helper.
Upon entering, I must confess, I didn't like not knowing where I was going or if I was going to bump into something.. It's a strange feeling not being able to see anything.
We sat at the table, and, after explaining where each item was, Noi left to get water and an appetizer. We started to feel everything around us and we could see that we were close to a wall, which was velvety. I had numerous questions about the environment: Was it decorated? After all, it was a 5-star hotel, right hahaha Was the crockery pretty? How many tables were there in the hall? Was there anyone nearby?
Of these, I only know how to answer the last one. In front of us was a woman from Macau and a man from Canada. I can't say if they were a couple, but he asked for the vegetarian option, and she asked for the surprise menu, the same as Amanda and I.
The dishes were served without delay, and I won't describe them as I don't want to ruin the surprise.
But I guarantee: they were all one explosion of flavor, and I don't recommend it for anyone who is basic and just likes the typical rice, beans and steak or hamburger e French fries. Dine in the Dark has chefs who know what they are doing, and the creations are rich in seasonings and aromas. I didn't find the surprise menu spicy, but I imagine that's not the case with the Asian one.
In total, I liked almost everything that was served. I didn't like the main dish very much, and it was the hardest to eat, as it was divided into four parts and the recommendation was to try each one individually. I don't even know if I could find each one of them by hand! THERE IS
Already the feeling of not being able to see what I was eating was really funny. I picked up almost every dish with my hand, smelled it, tasted tiny amounts so as not to be surprised by something too spicy and, the most difficult thing, I fought with the food trying to put it on my fork.
At least I didn't get the distance between the cutlery and the mouth wrong.
Of course, throughout the night, I found myself thinking that this was what Noi and the other helpers go through every day. While it was a fun experience, there was little that could go wrong as I sat there as they had to adapt to a world that wasn't meant to be experienced in the dark.
In the end, we left satisfied, both with the food and the night itself.. We were very well looked after and Dine in the Dark exceeded our expectations. We hope to stewardess show us what we really ate, and we nailed some dishes, others even our imagination couldn't have guessed.
If Bangkok is on your itinerary, I highly recommend making a reservation. On TripAdvisor you have the opinions of several other customers, and the restaurant is considered the 8th best in the city!!
So... Do you feel like having dinner in the dark? Would you dare eat it without being able to see what it is? 😀
Dine in the Dark – Dinner in the dark in Bangkok
250 Sukhumvit Road – Bangkok
66 (0) 2649 8358
Reservations: [email protected]
or by calling +800-325-45454
Price: THB 1400.00 per person