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Getting Blindfolded with Strangers

How many of you can say that you’ve tried eating blindfolded? Well recently, I had the opportunity to do just that and temporarily gave up my vision to dine with a bunch of people I didn’t know. Fun!

It all went down Tuesday, June 16th at the Revel Room in Gastown. President’s Choice supplied the nosh in celebration of their 1000 Tastes of Canada campaign. Select food writers and food-ists were invited to sample some of President’s Choice’s new globally-inspired products while blindfolded.

Dark dining isn’t a new concept, but has recently been embraced by O.Noir, www.onoir.com , in Montreal and Toronto and places like Opaque and Camaje in the USA. A few years ago, right here in Van City, the now closed, DV8 used to offer lights off nights regularly. The idea is said to have originated in Zurich by a blind pastor who apparently blindfolded his dinner guests so that they could experience what it was like to eat without sight. However, other research credited a German restaurant with coining the concept.

Regardless of who started the trend, giving up vision during a meal, is said to heighten one’s senses of taste and smell.While some places like O.Noir in Montreal and Toronto completely black out the space, others like Camaje in New York offers special blindfolded eating events. President Choice’s Revel Room event followed Camaje’s model.

Together, Revel Room’s Chef Tyrell and President’s Choice’s Chef Tom created 6 small plates taking guests on a “Sensory Trip Around the World”. The pit stops were Canada, Italy, India, China, Greece, and Mexico. While most of the food was tasty, I have to be honest, not being able to see what I was eating, made me really nervous. I barely ate anything off the first two plates and admit to cheating a bit by peeking out the bottom of my blindfold to orient to the plate. (Just little peeks, I promise. Quick peek. Close eyes. Try again. That’s all.) I think if I experienced this with a friend, I’d have had an entirely different take on dining in the dark. My favourite items, though, were the PC Stampede Pork Back Ribs, the Blood Orange Italian Soda, the Butter Chicken and Naan Flatbread. (For a full list of their new items, head to www.presidentschoice.ca.)

My only criticism was that the PC Combos Cashew Chicken and PC Combos Vegetable Fried Rice was a bit too salty for my palette. Some of the other diners agreed that these products needed some sodium reduction. Our President’s Choice hosts shared that they were making 1000 positive changes to their products and that reducing sodium was on their list. Three cheers for that!

So, as for my overall impression, I think stress overshadowed any heightened sensory experience for me. But, I’d give my right arm for a lifetime supply of PC’s Blood Orange Italian Soda and Butter Chicken sauce and have become an official fan of the Revel Room (more on that later!!) Dark dining is definitely worth a try if you ever get the opportunity.