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Back to Historical ListingUnique Dining Experience in Switzerland
- 2002-07-22 11:02:32
On Friday night I went with some co-workers to try a new restaurant in Zürich called Blindekuh, the Blind Cow. The restaurant is run by a staff of blind people and the basic idea is that you eat in complete darkness so that your senses focus on the taste, texture and aroma of the food. - - - -
When you first arrive you enter a small room with lockers to your right, a reception desk in front of you, and a chalk board on the left which lists the menu. The menu is rather limited, with a choice of two appetizers, three main courses, and three desserts. Once you have decided what you are going to eat, you leave your belongings in the lockers (to avoid unnecessary obstacles in the dark) and the receptionist calls a server to the front room to seat your party.
Once everyone has lined up behind the server in conga-line fashion, holding the shoulders of the person in front, you are lead into a smaller, really dim room. You stay there for a few minutes until your eyes adjust to the darkness, and the server explains a few of the house rules to you. Basically you are not allowed to bring in anything that would provide light, such as cell phones, watches with glow-in-the-dark faces or hands, cigarettes, etc… If you need to use the restroom, or would like to step out to use the phone, etc…, you have to call the server over to lead you out of the dining area.
Once we were properly debriefed, our server, Ruth, led us to our table. It was a very bizarre experience. The room was completely pitch black. One of the servers brought us our drinks, and we all had to feel around the table for our glasses. I ordered a beer, which I opted to drink out of the bottle instead of taking the risk of trying to pour it into the glass and ending up Heineken all over my lap. My meal, ravioli stuffed with artichokes, was delicious! I did pretty well eating in the dark, although a few times I took a bite only to realize that there was nothing on my fork. The only real problem I had was when dessert arrived. I had ordered, or so I thought, a piece of blueberry cheesecake. I went to feel where it was on the plate and I ended up sticking my hand in blueberry custard. Apparently not only do my eating-in-the-dark skills leave something to be desired, but I obviously need to brush up on some of my German as well. It was a great experience that I would highly recommend to anyone!
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