A truly original restaurant experience is not something you encounter every day.
Sure, the food and ambience may differ from place to place but seldom does an establishment take you so far out of your comfort zone that you feel changed by it.
If that’s something you crave, the dining room at Montreal’s O.Noir will certainly provide it.
For those who are not familiar with O.Noir, it is the first culinary spot in North America to introduce wining and dining in complete darkness. According to the restaurant, “when you eat without your sight, your remaining senses are heightened to savour the smell and taste of food.”
View this post on Instagram
After a while in complete darkness, customers gain a better understanding of what it’s like to be blind. In fact, the restaurant’s entire service staff is visually impaired, which allows them to navigate the space with ease.
My girlfriend and I recently embarked on our first dining-in-the-dark experience at O.Noir. With no idea of what to expect, we were greeted by staff upon walking in and asked to sit in a dimly lit waiting area.
Once given menus, there was a variety of dishes listed including an intriguing “surprise” option, which included three mystery courses. Of course, we wanted the full experience and decided to venture into the unknown.
Upon ordering, we were escorted into a door leading to a pitch-black dining area. Holding on to our waiter’s shoulders, he navigated us through what we can only presume was a sea of tables and chairs. Despite not being able to see, he knew every corner of the space, moving through it comfortably.
- You might also like:
- Here's what finally going to Joe Beef was like as a lifelong Montrealer
- Stay hot: You can now dine inside these new rooftop bubble tents in Old Montreal
When we were seated, discomfort admittedly began to set in. While we knew what we were getting into, nothing can really prepare you for how dark it really is.
Just to be clear, you cannot see your hand in front of your face.
Finding your cutlery and getting used to the items on the table was not as difficult as one would imagine, though. But things that we usually ignore like the sound of glasses clinking, background music, and chatting suddenly became very loud and apparent.
Before we knew it, our waiter was back with our drinks and first course. And so the guessing games began. Our attempts to eat normally soon went out the window as we quickly learned that forks are not as convenient in the dark. But slowly and surely, it didn’t take too long to figure out that we were eating a salad topped with salmon.
After nearly licking our plates clean, we then speculated what was and was not in the salad. Interestingly, both of us proposed different ingredient guesses until coming to a conclusion.
The main course, which featured pork, a squash purée, and mushrooms, was even more elaborate. For those who pride themselves on their palate, this is a good way to put your tastebuds to the test. The uncertainty behind each bite certainly enhances the flavour of the dish.
After a delightful dessert, our server helped escort us out of the darkness. But before exiting we were given the chance to guess what had been on our plates. Fortunately, we were about mostly correct in our assumptions.
We left O.Noir, not only with full stomachs but also with a deeper appreciation for the resilience and ingenuity of the visually impaired.
This is one culinary adventure everyone should embark on at least once.
O.noir has elicited the support of Horizon Travail, an organization affiliated with Emploi Quebec, which helps prepare and train visually impaired people to enter in the job market; a population that experiences roughly a 70% unemployment rate.