Taste, feel, hear... Ctaste Amsterdam. Dining in the dark, What an experience !

How bizarre was that ? Dining without knowing what is on your plate, let alone...where your plate is ! No sense of colour, shape, orientation or any visual reference... bizarre, but really delicous!

When I arrived at the restaurant, I was told to store any item that can give any form of light in a safe. After an aperitif in the conservatory, which isn't dark by the way, I was escorted to my table in the pitch-dark dining area. Putting my hand on the shoulder of my waiter, to be guided through a room without any form of light. First thing I experienced was the way my eyes tried to focus on something, anything recognisable. Immediately my sense of hearing and feeling got alert...

My glass of wine was poored into an anti-spill glass before entering the restaurant area. In no way my eyes were able to adjust to not seeing a thing. It was easier using my other senses and close my eyes then keeping them open. Really odd. Even more weird was that you could listen in other people's conversations even better. But... I won't go there... as there was a group of young girls sitting nearby talking about things I don't dare to repeat in writing.

 

I enjoyed a 5 course meal. Of which I was able to recognise at least 4,5 courses.

• starter : a shashimi of tuna with soy sauce and sesame seeds, a scallop and a grilled piece of salmon
• second course : a passion fruit and mango spoom (champagne with sorbet ice cream). This one was not difficult to recognise since I dispise the taste of mango! And the slithery texture of the passion fruit seeds was so knowable.
• main course: here I got it wrong... I thought I was having some cut of beef. Steak or a tournedos or something like that. accompanied by stir-fried pak choi, sweet potato, bean sprouts with oriental spices like cinnamon, nutmeg and turmeric
• cheese platter : walnut, dates, a very overripe and old cheese,  a kind of port Salut and a goat's cheese with a very sweet chutney or jam
• dessert : a scoop of vannila ice cream, a banana mousse (unsweetened), a stick with blackberreis & stawberries dropped in a chocolate fondue, small pieces of fudge and pooping chewing gum (too whacky, hadn't had that since my youth)

All together it was delicous. No scary weird things as one would expect, but just honest and good food. It was surprising to hear I had 2 types of meat... ostrich and impala !! Have to say though it tasted really really good. As I mentioned, I thought I was having a piece of beef.

Overall, I certainly can recommend an evening of dining in the dark at Ctaste Amsterdam, Amsteldijk 55 !!