Dining in the dark
Crème brulee. PHOTO| BON VIVANT
What you need to know:
For those with special dietary needs, the guides served gluten-free, vegetarian, non-dairy and the like. At the end of the event, when they took us back out into the light, the menu was placed on a table along with dishes of what we had eaten.
My starter was smoked Parma ham with rocket, grissini and honeydew melon, followed by truffle mash, lamb tenderloins, and mint gravy. The vegetarians had savoury carrot cake, roasted cherry tomatoes and saffron risotto.
Back in 2008, Mr Abdul Kamara lost his sight. Thereafter he came up with the concept for Gizani, a fine dining experience held in pitch darkness assisted by highly-qualified staff who are visually impaired.
It is a social enterprise popular in North America and Asia under the name Dining in the Dark, and in France as Dans le Noir. Tribe Hotel is hosting Africa’s inaugural Gizani series.
We walked into a brightly-lit reception area with welcome drinks of champagne and orange juice. The organisers welcomed diners who had a chance to mingle with the founders of this event.
Our guides came out, the team of visually impaired individuals who would take care of us the entire evening. They were young, jovial university students, dressed impeccably in black.
They jokingly reassured us that there was nothing to fear in the dark and led us to our tables and seated us individually. It was pitch dark. The guide talked us through the contents of our table, while we felt each corresponding item.
Fork, knife, plate, wine glass, water, salt shakers, bread rolls.
Our guides then served us the starter, followed by the main course and dessert. The menu was a surprise and you could not see what you were eating.
MORE PLEASE
For those with special dietary needs, the guides served gluten-free, vegetarian, non-dairy and the like. At the end of the event, when they took us back out into the light, the menu was placed on a table along with dishes of what we had eaten.
My starter was smoked Parma ham with rocket, grissini and honeydew melon, followed by truffle mash, lamb tenderloins, and mint gravy. The vegetarians had savoury carrot cake, roasted cherry tomatoes and saffron risotto.
The starter tasted more salty, balanced by the sweetness of the cool, juicy melon. For me, the culinary highlight was the crème brulee. It was delectable – crunchy caramelised sugar, soft raspberry, rich, thick custardy goodness and a hint of vanilla. More please!
The darkness lent itself to relaxation. I learned to recognise my individual guide by her voice and fragrance. It was an incredible experience.
Fully dependent on them for the evening, I was grateful for this insight into the world of persons with visual impairment. Gizani increased my awareness and respect for them, viewing them as unique and capable individuals.
The surprise finale was when our hosts, dispersed across the darkened room, requested complete silence. Suddenly, they launched into song. Their harmonious voices punctuated the stillness of the dark air in beautiful crystal-clear droplets. Undistracted, the music washes over your senses and you sway to the acappella renditions of popular African favourites.
We entered Gizani slightly apprehensive, excited, and curious. The experience far exceeded our expectations – you cannot help but emerge a changed person. Gizani runs at the Tribe Hotel from May 16th to the end of August.
It is a social enterprise promoting the blind in Nairobi, well worth the Sh6, 000 per person. The price includes champagne and Magnum liqueur.
