For my birthday dinner, Thomas took me out for a very unique dining experience at Only Four Senses where we dined on this delicious meal:
No, the photo isn’t broken – this is what it looked like. Our meal was served in complete darkness. Only Four Senses is a dining event put on by The Braille League, a blind and visually impaired group in Brussels. The waiters are blind or visually impaired and helped teach us how to navigate ourselves through our meal without sight. It was quite an experience!
When we first arrived, we were offered a drink and spent some time in a dimly-lit room. Our waiter, Nico, came over to meet us and explained that he chose us because he wanted to practice his English. We chatted with him about our time in Belgium and computers. After a little while, he gathered the other two couples he was serving, and had us line up behind him, our hands on the shoulders of the person in front of us. He then led us into the dining room, through three curtains, and into complete darkness.
As we sat down, I had some trouble distinguishing if Thomas and I were at a table by ourselves, or with the other couples. I knew I had an empty seat next to me, and figured out that Thomas was across from me, but until I reached over and traced the end of the table, I thought we were all sitting in a circle. Instead, it was a long rectangle table with the 3 couples lined up.
Nico explained that there was a basket of bread between us and our partner and our appetizer was in front of us. He left to get our drinks and let us begin. It was a very odd experience. Without sight, noises are very loud, from the clanging of dishes, to talking to your neighbor. I noticed that though I couldn’t see a thing, I kept my eyes shut and aimed my head downward. I also felt like I was eating like a cow, taking huge bites trying to figure out where my fork was, and leaning way over my plate.
Our first course turned out to be all foods I would have never ordered, but they tasted great. The menu changes each month, so we had no idea what we were having. I focused on the flavors and textures, but nothing was identifiable. I had a bowl with several layers – something sweet, and something else with a tuna fish-like texture. It turned out to be fois gras and smoked duck pate - both things that I said I would never try, but they weren’t bad. :)
Meanwhile, our waiter returned with our drinks. We ordered water and he taught us how to pour our own drinks without spilling. The trick is to put the tip of your finger in your cup so you can feel when you’re at the top. At the end of each course, we worked with our neighbors and passed our dishes to the end of the table.
For the main dish, we were given a very hot bowl with a rich, creamy smell. It was delicious! It turned out to be a Belgian speciality, Waterzooi, which is a creamy chicken stew with carrots, leeks and potatoes. Thomas and I kept identifying to each other the different tastes and textures we found.
For dessert, we were given another bowl with a delicious vanilla cream on top. I thought it was vanilla pudding, until I dug my spoon deeper and discovered a coffee flavor and a crumbly base. It was tiramisu.
The whole meal was fantastic – from the food, to the experience. The waiter sat with us for a while and explained how much vision he had – since birth, he had been able to see some, but details were not there. For example, he said he could identify that I was wearing a necklace in the dimly-lit room because it sparkled, but he could not tell what it looked like. The hardest part for me was when Thomas would be quiet because I felt very alone. I also missed seeing his facial expressions and body language throughout the meal.
If you ever get the chance, I really recommend this experience. The event is held a couple times a month at the St. Hubert Royal Galleries. Actually, it’s underneath it in an old abandoned metro station that is now turned into a museum. You can find more detail at the Only Four Senses website.
