A unique dining experience that aims to awaken diners’ senses in unexpected ways has made its way to Ottawa.
At Dark Fork, customers experience dining in complete darkness while being served surprise dishes by visually impaired servers. The restaurant opened in the ByWard Market on Sept. 25.
“It heightens the senses,” said Moe Alameddine, owner of Dark Fork. “You come, you eat, you smell. You concentrate on the dish in front of you because you’re not looking anywhere else.”
With the choice of four main meals, guests can also select a surprise dish, dessert and drink.
“They don’t want to know what they’re drinking so it creates a lot of curiosity and fun in the dining room,” Alameddine said.
As stated on Dark Fork’s website, visually impaired servers are the most equipped to navigate their roles in a dining room, engulfed in complete darkness.
Alameddine networks with the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB) to hire a team of visually impaired servers at his various locations. He posts job openings with the institute and holds a Q&A session for those interested in joining.
He owns four dine-in-the-dark restaurants across Canada, including in Montreal (O.Noir), Toronto (O.Noir), Vancouver (Dark Table) and Ottawa. He uses CNIB for recruitment with all his businesses.
Aaron Prevost, a visually impaired server who previously worked at the now closed Calgary location and now works in Ottawa, said he became interested in working at the restaurant because it didn’t require any accommodations to do his job — everyone is on equal footing.
“I really like the concept and that it was a job where if you’re blind you can excel at it quickly,” Prevost said.
There are touch-based indicators strategically placed throughout the dining room to guide servers, including string and carpet to avoid bumping into tables.
“You just have to remember where to walk in certain spots, so it’s just practice,” Prevost said.
Guests who are less familiar with the layout of the dark space, rely on their servers to guide them around the restaurant. In a train-like formation, guests put a hand on the servers’ shoulders as they guide them to their table.
“It was definitely a really interesting experience,” Ondrik said. “It’s something that people don’t necessarily think about all the time either. We kind of eat with our eyes, you look at it, we know what we’re eating. But then, not being able to see your food, your senses [become] heightened.”
The restaurant elevates the experience even further by prohibiting the use of cell phones while dining.
“No phones, no light-up devices — that’s a big thing,” Prevost said. “We don’t want to ruin someone else’s evening.”
“People now, they’re attached to their cell phone, it’s normal, but they can take a break for 90 minutes,” Alameddine added.
Ondrik said she agreed with the no-phone concept, adding she enjoyed her meal more without the distraction of her phone.
“I’m someone who gets distracted by my phone pretty easily and you don’t bring your phone in, so I wasn’t distracted by that,” Ondrik said. “I was just enjoying a good conversation, enjoying good service and enjoying my meals.”
Alameddine and Prevost said the restaurant has experienced fully-booked nights since opening. Prevost said guests should enter the restaurant expecting a fully unique experience.
“If people have an open mind they’re going to have more fun, so just have fun with your friends, family, date, whoever you bring,” Prevost said.
Featured image by Juliana Italiano/The Charlatan.
