Dining in the Dark
Today is the very last day of our trip. James thought we should go out with a bang, so he reserved us a table last night at "KL Dining in the Dark": a restaurant in which you are served various mystery dishes in complete darkness.
We first entered a candle-lit walkway that led to a moody lounge. We both had the same thought: there's plenty of light here to see the food. Are they going to blindfold us or something? But no no, that's just the waiting area.
The actual dining experience is through this door.
Our server first had us deposit our phones and other possessions in a locker. We then formed a conga line so he could lead us through what felt like a series of curtains to a table in a room that was, as promised, pitch black. He also gave us lots of verbal instructions to help us find things ("Your spoon is on the left", "your water glass is above the fork on your right", etc.).
The wait staff at this restaurant are all blind, and the restaurant has received a "Most Supportive Employer" Award from the Malaysian Association for the Blind.
The first course was a set of four small appetizers, all served in separate bowls that fit inside a wooden tray so you can feel your way around them. It was really strange and interesting trying to guess what each dish was. Some sort of fruit and feta cheese? A seaweed salad? This one has vinegar in it, maybe?
Anyway, they looked delicious!
We were also served two soups (one hot and one cold), three entrees, and four little desserts. So, a very thorough tasting experience with lots to sample. I think not being able to see the food made me a more adventurous eater.
Once we were back to the lounge at the end of the meal, we got to see the menu and learn what all the dishes were. I had been SO bad at guessing. What I thought had been a beef dish was actually lamb. What I thought was a chicken curry was salmon. The broccoli soup was actually butternut squash, and so on. It's kind of amazing how much you rely on visual cues to know what you're eating.
Overall, a really special and novel experience, and a great way to celebrate the end of the trip, as well as our dating anniversary (happy 12 years to us!)
And that just about brings us to the end of our stay in Kuala Lumpur! Tomorrow, if all goes well, we'll be getting on a 7am plane to Toyko, then Washington, and finally Toronto. What a trip it's been.
Here's some footage of a KL mall.
