DINING WITH A DIFFERENCE!
This week, our food critic Rola Alnaqqash brings us reviews of four unusual and alternative restaurants.
A Dining in the dark
When I first heard about restaurants where food is served and eaten in complete darkness, I wasn’t confident it was for me. When I eat out, it’s not only the food I’m interested in. Clever interior design can contribute to how you feel and the whole atmosphere of the place. However, I was pleasantly surprised by my experience. On arrival, the staff inform you about what will happen and you have the chance to ask questions. Unlike traditional restaurants, there isn’t a menu so you can’t go for your favourite dishes, you eat what the blind or partially sighted waiters bring you.
B Wild Dining
Have you thought about eating outside in nature, often at a long table with lots of other diners? It’s a social event as much as a meal. The dishes included food collected earlier that day and we could watch the whole meal being prepared outside over a fire. The food was tasty and filled me up, but it was the setting and the attention from the organisers and waiters that really made the evening special. There were people, including the chef, to explain how to identify and prepare the food, and we didn’t have to pay extra for the food we found, it was on the house.
C Cook it yourself
I don’t mind self-service restaurants where there are no waiters, but what about restaurants without chefs, where you cook your meal yourself? I don’t think the traditional restaurant system will ever be replaced, but since many people dislike shopping and clearing up at home, this trend may become more popular. You sit around a large grill, where you cook your own meat and vegetables. The cooking part was easy, we just had to choose our raw ingredients and take them off the grill when they were cooked to our liking. I ate up everything on my plate, although I could have made the same dish at home for half the price.
D Zero waste
The restaurant I visited felt very much like any normal restaurant, although the server was extremely knowledgeable and shared some insights into the restaurant’s mission. What’s interesting is its dedication to sustainability. They work hard to source ingredients that are grown and produced ethically, and they employ innovative methods to use as much of the product as possible. Any leftovers are recycled or turned into compost. The aim is to have no rubbish. I got my meal to go, because I wanted to see what packaging they used. Of course, it was all recycled and included no plastic. They claim this approach to preparing food could easily be adopted by all restaurants. I’ll definitely look for similar restaurants next time I’m hungry and want a bite to eat.
Questions:
1. Why was Rola Alnaqqash hesitant about the "Dining in the dark" restaurant at first?
She was not confident about it because when she eats out, she is interested in the interior design and the atmosphere of the place, not just the food.
2. In the "Dining in the dark" restaurant, how do you choose what to eat?
You cannot choose your favorite dishes because there is no menu; you eat whatever the blind or partially sighted waiters bring to you.
3. What made the "Wild Dining" experience special besides the food?
The experience was special because of the social setting (eating outside in nature at a long table) and the attention from the organizers and the chef.
4. Why does the author think the "Cook it yourself" trend might become popular?
She thinks it might become popular because many people dislike the tasks of shopping for ingredients and clearing up at home.
5. What is the main goal of the "Zero waste" restaurant?
The main goal is sustainability and having no rubbish by using ethically sourced ingredients, using as much of the product as possible, and recycling all leftovers or turning them into compost.
