The Kigali City Tower Rooftop hosted the first ever Dinner in the Dark event on April 1, which attracted more than 80 people.

However, the event’s publicity was low key as it was only done through social media. Many who attended came out of curiosity about eating in a unique way. The venue was ideal for the event because of its space and central location.

At the entrance the different groups of people were given black pieces of cloths to use as blindfolds. Those who opted out of the cloths were given dark eye glasses.

The people were then led to a dark tent where they were each sat at a dinner table.

"Dinner in the Dark" involves eating without seeing the food in order to experience the cuisine using other senses of smell, taste and touch.

The three-course meals were prepared by chefs Eisha Mugabo and Shaban Gahwita.

The first ever Dinner in the Dark event on April 1,2017 at the Kigali City Tower Rooftop attracted more than 80 people. PHOTO|ANDREW I KAZIBWE

Wild experience

The attendees had to first feel the food with their hands, take in the aromas with their nose and then taste it. The three-course meal in the dark was a wild experience.

“We wanted to introduce a different way of tasting food and the event was well received,” said Arnaud Kabuguza, one of the representatives from Elite, the company that organised the event.

The chefs included Asian and European cuisines to the menu and also had a blend of local foods.

There were foods like cheese, chapatti, deep-fried Irish potatoes, mushrooms, barbeque and chocolate pastels for dessert. The local dishes were bugali/ugali (Rwandan cassava bread), mushroom and imizuzu (deep-fried bananas).

Chefs Eisha Mugabo and Shaban Gahwita prepared the food for Kigali's first ever "Dinner in the Dark" event on April 1, 2017. PHOTO|ANDREW I KAZIBWE

Chef Eisha got inspired to try out "Dinner in the Dark" after having a meal in the dark at a birthday party. “I realised how great it would be, if expanded,” she said.

Chef Gahwita first experienced this concept when he was in Malaysia.

“I found it interesting being served and eating while blind-folded. It taught me a lot,” he said.
He said many times the sight influences the mind and senses against eating certain foods. “We wanted to prove that you can actually eat any food, without prejudice,” said Chef Gahwita.

“The ambience could have been improved if we had actually been at an outdoor space instead of inside a tent,” said Varun Chopra, a Senior Lecturer at Kigali Health Institute’s Dentist School, who attended the event.

Kabuguza said they plan to host a second edition of the event following the success of this first one.