Dorangos in Bandra takes the western concept of Dark Room Dining and adds its own twist for the complete sensory experience
The Dark Senses Dining experience aims to provide a treat, not just to your palate but to all your senses. Representation Pic
Think of any ghost story or horror film and it has at least one dark room in it. But can the same dark room also be a fun experience, especially when there’s food involved? The answer, we found, is yes, and it is called Dark Senses Dining.
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Dorangos, an event hosting space in Bandra West, has taken the concept of dark room fine dining, a concept popular in the West, and added an element of horror to it for a rollercoaster of sensory experiences. Although inspired by the Western concept, Dorangos decided to mix and match, so that the attendees feel they are in a haunted house. The experience, which requires a minimum of two attendees, begins with a blindfolded entry into the dark room, and goes on to assault all the four senses – sight, smell, hearing and touch.
Duran Pereira
“We introduced the horror element because wanted to turn this into a never-before experience in India,” says Duran Pereira, Event Manager at Dorangos, which hosts other events round the year but has been also holding Dark Senses Dining for the last one year. The experience involves aroma, taste and a hefty dose of fear, because who doesn’t love a good scare? And because the best scares are the ones you never see coming, Pereira remains fiercely guarded about the nitty-gritties of the experience all throughout our interaction.
“We trick the diners’ sense of touch, by telling them that they are touching a snake or a cricket, when it is actually just a delicious vegetarian dish,” he concedes by way of a sneak peek. The diner’s safety, though, remains the highest priority and not even toothpicks are placed on the table while they are blindfolded. The experience, which lasts an hour, ends with letting the diners play masterchef, where, after running through the gamut of scares, they are made to name the ingredients in each dish they eat.
Dark Senses Dining has evolved over the last one year since it was started, Pereira tells us. “Earlier, we had an element of comedy in it, but that didn’t really work too well with the overall experience. Hence, we removed it and are now coming up with something new,” he says. We know better than to ask what.
WHAT: Dark Senses Dining
WHERE: Dorangos, Bandra
WHEN: Every Saturday, Sunday, 8pm onwards
PRICE: Rs 100 Onwards
TO BOOK: bookmyshow.com