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What is the first thing about the food you eat that attracts you? The look? Don’t all of us think the presentation of food is as important as the taste itself? At-least I do :)

And so, when you get to dine in *pitch dark*, with no clue as what the room you are seated in or the furniture seating you looks like, without even knowing the menu you are being offered, it feels really really different – and you begin to concentrate more on your other senses, acknowledge them and try to identify the ingredients through smell and taste only.

Based on this beautiful concept of relishing food through taste and smell, and providing jobs to many visually challenged in the process, is this awesome restaurant in Hyderabad known as ‘Taste of Darkness‘ . You are supposed to leave even your cell phones and spectacles in the reception lest they amount to some light inside the dining hall. You are then led by the visually challenged who are employed here into a dining hall and are seated comfortably. You are then served food in the most hospitable and graceful way possible! We were trying hard to make out when the one who served us used to place a fork, or pick a plate from our table but just could not. The food, 4-course meal is to be written about too – simple and delicious. And the person also spends time with all of you at your table trying to help you decipher all the ingredients you have just satiated your tummy with!

Every little thing about this has been so carefully designed. You meet the person who led and served you only after you come out of the darkness back into the reception! Don’t we always start guessing about a person as soon as we see them? Here, all you know about him/her is the touch of the hand that guided you all along and the voice that made your experience all the more beautiful by the lovely words.

This is the first and only one of its kind in India yet *collar-up* and goes in my list as one of the places I would definitely recommend to people visiting Hyderabad. Treat is one me if you guys decide to visit us, yup :P

‘Taste of Darkness‘ is a part of ‘Dialogue in the Dark‘ which also has an exhibition where you get to experience how the visually challenged lead their daily lives, be it shopping at a super-market or crossing a bridge and so on. We work with their kind here, and the 2 things they always want from you are empathy (not sympathy) and to treat them as equal and provide them the same opportunities. And this is one experience which will make you realize how good they are! Just to toggle a switch in the dark takes so much from our side – we take care not to stumble, keep feeling with our hands etc.. Then just imagine being like that forever! This will definitely leave you enlightened and inspired. People in Hyderabad, head to Inorbit now and experience this! And for others, would their website do for now? ;)

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