A man decides to ask his food loving girlfriend
to marry him. He wants to ensure
that the event is as special and memorable as possible. So he books the most expensive restaurant he
can find. It has a set cost of 255
pounds per person, or around 400 pounds with wine. So the whole night comes to 800 pounds, but hopefully
you only propose marriage once, right?
The man waits for the perfect moment. He hopes for a little quiet time between
courses, when the conversation is warm and the taste of the last exquisite
dish lingers in the mouth.
Unfortunately, it seems that each time a course finishes, a member of
staff comes over to tell the couple what time it is. This is not the real time, you understand,
but the time in the fantasy “journey” of the meal. The meal is meant to replicate a trip
to the seaside, including changes in time, mood and weather, all spread over 17
courses.
At last, just before the 16th course,
the man finds a little peace in which to propose. It has been a strange evening, but he and his
girlfriend have been well fed, and are feeling light-headed from the expensive
wines. It’s now or never. He gets down on one knee, pulls out a
box containing the ring from his pocket... And a waiter comes over.”The day is
coming to an end, and we will now enjoy a dish called The Sound of the
Sea. Please put on these headphones
while you eat your seafood.”
*
I don’t suppose that a theatrical
restaurant like this would be good for a man proposing marriage to his
partner. Nor would it be good for anyone
who just wanted to enjoy some nice food and conversation. But according to a BBC programme I listened
to this week [Start the Week on Radio 4], this kind of “spectacular dining
experience” is becoming popular at elite restaurants. These restaurants use sounds, smells and
visual gimmicks to “enhance” the experience of eating. The 17 course meal in the fictional story
above is based on a real one offered at a restaurant called The Fat Duck in
England. Apparently, the gimmicks
include hidden magnets to make some dishes appear to float in the air. And the cheapest course really does cost 255
pounds per person.
I don’t object to anyone mixing theatre
with eating. But if you take the idea
too far, what started as adding a little theatre to a lovely meal changes to having
a little bit of lovely food with your long theatrical production. As a blind diner, I sometimes have enough
difficulty picking up food from fancy but impractically designed plates without
trying to deal with dishes floating above hidden magnets. I think I’ll stick to the hummus and
falafel set with pita bread at a nice local restaurant. Call me old-fashioned, but I prefer to enjoy
food with my mouth and my nose than with headphones, magnets or gadgets.
to ensure – to make sure; to make certain
exquisite – extremely beautiful and
delicate
to linger – to stay or remain; to be slow
to disappear
to replicate – to recreate; to copy
to get down on one knee – a traditional way
for a man to propose marriage to a woman
a gimmick – a trick designed to attract
attention, customers etc.
to enhance – to improve; to make better
hummus and falafel – types of food made
with chick peas which are popular in the Middle East
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