In April 2021, I was scrolling through Facebook when an ad for a blindfolded dining experience appeared on my newsfeed. The event was promoted by Fever, a company that organizes interactive events in major cities and online. Intrigued, I clicked to learn more. The description sounded exciting and mysterious, and I often give experiential gifts for birthdays, holidays, or weddings. My boyfriend’s 30th birthday fell in June, around the time the event was originally scheduled, so I decided it would make a memorable surprise for him.
A week before our reservation, I received an email notifying us that the dinner would be postponed until July due to a COVID-related incident. I understood the delay and preferred to wait until it was safer to attend.
As the new July date approached, another email arrived saying the event was postponed again, this time without a new date. I contacted customer support to clarify, and they replied they did not know why it had been delayed but that I would be notified when it was rescheduled. Another month passed with no update. I kept contacting support every couple of weeks until late August, when I was finally given a new date and location for mid-October.
Despite the repeated changes, I managed to keep the dinner a surprise—months of secrecy paid off.
On the rescheduled evening, we arrived and were seated. The room was dimly lit by battery-operated candles and twinkle lights around the bar. He still had no idea what was happening until our host announced it was time to put on our blindfolds.
- Photos by Audrey Lee
We experienced a three-course meal entirely in the dark. Without sight, flavors became more pronounced and some dishes were surprisingly difficult to identify. After each course, the host announced the menu over a microphone, and it was interesting to connect our guesses with the revealed ingredients.
While the food was flavorful, I left wishing there was more variety and portion balance. I chose the meat option and received pork belly as the first course and short ribs as the second, with no visible accompaniments such as vegetables or a starch. Given that tickets were $80 per person, the portions felt light for the price. The overall value did not fully match my expectations.
That said, the experience is worth recommending for its novelty and interactive quality. If you attend, go for the atmosphere and the sensory challenge rather than expecting an elaborate or plentiful meal.