Comprehension: Silence is Golden for New York Restaurant

Does a meal taste better if it's eaten in silence? One New York restaurant thinks it might, and has banned all talking at the table. 

Watch the video and answer the questions below.  Decide if the statements are True or False.

1. The restaurant is encouraging people to concentrate on what they are eating.
a. True
b. False

2. The restaurant doesn’t serve meat.
a. True
b. False

3. The restaurant doesn’t have many bookings for the future.
a. True
b. False

For transcript and answers see below.

Transcript and Answers:

From the outside, it looks like any other restaurant in New York’s Greenpoint neighbourhood.
But when you sit down at ‘Eat’ for dinner, you’ll notice it seems a little bit… well, quiet.

“I’m doing a silent dinner because I want to invite the opportunity for people to experience their food with a kind of intention and attention to the experience that isn't usually afforded by a loud meal especially in New York City.”

Bringing a whole new meaning to keeping your mouth shut while you eat the idea is that silence allows diners to gain a heightened experience of their meals, focusing on the organic vegetarian cuisine served up from the kitchen.

 “The only thing is like we're bringing our own intentionality to it as well, if that makes sense. Because we know what is about to take place so we're bringing our, like, own energies to it.”

For around an hour, not a word is spoken. Some stifle laughter, others communicate with their eyes rather than their voices, the only rule is silence. But once dessert is over, that comes to an end.

"Thanks guys". 

With dinner finished, the guests can now share their take on their silent meal.

 “It was very enjoyable”
 
“You also have the internal dialogue of your mind, saying all kinds of things; wanting to laugh. You know you’re going through stages but by the end you're really in a very Zen, relaxed, at least I was in, a relaxed state."

“It was a nice way to spend time together without any of the pressure of coming up with anything to say.”

So far, the new venture is proving popular, with diners booking days in advance. Perhaps this shouldn’t be a surprise in a city where the second most common complaint in restaurants is about noise levels.

Answers:

1. a
2. a
3. b

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