So as promised, let’s talk about the Chef’s Table which has have been offered by us for a few years now. I may be wrong but I think Holland America may have been the pioneers of this but regardless I think it is probably not a coincidence that the rise in popularity of these venues has coincided with the rise of the celebrity chef on television. People want to see the chef close up in person whether it’s Gordon Ramsey, Guy Fieri or indeed, Chef Joaquim Dias, on the Carnival Glory, Chef Venkateswara Alapati on the carnival Ecstasy or Chef Agnelo D Souza on the Carnival Freedom But there’s more to it, of course. In days gone by, we had a galley tour for all the guests and hundreds would traipse through the galley to see where the lobster and cappuccino pie were created……no chocolate melting cake in those days. But the problem was that they really didn’t see anything. The galley was more or less empty when the tours were given at 3 pm which means all they saw was glistening counter tops and instead of the wonderful aroma of food being prepared, it was the smell of cleaning products. That’s why the first part of The Chef’s Table experience is so brilliant. It gives you the chance for a great view of the galley at full tilt. You get to see the artistry of preparation, to hear the sizzle of the huge grills as the prime rib hits it and you get to see waiters, assistant waiters, cooks and chefs from 40 different countries in fluid choreography, working in unison to provide dinner for thousands of hungry Carnival guests. There’s a special feeling, of course, in being served by the ship’s head chef and discussing the dishes. It’s also a great opportunity for our chefs to get feedback about their cooking, which I know is something that they enjoy. On all the ships, The Chef’s Table starts with a comprehensive tour of the galley during dinner service. It can be quite loud but it’s entirely fascinating and after the chef has proudly shown you his galley and tempted your taste buds with some sensational hors d’oeuvres washed down with a cold glass of champagne, it is time for the main event. For those blog readers who may not know how this works, please let me explain. The same menu will be served to the whole table and he will have visited your table in the dining room beforehand to make sure you had no allergies. This menu gives our chef the freedom to use effects and techniques that he would never have time to do during his normal busy schedule and the menu is, of course, spectacular. This is the new fleet wide menu and it is offered once or twice during the cruise depending on the itinerary and cruise length. Get ready to dribble and drool. RECEPTION Mango Sphere, Rosemary Biscuit *Salmon Tartar Cornets, Sesame Seeds *Beef Carpaccio on Air Pillow, Chocolate Bacon, Apple Ribbons Double Cooked Lamb, Tapioca MENU Beet Blanket, Spiced Grape Tea Asparagus, Cauliflower, Honey Carrot Tian, Mache, Lemon Streusel Crab Stack Corn Custard, Polenta Cracker, Tangerine, Passion Caviar *Duck Textures Creamy Quinoa, Parmesan Churros, Olive Snow, Port Wine Jus Bisque Our Way Two Tomatoes, Three Basil, Crisped Brioche, Garlic Chip Sea Bass Chorizo Crust, Fried Pop Corn Pudding, Lemon Macaroon, Lobster Foam Wagyu Bone Marrow Soufflé, Scallion & Garlic Panisse, Gremolata Crisp Pastry Chef Sea Salt Praline Chocolate, Raspberry Mojito, Key Lime Cake, Apricot Vanilla Gel, Citrus Cream The menus are personalised and yours to keep and whether you eat in the galley itself as on the Dream-class or in a private dining area on all the other ships, it is something that as we read the review cards, each Chef’s Table participant receives that is being described as “the best part of the cruise.” It’s hard to think of anything that has had such a massive impact with foodies than the Chef’s Table although the Steakhouse and our new Ji Ji Asian Kitchen on the Sunshine push it close for top marks. I enjoyed the Chef’s table on many of our bloggers cruises as we use it is a raffle prize for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital donations. I will be doing so again on BC8 and you eat in the galley itself. I did this on the Breeze before in the secret hope that things would get all Hell’s Kitchen like Gordon Ramsey and that our executive chef would be shouting his head off or swearing at Ken the maitre d’ for not getting the food served quick enough and threating to cut his gentleman’s sausage off with a steak knife. But it never happened and in fact, most of our chefs are very soft spoken and don’t have an ounce of Gordon Ramsey in them. Some of you may be asking………what the heck is Wagyu. Now for those who don’t know about where this comes from, I should mention that the cows are special cows from Japan and they are the happiest most content cows in the world. This, apparently, is the key to the quality of the Wagyu’s meat. Its tenderness is the result of a pampered VIP existence. Wagyu cattle are the Beeonceays of the bovine world. They must be regularly massaged with brushes made from silk to distribute their fat into the meat, then rubbed with sake to make their coats glow. They eat only the finest hay and their menu is expanded to include gallons of beer………no, really, it is…….designed to give them more appetite and presumably to help them handle the thought of rumpy pumpy with an ugly huge bull called John which is needed to make more Wagyu cows. This is the best of beef — it’s what other cows want to be. . The Chef’s Table is simply brilliant from the visit to the galley, the interaction with our head chef who prepares, explains and serves the food, to the jovial hospitality that comes with meeting new friends. The wine pours freely and memories are made. Each and every week, we are receiving 100 plus reservation requests for this epic culinary event and I hope one day that you get to experience it as well. You can reserve a place at your Chef’s Table by completing the reservation thingy here on my blog and the ship will then send you an email confirmation. .johnhealdsblog/ask-john Enjoy the new menu and let me know your thoughts afterwards *
Posted on: Thu, 25 Sep 2014 13:20:08 +0000
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