Chef’s Table: Carnival Liberty, 10/31/2011
We are foodies. We love new tastes, new restaurants, and new food experiences. When the cruise lines announced Chef’s Table experiences, we couldn’t wait to be among the first to experience one, and we’ve now had Chef’s Table or similar experiences on Princess ships, Carnival ships and Norwegian Spirit. So far, the hands-down winner of the best Chef’s Table experience in Princess Cruise Line.
Our first Chef’s Table experience was on the Caribbean Princess, and that experience is still our favorite. We were escorted into the Galley, where we jackets like those doctors wear, and then we were served champagne and multiple appetizers that were presented so beautifully, it was a shame to even eat them. We were given a brief tour of the Galley in action during the evening meal, then we were escorted to a large table in the corner of one of the main dining rooms, where we were served course and after course of food paired with the appropriate wines. Spigots of meat were flamed tableside, turning all eyes to our corner. Our table was attended by chef and maître d’ the entire evening, as well as a few of their best servers, and the evening wrapped up with complimentary pictures of each of us with the chef and the Princess cookbook autographed by the chef. No meal on other cruise lines has exceeded this experience for us.
We enjoyed an “Enchanted Evening” aboard the Norwegian Spirit, not a Chef’s Table, but more like a really nice date night. It was held in the special Art Gallery aboard that ship, and we had amazing food and service, with live entertainment from a wonderful musician we’d already been enjoying during our cruise. This was our second best experience.
Carnival is our least favorite, but if you’d never experienced these other meals, you’d probably love it. Our Chef’s Table aboard the Carnival Liberty last week was an improvement over the Chef’s Table experience on the Carnival Dream. On the Dream, we were escorted into the Galley, served appetizers and champagne, enjoying watching one person mix up the wonderful Chocolate Melting Cake, then we were seated at a long table in the Galley for our meal. The meal and service was wonderful, but we felt like stepchildren, eating in the kitchen instead of a beautiful dining room. At least on the Liberty, we were escorted from the Galley back into the Golden Olympian Dining Room where we seated in a private dining room just off that dining room. In both these experiences, the wine was not paired with the foods. We were simply offered a choice of red or white wines. More importantly, all of these meals cost $75 per person, so it’s interesting that there are such large differences from one to the next. Unfortunately, on this cruise, we also had to choose between dressing for the Halloween festivities or attending the Chef’s Table. Our choice demonstrates we really are foodies!
If you enjoy interesting food experiences, I’d still highly recommend these on any ships and cruise line. Here’s the menu from our Carnival Liberty Chef’s Table:
Executive Chef Frank Fernando, Aboard the Carnival Liberty, October 31, 2011
RECEPTION
Parmesan Core & Olives
Chorizo & Dates, Piquillo Sofrito
Focaccia, Mascarpone Cream & Proscuitto Crudo
Langoustine & Sundried Tomato Jam Fritters
MENU
Tomatoes Our Way
Aerated Tomato Juice, Cocoa Butter Coated, Chardonnay Poached
Tuna Banh Mi
Lemon Bread, Sesame Crisp, Miso Cream, Avocado Gel
Cornish Hen
Caramelized, Butternut Squash Sofrito
Bavarios
Spinach, Green Peas, Warm Turnip & Apple Juice
Salmon
Herb Pesto, Cured Tomatoes, Carrots, Fava, Mushroom Earth, Condensed Beets
Short Ribs
Slow Stewed, Potato Pebbles, Pumpkin Fudge, Tomato Dust
Dessert
Chef in a Candy Shop
The Tomatoes Our Way were really tasty, and, interestingly, the men enjoyed the cocoa butter coated tomatoes more than the women. The Cornish hen was just half the breast, but that was the taste I enjoyed the most from the whole evening. The short ribs were melt-in-your-mouth delicious, and I can’t say enough about that small taste of pumpkin fudge. Just … WOW!
We watched the Chef and his assistants prepare this dessert for 30 – 45 minutes during our meal, and it was so beautifully presented, we hated to eat it after all the time it took to prepare. During the meal, a magician slipped in to dazzle us with a few tricks, and a photographer slipped in as well to snap a picture of our table with the chef. At the conclusion of the evening, we each received a copy of the picture, which is a fun keepsake from the evening.
The Chef’s Table is usually only offered to only 10 guests per night, on only two nights in a 7-night cruise. You usually need to book this as soon as you board the ship in order to reserve one of this few seats, but John Heald offers to pre-book Chef’s Table reservations if you contact him on his blog. (Here’s the link – http://johnhealdsblog.com/ask-john/ – you need to tell him the ship, sail date, and your booking number.) Even though this wasn’t our favorite experience, we still give Chef’s Table a Thumbs Up!