Feb 26

Feb 26 Chef's Table on Carnival

The Chef’s Table is the ultimate dining experience aboard a Carnival ship and is limited to only 14 guests per evening (may vary depending on the ship). We had the opportunity to try the Chef’s Table on our recent Carnival Panorama cruise. It should be noted that there is a charge of $95 per person for the Chef’s Table (plus 18% gratuity).

The Chef’s Table experience begins by meeting at a specific gathering point in the lobby (Deck 3 on Panorama) at 6:00pm. Soon, Sous Chef, Plato Fernandes, greets us and invites us to follow him into the ship’s galley. Once inside the galley, we all wash our hands then stand around a stainless steel prep table where we are each poured a glass of Moët Champagne. A small square wooden block in front of each station is actually an electro-magnet. We are each assigned the task of placing the multi-faceted white cube over the block so that it will hover over it. It was a fun exercise, but had nothing to do with the dining experience.

We enjoyed a few small tastings in the galley area. First, a mushroom “tea”, more like a broth actually, was served with a mushroom and truffle tasting. Both were delicious.

*Mushroom Tea and Mushroom w/Truffle Appetizer*

Another tasting is offered on a small gold spoon. I cannot remember what it was, but it too was delicious.

Here, Chef Fernandes places a mixture of yogurt and coconut creme onto a freeze plate to create another unique Amuse Bouche with thinly sliced sirloin on top. It sounds strange, but was very good.

*Sous Chef Uses Anti-Griddle to Freeze Appetizers*

After our tastings in the galley, we were led into a nicely-appointed dining room just off the galley. One wall was glass so we could see all of our courses being prepared. Once seated, we were each poured a choice of still or sparkling water and our choice of red or white wine (or both).

The remaining menu consists of nine courses (click menu image to see each course). Before each course is served, Chef Fernandes explains the dish as well as the preparation techniques used in preparing the dish. You can see that a lot of thought has gone into the creation of each course and only the best ingredients are used.

A butter dish with two types of freshly churned butter is accompanied by a flaky, buttery and delicious dinner roll. Think of the best, flakiest crescent roll you can imagine, then imagine it is twice that good.

The first course is a Sabyon of Peach and Parsley that arrives under a rosemary-infused air bubble. Poke the bubble and it disappears with a rosemary smoke escaping revealing a chilled strawberry and peach flavored soup.

The dry-aged duck was prepared with 20 different African spices and is accompanied by a blueberry glaze and tiny carrot.

A choice of Layer Cake Cab Sav or Oyster Bay Savignon Blanc was generously poured throughout the meal.

The Chef’s Taste course arrives in a series of stacked wooden boxes, and when disassembled, reveals four small delicacies (see menu for details).

Everyone at the table agreed that the sea bass course was probably the best piece of fish any of us had ever had. It was light, perfectly cooked and floating in the most delicious sauce you can imagine.

The Celery Root “Pastrami” was the vegetarian course, and Rickee and I thought this one was a little strange. I guess you have to be a vegetarian to appreciate it.

The lamb course was nothing short of amazing. A nice chunk of perfectly cooked lamb loin was accompanied by a small crispy slice of shredded lamb neck. The lamb was perfectly seasoned and as tender and mild as any lamb I have ever eaten. Delicious.

Next was the beef course consisting of a slice of crispy beef bacon (made from the brisket) and a chunk of medium-rare sirloin. The meat was, once again, perfectly cooked and expertly seasoned.

For dessert (as if any of us have room left), a mango tart and bitter chocolate tart are followed by a glass dish with various chocolate offerings.

The Chef’s Table experience took about three hours to enjoy, and enjoy we did! We have participated in Chef’s Table dinners on four different cruise lines (Azamara, Princess, Viking Ocean and Carnival), and Carnival is right up there with the best. The Carnival Chef’s Table seems to explore more molecular gastronomy than the others showing a lot of creative technique with more complex dishes.

Without hesitation, we can highly recommend the Chef’s Table on Carnival. There is limited space at Chef’s Table, so you should make reservations online, in advance of your sailing, to ensure you will be included. Bring a big appetite and an open mind. This is one of the most creative dining experiences on land or sea.