When you sail with Carnival Cruise Line it’s always a good time. \u00a0But there’s an extra-special treat you can enjoy if you know to ask for it – The Chef’s Table.<\/p>\n
As I write this blog, we’re onboard the Carnival Ecstasy, about six hours north of \u00a0Cozumel, Mexico. \u00a0It’s just after midnight and about two hours ago my friends and I enjoyed an amazing dining experience open to only a select few on each Carnival voyage – The Chef’s Table.<\/p>\n
The Chef de Cuisine on the Carnival Ecstasy is Suresh Babu, an India native with a flair for fine French cooking and an infectious personality. \u00a0He greeted the lucky 12 of us and took us on a 30-minute tour of the ship’s kitchen, stopping at each station for some information and a canap\u00e9 (more details on the menu in a bit). \u00a0During the tour, a volunteer from our party joined the pastry chef in making a special version of the Carnival Cruise Line dessert classic “Chocolate Melting Cake.” \u00a0We would enjoy their efforts at the end of our meal. \u00a0After the tour, we were seated at the Chef’s Table – not in the kitchen but rather in the ship’s library. \u00a0This was a lovely setting and the fun was just beginning.<\/p>\n
First, we took a group picture with the Chef, which I will upload later. \u00a0He later signed a copy and personalized it for each one of us. \u00a0This is the only picture I’ll be able to share, as cameras are prohibited in the galley so we left ours in the cabin.<\/p>\n
As we sat down, we were greeted with personalized name plates at our seats and menus customized with our names and the menu for the evening. \u00a0As each course was served, an army of chefs served our food as Chef Babu explained the dish, its inspiration and ingredients. \u00a0He also took the time prior to the meal to make sure the dietary needs of all guests were met, including one person who doesn’t eat seafood and one who was not a red meat eater. \u00a0His substitute dishes were as inspired and delicious as their original counterparts.<\/p>\n
As I mentioned, this special culinary experience only occurs once or twice per sailing and space is extremely limited. \u00a0I strongly recommend that you book this add-on as soon as you board your cruise. \u00a0At only $75 per person, it is well-worth the time and a bargain for what you get.<\/p>\n
Here is the menu we were served (and each menu is unique):\n<\/p>\n
CANAPES<\/strong><\/p>\n Ahi Tuna Tartar on a Wasabi Crisp Beef Carpaccio Fried Calamari Fire Roasted Tomato & Poblano Chili Bisque Chopped Mediterranean Salad Fillet of Chilean Sea Bass Aged Filet Mignon Your Special-Made Chocolate Melting Cake When you sail with Carnival Cruise Line it’s always a good time. \u00a0But there’s an extra-special treat you can enjoy if you know to ask for it – The Chef’s Table.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[496],"tags":[99,107,108],"class_list":["post-266","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-cruises","tag-carnival","tag-carnival-cruise-line","tag-chefs-table"],"fifu_image_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premiercustomtravel.com\/blog1\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premiercustomtravel.com\/blog1\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premiercustomtravel.com\/blog1\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premiercustomtravel.com\/blog1\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premiercustomtravel.com\/blog1\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=266"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/www.premiercustomtravel.com\/blog1\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":268,"href":"https:\/\/www.premiercustomtravel.com\/blog1\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/266\/revisions\/268"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.premiercustomtravel.com\/blog1\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=266"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premiercustomtravel.com\/blog1\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=266"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.premiercustomtravel.com\/blog1\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=266"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nDuck Pot Sticker
\nSteak Taco
\nAvocado Cheesecake<\/p>\n
\nMAIN MENU<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nParmigiano, Balsamico Gelee<\/em><\/p>\n
\nCharred Lime and Lemon Preserve<\/em><\/p>\n
\nGrilled Corn, Cilantro Drizzle<\/em><\/p>\n
\nShaved Pumpkin, Feta Cheese Crumble<\/em><\/p>\n
\nWine Stewed Shallots and Chives Vinaigrette, Leeks Emulsion, Peas Risotto<\/em><\/p>\n
\nOnion Streusel, Homemade Three Pepper Mustard<\/em><\/p>\n
\nWith a Surprise From The Chef (A whole separate dessert plate including Chocolate Mousse and Ice Cream)\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"