What is the Chef's table ?

[mcwebber]

Perhaps a recovering former alcoholic.

I meant for the taste. They do serve bottled water.

[ioneblair]

The Chef's Table was an exquisite experience...although I am just a very ordinary woman and definitely not elegant and refined, it made me feel that way for a few hours.....I treated my brother who has dined in many varied upscale venues and he feels the experience was exceptional and very worth the extra charge....."every penny" he said.....would I do it again....very possibly yes....am so glaaaaad I did it at least once....I only wish we'd asked more ?? than we did to the chef who put himself at our disposal to answer anything.....he kept us entertained and informed and was very personable with us

 

We heard no noise that affected the quality of the experience but I agree that more wine pairings would have heightened the experience

 

Champagne with the hors d'oeuvres and typical white and red wines with the meal....

[mucklucks]

And, do any guests come alone, or is it normally couples? I'm traveling with my sisters who would baulk at paying $75 for dinner...while I think I would enjoy the experience.

The chefs' table on the Inspiration had two women who came alone and seperate from each other and had a wonderful time it is a social event as well...

Later,

Rhonda aka mucklucks

[mlyn]

We did the Chef's table last July on the Fascination. I don't drink wine, so I asked for and was served iced tea.

[MuffyKismet]

We are booked for the Imagination next week! Our Chef's table night is the last night of the cruise......which is excellent since that is a full day at sea as well......relax all day and get treated like royalty for dinner!! Can't wait!:D

[Crusing Nut]

Just did this last week on Miracle and it was fantastic. We had 14 - 6 couples and two people that were family. I would book this as a single, as it is really not a couple thing and it was designed for everyone to mingle like one big family. We did not sit next to our spouses, so there was a lot more conversation with those around you. They did it twice - the 2nd full day and the 6th day, which turned out to be the 2nd formal night. We did the first night.

Both nights sold out and there were others that did want to sign up, so it was popular. I was glad I was able to book in advance.

Being in the galley during the height of early seating service was eye-opening. The food, the conversation with the Chef, and the presentation of all courses were amazing. We all drank wine or water, so I have no idea what else could be served. And the coffee served with dessert was the best I have ever had on Carnival. Why can't they do that all the time?!

 

It was absolutely worth the $75 (plus tip) IMO.

 

I can't find where you book the Chefs table in advance on the Miracle, just the Steakhouse.... can you point me in the right direction....?

[smallworldtraveller]

Go to John Healds blog and make a request on the blog for John and the 344 Stephanies to make your reservation for you. I also sent in a reservation through the steak house beforehand and stated I would like a reservation for the Chef's table.

 

We had a single person when we did the Chef's Table on the Liberty, I have said it once and will say it again. I wanted to lick every plate dry and not miss anything. This dinner was the best I have ever had, the experience alone made me for the very first time in my life feel like a princess. There were 7 of us for our dinner.

 

My disappointment now is that I booked a cruise on the Legend for next October and it is not offered as of yet on the Legend. :mad: I want to do it every cruise and am willing to beg for it to be on the Legend we board.

[*Mach*]

I can't find where you book the Chefs table in advance on the Miracle, just the Steakhouse.... can you point me in the right direction....?

 

 

Here ya' go...

For those who aren't familiar with the reservation process here it is:

 

In order to process a reservation follow this from John Heald's blog thingy:

 

I would like to offer my help with reserving a table. This was a big decision for me to take because it actually will add a bit of work onto my schedule but because some of you have asked and because of the massive popularity that the Chef’s Table has, I decided to give my bloggers the first chance to reserve a place at the table. This is what I would ask.

 

1. In the Reply Section please write “CHEF’S TABLE RESERVATION NEEDED”

 

2. I will then need you to tell me the ship, the sailing date and your full name and state room number.

 

3. Please make sure your e mail address is included

 

4. Please give me as much prior notice as possible before sailing

 

One of the 344 Stephanies will send me the requests on Mondays and on Fridays and I will then send them to the ship. Your requests won’t be posted on the blog as they will include your e-mail address so please don’t place any other comments or questions in this posting which will also make it simple for me to read. Now, once the ships have received this request they will e mail a confirmation that will read like this.

 

Dear Tim and Diane,

Thank you for booking the Chef’s Table.

Your reservation request for 7 Guests is confirmed.

 

Should your plans change, please keep us advised at E MAIL ADDRESS WILL BE INCLUDED HERE FOR THE SPECIFIC SHIP

 

We look forward to serving you!

 

Your Steakhouse Hostess

 

Little Ed

 

Carnival Dream

 

If you are not familiar with John's blog you can find it here:

 

www.johnhealdsblog.com

 

Open the most recent entry, scroll all the way to the bottom and you'll see this:

 

 

Enter the information, as requested, in the 'Leave a reply' box. Make sure you've entered your name and a valid email address. That's it!

 

You should get a confirmation in a week to ten days.

 

 

:)

[Fancy_Goods]

They do serve bottled water.

 

Actually, I thought it was rather interesting to be served bottled water at Chef's Table and not water from the ship's tap..... ;)

[mcwebber]

Here is Chef Luis Palha on the Carnival Imagination explaining one of the first courses of the meal.

[Bookworm77]

My disappointment now is that I booked a cruise on the Legend for next October and it is not offered as of yet on the Legend. :mad: I want to do it every cruise and am willing to beg for it to be on the Legend we board.

 

Actually it is offered on the Legend. DH & I are confirmed for the Chefs Table on our 3/27/11 sailing. I made our reservations thru Johns blog with Machs help (thank you Mach!!)

[mcwebber]

Here's another video of the chef on the Imagination. This time explaining the soup course. *spoiler alert* You may not want to watch this if you're going to attend the dinner.

[ampaisley]

Thanks for the info. Just sent my request off to Johns Blog for our sailing in January. I have heard it is an amazing experience and I am excited to confirm our attendance. I am resisting watching the videos until after I come back...we'll see how long I can hold out.

 

Thanks Mach for the info about sending the request to John.

[mcwebber]

Thanks for the info. Just sent my request off to Johns Blog for our sailing in January. I have heard it is an amazing experience and I am excited to confirm our attendance. I am resisting watching the videos until after I come back...we'll see how long I can hold out.

 

Thanks Mach for the info about sending the request to John.

 

Watching will just spoil a little surprise. If you've already seen the menu you now know the supposedly secret menu. They tell you it's secret when you book it on board. It appears it's almost identical from ship to ship.

[mcwebber]

Here's Chef Luis Palha explaining the chopped Mediterranean salad course.

[mcwebber]

Here the Chef explains the sea bass course:

[picklebongo]

While the chef is explaining about the various dishes, has it already been served and sitting in front of you getting cold? If it has been served, do people start eating during the speech or is the food served after the brief speech?

[LRene]

Thanks for the video links. I would pay money to get that Poblano pepper tomato cheese soup thingy recipe! That was the best soup I've ever eaten in my life! It wasn't something they would give out to us though.

 

They can keep my sea bass. That was the only part of the meal I didn't really care for.

 

Pickle - I think for the most part, the chef was explaining before and while it was being served. Since it is in good form to wait until everyone at the table (and you are all at one table) are served a course, I don't remember there ever being a delay or the food getting cold because they serve pretty fast and he finishes about the same time the servers do. They have it timed to perfection.

[mcwebber]

While the chef is explaining about the various dishes, has it already been served and sitting in front of you getting cold? If it has been served, do people start eating during the speech or is the food served after the brief speech?

It's being served or about to be served as he explains. There's quite a bit to look at on the plate (http://danthewebman.shutterfly.com/pictures for food photos) so people may look or, if they've been served, they may eat. Most people wait until everyone is served before they eat.

[Fighterone]

No cocktails. A fairly cheap sparkling Spanish wine served as champagne with some hors d'oeuvres in the galley portion before being brought to the library on the Imagination for the dinner.

 

We had Santero Brut, a sparkling wine from Italy, 11.5% alcohol at our Chef's Table on Ecstasy last Saturday evening. BTW this is the same sparkling wine that was served at the art auction.

[mcwebber]

Here is Chef Palha explaining the filet mignon course.

[treasure4two]

Does it include soda and beer?

 

Is this dinner only once on a cruise? About when on a cruise is it held.

 

I asked for and got a diet coke and I am sure I could have had a beer. Also, I did not want sea bass and they gave me wonderful chicken. They ask you before if you have any food allergies which could include dislikes. They were wonderful and went out of their way to please. We had it on a 5 day cruise, so I am guessing they have it once a cruise, so a B2B would have 2. They are great and well worth the money, even if you are not a drinker!