Chef’s Table Question

[jrkstl]

Happy Friday!

 

Just curious about the menu at the Chef’s Table - do they offer vegetarian options, or is it strictly what is on the menu for the day?

 

I apologize if this has been discussed before - I had zero luck searching for it.

 

Thanks!
 

Jeff

[harbourside]

We did not like a tuna course that we were served and left most of it.  The waiter asked if he could bring us  a ceasar salad instead.  The replacement course was offered without us asking.

[Jim Avery]

You certainly can get what you ask for at CT.  I particularly dislike foam which is so trendy now.  Once I told them no foam on anything that's the way it came and was very good.  They really do try to accommodate if at all possible.  Just be nice about it.🍸

[broker1217]

The offered menu will be meat-centric. They will ask if you have food allergies when they seat you.

They do anything possible to accommodate. But I think if you require a vegetarian meal you should work with the chef prior to your meal. In other words, don't present yourself at the appointed hour and THEN ask for vegetarian. If you give them notice they will work with you.

[millybess]

2 hours ago, jrkstl said:

Happy Friday!

 

Just curious about the menu at the Chef’s Table - do they offer vegetarian options, or is it strictly what is on the menu for the day?

In MyVikingJourney: > onboard experience > :preferences > dietary restrictions 

They will accommodate you. 🙂

[jrkstl]

3 hours ago, millybess said:

In MyVikingJourney: > onboard experience > :preferences > dietary restrictions 

They will accommodate you. 🙂

Yes, of course. Thanks!

 

We’ve had no real issues on our several Viking river cruises, but it sounds like once we let them know prior to our reservation all will be well.

 

Thanks again everyone!

 

Jeff

[twodjs]

My wife and I are both vegetarian and have asked for the menus for our upcoming cruise in May since they were listed as TBD. All were meat or fish focused on every course so we avoided booking the Chef's Table. Very disappointed. If Viking is truly willing to please, why don't they at least offer one vegetarian menu? To ask to change every course would be EXTREMELY embarassing and the wine pairings would be completely wrong.

[lackcreativity]

32 minutes ago, twodjs said:

My wife and I are both vegetarian and have asked for the menus for our upcoming cruise in May since they were listed as TBD. All were meat or fish focused on every course so we avoided booking the Chef's Table. Very disappointed. If Viking is truly willing to please, why don't they at least offer one vegetarian menu? To ask to change every course would be EXTREMELY embarassing and the wine pairings would be completely wrong.

They have introduced new Chef's Table menus over the years. Make a suggestion to Viking. It might not happen for your trip in May, but it could be a good addition to the rotation, even for us carnivores!

[maddie36]

Currently on Orion.  Chefs Table last night exactly replicated a crab cake for my vegetarian sister so our meals looked identical.  Very clever.  Just let them know your preference when you book.

[Peregrina651]

2 hours ago, maddie36 said:

Currently on Orion.  Chefs Table last night exactly replicated a crab cake for my vegetarian sister so our meals looked identical.  Very clever.  Just let them know your preference when you book.

 

And talk with the chef once you board. They may suggest which of the menus is most adaptable.

[bookbabe]

OP, I get your dilemma.  We’ve been wavering about whether to bother with Chef’s Table or not for our upcoming cruise.  Neither of us is a huge fan of “foam and artistic swirls of sauce” type meals, and I have a fish allergy and DH won’t eat game meats or even anything as exotic as lamb.  And we’re not wine drinkers at all.  So as much as everyone raves about the CT menus, we really think it’s not going to be for us as far as most of the menus we’ve seen.  There were one or two that looked passable, but we’d still need to change at least a few courses.  So we are likely to skip it, especially since it sounds like the Restaurant and World Cafe both have great food too.

 

Just because you CAN go there, doesn’t mean you MUST go there.  I’m sure our seats at CT will be happily filled up by some other passengers.

 

Edited February 27, 2022 by bookbabe

[Haworth]

I raised as issue about the cooking of vegetarian burgers at the pool grill, the next evening the head chef came and found us at dinner to talk thorough the issue and understand the problem. Like most things they are receptive, listen and help when they can

[Blackduck59]

1 hour ago, bookbabe said:

Just because you CAN go there, doesn’t mean you MUST go there.  I’m sure our seats at CT will be happily filled up by some other passengers.

 

 

For some there seems to be a FOMO situation here. It would seem that Vegetarians are in a minority and to have a standing vegetarian selection for all courses on all Chef's Table menus would probably not have that many takers. My wife has several food allergies, should she expect to find a selection in every course taking those in to consideration? Not so much, she could however make the Maitre d' aware in advance and something special would be sorted.

We will have a look when we board and see if any of the Chef's Table menus look interesting. If they do we will make the appropriate arrangements, if not there are other restaurants.

[Peregrina651]

 

2 hours ago, Blackduck59 said:

My wife has several food allergies, should she expect to find a selection in every course taking those in to consideration? Not so much, she could however make the Maitre d' aware in advance and something special would be sorted.

 

Of course she should tell the maitre'd, at boarding. Everyone with food issues should. The hotel staff wants to make our stay on board as delight-filled as possible and that includes the kitchen staff. With advance warning, they can modify most dishes including those on the CT menu.

 

I'm can't eat bell peppers, garlic and raw onion anymore. Viking is wonderful about it. Because I let the maitre'd know I have issues at the start of the cruise, I get to choose my MDR and Manfredi's dinners in advance and CT is ready to serve me a meal that I can eat. It is so much better than having to go through the same litany of allergies each night -- and then being told that I can't have the dish I most wanted because it is took late in the prep to eliminate the offending vegetables. The next day's dinner menu is delivered to the cabin each evening. I choose what I want and drop it off at the MDR desk by 10am the next morning. Moreover, there is usually one Assistant Maitre'd assigned to riding herd over the special diets, making sure that we get the menus each night and that our needs are being taken care of.

 

Even at the buffet, they will do what they can to accommodate our special diets. I ask the chef to walk me down the hot line and tell me what I can eat. Inevitably, the chef will tell me that he can prepare this garlicky or that bell peppery dish for me without the offending veggies.

 

As for Chef's table, DH enjoys CT and I am glad that he does not have to give up that bit of enjoyment because of my food issues. On our last sailing this past December, we signed up for 5 of the 6 menus offered, three of them repeats and two of them new to us.  I am sure that modifications were made on at least one course of each meal we ate there but it was pretty much seamless because they knew well in advance what needed to be done.

 

 

[KathyA]

Now that, ladies and gentlemen, is customer service!

[Australia08]

4 hours ago, KathyA said:

Now that, ladies and gentlemen, is customer service!

We’ve had this same service (regarding attention to special diets) on other cruise lines, too. Menus in advance, an assigned Maitre ‘d pretty common in our previous cruising. Just need to let them know. 

[Twitchly]

7 hours ago, Peregrina651 said:

I'm can't eat bell peppers, garlic and raw onion anymore. Viking is wonderful about it. Because I let the maitre'd know I have issues at the start of the cruise, I get to choose my MDR and Manfredi's dinners in advance and CT is ready to serve me a meal that I can eat.

Interesting. I never thought to do this. There are a couple things I can’t eat anymore — broccoli and kiwi — but they’re pretty easy to spot, so they’re easy enough to avoid. But licorice could be fatal to DH, and it lurks in all kinds of things (herbal teas, Chinese 5-spice, gin …). I think I’ll duck over to MVJ and let them know.

 

Update: Doesn’t look like MVJ can handle specific food issues like this. So we’ll just tell the maitre’d when we board.

Edited February 28, 2022 by Twitchly

[Peregrina651]

4 minutes ago, Twitchly said:

I think I’ll duck over to MVJ and let them know.

 

Unfortunately, there is no place on MVJ to list specific allergies -- and there should be. Even if you do fill out this form, you should confirm with the maitre'd or guest services when you board.

 

 

FYI, this is found on MVJ under On-Board Experience/Preferences