Chef table on the Legend Should I do it?

[Gari]

I am heading out on the Legend for a B2B leaving July 23.  I'm a teacher in public school and getting back to in person learning has been exhausting and I want to really relax and treat myself on this trip. Trying to deal ice if I should go all out and try the Chefs Tasting. Would love to know what folks think  

Help me decide  thanks

[iamsteph]

It's an experience everyone should do once on a cruise. I say, go for it!!

[Dadofsix]

Go for it! It is an experience and a chance to expand your horizons. Each time we have done this it has been wonderful.

[Sms1973]

Sorry to go contrarian to others, but we would not do the Chef table again. (We did in in June on  Mariner, but the menu appears consistent across it).

 

The food was overall just ok, (the steak was the best we had on the ship -we had the Key welcome lunch and separately the lunch at chops), however it was not something to get crazy over.

 

The biggest issue we had was with the wine pairing, presentation, and quality.

 

The presenter of the wine was reading off a script and had no formal wine training at any level.  And the script was bad.  
 

The  wines themselves were nothing special, retail of around $15-18, with the exception of the “really special” wine, the Mondavi Cab, which is about a $45-50 bottle.

 

But the crowning disappointment was the actual pairing.  We’ve been to a lot of pairing dinners, and have a reasonable expectation, but also know that not everyone’s palette matches and some times a pairing may be perfect for one person, may be a little “off” for another.

 

However, it shocks me how badly paired two of the courses were… drinking the wine with the food actually made both worse.  (Specifically speaking to the overly NZ Savi Blanc, which was an exaggeration  of everything a NZ Sav should be). 

Three other couples indicated equal disappointment.  The only couple that was super happy showed up drunk to being with, and fell asleep during the dinner.

 

 

After an entire cruise of mediocre food, we were so looking forward to this, and left very disappointed.  Unlike ever cruise we have ever been on, there wasn’t a trained somm,

 in this ship and 2/3 of the wine requested from the wine list was not available.  And that’s the by the glass stuff, not the premium wines…. Don’t even get me started,  it this is just an indictment of the chef table.

 

conceptually awesome,  poor execution.

 

save the money and do something special at one of the stops.
 

 

 

 

[TrqoisWtrs]

32 minutes ago, Sms1973 said:

(We did in in June on  Mariner, but the menu appears consistent across it).

 

The food was overall just ok, (the steak was the best we had on the ship -we had the Key welcome lunch and separately the lunch at chops), however it was not something to get crazy over.

 

Legend is a Carnival ship.  Don't see how you can compare it to RCCL?

 

On 7/15/2022 at 4:41 PM, Gari said:

I want to really relax and treat myself on this trip.

Like someone else said, you have to do it at least once.😊  Free flowing wine, red and white, with champagne to start.  This is not a tasting menu.  The same wine is served throughout.  This was the menu on Mardi Gras in August, but yours will probably be different.  But it gives you an idea.  Enjoy!

 

 

[ninjacat123]

Thanks for posting the menu!  DH and I will be doing Chef's Table this Labor Day weekend on Sunshine!

[GalaxyJane]

We did it on Legend in February and it was one of the best we've done. The chef really can make or break the experience, and on Legend both the chef and sous-chef were very experienced Carnival chefs (both 20 years plus with the company) and both were super engaged and seemed to really enjoy teaching the group about how the kitchens work and about all aspects of Carnival food service. The night club the have it in is ugly as hell, but the experience was well worth it.

Edited July 17, 2022 by GalaxyJane

[trbarton]

On 7/15/2022 at 2:41 PM, Gari said:

I am heading out on the Legend for a B2B leaving July 23.  I'm a teacher in public school and getting back to in person learning has been exhausting and I want to really relax and treat myself on this trip. Trying to deal ice if I should go all out and try the Chefs Tasting. Would love to know what folks think  

Help me decide  thanks

That’s a big YES. A great experience. 
 

Let us know what you decide. 
 

Tom😀

[Sms1973]

Apologies all… I was on a topic for chef table on RCCL, and somehow ended up here to post.

 

please ignore the comments… clearly there’s no point in comparing the two lines’ versions of chefs table.

 

sorry!

 

 

[Susan in Maine]

We did the Chef's Table on Magic last November. I was not particularly impressed, and neither was my daughter. It really depends on how much of a foodie you are back home. If you haven't had the opportunity to try a variety of foods, you may really enjoy it. Several of the others who were with us on the same night thought it was amazing, but us - not so much, especially for the money.

 

However - the bacon ice cream is AMAZING!

 

[RollingMeadows]

We do it every so often, the last time on the Panorama. It's a tasting menu and is absolutely a marvelous experience. I say book it, Dan-O!

 

[Gari]

Thanks all I think I will try it 

[wesorbeth]

I would recommend it.  My husband enjoyed it more than I did, the food was excellent but it was so much food!!!

[Loopdan]

I will be the contrarian. Our recent experience was mediocre, and I prefer the steakhouse.

 

I think it is highly dependent on the staff and other guests. The Chef never appeared, and the entire event had to be ad-libbed by one of his assistants. He was not prepared and it was clear that something had happened behind the scenes to cause the Chef's absence. Which made me realize he wasn't back in the kitchen overseeing the preparation of our food, either. The food was good but not spectacular. Carnival has attempted to design a tasting menu with creativity, but it falls short due to a lack of high-end ingredients. The service was slow. Many of the guests had to ask for wine to be refilled.

 

Most of the other guests were enjoyable dinner companions, but three of the guests at the table had very loud personalities, to the point of being obnoxious. 

 

I know this was an atypical experience, as everyone else raves about the Chef's Table. I may try again someday. But for now, I can't pass up the great value of the Steakhouse dinner.

[MrMarc]

It really is a foodie thing, and it depends on how much time and assistants the chef has.  Half of each course is the presentation and ingredients, the other half is the taste.  I did it recently, and while I enjoyed the food, I found the wines to me mediocre and the presentation and explanation of the wines snobbish.