Chef's Table

[rdsqrl]

You mean this caviar?

 

This is just SOME of the appetizers they served. :p

You're killing me here, Heather!

What's the last thing, that looks like a long red tail? We had steak tartare instead of that -- looks interesting . . .

[wg6530]

Are Chef's tables held on formal night, on smart casual night, or both? Our 7 day cruise is part of a longer trip and DH doesn't want to carry formal wear. (Well, that's the excuse this time; he really doesn't like to dress up on any vacation.) Would he be under dressed at Chef's Table in smart casual attire?

[Dani24]

Are Chef's tables held on formal night, on smart casual night, or both? Our 7 day cruise is part of a longer trip and DH doesn't want to carry formal wear. (Well, that's the excuse this time; he really doesn't like to dress up on any vacation.) Would he be under dressed at Chef's Table in smart casual attire?

 

Ours was on a regular smart casual night. My guess is that they only do them on smart casual nights, since I've never seen any pictures of people doing them in their formalwear.

[Colo Cruiser]

Are Chef's tables held on formal night, on smart casual night, or both? Our 7 day cruise is part of a longer trip and DH doesn't want to carry formal wear. (Well, that's the excuse this time; he really doesn't like to dress up on any vacation.) Would he be under dressed at Chef's Table in smart casual attire?

 

 

Yes can be either.

[BalconyGal]

You're killing me here, Heather!

What's the last thing, that looks like a long red tail? We had steak tartare instead of that -- looks interesting . . .

It was a lobster claw....it was so meaty I couldn't believe it! The sauce underneath was a tartar type sauce.

 

wg6530 Ours was a smart casual nigfht but we did dress a little "nicer" than usaul. I wore a dress and my partner wore pants and a nice blouse.

[BalconyGal]

We had caviar served on a potato pancake with sour cream. To die for. Normally not a fan of caviar, but the appetizer at the Chef's Table was awesome. Was too busy eating it to take a decent picture.:D

I made it my business to get a picture of eveything for cruise critic, although I made sure to taste everything as soon as the pic was snapped! :D I was lucky because they came to us first so I got to take pics of everything before the display was touched.

[Cool Breeze]

Hey Tim, great review. Do you know how long Chef Nilo will be on the Island Princess? We are sailing May 24 out of Whittier, Alaska On the Island Princess. We did the Chef's Table last year out of Puerto Rico with Chef Nilo and it was amazing! Hopefully Chef Nilo will still be there and we'll get to experience it again!

[tmitchell82]

Hey Tim, great review. Do you know how long Chef Nilo will be on the Island Princess? We are sailing May 24 out of Whittier, Alaska On the Island Princess. We did the Chef's Table last year out of Puerto Rico with Chef Nilo and it was amazing! Hopefully Chef Nilo will still be there and we'll get to experience it again!

 

I know he transferred to the Island Princess recently and did mention that he had some time off from the Caribbean Princess to the Island Princess, so I am betting he would still be on the Island Princess on 5/24. It was interesting when we had mentioned to him that we had done the Chef's Table with him before and loved it. He was very appreciative of us coming back to the Chef's Table for him. We ran into him a few days before hand and had mentioned that we had been on the previous Chef's Table with him and that we were coming back so I would definitely seek him out ahead of time. He can work wonders for you outside of the Chef's Table as well. "Nilo said to ask for it when we were at the Chef's Table" and magically things would appear. Can not say enough good things about Nilo. We have now dubbed it "Finding Nilo on Princess" Still missing my Surf and Turf from that night.....

 

Tim

[Yukonbear]

You should get a call or visit from the maitre d' at some point, to ask some questions about the Chef's Table. They'll ask you things like whether you have closed toed shoes (required in the kitchen), and if either of you have any food allergies. I don't know what happens if you say you do -- e.g. whether they'll rework the menu to accomodate that (or even ensure there are some items that are free of the problem ingredient), or if it becomes grounds to reject you for some other passenger who can enjoy the entire meal.

 

 

I have experienced the Chef's Table twice on the Ruby and loved every minute of it. Our last cruise, April 9th had 3 in 10 days...each one about 12 people. Over 100 people applied for these precious spots. My gut feeling is you may get passed over if you indicate severe food allergies. A few people in our group did not want to eat the steak tartare but that was not a big deal...move for those that did. Everyone has their thoughts about why some people get picked while others so not. My recommendation is to speak personally to the maitre D' as soon as you can (ie. day 1 or day 2) and look presentable. This does not mean a tie and jackets but you only get one change to make that impression.

 

Good luck

[FamilyGuy1010]

Good Info! Thanks Dani. Our 16 yo son will be with us and is an inspiring chef so I really wanted him to be able to experience this too. I hope that they will be able to work around the allergy, or perhaps my husband will just hang out there for the experience and grab something from room service, earlier or later!

 

I believe they require the guests to be 18 years of age or older.

 

By the way, this is an excellent value. I recommend everyone try this at least once. Show up hungry, because there will be a lot of food.

[caribill]

I believe they require the guests to be 18 years of age or older.

 

 

I do not think this is a requirement. Not sure of what the minimum age is.

 

Anyone under 21 will not be served the wines and Champaigne.

[m steve]

Actually we would have been happy just having the canapes and champagne as the main meal was ok but not as exciting as the tasting in the kitchen. Maybe they will offer a special cocktail party with all these special hors' ds and champagne (real French). We'll do it again when we sail P in the future. HAL is starting to offer something similar in the cooking theatre.

[BalconyGal]

I do not think this is a requirement. Not sure of what the minimum age is.

 

Anyone under 21 will not be served the wines and Champaigne.

And the wines really enhance the meal exponentially! They were perfect pairings!

[rmul]

We did the Chef's Table last week on the Sapphire. It was worth every penny. Had a wonderful meal and great tour of the galley. Received autographed cookbook and a red rose for the ladies.

 

Jan

[tmitchell82]

And the wines really enhance the meal exponentially! They were perfect pairings!

 

I definitely agree with that. Now if I could just find the wines we got served at the Chef's Table here at home.

 

Already have the bottle of Grey Goose Vodka for our cracked pepper sorbet pallet cleanser at home. Our friends thought we were nuts the first time we served that here. One taste and they were converts...

[BalconyGal]

I definitely agree with that. Now if I could just find the wines we got served at the Chef's Table here at home.

 

Already have the bottle of Grey Goose Vodka for our cracked pepper sorbet pallet cleanser at home. Our friends thought we were nuts the first time we served that here. One taste and they were converts...

OMG! Right? That was something!!!

[BalconyGal]

I definitely agree with that. Now if I could just find the wines we got served at the Chef's Table here at home.

 

Already have the bottle of Grey Goose Vodka for our cracked pepper sorbet pallet cleanser at home. Our friends thought we were nuts the first time we served that here. One taste and they were converts...

 

For those who haven't had it yet. Yes, that's Vodka the sorbet is swimming in.

 

[cheri]

I was just wondering we are just palin eaters lol but we want to do this for the experence and will eat some of the things i see we would like so do you think they would be upset if we didnt eat some of the others. I know my hubby probly will hold out for the lobster. Its worth the money to just go but dont want to offend anyone they do work hard on this stuff. Thanks

[5waldos]

I think they might be upset if you weren't willing to at least take a taste of things. Like the no-thank you helpings we always had to take at camp. You might find you loved things you never thought you would! It wouldn't be the first time people discovered that they liked different foods.

[Dani24]

I was just wondering we are just palin eaters lol but we want to do this for the experence and will eat some of the things i see we would like so do you think they would be upset if we didnt eat some of the others. I know my hubby probly will hold out for the lobster. Its worth the money to just go but dont want to offend anyone they do work hard on this stuff. Thanks

 

I've heard of some interesting diets... but never one that consisted of a particular politician. :p

 

As for your question... If you chose not to eat one or two of the items, I'm sure it would be fine. But if a good portion of the items do not look appetizing to you, I would kindly suggest that you do not participate. There may likely be other passengers on the ship who could have taken your place, and would have been thrilled to at least sample everything. Plus, considering the chef is making this meal special for the group, it could be seen as insulting to the chef to only partake in some of the meal. Perhaps this isn't really the experience for you, and your money would be better spent on something more in line with your tastes (no pun intended).

 

There's also no guarantee that you'll get lobster at the chef's table. The menu can vary, and the time we did it there was no lobster. We were served beef, veal and pork tenderloin that was presented on a flaming medieval torture device looking thingy. We didn't get any seafood as an entree. If lobster is what your husband wants, wait for formal night, or do the ultimate balcony dinner.

[BalconyGal]

I've heard of some interesting diets... but never one that consisted of a particular politician. :p I thought the same thing LOL

 

As for your question... If you chose not to eat one or two of the items, I'm sure it would be fine. But if a good portion of the items do not look appetizing to you, I would kindly suggest that you do not participate. There may likely be other passengers on the ship who could have taken your place, and would have been thrilled to at least sample everything. Plus, considering the chef is making this meal special for the group, it could be seen as insulting to the chef to only partake in some of the meal. Perhaps this isn't really the experience for you, and your money would be better spent on something more in line with your tastes (no pun intended).

 

There's also no guarantee that you'll get lobster at the chef's table. The menu can vary, and the time we did it there was no lobster. We were served beef, veal and pork tenderloin that was presented on a flaming medieval torture device looking thingy. We didn't get any seafood as an entree. If lobster is what your husband wants, wait for formal night, or do the ultimate balcony dinner.

I have to agree, too many people want to have this experience to squander the opportunity. I am not a big seafood lover but I tasted everything and I have to say I was surprised how much I liked. So if you go with an open mind and at least try everything you may surprise yourself too.

[Cruisin' Grandma]

I definitely agree with that. Now if I could just find the wines we got served at the Chef's Table here at home.

 

Already have the bottle of Grey Goose Vodka for our cracked pepper sorbet pallet cleanser at home. Our friends thought we were nuts the first time we served that here. One taste and they were converts...

 

Hi Tim, let me know when you're serving the sorbet with Grey Goose, I'm sure I can arrange a visit.:)

 

Lola in Hamilton

[BalconyGal]

Hi Tim' date=' let me know when you're serving the sorbet with Grey Goose, I'm sure I can arrange a visit.:)

 

Lola in Hamilton[/quote']

Me too....a chef's table reunion???:D

[Duck Duck Cruise]

Even though we prefer Chopin over Grey Goose, the sorbet was very yummy with the Goose. Here was ours Pre-Goose.

 

[Cruisin' Grandma]

Me too....a chef's table reunion???:D

 

Sounds good to me!!

 

Lola in Hamilton.