Chef's Table by Daniel Boulud - New?

[Ariyel]

4 hours ago, Luckiestmanonearth said:

 

Got to agree with you on that one.  I think my main hang up is if Carnival can do a 12 course fantastic experience (with drinks) for $95pp, why is Celebrity charging over $250pp for a 5 course meal.

 

insanity

 

In fairness, the price is $139 per person on Celebrity for a 5 course meal.  Unclear if the listed wine pairing are included or are an extra $60/person (which would bring the total to $200/person).  It's still quite steep, but not quite $250/person.

[Luckiestmanonearth]

If you factor in a tip, it’ll be $250 a person 

[Redtravel]

High price?  For most, yes!   Celebrating a special event?  Perhaps, no.   Chef’s table menus can be good and bad.  It is a set menu which may not be to your liking. Also, chef’s table is usually served to a large shared table. I prefer special dinners for two. The latest thing in wedding/anniversary celebrations is a fabulous dinner for 2.  A far more interesting dinner experience would be an invitation to meet with Daniel and plan a menu for a swanky dinner for 2.  

[misterkevin]

23 hours ago, Luckiestmanonearth said:

 

Got to agree with you on that one.  I think my main hang up is if Carnival can do a 12 course fantastic experience (with drinks) for $95pp, why is Celebrity charging over $250pp for a 5 course meal.

 

insanity

Celebrity is certainly pricing themselves out of the market with this 5-course menu and wine pairing which comes to $235 per person when you add the 18% tip. 

 

I've experienced the multi-course degustation menus on Carnival in the fancy private dining rooms in the galley. They were a gastronomic tour de force.

 

This menu isn't varied enough and just doesn't float my boat. 😂 I wouldn't pay that for a Michelin starred restaurant on land, either. I consider myself a foodie; I'm sad about the missed opportunity. 

[KK4LA]

I wanted to circle back as I just came back from the June 8 sailing on the Equinox.  I ended up canceling this once I got on board for all the reasons discussed - menu was the same as previously posted, wine pairings are $60 more and the dinner was scheduled for the fourth night at 7 in Murano vs. the first night at 5:30.  Turns out that was also the same night as the "Moveable Feast" menu in the main dining room - featuring dishes by Buddy Valastro and Michelle Bernstein, which I was looking forward to.  They were good and didn't cost extra!

[Ariyel]

26 minutes ago, KK4LA said:

I wanted to circle back as I just came back from the June 8 sailing on the Equinox.  I ended up canceling this once I got on board for all the reasons discussed - menu was the same as previously posted, wine pairings are $60 more and the dinner was scheduled for the fourth night at 7 in Murano vs. the first night at 5:30.  Turns out that was also the same night as the "Moveable Feast" menu in the main dining room - featuring dishes by Buddy Valastro and Michelle Bernstein, which I was looking forward to.  They were good and didn't cost extra!

 

Thanks for the update.  Really bummed to hear the confirmation on the wine pairings being $60 extra, but I very much appreciate you confirming this info.  It'll be easier to make a decision one way or the other about this now.

[cangelmd]

Uuhh, thanks for posting. We did the Chef's Table on Equinox in Jan 2018, and that is really close to the same menu as then and the same wine pairings (which were included or covered by the package, we didn't pay extra).

I didn't expect the menu from Daniel (and if you do a Chef's Table, at least back then, you got a tour that explains why you would never get it ), but I did expect something a bit more imaginative than sea bass and filet. Also, those are solid wine pairings and good wines, but seem overpriced to me. I wonder if Mr. Boulud, in order to attach his name, insisted on a certain level of quality and consistency in the ingredients and they had to really simplify to comply. Charging for the wine is just another way to recoup some of their investment.

On 6/9/2019 at 7:48 AM, misterkevin said:

Celebrity is certainly pricing themselves out of the market with this 5-course menu and wine pairing which comes to $235 per person when you add the 18% tip. 

 

I've experienced the multi-course degustation menus on Carnival in the fancy private dining rooms in the galley. They were a gastronomic tour de force.

 

This menu isn't varied enough and just doesn't float my boat. 😂 I wouldn't pay that for a Michelin starred restaurant on land, either. I consider myself a foodie; I'm sad about the missed opportunity. 

 

I would be curious to know if you remember what was on the Carnival menu. I've also done a Chef's Table on Princess and one of the differences between that one and Celebrity was that on Princess the difference in quality of the food was way bigger. In other words, on Celebrity, the wines were noticeably better than the regular Premium pkg (even the Murano Premium pkg), but the food was only a little bit better than the Murano food (and as pointed out, no choice). On Princess, the Chef's Table much better than the specialty restaurant and the presentation was over the top. I have attributed all this to being in the MDR on Princess vs AQ on Celebrity.

 

Agree that this is a missed opportunity, perhaps they are still trying to figure out how to incorporate Boulud recipes into what they can do at sea and stay within the Public Health rules. Also, based on some of the comments here, everything they do to make the menu more unusual will turn off others - I'm giggling a bit thinking what people would think of some of the tasting menus I've tried before - fried chicken cotton candy, anyone?

 

The wines, though, that may be a sticking point, I would swear those are really close to what we had in Jan 2018. I wondered about an up charge then, and wouldn't be surprised, but $60 a head,  that seems steep for those wines and I love Veuve.

[hcat]

Where was it held?  How were the tables arranged?

Just not sure, esp if the actual date and time are uncertain at time of booking....

[warmwinds]

I'm the one who was recently on the Summit and cancelled because everything I was told was wrong - wines included (wrong), first night (wrong), 5:30 pm (wrong).  And I was really annoyed at how dismissive the Michael's (Retreat) concierge was when telling me these things - no apology, no so sorry you were misinformed, just a wave of her hand and a "your information was incorrect"...my information CAME from Celebrity!  I had a WRITTEN RECEIPT that said "Total Price"!  I was told on the phone when I booked what the date/time/price was, and I had a written receipt confirming it all!

 

Since it seems no one here had actually done it, these are my thoughts:

 

I think it is a solid but unimaginative "tasting menu" - I would hope that the words are much simpler than the actual presentation, that they would have Mr. Boulud's stamp, as it were.

 

To the one who mentioned the "chicken cotton candy", I would expect that on a molecular gastronomy menu, not a tasting menu per se.  I don't like that weird stuff - we ate at the Mothership, Alinea in Chicago, and really thought it was awful...quirky, but awful.

 

And I cringe when people have mentioned skipping the matched wines and using their beverage package instead to order "free" wines.  Maybe it's me, but that's not the spirit of a tasting menu with paired wines.  If you're going to do it, go the whole nine yards.  We were still willing to go after we found out the wines would be extra, it was the dismissive attitude about the whole thing that made us not want to bother.

 

 

[Member123]

Just disembarked the June 5 sailing on the Summit. So much back and forth about the Chef's Table and whether Chef Boulud would actually be on board, or not. My dining room was Blu, so I was able to speak with the Maitre 'd at some length about the situation. He told me that Celebrity was hesitant to promise anyone that Chef Boulud would be available because there was a complication on when and whether he would actually arrive. The Chef boarded the Summit at 4:30pm on our first day in Bermuda. That's when they knew for certain that he would be cooking for the Chef's Table.

 

Chef Boulud did a cooking demonstration where he prepared a carrot soup and the sea bass (the one on the Chef's Table menu). I can tell you that no description on the menu would prepare you for the actual dish that would be presented. If anyone is interested, I will attempt to post a picture of the plated sea bass.

 

To illustrate my point, the carrot soup description was something like..... carrot soup with fennel. That description didn't appeal to me, at all, of course. However, the completed soup was a combination of carrots, onions, fennel, spices, pimento flakes.... and shrimp! Don't you think an ingredient like shrimp should have been included in the menu description?!? And, the sea bass plating was incredibly beautiful.

 

I have eaten at Cafe Boulud when it was in Las Vegas and had a wonderful, casual meal. I am impressed with Chef Boulud's food philosophy and (I will admit) a bit skeptical as to how Celebrity's galley can pull off his menu. I'm not slamming the skill set of the chefs onboard, but I'm a bit skeptical as to the ingredients and.... well, I guess in total honesty.... the attention to minute detail that Chef uses for his plate. He took 30+ minutes to prepare the sea bass from start to finish.... do you think a Celebrity Chef would use that amount of time per plate? Just a rhetorical question, not meant to be an argument but a discussion among the foodie community.

 

I sincerely hope that Chef Boulud brings back a level of quality to the food offering on Celebrity. My cruise was disappointing in that aspect.... in Blu.

 

Another comment about Chef Boulud. A generous, warm, friendly man. The chefs and maitre d's that I spoke with on board who had been in conversation with him all described him as a pure pleasure to work with... no typical Chef ego... a wonderful descriptive analysis of the food on the plate and the purpose for every component that was used to complete the dish. If this works for Celebrity, I think it's a very positive turn of events! His hands are supposed to eventually touch every menu in every restaurant onboard.

 

The Chef's Table onboard was impossible to attend. There was high demand.... 25 couples on a waiting list!

[JFontaine]

Jim_Iain has some wonderful photos of the reception with Chef Boulud on his live Summitt thread, with the invitation to the reception at post 453 and photos starting at post 465.

 

 

[warmwinds]

33 minutes ago, Member123 said:

Just disembarked the June 5 sailing on the Summit. So much back and forth about the Chef's Table and whether Chef Boulud would actually be on board, or not. My dining room was Blu, so I was able to speak with the Maitre 'd at some length about the situation. He told me that Celebrity was hesitant to promise anyone that Chef Boulud would be available because there was a complication on when and whether he would actually arrive. The Chef boarded the Summit at 4:30pm on our first day in Bermuda. That's when they knew for certain that he would be cooking for the Chef's Table.

 

Chef Boulud did a cooking demonstration where he prepared a carrot soup and the sea bass (the one on the Chef's Table menu). I can tell you that no description on the menu would prepare you for the actual dish that would be presented. If anyone is interested, I will attempt to post a picture of the plated sea bass.

 

To illustrate my point, the carrot soup description was something like..... carrot soup with fennel. That description didn't appeal to me, at all, of course. However, the completed soup was a combination of carrots, onions, fennel, spices, pimento flakes.... and shrimp! Don't you think an ingredient like shrimp should have been included in the menu description?!? And, the sea bass plating was incredibly beautiful.

 

I have eaten at Cafe Boulud when it was in Las Vegas and had a wonderful, casual meal. I am impressed with Chef Boulud's food philosophy and (I will admit) a bit skeptical as to how Celebrity's galley can pull off his menu. I'm not slamming the skill set of the chefs onboard, but I'm a bit skeptical as to the ingredients and.... well, I guess in total honesty.... the attention to minute detail that Chef uses for his plate. He took 30+ minutes to prepare the sea bass from start to finish.... do you think a Celebrity Chef would use that amount of time per plate? Just a rhetorical question, not meant to be an argument but a discussion among the foodie community.

 

I sincerely hope that Chef Boulud brings back a level of quality to the food offering on Celebrity. My cruise was disappointing in that aspect.... in Blu.

 

Another comment about Chef Boulud. A generous, warm, friendly man. The chefs and maitre d's that I spoke with on board who had been in conversation with him all described him as a pure pleasure to work with... no typical Chef ego... a wonderful descriptive analysis of the food on the plate and the purpose for every component that was used to complete the dish. If this works for Celebrity, I think it's a very positive turn of events! His hands are supposed to eventually touch every menu in every restaurant onboard.

 

The Chef's Table onboard was impossible to attend. There was high demand.... 25 couples on a waiting list!

That's exactly what I meant, that I knew the actual dishes would be nothing like the simple words on the menu.  I, too, have eaten at both Café Boulud's - New York and Las Vegas - and was very impressed.

 

But I had no idea he actually was EVER to come on board, I thought he was the new background executive chef, a la Michel Roux back in the day.  What a wonderful treat to meet him in person.  It was never mentioned that he was on our Summit sailing, so I don't think he was.  But lucky you!

[Member123]

13 minutes ago, warmwinds said:

That's exactly what I meant, that I knew the actual dishes would be nothing like the simple words on the menu.  I, too, have eaten at both Café Boulud's - New York and Las Vegas - and was very impressed.

 

But I had no idea he actually was EVER to come on board, I thought he was the new background executive chef, a la Michel Roux back in the day.  What a wonderful treat to meet him in person.  It was never mentioned that he was on our Summit sailing, so I don't think he was.  But lucky you!

Warmwinds (love your screen name), Yes, indeed, lucky me!

 

Actually, the whole reason that I went on the cruise was because of a Celebrity email where I was enticed by information that on the 5 June sailing, Chef Boulud would be onboard. They advertised the Chef's Table and that he would do a cooking demonstration, a book signing, and that suite passengers would be able to personally meet with him in The Retreat. I almost booked a Sky Suite, just for that reason, but couldn't justify the pricing... and thought, it's ok, I'll just "stalk" him! LOL. I booked and called Captain's Club and tried to book the Chef's Table, but it was impossible. I was informed that I should stop by Guest Relations on boarding and that I would probably be accommodated. There was no way... even passengers sailing in the Penthouse Suite on that sailing couldn't get a seat at that particular Chef's Table.

 

I hope I don't come across as a rabid person. I'm just a hobbyist cook in the home and addicted to cooking classes and shows. My lovely husband did buy two of his cookbooks on board, for me. That was a bit of a struggle in the luggage! He mentioned that his Daniel cookbook was 400 pages and weighed 8 lbs! I decided it wasn't worth the weight struggle, but my DH disagreed. I glad he did now that we're home! LOL.

 

This was the first time that we've ever done a last minute booking. It all worked out great, but I'm not certain that I enjoyed all aspects of booking last minute.... not being able to get a quiet stateroom, for example. But, it was certainly a highlight to meet Chef Boulud.

[hcat]

Does anyone know how many guests  would be included?  Past a certain number would make it less exclusive...but with so many wanting to attend they might go to a larger venue. 

 

Did anyone learn how many chefs on board would be specially trained to execute this menu?

 

Will all ships be included in this event?

Edited June 18, 2019 by hcat

[wendyam76]

If you have Instagram have a look at celebritycruises as they have some photos of Chef Daniel in the kitchen and the dishes. Jim (of Jim_Ian fame!) is also attending it this week and I look forward to his thoughts. I love the thoughts of chicken cotton candy, that somebody mentioned, but I like molecular gastronomy. Isn’t it a good job we all like different things. And to the person who cringed at the likes of myself who would like to offset some of the cost by seeing if we could use our hard earned premium package to get similar wines or pay an upcharge to get them perhaps remember that whilst we appreciate the importance of pairing wines not everyone likes the selected wines.  

Somebody asked about how many people can be served - I’m sure I saw 12 somewhere but I’m not sure where! 

Wendy

[rushedmom]

We just got off Equinox and did the chef’s table. The menu was the one pictured and the food was amazing.  However there was a lot of confusion on price, we were told $199 (including wine) a person and given a receipt with that amount when we booked but later charged split in two separate charges totaling $224 a person. When we asked we were told wine pairing was separate charge and then later told gratuity added in. We were not given anything to sign that night. They ended up refunding us $12 a person. It was really a head scratcher on the pricing and they need to make it clear. Also FYI the cookbook is very heavy so keep that in mind when packing. 

Overall while it was a great experience I would not pay that much again.

[hcat]

Did they serve the menu as posted?

Where was it held?

Was it a fun event with good company, and excellent food/ service.?

Thanks for the info...

[Member123]

LOL.

 

The cookbook is 7 lbs 2 oz. Yes! Weighed it when we got home!

 

Plus, just to be aware. We did pack it in checked luggage. The TSA must not have been able to determine what the book was during the scan (I'm assuming.... or, of course, it could have been random selection). Our suitcase was a disheveled mess when we opened it, as the book was naturally packed at the bottom. 

 

So, FYI. 

[wendyam76]

Thank you so much for all the helpful tips - I remember doing a RC Chef table years ago and because it was mum and I doing it we both got the cookbooks - that made for interesting packing! 

Wendy 

[goldsmip115]

I had the pleasure of attending the Chef’s table on the June 5th cruise and indeed Chef Boulud was very much a part of the evening.  It was nothing short of an amazing and memorable evening.  I will try and post key pictures

[goldsmip115]

[goldsmip115]

[wendyam76]

5 minutes ago, goldsmip115 said:

I had the pleasure of attending the Chef’s table on the June 5th cruise and indeed Chef Boulud was very much a part of the evening.  It was nothing short of an amazing and memorable evening.  I will try and post key pictures

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you so much for posting your photos and sharing your experience.

Wendy

[rushedmom]

13 hours ago, hcat said:

Did they serve the menu as posted?

Where was it held?

Was it a fun event with good company, and excellent food/ service.?

Thanks for the info...

The menu was served as posted. It was held in a side room of Murano (after the galley tour). We had a good group of folks and enjoyed the evening. However they do need to be more clear about the pricing. 

[hcat]

26 minutes ago, rushedmom said:

The menu was served as posted. It was held in a side room of Murano (after the galley tour). We had a good group of folks and enjoyed the evening. However they do need to be more clear about the pricing. 

Thank you for the info....

And thanks to goldsmip 115 for the  fabulous photos...