The Chef's Table on Water

10 Course dinner with wine on the water? Yes, that is correct on Carnival Cruise lines they offer a special Chef's dinner to a very limited number of guests. On our recent vacation to the Caribbean Joey and I decided to join 10 other guests in this unique experience. I was very curious how they managed to feed gourmet food to over 3,000 guests and 1,000 crew while sailing around for 7 days.
We were greeted promptly at 6pm by Executive Chef Ajit Kumar from India. He led us into the very efficient kitchen where we had a chance to look around and have a taste of Champagne and a few appetizers.  As Afit introduced his staff he served an Ahi Tuna Tartar on a Wasabi Crisp, A Duck Confit Pot Sticker, Steak Taco and a buttery Avocado Cheesecake

All of the offerings were delicious but I must say the Duck Pot Sticker was my favorite. The Duck filling was tender and savory wrapped in a delicate yet mildly crispy dumpling wrapper. Here we learned about how this kitchen was run. The kitchen was broken into 3 sections cold, hot and desserts. For all hot foods they had stations that were designated to a particular dish. Each station had two cooks working to create just that item. They would cover and stack them out on the line when complete for the servers to walk by and pick up just like an assembly line filling their tables orders.

Ahi Tuna Tartar

One of the many plates stacked in huge racks ready to be served

Dinners for the Evening

3 hot food stations

Servers picking up dessert

Chef said there are just 110 people who work in 3 different shifts to keep food flowing throughout the boat for 24 hours 7 days week. He spends about 3 Hundred Thousand Dollars for a seven day trip on food. Now that is a lot of food and as my mind keeps thinking I move to food waste. He said any whole leftover meals went to crew but food scraps all went to the on board incinerator where they were turned to ash and then dumped into the ocean. They dump about 30 miles off shore but still adding approximately 100 lbs of waste to the ocean each day. I was not so thrilled with this news but that is a whole other topic of environmental safely and responsibility.



On a lighter note, even I got to get in on a little of the action. Here I am assisting Chef whip up one of their classic desserts. The Chocolate Melting Cake is a favorite of most guests because of it's rich center.
 Back at the dining room a show to tantalize the eyes and the taste buds was just getting started. We sat down to our first course of Beef Carpaccio with  shaved Parmesan and a Balsamic Gelee.

 Next was a fried Brie and Calamari served with charred lime and preserved lemons. This dish was heavy but the citrus was bright and refreshing. 

The base of the Roasted Tomato Soup

I loved the soup as well. The bowl was so beautifully presented like a painters pallet ready for the canvas but here they poured a Fire Roasted Tomato and Poblano Chili Bisque over it and finished with a grilled corn relish and cilantro oil.

 

I enjoyed watching them prepare all the foods. The chopped Mediterranean Salad with shaved pumpkin and Feta Cheese was a delight to the eyes.

 The entrees were on the way first a fillet of Chilean Sea Bass with wine stewed shallots, leek emulsion and sweet pea risotto. The beef was an aged Filet Mignon topped with an onion streusel and three pepper mustard.

 

Finally we come to dessert, a home made chocolate gelato with a coconut gelee served with a sweet raspberry sugar tea cake. On the side a taste of the chocolate melting cakes I helped prepare earlier in the evening.

Overall the meal was amazing and such a great experience to see what can be created on a boat miles from shore.