"New" Chef's Table Menu to be on the Breeze :/

[happy cruzin]

How much MORE profit on a single seating can they actually make? They gross $1,050 for each seating if they fill all 14 seats. Even if they are losing money on it (which I doubt), how much do they increase their profit with these changes, a hundred bucks? We're not talking about thousands of meals every day in the buffet and the MDR where small cost reductions per serving can add up to huge savings, we're talking about 14 seats every 3-5 days.

 

Of course they will say it is a success if they sell out every seating, receiving positive feedback and not losing money. How would you measure success? They can't quantify how many people are choosing NOT to try the new menu because there are no empty seats to fill. The way I would look at it is I've got a handful of people who have only tried the old menu telling me they won't try the new one, compared to people who have tried the new menu saying mostly positive things about it. I can't say I disagree with Heald here when he says, "sorry you feel that way" and I would throw in a "you haven't event TRIED this menu yourself."

 

 

 

I don't disagree with anything you said! :)

 

But....this is not really about pitting the old menu against the new menu. Everyone decides how to spend their cruise dollars based on "worth" to them.

 

We won't do the new menu because we don't feel that is worth the cost of $75.00/pp - especially since we are not wine drinkers. I believe that would be the case even if we had never done the original menu.

 

Obviously there are people who do think it is worth it - the sold out seats cruise after cruise prove that.

 

I started this thread not to rip apart the new menu or to discourage anyone from trying the Chef's Table - either menu. But rather to just voice my disappointment that we would not be choosing to do the Chef's Table on the Breeze, based on the menu that is to be offered. :cool:

[halos]

No, no. Always a frozen tail. Just a LARGER frozen tail. I have never seen a whole lobster served on CCL.

 

LOL I just had images of rough seas (you know, the REAL kind of rough seas that cause dishes to fall and things on shelves to tumble??)...Imagine tanks of lobsters going over and hundreds of lobsters loose on the ship

LMAO!!

[halos]

:D You see that guy in Boothbay who caught a 27 pounder in a shrimp net this week? Take your arm off.....

 

NO!! Did they put it back??? Usually when they find them that large, they release them (kinda out of respect)

 

27 pounds!!!! man!! That is so cool!!

[happy cruzin]

LOL I just had images of rough seas (you know, the REAL kind of rough seas that cause dishes to fall and things on shelves to tumble??)...Imagine tanks of lobsters going over and hundreds of lobsters loose on the ship

LMAO!!

 

LOL....not to mention the cruelty threads that would clog these boards! ;) :D

[elcuchio24]

NO!! Did they put it back??? Usually when they find them that large, they release them (kinda out of respect)

 

27 pounds!!!! man!! That is so cool!!

 

Ya, they took it to weigh/measure it at the sea-quarium and then let it go. Big girls like that contribute so much to the brood stock every year, so many eggs, it would be a shame to keep it in captivity. I think the record is close to 50lbs. One of the guys in the town where I grew up pulled up a 40lber on a Halibut line in the early 90's, took pictures and let it go before it got anyone by the wrist:)

[elcuchio24]

http://www.wcsh6.com/news/article/190632/314/Rocky-the-27-lb-lobster-heads-for-home

[halos]

http://www.wcsh6.com/news/article/190632/314/Rocky-the-27-lb-lobster-heads-for-home

 

Thanks for the link!!!!:):)

Those claws are amazing!!!:eek:

Have you been to that aquarium in Boothbay?? They have a gorgeous blue lobster there. I never saw a shade of blue that pretty. It was wicked cool!!

[elcuchio24]

Thanks for the link!!!!:):)

Those claws are amazing!!!:eek:

Have you been to that aquarium in Boothbay?? They have a gorgeous blue lobster there. I never saw a shade of blue that pretty. It was wicked cool!!

 

Ya there are some pretty crazy ones. The aquarium over on MDI has a half white/half red lobster color split right down the midde, a yellow one, and a pure white. The white one was supposed to be 1/10 million mutation!

[steven93921]

I don't disagree with anything you said! :)

 

But....this is not really about pitting the old menu against the new menu. Everyone decides how to spend their cruise dollars based on "worth" to them.

 

We won't do the new menu because we don't feel that is worth the cost of $75.00/pp - especially since we are not wine drinkers. I believe that would be the case even if we had never done the original menu.

 

Obviously there are people who do think it is worth it - the sold out seats cruise after cruise prove that.

 

I started this thread not to rip apart the new menu or to discourage anyone from trying the Chef's Table - either menu. But rather to just voice my disappointment that we would not be choosing to do the Chef's Table on the Breeze, based on the menu that is to be offered. :cool:

 

It's all good :D

 

The wine definitely skews the value for anyone who drinks. Although I don't sit and order wine with dinner but I certainly drink 2-3 glasses during CT. My wife definitely likes the wine. I would (and have) absolutely recommended the "old" menu to non-drinkers as I felt that it was worth it even without the wine.

[happy cruzin]

It's all good :D

 

The wine definitely skews the value for anyone who drinks. Although I don't sit and order wine with dinner but I certainly drink 2-3 glasses during CT. My wife definitely likes the wine. I would (and have) absolutely recommended the "old" menu to non-drinkers as I felt that it was worth it even without the wine.

 

Yep! We have too ;) :D

[PictureChris]

John did reply that he would get back to us on the question of a lower price for people who don't want wine. That was a few days ago and no response.

[halos]

It's all good :D

 

The wine definitely skews the value for anyone who drinks. Although I don't sit and order wine with dinner but I certainly drink 2-3 glasses during CT. My wife definitely likes the wine. I would (and have) absolutely recommended the "old" menu to non-drinkers as I felt that it was worth it even without the wine.

 

Yep! We have too ;) :D

 

me too!! I don't drink a lot. I think I had a glass and a half that night. Wine makes me sleepy and the last thing I want to do is eat at the Chef's Table and then wind up in my cabin snoring. :p

 

It is worth it with NO alcohol. The experience is quite awesome....and the menu with the fillet and sea bass was to die for.

[tiger belle]

I think the nay-sayers posting here are being way too negative--particularly since none seem to have actually tried the new menu...I loved the "old" menu and had a wonderful experience (the whole package and not just the food) when I did Chef's Table on Triumph a year ago...because I like to try new things, I was looking forward (and still am) to doing CT again when I am on a ship that has the "new" menu

 

my take on the new menu--just from reading it: it doesn't appear to be as promising as the original menu, but...a lot of the combinations described aren't things I've tried before, so I may actually like the new menu better than the original

 

I think it is a real challenge for Carnival to come up with something to "top" the original menu...you had the filet and Chilean sea bass, for example...those are very popular, high-end entrees, so finding something different but still as popular, is a difficult thing I think

[jg51]

I think I can help here. Referring to the original menu because that's the only one we have expereinced.... The portions are not what I would consider small in any way. They were similar to any other fine restuarant. I think the fish and beef were probably about 5 or 6 ounces. There are SO many courses that if the portions were any larger NO ONE would ever be able to finish the meal. I think in the photos they may look small - but that is also because the plates are HUGE. You are mistaken about no sides. There are wonderful side dishes prepared with each main course - a risotto with the Sea Bass, Wasabi mashed potatoes with the Filet, etc. I think those don't get included in the picutes that get posted here because the main item it is "star" and what those that post pictures want to showcase.....not the sides. When I took photos of our meal - I snapped a shot as each item was added to plate. Here is the link to my photos of the Chef Table - if you want to see what I mean.

 

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1611248958492.2080634.1154291247&type=3&l=ac1638248f

 

Thanks so much, "happy cruzin," for your very helpful post. We LOVED your photos too. Now we understand about the "sides."

 

Being "chocoholics," we are sad to see what is served for dessert, but we do think that we would enjoy the other courses (and the wine) a lot. We thought that there was supposed to be a special kind of warm chocolate melting cake, but we didn't see it in your photos.

[skittl1321]

John did reply that he would get back to us on the question of a lower price for people who don't want wine. That was a few days ago and no response.

 

I would be SO happy if they did that. I occasionally have a fruity drink, but will not have wine at all. I've learned to not drink on Carnival though- the drinks I normally enjoy are just WAY too strong.

 

I plan to go to the chef's table because my husband will greatly enjoy it, but it is expensive when I imagine a lot of the cost is the wine. (plus it seems we will never get a confirmation of the reservation...grr)

[jg51]

The short ribs are the Wagyu beef.

Thank you, Michael ("livestocruisetoo"). It's too bad that they made that mistake on the menu. Instead of just saying, "Wagyu," they should have listed the entree as "Wagyu Short Ribs" or "Wagyu Beef Ribs" or "Wagyu Boneless Ribs."

 

You stated your answer so positively that we have to believe that you have tried the new menu. If so, can you please respond to one of two questions that we posted yesterday -- but which no one (to our shock) has yet answered? ...

 

1. Has anyone posted photos of the new menu's items?

 

2. Does anyone have comments about the various items on the new menu (how delicious, size, presence/absence of bones, etc.)? [We are especially wondering about how difficult it is to eat the Cornish hen. We HATE to "play with" (i.e., have to work on) food, so we prefer it to be boneless.]

 

Thanks, in advance, for all helpful replies.

.

[livestocruisetoo]

It was stated "no cameras" at the time we had it on the Magic. I think there might be some around. I'll have to take a look through 'search'. The cornish hen was boneless. It was caramelized and accompanied by Butternut Squash and Sofrito. On the menu it is printed:

 

Wagyu

Slow Stewed short ribs, Potato Pebbles, Pumpkin Fudge,Tomato Dust

 

The dessert was similar to the one pictured although that one looked a bit sloppy in the presentation. The dots are sweet sauces for dipping. Some by them selves and the ones adjoining can be swirled. Like I said though...I cleaned every plate put before me. :D It was different from the old menu but just as tasty and satisfying. As far as beef goes, for a steak, my preference is between a Porterhouse or a Delmonico. The flavor is in the fat so filets don't do much for me. The short ribs melt in your mouth and the sauce was oh so good. to tell the truth I actually prefer beef or lamb in a Tartare. :eek: It was worth the cost. When they change again, we'll do it again.

[livestocruisetoo]

I did several specific searches and couldn't find any pics of the new CT menu. :(

[happy cruzin]

Thanks so much, "happy cruzin," for your very helpful post. We LOVED your photos too. Now we understand about the "sides."

 

Being "chocoholics," we are sad to see what is served for dessert, but we do think that we would enjoy the other courses (and the wine) a lot. We thought that there was supposed to be a special kind of warm chocolate melting cake, but we didn't see it in your photos.

 

 

 

HAPPY to help!! :D

Just to clarify - we did get some "special" chocolate melting cake - that they made while we has appetizers and watched - maybe the photos didn't get posted -but i thought they were there. I will go back an look :o

[happy cruzin]

Thank you, Michael ("livestocruisetoo"). It's too bad that they made that mistake on the menu. Instead of just saying, "Wagyu," they should have listed the entree as "Wagyu Short Ribs" or "Wagyu Beef Ribs" or "Wagyu Boneless Ribs."

 

You stated your answer so positively that we have to believe that you have tried the new menu. If so, can you please respond to one of two questions that we posted yesterday -- but which no one (to our shock) has yet answered? ...

 

1. Has anyone posted photos of the new menu's items?

 

2. Does anyone have comments about the various items on the new menu (how delicious, size, presence/absence of bones, etc.)? [We are especially wondering about how difficult it is to eat the Cornish hen. We HATE to "play with" (i.e., have to work on) food, so we prefer it to be boneless.]

 

Thanks, in advance, for all helpful replies.

.

 

John Heald did post a picture of the Waygu short ribs on his facebook page - a day or so ago....in response to this thread! ;)

[isaiahsnana]

We had the "new" menu and we were all delighted with the menu. The Chef's Table is a lot about food education, as the chef discusses the preparation of the food as well as the history behind both the table and how the idea was conceived for Carnival as well as the history of the dishes. For a good home cook, I learned a lot of presentation techniques to use in my home for meals. All the dishes were delicious. For the questions posed earlier, all the presentations are boneless and very easy to manage and still look "cool" eating them. The Chef told us that the head chefs from around the fleet got together and asked the Carnival management for permission to plan and hold Chef's Tables so they could experiment with different foods and get a chance to create dishes as their jobs as head chefs had become very administrative in its detail rather than food prep, thus the reason for a new menu periodically. It is a chance for them to spread their wings as chefs and create new things. My family and others at our table played the rest of the week at seeing how many different venues around the ship we could find the head chef. He prepared a pizza for me one afternoon and another of us found him touring the hot dog stand on the sport deck handing out hot dogs! It became a contest for us. One of the gentlemen at our table was not a wine drinker and came to the table with a glass of ale, the chef asked if he would like to have "ale pairings with his meal instead of the wine and was provided with several glasses of different ales throughout the meal instead.

[happy cruzin]

We had the "new" menu and we were all delighted with the menu. The Chef's Table is a lot about food education, as the chef discusses the preparation of the food as well as the history behind both the table and how the idea was conceived for Carnival as well as the history of the dishes. For a good home cook, I learned a lot of presentation techniques to use in my home for meals. All the dishes were delicious. For the questions posed earlier, all the presentations are boneless and very easy to manage and still look "cool" eating them. The Chef told us that the head chefs from around the fleet got together and asked the Carnival management for permission to plan and hold Chef's Tables so they could experiment with different foods and get a chance to create dishes as their jobs as head chefs had become very administrative in its detail rather than food prep, thus the reason for a new menu periodically. It is a chance for them to spread their wings as chefs and create new things. My family and others at our table played the rest of the week at seeing how many different venues around the ship we could find the head chef. He prepared a pizza for me one afternoon and another of us found him touring the hot dog stand on the sport deck handing out hot dogs! It became a contest for us. One of the gentlemen at our table was not a wine drinker and came to the table with a glass of ale, the chef asked if he would like to have "ale pairings with his meal instead of the wine and was provided with several glasses of different ales throughout the meal instead.

 

Please remember that this thread is a year old!

 

I do not disagee with anything you have said. I am sure that it is still a wonderful experience and I would NEVER suggest otherwise. Others obviously feel the same - since it is a "sold" out event on all ships. As long as it sells - there would be no reason for Carnival to go back to the more elaborate menu.

 

This thread was just a statement of disappoinment that the menu had changed and was in our opinion not worth the cost - compared to our original experience on the Miracle in 2011. That's all......

[lorijeannj]

We had the "new" menu and we were all delighted with the menu. The Chef's Table is a lot about food education, as the chef discusses the preparation of the food as well as the history behind both the table and how the idea was conceived for Carnival as well as the history of the dishes. For a good home cook, I learned a lot of presentation techniques to use in my home for meals. All the dishes were delicious. For the questions posed earlier, all the presentations are boneless and very easy to manage and still look "cool" eating them. The Chef told us that the head chefs from around the fleet got together and asked the Carnival management for permission to plan and hold Chef's Tables so they could experiment with different foods and get a chance to create dishes as their jobs as head chefs had become very administrative in its detail rather than food prep, thus the reason for a new menu periodically. It is a chance for them to spread their wings as chefs and create new things. My family and others at our table played the rest of the week at seeing how many different venues around the ship we could find the head chef. He prepared a pizza for me one afternoon and another of us found him touring the hot dog stand on the sport deck handing out hot dogs! It became a contest for us. One of the gentlemen at our table was not a wine drinker and came to the table with a glass of ale, the chef asked if he would like to have "ale pairings with his meal instead of the wine and was provided with several glasses of different ales throughout the meal instead.

 

 

hmmm...interesting about the ales. Love the Chefs table. looks like it has changed since my sailing last year.

Look foward to it again in 2 weeks

[LibratPDX]

I can only compare the desserts (as I've had both the old and new).

 

I preferred the old/original one MUCH better . . . . although the 'Candy Store' was an interesting array of schtuff.

.

.

 

I was underwhelmed by the "Chef in a Candy Store" dessert, although it was an interesting production to watch them put it together! It was more of an oddity than an enjoyable IMO. I thought I read here somewhere that they either stopped doing it or offer another dessert option, but maybe that's wishful thinking. I'm all about the crème brulee or grand marnier soufflé....and of course, the WCMC :D

[mikel24m]

Please remember that this thread is a year old!

 

I do not disagee with anything you have said. I am sure that it is still a wonderful experience and I would NEVER suggest otherwise. Others obviously feel the same - since it is a "sold" out event on all ships. As long as it sells - there would be no reason for Carnival to go back to the more elaborate menu.

 

This thread was just a statement of disappoinment that the menu had changed and was in our opinion not worth the cost - compared to our original experience on the Miracle in 2011. That's all......

 

I am sure also its a great experience still but wish the old menu was still in place.Its easy to sell out a dinner for 20 people with 3000 pax onboard.I agree though not really worth the cost to eat cornish game hens that I can make in my crockpot