Carnival Vista- 11/5 Sunday, Sea Day- Post Two

Sunday, November 5th, 2017, continued:

We were asked to meet in the atrium around 6:15pm, and we checked in with two ladies who work at the Chef’s Table. After waiting for our group to fully assemble, we were led through the dining room and into the galley. This in and of itself is really just the coolest thing. Not too many people can say they’ve stood in a cruise ship’s galley, and seeing some of the logistics that go into running a place like that is, to the fullest extent of the word, awesome. We were directed to stand around a large prep table and find our names. This was the intro/cooking demonstration part of the night, which included champagne, kalamata olives, parmesan, and some really interesting sounding yogurt pops that were actually super delicious. I don’t want to spoil the whole experience so I’ll leave some mystery!

We were then directed into the specially-built Chef’s Table room with floor to ceiling glass windows peering into the galley. The room is very exquisite and there’s so much to look at. We started with a few types of bread/crackers, then went into the spring pea soup. It was an crazy bright green color and very much tasted of both spring peas and matcha. It was good, but I couldn’t really get over the pea flavor. I liked stirring the soup with the bamboo brush though! The pork belly and shrimp, next course, was also good and one of my husband’s favorite courses.

Pork Belly:

We took a walk around the galley while the next course was being prepared, and saw how soups and brothers were made, the food ordering system from the dining room to the galley, and platters of lobster since it was formal night. We also got a crash course in making Warm Chocolate Melting Cakes, which really had me craving one but I knew we were in for a fancier set of desserts that night. We also saw this cool visual of how the plates should look before going out, so that waiters can make sure everyone is getting uniformity in their food.

We returned to the lamb course, which was probably my husband’s favorite of the night. I also enjoyed it, including the beets that really tasted like the dirt they were grown in, which is weird yet cool. The next course is the one that really makes my mouth water and my belly grumble. Poached sea bass with passion fruit-flavored “caviar” that’s really just molecular gastronomy at its finest. Wow this dish was flavorful and smooth and I really need another plate of it right now. It was followed up by the quail dish and although it sounds like an abnormal food choice, the flavors were fantastic. I don’t think I’d elect for quail as a course in the future, but hey why not when it’s Chef’s Table?! The last dinner course was a smoked veal, and they provided quite the show when serving it. I wasn’t a huge fan and gave my last few bites to my husband since he was loving the lamb earlier, but it was neat to try it.

Poached Bass- I need more!

Quail Dish:

Smoking Demonstration:

Very pretty veal dish:

Dessert was the final event, and it came in multiple parts. We switched from the red or white wine service that had been flowing heavily all evening to a port dessert wine, which was my first foray into the drink. Not my new fave, but I did like trying it out. The citrus cream dessert was again another feat of food engineering, complete with elderflower “caviar” and lime "snow". Wow, it was probably the stylish dessert I’ve ever had! Until the next dessert that gave the snow/caviar dish a run for its money. The chocolate hazelnut log with basil moss looked far too fancy to eat, but it was so tasty! Of course at this point I’m incredibly stuffed and can’t even fit more water into my full belly, when they deliver special desserts to a few different people at the table, including singing Happy Birthday to me, to celebrate my birthday being a few days later. Such a cute little cake and yummy too, but I will say that the Chef’s Table desserts took the cake. Hehe puns.

Citrus Cream:

Chocolate Log:

Mini-Cake:

In sum, the Chef’s Table was an incredibly special and memorable experience and truly the best food we’ve ever had. I’m SO fortunate and happy that I was able to give this gift to my husband and to know that he wanted it so badly and loved it so much really makes the night that much better. Seeing the hard work and organized chaos that goes into preparing all of the meals on a cruise ship that feeds 4,000 guests was impressive. Talking with some of the chefs and hearing their experiences in the kitchen and with Chef’s Table was a unique moment that added to the whole night. The event didn’t feel rushed and we really felt catered to and spoiled, quite honestly. We had good wine and great company, and I would absolutely recommend this dining experience to anyone who is willing to be a little adventurous and have a culinary journey unlike any other!! We were done at 9:15pm, so I think it took about 3.5 hours, but it was so worth the time and money we put into it!

We rolled ourselves to the sports bar to watch some football and let all of the delicious food settle in our overfilled stomachs. The Havana was the next stop on our late night tour and we were so excited to walk around the outside area and see the pools lit up and look out into the dark nothingness of the ocean. The Havana seems like an awesome concept, although it is a little hard to enjoy the sun deck at 7:30pm when the sun is gone and the nights get a little chilly. The Havana bar decor is so colorful and inviting, so we stuck around to listen to music and watch people dance.
Maybe someone can fill me in on this question- When we went, the musicians were speaking Spanish to the crowd; is this how it always is?  I totally loved it and we stayed for about 20 minutes dancing in our seats. I used my 6+ years of Spanish classes to understand some of the comments they were making, but I knew I was missing out on some of the jokes they were telling. We didn’t ever make it back to the Havana bar so I’m not sure if there are nights that they do speak English in between songs. After a long day of exploring the awesome things Vista has to offer, we went back to the room and crashed.

UP NEXT: Monday, November 6th, Sea Day
Link: Monday, Sea Day

Oops forgot the Fun Times for Saturday and Sunday, LINK: 11/4 and 11/5 Fun Times