Day 39: The Chef’s Table with Friends

Last night we closed the place down. Last ones to leave.

(Names L-R) Deidre, Paul, Donna, Lucy, Jonathan, & Orlando had a 7:30 dinner and didn’t leave until after 9:00. The Menu was Lotus, Asian menu - to which I will not go into the details. You can zoom in on the menu.

My bad: I didn’t get a bottle picture of the Domaine Uby 4, Gros et Petit Manseng from Gascony France.

The food is always 5-star at Chef’s Table and Manfredi’s. The advantage of Chef’s table is they have already prepared the menu along with the wine pairings.

Take a sip of the wine, a piece of food, a bit more wine. I find a 2:1 ratio of wine to food, works well. Let it all savor in your mouth. Enjoy the meal - enjoy the company - take your time. It’s not a race.

I typically woof down food like a mad man who hasn’t eaten for weeks. Eating at the Chef’s table you do eat less, the portions are smaller, but by the end of the meal you are full, because it takes that amount of time to tell your brain - you have had enough.

We do need to thank the staff for their patience with us - we were having a good time getting to know each other - We closed the place down. Every table was cleaned off expect ours.

Early reservations are sometimes harder to get - but you can always get a 7:30 reservation. I would like to encourage people on the ship to be proactive - and ask that couple you pass in the hallway, have had a couple of short chats with, see at the pool deck, or in the World Cafe - “Would you like to do Chef’s table or Manfredi’s?” There are some people who are a bit more reserved than others, what can hurt to ask?

We are experiencing what it means to be a part of a global community. I did a quick google search there are 7 unique references to Jesus eating a meal in the New Testament - A United Nations web page “They know instinctively that food security means fewer community tensions, …” The term “cuisine diplomacy” has been coined not only for state dinners but for meals in general. The “exposure effect” during a meal breeds familiarity, which means culinary exchange fosters peace and understanding. Sharing a meal with others is a bridge towards understanding.

We become creatures of habit. It is impossible to become friends, and remember 950 people’s names. (I am really trying on the name department.) We naturally break off into comfort clusters.

While there is so much tension in the Red Sea and Middle East right now - we have an opportunity to help bring peace to the world, it maybe small, but it is there.

Invite someone new to dinner. I have found a group of six works great. It’s a good group dynamic balance size. If we can learn more about each other, our homes, families, cultures, etc by sharing a meal together. We will leave this cruise better people. When we go home we will be changed for the better.

Let’s eat!Läs mer