Tonight, Ted and I had a dinner reservation at another upscale restaurant on board. It’s called “The Chef’s Table” and offers one five-course menu with paired wines for several nights, then another menu for several nights, and so on. There are no choices to be made after you arrive, but you can view the menus in advance to select when you want to eat in this restaurant.

The current menu is focused on the spice trade, so every dish featured a specific spice–saffron, cinnamon, etc. The server describes each dish and its special features (spices tonight) as it is presented. Plan on a minimum two-hour meal, which is relaxing. Who cares? We’re at sea on the way to our next destination, so we’re in no hurry.

Every dish is artfully presented and servings are very small compared to other restaurants. After five courses, however, even the small servings are more than enough. The main course tonight was beef tenderloin featuring paprika, curry, coriander, and cinnamon. I never would have thought of using cinnamon with meat, but it added a very nice taste to the meat and the sauce. The meat was the most tender Ted and I have ever had. We wondered if it was Kobi beef, but forgot to ask.

The final course was called Apple Délice Façon Tarte Tatin–an apple tart. Again, the presentation was artful, but I had to hold back my smile until the server finished his spiel and left our table. All I could think of was “bunny ears.” Did anyone dare to mention that to the chef?