Worth The Wait, Pt. 2

Whew! Now that we've all had a bit of a breather and some time to digest, let's continue with this amazing meal, shall we? (To recap, this is a recent meal at the Chef's Table of Victoria & Albert's, Disney World.)

Gentleman's Third Course: Roasted Poussin (Young Chicken) with Caramelized Cauliflower and Celery Gelee. Accompanied with a delicious jus, it was well-seasoned, tender, and moist. My brother-in-law E, who dislikes chicken, finished every last bite. Is there much higher praise?

Everyone's Fourth Course: Marcho Farms Veal Tenderloin with Hedgehog Mushrooms, English Peas, and Ricotta Gnocchi. The crispy bit balanced on top of the tenderloin is a lovely veal sweetbread. Crisp on the outside, creamy on the inside, mild and not a bit gamey, the sweetbread was an absolutely luxurious pleasure. I much prefer it to foie gras. As for the entire dish, this was ultimate comfort food to me. It warmed the soul. Rich, unctuous, flavorful but never heavy, I thought it was perfection on a plate. 

Everyone's Fifth Course: Kurobota Pork Tenderloin and Belly with Baby Beets, Sherry-Bacon Vinaigrette, and 100-Year-Old Balsamic. 

Pork tenderloin? Delicious. Pork Belly? Ridiculous. It was so tender, so buttery and delicious, I would eat it every day if it wouldn't guarantee complete rotundity and an early death. The sherry vinaigrette was a perfect counterpoint. 

Everyone's Sixth Course: The ultimate for beef lovers. A comparison of Australian "Kobe" Beef Tenderloin (near) and true Japanese Wagyu strip loin (far). Accompanied with braised Kobe shortribs on mashed potatoes and a rich oxtail jus. Are there words? I'm not sure. Rich, (does that seem to be a recurring theme?) tender, juicy, and sublime. The Australian is great, but next to the true Waygu, it pales in comparison. The oxtail jus is good enough to drink. 

The next course was cheeses: Colton Bassett Stilton, Comte Fort de Rousses, Double Gloucester, and Fouchra. Mmm. 

First Dessert Course: From left, Vanilla Bean Creme Brulee, Miniature Banana Gateau with caramelized bananas, and Strawberry Dumpling with Fresh Strawberry Coulis. 

Final Course: From left, Peruvian Chocolate ice cream and puff pastry with chocolate "lashes", Hawaiian Kona Chocolate Souffle, and Tanzanian Chocolate Pyramid. 

Throughout the meal, various breads with butters were served, and all were delicious, but one truly stood out. It was so good, we all asked for seconds. It was so amazing, I had no time to take a picture. It was Perigord truffle brioche, with truffle butter. I've never seen an item to heavily and thoroughly truffled. Served warm, for the ultimate fragrance, this bread was absolutely, completely out of this world. If the entire meal consisted of this bread and butter, I don't think I would have complained. I dream of this bread. 

That was our meal at Victoria & Albert's. I highly recommend the restaurant itself, and especially the Chef's Table. If you get reservations, recall that it seats 8, or even possibly 10, and that I live nearby! 

Worth The Wait

We live near a cute little theme park that you may have heard of: it's called Disney World. Living nearby is a good excuse to have an annual pass, which comes at a discounted rate for Florida residents and occasionally gets you a few perks, like previews of new rides and such. It also means that you have the option to just pop into the park to do your favorite ride and leave, without the feeling that you've just wasted a whole day's pass. Last, but not least, it also means that you have the opportunity to go in and eat at Disney restaurants, some of which you may want to pass up, (Morocco, anyone? BLECH.) but others that can be just perfect for a special occasion. We do this every now and again, and heartily enjoy having the option. Just recently we took advantage of our close proximity, and a not-so-well-known loophole to get a seat at Victoria & Albert's, the flagship restaurant at Disney's flagship resort, The Grand Floridian. A seat you might say? It's not THAT hard to get in. Ah, but we didn't want just any seat. We wanted the best table in the house: the Chef's Table. Typically one must call for a reservation first thing in the morning 6 months in advance. One seating per night, a 10-13 course meal depending on the whim of the chef, included menu upgrades that would make your bill skyrocket in the main dining room; if you can get it, it will make you never want to eat in the dining room again. Actually, I have never eaten in the main dining room; I've been to V & A twice, and both times I've eaten at the Chef's Table. Spoiled. I'm very, very spoiled. 

The table itself is is set into a cozy alcove inside the kitchen. A beautiful long wood table that can seat 8 people comfortably, with built-ins along the side walls filled with beautiful china. The service, of course, is impeccable: like the main dining room, your table is served by two people, a female and a male 'Victoria' & 'Albert'. You share a champagne toast with the chef, who comes back to visit with you whenever possible and explain each course. Questions and photos are encouraged, gentlemen can remove their jackets, and no one minds some loud laughter. And the food! Oh, the food. Here is our amuse bouche:

From top left, clockwise: Smoked trout custard, baked in shell, with crispy sweet potato. Deviled Quail egg with Iranian Osetra caviar. Lobster Bisque with vanilla foam, smoked salmon roulade. Butter-poached Maine lobster, lobster sausage. 

Ladies' first course: Dungeness and Blue crab cannelloni, with whole grain mustard, baby greens, radishes, and American Sturgeon caviar, accompanied by a toasty savory tuile. 

Gentlemen's first course: Big Eye Tuna, 3 ways, including marinated and sesame crusted. Tat Soi salad, honey-tamari foam.

Everyone's second course, from the left: Caramelized Nantucket scallop with corn ragout and purple potato. Monterey abalone with capers and Meyer lemon. Virginia black bass with melted fennel and leeks, artichoke, and Jamon Iberico. 

Ladies' third course, from left: Duck breast, spice-rubbed and slow-roasted, duck sausage with salsify and candied rind, and a roulade of duck confit, topped with blood orange. Accompanied by Sauce Bigarade and aged balsamic. 

That was just the beginning; we've got several more to go, but let's all digest for awhile, shall we?