We decided to book a special meal for our last evening in Orlando. It was also a late wedding anniversary present to ourselves.
As Disney do special diets so well we decided to book their best restaurant Victoria & Albert's at the lovely Grand Floridian hotel.
I booked this meal a few months before we actually travelled as Disney restaurants do tend to get fully booked quite far in advance. I did it over the Disney website and again you can point out food allergies/intolerance's. I did email the Special Diets department too to double check that they'd be able to cater for all the foods I have to avoid (mainly Dairy, Egg, Gluten, Strawberries, Coconut & Mushrooms). It wasn't a problem.
A few days before our reservation I was contacted by the restaurant to double check everything I had to avoid. They were very thorough in finding out exactly what I needed to avoid which was very promising.
So on the night of the meal we got suited and booted (men must wear trousers & jacket and ladies a nice dress or trouser suit) and headed off to the Grand Floridian. The booking included valet parking so we were greeted in the hotel foyer and our car parked for us. Very posh. We walked through the beautiful hotel and upstairs to the restaurant where we were greeted by the receptionist.
The restaurant was lovely, nicely lit with a harpist playing in the corner. We had two servers who looked after us for the evening. One of the servers said the chef was very excited to be cooking for us and he had a few surprises planned. How nice. We were offered the "water menu", well, I only thought there were two types of water! Still and sparkling, apparently not! Haha.
The server handed us our personalised menu's with our names, Happy 2nd Anniversary and date printed on the top (nice touch). My menu had been tailored to cater for all my intolerance's. I had never seen so much choice. We were having the 7 course menu which I think is standard. The server explained every single option including a description of the meal and ingredients. Every single thing on the menu sounded devine, it was a hard choice.
So here we go...
Course 1. Amuse Bouche. We did not choose this course, the chef had created it as a surprise.
It was a delicious Salmon dish which I think was slightly Asian inspired.
Course 2. I chose Pintade Fermiere Verrine with Fuji Apples and Walnuts.
This was pheasant in various ways with amazing sweet apple sauces. Delicious.
Course 3. Marine Scallop with Snow Peas
Need I say anymore, I was obsessed with scallops on this holiday so this choice was a no brainer for me. Gorgeous.
Course 4. Palmetto Farms Quail with Asian Pears
The other option for this course was Berkshire Pork, I'd not gone all the way to America to eat British meat so we both chose the Quail. My dish did slightly vary from my husbands but was equally delicious . The quail had a lovely filling with nice crunchy vegetables.
Up until this course my husband had been served various types of bread and butters. The server was very apologetic that the bread they usually serve special diets contained egg. It was not a problem to me as I'd got to eat 7 courses without filling up too much. To my surprise the chef had decided to create a rice based roll and served it with the most flavoursome olive oil. It was so nice. The bread was warm, slightly sweet and had a bit of pepperiness. Yum!
Course 5. Roasted Duck with Fennel and Leeks
The duck was so succulent and everything on the plate was so so tasty. The fennel and leeks were really nice with the duck and sweet potato balls.
Course 6. Tasting of Sorbet.
Wow! I was served three sorbets, Blueberry & Tea, Passion fruit and Guava with an apple crisp. They were amazing.
Course 7. Mixed Berry Gateau
As most allergy people know, dessert can sometimes be a let down, especially as you get used to being served endless fruit salads. This dessert was the total opposite. The chef had taken the time to create a special Gateau and it was amazing. It was a sponge layered with berry jam and fruits and encased in a delicate chocolate swirl and served with berries. It was Devine. Best dairy, egg and gluten free dessert I've ever been served.
After the meal we were served tea and coffee. I chose a mint and chamomile tea. It was brewed in a really quirky way. Apparently these contraptions were designed especially for queen Victoria. They were mesmerising to watch. As the water heats it travels from the bottom glass to the top where it percolates the tea or coffee. Once the heat is removed it all trickles back down into the bottom flask to be served.
We thought the meal had ended when we were served a final treat. My husband was served a plate of handmade chocolates and I was served some hand made jellies. I was also given a beautiful fresh red rose.
At the end of the meal you are presented with a gift bag containing a printed copy of your menu. They had also gone to the trouble of arranging an anniversary gift for us which was a lemon and poppy seed loaf cake from Babycakes Bakery. How amazing is that.
The whole experience was amazing. The staff were so helpful, friendly and knowledgeable about all the food they serve. The chefs are very very talented which shows in the high quality meals they serve. It truly was a fantastic night. For a special occasion or even just a treat I would highly recommend dining at Victoria & Albert's. It's not cheap but it was worth every single penny.
It was the best meal I have EVER eaten. Absolutely delicious and each course was a taste sensation.
No comments:
Post a Comment