VDay Trip Dining Report highlights: Tea, Brunch with a Twist, V&A's UPDATE 5/13 Finished V&A's
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tigerlilly
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Aug 19, 1999
Oh yay!! Victoria and Albert's has begun!!! So enjoy your reports 
. I love reading about Victoria and Alberts but fear I could never eat there. I have a severe shell fish allergy 
(sadly) and it seems like all the best dishes have shellfish or some shellfish component...lol. My husband would love a meal here though!! I could do the wine and he could do the food lol
Can't wait to hear the rest!!!!
. I love reading about Victoria and Alberts but fear I could never eat there. I have a severe shell fish allergy (sadly) and it seems like all the best dishes have shellfish or some shellfish component...lol. My husband would love a meal here though!! I could do the wine and he could do the food lol Can't wait to hear the rest!!!!
Thanks! We are finally getting around to posting the rest.
You should still give it a shot sometime. I'm not a big fan of seafood in general, so yes, it does say something that I really enjoy their seafood fare. However, pretty much everything they make is amazing. You would most likely have a wonderful meal without shellfish in the mix. Seriously, even if you just asked for a big bowl of the cauliflower panna cotta without caviar.Oh yay!! Victoria and Albert's has begun!!! So enjoy your reports
Can't wait to hear the rest!!!!
The land fare is just as great, if not better than the seafood.Our servers brought out Marcho Farms Veal “En Croute” paired with Chateau de Beaucastel Chateauneuf-du-Pape Rouge, Rhone 2013.
Here is the glass of wine, a lovely red.
I will add that the menu shows this and another dish, Tagliatelle Pasta with Winter Black Truffles paired with the same wine from the langoustine. However we were not told that we had a choice between these two dishes or that we would be getting both. I remember seeing the truffle pasta dish on the menu and was super excited about getting it. However it wasn’t until later that I realized it never came out and I was pretty disappointed. We have had this dish before and it is simply AMAZING! If I had known that I had to choose between the two I would definitely have chosen the pasta over the veal. Pasta over meat you say? Yes!! The black truffle pasta is unforgettable. Well, I guess unless you expect it to come out somewhere amongst 10 courses and then it doesn’t. With so much food and wine it IS forgettable for at least a little while until you realize you’ve hit the cheese course and it didn’t show. I failed to ask about it though. Sigh. I should have asked. If you ever have the option to get this pasta DO IT! Back to the veal though. It was delicious, especially with the large shaved black truffles sitting on top. Have you noticed that I like truffles? I’m not sure that you have.
Veal with giant black truffle shavings
The en croute is a pastry wrapping around the veal. Very tasty stuff and as DW pointed out, truffles make everything taste good. These truffle slices were freakishly large, and the plate as a whole was very good. The thing in the middle is a mushroom. I some day want V&A to make a dish made up of 20 kinds of mushroom, because they do mushrooms right. BUT… the tagliatelle with truffles is a stupidly good dish, and it was sad that we missed it. If you are a fan of alfredo, imagine alfredo being made BETTER and placed over hand made pasta. With TRUFFLES. Holy hell, it’s good.
A different angle so you can see the fun mushroom in the middle.
Clean plate!
I ordered an iced tea somewhere in here. I also asked for another French baguette, you know, for sauces. The iced tea is amazing. They freeze tea in ice cube trays so that as your ice melts you don’t end up with a diluted tea. The details are fantastic here. I ordered a sweet tea because when you are dining at a fancy restaurant with a million courses and so much rich food anyway you might as well go all out. It was brought out on its own little plate and a separate plate of lemon wedges were also placed on the table. For the record I’ve also ordered coke here too. Just because it’s a fancy restaurant don’t be afraid to order what you want to drink. In fact, I think I ordered the coke just because it was the least fancy drink I could think of at the time. No one is going to force you to order wine or a cocktail and no one will care if you don’t. Most of the time I stick with water or order some wine, but every now and then I throw a tea into the mix because it’s fun.
Check out those tea cubes!!
Plate of lemons to go with my tea.
When you dine V&A, you will want to make sure you don’t compromise the food by getting too crazy with drinks. However, DW is right that any drink is a good drink if it’s what you want. I usually just go with the water and wine, but I was introduced to the Cuba Libre at V&A, when I vaguely asked for a refreshing cocktail that included rum (the best liquor created on the planet earth). We have tried a lot of different drinks, but one thing we never really mess with is the water or coffee menu. I understand that some people may be really excited about the types of water and coffee available (I think I’ve seen wine lists at other restaurants shorter than either the water OR coffee menus at V&A), but we have been getting their V&A blend of coffee since before they diversified their listing, and it is a very good coffee. When we lived in Florida, it was the best coffee around. I have very fond memories associated with that coffee. But that part comes later, so I’ll stop talking about it for now.
Here is the glass of wine, a lovely red.
I will add that the menu shows this and another dish, Tagliatelle Pasta with Winter Black Truffles paired with the same wine from the langoustine. However we were not told that we had a choice between these two dishes or that we would be getting both. I remember seeing the truffle pasta dish on the menu and was super excited about getting it. However it wasn’t until later that I realized it never came out and I was pretty disappointed. We have had this dish before and it is simply AMAZING! If I had known that I had to choose between the two I would definitely have chosen the pasta over the veal. Pasta over meat you say? Yes!! The black truffle pasta is unforgettable. Well, I guess unless you expect it to come out somewhere amongst 10 courses and then it doesn’t. With so much food and wine it IS forgettable for at least a little while until you realize you’ve hit the cheese course and it didn’t show. I failed to ask about it though. Sigh. I should have asked. If you ever have the option to get this pasta DO IT! Back to the veal though. It was delicious, especially with the large shaved black truffles sitting on top. Have you noticed that I like truffles? I’m not sure that you have.
Veal with giant black truffle shavings
The en croute is a pastry wrapping around the veal. Very tasty stuff and as DW pointed out, truffles make everything taste good. These truffle slices were freakishly large, and the plate as a whole was very good. The thing in the middle is a mushroom. I some day want V&A to make a dish made up of 20 kinds of mushroom, because they do mushrooms right. BUT… the tagliatelle with truffles is a stupidly good dish, and it was sad that we missed it. If you are a fan of alfredo, imagine alfredo being made BETTER and placed over hand made pasta. With TRUFFLES. Holy hell, it’s good.
A different angle so you can see the fun mushroom in the middle.
Clean plate!
I ordered an iced tea somewhere in here. I also asked for another French baguette, you know, for sauces. The iced tea is amazing. They freeze tea in ice cube trays so that as your ice melts you don’t end up with a diluted tea. The details are fantastic here. I ordered a sweet tea because when you are dining at a fancy restaurant with a million courses and so much rich food anyway you might as well go all out. It was brought out on its own little plate and a separate plate of lemon wedges were also placed on the table. For the record I’ve also ordered coke here too. Just because it’s a fancy restaurant don’t be afraid to order what you want to drink. In fact, I think I ordered the coke just because it was the least fancy drink I could think of at the time. No one is going to force you to order wine or a cocktail and no one will care if you don’t. Most of the time I stick with water or order some wine, but every now and then I throw a tea into the mix because it’s fun.
Check out those tea cubes!!
Plate of lemons to go with my tea.
When you dine V&A, you will want to make sure you don’t compromise the food by getting too crazy with drinks. However, DW is right that any drink is a good drink if it’s what you want. I usually just go with the water and wine, but I was introduced to the Cuba Libre at V&A, when I vaguely asked for a refreshing cocktail that included rum (the best liquor created on the planet earth). We have tried a lot of different drinks, but one thing we never really mess with is the water or coffee menu. I understand that some people may be really excited about the types of water and coffee available (I think I’ve seen wine lists at other restaurants shorter than either the water OR coffee menus at V&A), but we have been getting their V&A blend of coffee since before they diversified their listing, and it is a very good coffee. When we lived in Florida, it was the best coffee around. I have very fond memories associated with that coffee. But that part comes later, so I’ll stop talking about it for now.
The next course was the interactive course: Smoked Rohan Duck with Fuji Apples and Celery Root paired with Dierberg Pinot Noir, Santa Maria Valley 2012.
Another lovely red.
Obviously all course are interactive, but this one especially so. It was served under a glass dome filled with smoke. After all of our dishes appeared in front of us the servers lifted the domes at the same time and swirled the smoke out from under them with a bit of flair. It’s fun to watch and smell. You know already that I’m not a big fan of duck, but paired with the apple it is really delicious. It sweetens up the duck a bit and they play off each other very well with the smokiness and sweetness mixing together.
The covered, smoke-filled dish as it was first presented.
The smoke erupts from under the dome as they swirl the dome in front of you.
The smoke isn’t a gimmick, it’s really great. They call it a quick smoke because they pump the smoke in and then walk it out and release the smoke. Very short smoke time. However, the smoke gives a smoky flavor still, and the aroma is magnificent. It’s kind of a fun experience at the restaurant too, as you get hints of smoke from time to time as each table gets their course at different times. It gives you something to anticipate if it hasn’t come to your table yet, and later on in the meal when you smell it you can remember how good the course was. The pea tendril on top packs some serious flavor, and freshens up the rich duck.
An up close shot of the duck dish.
Another clean plate.
Another lovely red.
Obviously all course are interactive, but this one especially so. It was served under a glass dome filled with smoke. After all of our dishes appeared in front of us the servers lifted the domes at the same time and swirled the smoke out from under them with a bit of flair. It’s fun to watch and smell. You know already that I’m not a big fan of duck, but paired with the apple it is really delicious. It sweetens up the duck a bit and they play off each other very well with the smokiness and sweetness mixing together.
The covered, smoke-filled dish as it was first presented.
The smoke erupts from under the dome as they swirl the dome in front of you.
The smoke isn’t a gimmick, it’s really great. They call it a quick smoke because they pump the smoke in and then walk it out and release the smoke. Very short smoke time. However, the smoke gives a smoky flavor still, and the aroma is magnificent. It’s kind of a fun experience at the restaurant too, as you get hints of smoke from time to time as each table gets their course at different times. It gives you something to anticipate if it hasn’t come to your table yet, and later on in the meal when you smell it you can remember how good the course was. The pea tendril on top packs some serious flavor, and freshens up the rich duck.
An up close shot of the duck dish.
Another clean plate.
I think it was after the duck that they brought out the third bread: a whole wheat with a thick crust and seeds cooked in. This is a hearty bread that can stand up to any meat, wine, or sauce. It has a nice toasty nutty flavor to it. The butter that comes with the bread is a little butter rose that is carved off of a full sized chef’s hat, done tableside. For those of you watching at home, yes, that is a solid butter hat. We asked what they do with the butter that they don’t use, because that looks like 15 pounds of butter and surely they have some left over. He told us that they use any left over butter for cooking, and make a brand new hat every day.
Crusty, nutty deliciousness.
The hat has been wheeled over.
Our server in action. Fun fact: We had this same server a few visits ago when he was just learning how to do the butter curls/roses. He has gotten a lot better. Not that we care what the butter looks like...we just care that it's there so we can eat it.
The butter curls/roses.
The third bread is the multigrain. I heart this bread so much. Once upon a time it came out as a roll by itself. Now it is baked as a loaf and brought out by the slice. I have never asked why they changed how they baked them, I need to do that. However I have noticed that the table is a lot cleaner now that they are served by the slice as opposed to a little ball of multigrain goodness. There is less crust flake crumbs and seeds on the table where once we’d have to break open the roll to butter the inside. Perhaps I’ve answered my own question. The servers don’t spend nearly as much time with their fun little crumb swipers sweeping the crumbs up and off the table. I do miss comparing crumbiness with my DH. Anyway, this is another bread that is best with butter while warm. It’s still great when it has cooled off but still best while fresh out of the oven. Also at this point they wheel over a giant chef’s hat. Wait, no, it just looks like a giant chef’s hat, it’s actually several pounds of butter. This is the salted butter that the server gets lovely curls from tableside to place on your butter dish. They repurpose the leftover chef’s hat after each evening. I love this bread! Did I say that already? I might have stuffed an uneaten bonus roll in my purse years ago while eating at the Chef’s Table. Shh! Don’t tell.
Crusty, nutty deliciousness.
The hat has been wheeled over.
Our server in action. Fun fact: We had this same server a few visits ago when he was just learning how to do the butter curls/roses. He has gotten a lot better. Not that we care what the butter looks like...we just care that it's there so we can eat it.
The butter curls/roses.
The third bread is the multigrain. I heart this bread so much. Once upon a time it came out as a roll by itself. Now it is baked as a loaf and brought out by the slice. I have never asked why they changed how they baked them, I need to do that. However I have noticed that the table is a lot cleaner now that they are served by the slice as opposed to a little ball of multigrain goodness. There is less crust flake crumbs and seeds on the table where once we’d have to break open the roll to butter the inside. Perhaps I’ve answered my own question. The servers don’t spend nearly as much time with their fun little crumb swipers sweeping the crumbs up and off the table. I do miss comparing crumbiness with my DH. Anyway, this is another bread that is best with butter while warm. It’s still great when it has cooled off but still best while fresh out of the oven. Also at this point they wheel over a giant chef’s hat. Wait, no, it just looks like a giant chef’s hat, it’s actually several pounds of butter. This is the salted butter that the server gets lovely curls from tableside to place on your butter dish. They repurpose the leftover chef’s hat after each evening. I love this bread! Did I say that already? I might have stuffed an uneaten bonus roll in my purse years ago while eating at the Chef’s Table. Shh! Don’t tell.
The main course: Australian Kobe-Style Beef with Roasted Garlic Potatoes paired with Heitz Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, Napa Valley.
The main course presented under a dome! Wine hiding in the background.
As I said earlier, if you haven’t tried the upgrade Japanese beef and it’s offered, go for a tasting of it. However you’ll be perfectly happy with ‘just’ this beef. It’s melt in your mouth good and it pretty much melts in your mouth. Even if you like your meat cooked well done, just go with however the chef prepares it, because they know what’s best. I’m not a big fan of rare meat despite (or because of?) the fact that I used to sneak tiny pinches of raw ground beef when I was little kid when my mom would make meatloaf. Not sure what I was thinking. I survived just fine. As an adult, I like meats actually cooked. I have learned to go with whatever the chef recommends for certain cuts of meat depending on the restaurant. Here, the chefs know what they are doing and won’t steer you wrong, pun intended. The beef really doesn’t need the sauce, but the sauce is so delicious you have to have it.
The Australian-Kobe beef pre-sauce.
Saucing the plate.
Don’t overlook the potatoes and the cute little vegetables. It’s really easy to do that at this point because this is where I find that I start to hit that wall they talk about in marathons. I force down the vegetables because they are so simple yet so delicious. On my very first visit to V&A way back in 2003 I really had no idea what I was getting myself into. I was not prepared for the amount of food. I didn’t eat all (rather, hardly touched) my potatoes. I was kicking myself the next day. I really wanted those potatoes back. I was so sad that I let them take them away but I was so stuffed at the time. Really, I still miss those uneaten potatoes to this day. That’s why half the battle is physical and mental preparation for this meal. That way you won’t live with potato regret later.
The sauced plate in its entirety.
I failed to take a clean plate picture for this plate. However I think it may have been because I didn’t fully clean my plate. That sauce is good. It’s also rich. I wanted to make sure I could get through cheese and TWO desserts.
Do you like beef? Yes? That’s all you need to know. If you don’t care so much for beef, this is some of the best beef you’ll ever try. We got a chance to see a Kobe tenderloin once, and it has ridiculous amounts of marbling. Any way they make it, if you want to try great beef you’re in good hands at V&A. If you’re feeling crazy, you can spring for the Japanese beef. There is about as much difference between the Australian and Japanese Kobe as there is between US Prime and Australian Kobe. Also a pro tip out there for those of you who are skeptical about the difference between the beefs and only eat their beef well done: if you only go well done, get the cheapest steak offered. All the differences in texture, flavor, and all around goodness go away if you cook the beef enough for it to go well done. Also, if you only ever have well done beef and want to try some V&A beef I suggest taking the cook however the kitchen wants to do it. You COULD order it well done and they would probably do it for you happily, but it isn’t the same. Once, I convinced the V&A staff to let me take some left over Kobe home with me (against their better judgement) and I warmed it up in the microwave the next day. I was curious if you could tell a difference in ‘properly prepared’ and ‘microwaved’ Kobe. It came out of the microwave tasting like regular beef that had been reheated in the microwave. It really is best to order it to ‘chef’s preference’ at V&A because they really know what they are doing.
Although the beef will change your outlook on steak for life (the V&A steak made DW and I stop keeping track of our favorites because we didn’t see the point any more), there is some serious art going on with the accompaniment. The garlic mashed potatoes were smooth and creamy, and the vegetables are well seasoned and perfectly cooked. They couldn’t necessarily hold a dish all by themselves, but they are a perfect complement to the beef selection. And the reduction sauce is velvety heaven.
The main course presented under a dome! Wine hiding in the background.
As I said earlier, if you haven’t tried the upgrade Japanese beef and it’s offered, go for a tasting of it. However you’ll be perfectly happy with ‘just’ this beef. It’s melt in your mouth good and it pretty much melts in your mouth. Even if you like your meat cooked well done, just go with however the chef prepares it, because they know what’s best. I’m not a big fan of rare meat despite (or because of?) the fact that I used to sneak tiny pinches of raw ground beef when I was little kid when my mom would make meatloaf. Not sure what I was thinking. I survived just fine. As an adult, I like meats actually cooked. I have learned to go with whatever the chef recommends for certain cuts of meat depending on the restaurant. Here, the chefs know what they are doing and won’t steer you wrong, pun intended. The beef really doesn’t need the sauce, but the sauce is so delicious you have to have it.
The Australian-Kobe beef pre-sauce.
Saucing the plate.
Don’t overlook the potatoes and the cute little vegetables. It’s really easy to do that at this point because this is where I find that I start to hit that wall they talk about in marathons. I force down the vegetables because they are so simple yet so delicious. On my very first visit to V&A way back in 2003 I really had no idea what I was getting myself into. I was not prepared for the amount of food. I didn’t eat all (rather, hardly touched) my potatoes. I was kicking myself the next day. I really wanted those potatoes back. I was so sad that I let them take them away but I was so stuffed at the time. Really, I still miss those uneaten potatoes to this day. That’s why half the battle is physical and mental preparation for this meal. That way you won’t live with potato regret later.
The sauced plate in its entirety.
I failed to take a clean plate picture for this plate. However I think it may have been because I didn’t fully clean my plate. That sauce is good. It’s also rich. I wanted to make sure I could get through cheese and TWO desserts.
Do you like beef? Yes? That’s all you need to know. If you don’t care so much for beef, this is some of the best beef you’ll ever try. We got a chance to see a Kobe tenderloin once, and it has ridiculous amounts of marbling. Any way they make it, if you want to try great beef you’re in good hands at V&A. If you’re feeling crazy, you can spring for the Japanese beef. There is about as much difference between the Australian and Japanese Kobe as there is between US Prime and Australian Kobe. Also a pro tip out there for those of you who are skeptical about the difference between the beefs and only eat their beef well done: if you only go well done, get the cheapest steak offered. All the differences in texture, flavor, and all around goodness go away if you cook the beef enough for it to go well done. Also, if you only ever have well done beef and want to try some V&A beef I suggest taking the cook however the kitchen wants to do it. You COULD order it well done and they would probably do it for you happily, but it isn’t the same. Once, I convinced the V&A staff to let me take some left over Kobe home with me (against their better judgement) and I warmed it up in the microwave the next day. I was curious if you could tell a difference in ‘properly prepared’ and ‘microwaved’ Kobe. It came out of the microwave tasting like regular beef that had been reheated in the microwave. It really is best to order it to ‘chef’s preference’ at V&A because they really know what they are doing.
Although the beef will change your outlook on steak for life (the V&A steak made DW and I stop keeping track of our favorites because we didn’t see the point any more), there is some serious art going on with the accompaniment. The garlic mashed potatoes were smooth and creamy, and the vegetables are well seasoned and perfectly cooked. They couldn’t necessarily hold a dish all by themselves, but they are a perfect complement to the beef selection. And the reduction sauce is velvety heaven.
A selection of cheeses from the market were presented with Vinos Viejos de Hidalgo, Pedro Ximenez Jerez 30 Years Old.
The cheese cart.
Cheese plating.
This is the first time I’ve received a V&A menu without the cheeses listed on the menu. I was really relying on that in order to share the different types of cheese we had. Sigh. I used to always pick the sorbet/gelato course from the regular menu instead of the cheese course because then I would get a bonus dessert. I’ve never really seen cheese as a dessert or post meal type thing. I like cheese, but I’d rather have something sweet. However in the last few years I’ve become more adventurous or maybe I’m just pretending to be super fancy and I’ve been ordering the cheese on purpose. Tonight however there is no choice and I get cheese and I rejoice. I liked being forced to get the cheese. I’m not a big fan of bleu cheese. So much in fact that it took me three times to type ‘bleu’ instead of ‘blue’. However I typically like all of the other cheeses. They tell you to start on one side of the plate and work towards the other: starting with the milder cheeses and finishing with the bleu so that nothing gets overpowered. I defy the rules here and get the bleu out of the way. I usually save the cheese you are supposed to eat first for last because it’s my favorite. But really I like just about any cheese with honey.
The cheeses with their accompaniments.
I also like the cheese course because I get to have port. I love port! One of my favorite dishes from V&A past was the foie gras. I know, I know, animal cruelty. But it’s so gosh darn delicious. The first time I had it was at the Chef’s Table and I could not get past the texture. Not a fan. The next time I had it at the Chef’s Table it was served with peaches. The texture was essentially identical to the peaches so I could enjoy it. And enjoy it I did. It was great. Then I took a sip of port that was paired with it and it was AMAZING!! That’s when I fell in love with port. I wish they still served foie gras so that I could enjoy it with a nice glass of port, sweetness all around. Ah well. I’ll just have to enjoy port and cheese.
Mmmmm.
The cheeses are always fun. They line up a nice selection of five cheeses (usually in a line, but this time in a clock face of dairy) and tell you all about them. There is a representative of each major cheese group (i.e. hard cheese, soft cheese, really nasty bleu cheese) and you get to try a little bit of each cheese with some accompanying item. For example, the bleu-est nastiest cheese is usually paired with honey (and it’s a really good pairing) and the hard cheese would pair nicely with the little balsamic dot. You can mix and match and see what you like to go with each thing. I remember my very favorite cheese was a few years back they had a ‘bleu’ type cheese. It wasn’t blue, but had been made so that it liquefied. It was way off the rails on the sour, tangy, ‘I probably shouldn’t be eating this right now because I’m pretty sure it expired when I was in high school’ scale. That’s what it was supposed to taste like, and it was pretty tough to approach. HOWEVER, it was paired with a honeycomb. The wax part, covered in honey. Put those two things together, and it is the best cheese I’ve ever had.
Clean cheese plate.
The cheese cart.
Cheese plating.
This is the first time I’ve received a V&A menu without the cheeses listed on the menu. I was really relying on that in order to share the different types of cheese we had. Sigh. I used to always pick the sorbet/gelato course from the regular menu instead of the cheese course because then I would get a bonus dessert. I’ve never really seen cheese as a dessert or post meal type thing. I like cheese, but I’d rather have something sweet. However in the last few years I’ve become more adventurous or maybe I’m just pretending to be super fancy and I’ve been ordering the cheese on purpose. Tonight however there is no choice and I get cheese and I rejoice. I liked being forced to get the cheese. I’m not a big fan of bleu cheese. So much in fact that it took me three times to type ‘bleu’ instead of ‘blue’. However I typically like all of the other cheeses. They tell you to start on one side of the plate and work towards the other: starting with the milder cheeses and finishing with the bleu so that nothing gets overpowered. I defy the rules here and get the bleu out of the way. I usually save the cheese you are supposed to eat first for last because it’s my favorite. But really I like just about any cheese with honey.
The cheeses with their accompaniments.
I also like the cheese course because I get to have port. I love port! One of my favorite dishes from V&A past was the foie gras. I know, I know, animal cruelty. But it’s so gosh darn delicious. The first time I had it was at the Chef’s Table and I could not get past the texture. Not a fan. The next time I had it at the Chef’s Table it was served with peaches. The texture was essentially identical to the peaches so I could enjoy it. And enjoy it I did. It was great. Then I took a sip of port that was paired with it and it was AMAZING!! That’s when I fell in love with port. I wish they still served foie gras so that I could enjoy it with a nice glass of port, sweetness all around. Ah well. I’ll just have to enjoy port and cheese.
Mmmmm.
The cheeses are always fun. They line up a nice selection of five cheeses (usually in a line, but this time in a clock face of dairy) and tell you all about them. There is a representative of each major cheese group (i.e. hard cheese, soft cheese, really nasty bleu cheese) and you get to try a little bit of each cheese with some accompanying item. For example, the bleu-est nastiest cheese is usually paired with honey (and it’s a really good pairing) and the hard cheese would pair nicely with the little balsamic dot. You can mix and match and see what you like to go with each thing. I remember my very favorite cheese was a few years back they had a ‘bleu’ type cheese. It wasn’t blue, but had been made so that it liquefied. It was way off the rails on the sour, tangy, ‘I probably shouldn’t be eating this right now because I’m pretty sure it expired when I was in high school’ scale. That’s what it was supposed to taste like, and it was pretty tough to approach. HOWEVER, it was paired with a honeycomb. The wax part, covered in honey. Put those two things together, and it is the best cheese I’ve ever had.
Clean cheese plate.
The first dessert was a Spiced Caramel Apple Mousse. The first desserts of the 10 course meals are usually fruity and somewhat light. Sort of. They tend to be my least favorite of the two desserts, though sometimes they are really awesome. This one was very nice but if it’s not apple pie I’m not that into apple desserts. I did eat it all, including the chocolate ribbon. But I don’t have any proof. Apparently my picture taking was slacking off.
Apple mousse dessert
The little cake was very moist and tasty. Not to cop out the dessert, but my best description about this dessert would be that it was very caramel apple, with spice. I believe the apples were poached. It was a nice dessert that makes you think ‘hey, I’m going to make it through this dinner!’
From another angle. The drops are perfection.
The second dessert was Peruvian Chocolate Crunch. I always look forward to the chocolate dessert because it’s chocolate. I don’t enjoy the 10 course meals because I miss out on the soufflés. You can’t go wrong with the Grand Marnier or the Kona soufflé. I switch back and forth between the two every visit. BUT I do really enjoy having a surprise chocolate course during the 10 course meal. I’m happy to eat chocolate of any kind, but a Picasso like chocolate eyeball with lashes?! That’s just plain amazing! Then they top it with edible gold. Whoa! That’s how you make chocolate even better. This one is just fun to look at plus try to figure out how to attack it. There was a nice little crunch to the little balls strung out along the line of chocolate on the plate. It was all great.
The chocolate eyeball as I like to call it.
The mousse was Peruvian chocolate, with a chocolate lace bridge that was holding what I remember as orange foam and the thing on top that looks like gold is actually gold. Seriously, you eat gold at V&A sometimes, because you know… why not? It’s a lovely decoration and for those of you wondering what gold tastes like, it tastes lightly sweet. This gold is edible because it is super thin, something people like to call gold leaf.
You can see right through the dessert!
As clean as I could get my plate. That chocolate line was really on there!
Apple mousse dessert
The little cake was very moist and tasty. Not to cop out the dessert, but my best description about this dessert would be that it was very caramel apple, with spice. I believe the apples were poached. It was a nice dessert that makes you think ‘hey, I’m going to make it through this dinner!’
From another angle. The drops are perfection.
The second dessert was Peruvian Chocolate Crunch. I always look forward to the chocolate dessert because it’s chocolate. I don’t enjoy the 10 course meals because I miss out on the soufflés. You can’t go wrong with the Grand Marnier or the Kona soufflé. I switch back and forth between the two every visit. BUT I do really enjoy having a surprise chocolate course during the 10 course meal. I’m happy to eat chocolate of any kind, but a Picasso like chocolate eyeball with lashes?! That’s just plain amazing! Then they top it with edible gold. Whoa! That’s how you make chocolate even better. This one is just fun to look at plus try to figure out how to attack it. There was a nice little crunch to the little balls strung out along the line of chocolate on the plate. It was all great.
The chocolate eyeball as I like to call it.
The mousse was Peruvian chocolate, with a chocolate lace bridge that was holding what I remember as orange foam and the thing on top that looks like gold is actually gold. Seriously, you eat gold at V&A sometimes, because you know… why not? It’s a lovely decoration and for those of you wondering what gold tastes like, it tastes lightly sweet. This gold is edible because it is super thin, something people like to call gold leaf.
You can see right through the dessert!
As clean as I could get my plate. That chocolate line was really on there!
We enjoyed Sulawesi Island Coffee by Joffrey’s and Friandises.
The coffee gets started: regular and decaf.
Double burners! See DH's story. This is mid perk when the water has all gone to the top and just before the heat is removed for the now coffee to return to the pot for pouring. I forgot to get a picture of the final product in the coffee maker. Just picture the pots darker and the tops less full.
They actually brought out the coffee during the cheese course to get the whole science experiment going so that it would be ready for dessert. Usually we split one but recently any caffeine after a certain time of day keeps me up too long so I opted for decaf. So we had one pot of real coffee and one pot of decaf. This is the part of the meal where I have learned to just be perfectly honest with my server, especially in recent years. In years past, they would leave the sugar and cream on the table but they don’t do that anymore. They ask how many lumps of sugar (they have both brown and white sugar cubes). I like to go with the fun brown cubes. I used to say two and then they’d leave the sugar behind and I’d sneak a third cube into my coffee. I finally worked up the nerve to just tell them straight…Three, please! Now I have to be up front since the sugar leaves the table. Our server was very nice and left a bonus cube behind for me just in case. The only downside to my coffee this time was that they poured a little too much coffee and there wasn’t enough room for the amount of cream I like. Yeah, my coffee is made up of too much sugar and a whole lotta cream. We always take a his and hers picture of our coffees because DH likes his black. Mine is normally a lot lighter than this picture.
His and Hers coffees with my bonus sugar cube on the side.
This is the coffee they call out on the menu, but I could never ever come up with the name if you asked me. I think that when it comes to coffee there is a level of quality that, once reached, it is pointless to exceed. It is quite possible that the best coffee ever made is on the coffee menu, but the base level coffee that they give you meets the minimum threshold to be good enough. After the bean quality, it becomes a matter of execution. Their execution at V&A is top notch. They use a vacuum brew system that they are very proud of, and for good reason. They put coffee in the top and water in the bottom, and light a flame under the water. The water gets hot and goes up a tube into the coffee grounds. When the flame is removed, the empty chamber at the bottom cools off and the air shrinks, sucking the water back down into the lower chamber. Super cool, and makes very good coffee.
For the first time ever, we had our coffee pots placed in the perfect position for the air vent in the ceiling to blow out the flame. Nobody noticed this for a little while until the water wasn’t migrating to the top like it should. Oops. They moved the pots and added a second burner to get the coffee flowing. As usual, the coffee was excellent.
The chocolates in their lovely case.
The Friandises!! Oh my. What to say? They are all incredible. When they ask which ones you want to try go for all of them! You definitely want the one in the red foil. If no other one, just that one. It’s a cherry cordial with a pit still in the cherry to let you know it’s the real thing. It explodes in your mouth with boozy, cherry goodness. The salted caramel is also great too. And so is the…everything is great. Do you recognize the little pink heart? That’s the smaller version of what we received after the brunch earlier in the week.
These are mine...all mine! Seriously, those were just the ones for me.
It is a minor crime that the Friandises don’t get more attention than they do. They are essentially a large variety of little candies that are made in house. They tell you what they are when you get to take your selection, but they never make it on any menu. And these things are really really good. If I had made any one of them, I’d be screaming from the hilltops that I had made them, how long each one took, and offering the recipe to anyone who would listen. Alas, in a restaurant where everything stands out as the best thing on earth… it is often forgotten. Probably doesn’t help that these come after the final dessert, when everyone is sick of thinking of food.
The coffee gets started: regular and decaf.
Double burners! See DH's story. This is mid perk when the water has all gone to the top and just before the heat is removed for the now coffee to return to the pot for pouring. I forgot to get a picture of the final product in the coffee maker. Just picture the pots darker and the tops less full.
They actually brought out the coffee during the cheese course to get the whole science experiment going so that it would be ready for dessert. Usually we split one but recently any caffeine after a certain time of day keeps me up too long so I opted for decaf. So we had one pot of real coffee and one pot of decaf. This is the part of the meal where I have learned to just be perfectly honest with my server, especially in recent years. In years past, they would leave the sugar and cream on the table but they don’t do that anymore. They ask how many lumps of sugar (they have both brown and white sugar cubes). I like to go with the fun brown cubes. I used to say two and then they’d leave the sugar behind and I’d sneak a third cube into my coffee. I finally worked up the nerve to just tell them straight…Three, please! Now I have to be up front since the sugar leaves the table. Our server was very nice and left a bonus cube behind for me just in case. The only downside to my coffee this time was that they poured a little too much coffee and there wasn’t enough room for the amount of cream I like. Yeah, my coffee is made up of too much sugar and a whole lotta cream. We always take a his and hers picture of our coffees because DH likes his black. Mine is normally a lot lighter than this picture.
His and Hers coffees with my bonus sugar cube on the side.
This is the coffee they call out on the menu, but I could never ever come up with the name if you asked me. I think that when it comes to coffee there is a level of quality that, once reached, it is pointless to exceed. It is quite possible that the best coffee ever made is on the coffee menu, but the base level coffee that they give you meets the minimum threshold to be good enough. After the bean quality, it becomes a matter of execution. Their execution at V&A is top notch. They use a vacuum brew system that they are very proud of, and for good reason. They put coffee in the top and water in the bottom, and light a flame under the water. The water gets hot and goes up a tube into the coffee grounds. When the flame is removed, the empty chamber at the bottom cools off and the air shrinks, sucking the water back down into the lower chamber. Super cool, and makes very good coffee.
For the first time ever, we had our coffee pots placed in the perfect position for the air vent in the ceiling to blow out the flame. Nobody noticed this for a little while until the water wasn’t migrating to the top like it should. Oops. They moved the pots and added a second burner to get the coffee flowing. As usual, the coffee was excellent.
The chocolates in their lovely case.
The Friandises!! Oh my. What to say? They are all incredible. When they ask which ones you want to try go for all of them! You definitely want the one in the red foil. If no other one, just that one. It’s a cherry cordial with a pit still in the cherry to let you know it’s the real thing. It explodes in your mouth with boozy, cherry goodness. The salted caramel is also great too. And so is the…everything is great. Do you recognize the little pink heart? That’s the smaller version of what we received after the brunch earlier in the week.
These are mine...all mine! Seriously, those were just the ones for me.
It is a minor crime that the Friandises don’t get more attention than they do. They are essentially a large variety of little candies that are made in house. They tell you what they are when you get to take your selection, but they never make it on any menu. And these things are really really good. If I had made any one of them, I’d be screaming from the hilltops that I had made them, how long each one took, and offering the recipe to anyone who would listen. Alas, in a restaurant where everything stands out as the best thing on earth… it is often forgotten. Probably doesn’t help that these come after the final dessert, when everyone is sick of thinking of food.
tigerlilly
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- Aug 19, 1999
That meal looks amazing and it really is like a marathon isn't it! I have only read a few reviews of Victoria and Alberts and I am always amazed at how "pretty" the food is. I am not sure I would know how to eat it lol. Thank you so much for the lovely review. The pictures and the commentary are both fabulous. I know you have small children and how busy life gets so I am just happy you are doing the report for people like me who's new hobby is looking at food pictures from WDW. My DH is starting to get worried about me lol.... he say's he is not sure how I will live my life after our August trip lol!
A couple maybe dumb questions... are the courses always chef chosen? I have really only read a few reviews so I am not sure...do you ever "chose" from a menu? I understand this was a 10 course and Valentines Day so was it a "set" menu?
A couple maybe dumb questions... are the courses always chef chosen? I have really only read a few reviews so I am not sure...do you ever "chose" from a menu? I understand this was a 10 course and Valentines Day so was it a "set" menu?
Thanks for sticking with us! I really didn't expect this report to drag out so long. Next time we do a report I'm going to wait until it's all written in Word before posting on the Disboards.
It doesn't help that the further I get from a trip, the less I want to be on the Disboards, especially when I don't have another trip planned. I don't want to read or think about what I'm missing. 
We still have one last little review of Ohana to do and then finished!Those aren't dumb questions! On a normal night you have the option to choose between two different meal lengths you can choose from: the 7 or 10 course meals. With the 10 course, it is the chef's choosing. You can always choose an upgraded option: add caviar or upgrade your beef. Other than that it's whatever the chef has decided to serve for the night. Usually a sampling of most of the dishes offered in the 7 course menu. For the 7 course menu you get selections with each course. The amuse bouche is pretty much the only thing you don't have a choice on. There's a cold appetizer course with a couple of options, a fish course with a couple of options and usually an upgraded option. The upgraded options are an extra cost. A hot appetizer with a couple of options. The main course with 3 or 4 options. Usually 3 regular and one upcharge option. Then you choose either cheese or gelato. Then the dessert options...the tough part...there are usually 5 or so choices. Coffee or tea are included at the end as well as some candies. Water and non-alcoholic drinks are also included in the price, with alcohol being extra. They have an amazing wine list if you want to choose your own wine and they are more than happy to help you choose a wine if you aren't exactly sure what you want but don't want the official wine pairing.
We used to order different things so that we could try a bite of everything. We've been fortunate to go many times so now we each just order what we want even if it's the same...or especially if it's the same. There really isn't anymore sharing these days. That is, unless I'm getting too full and I give DH a couple of slices of whatever I ordered for the main course.
As for not knowing how to eat it...we have that problem all the time! Most of it is so gorgeous it's hard to jab a fork into it and ruin it. But you do what you have to do.
Sometimes there's really no polite way to go about eating, especially if there is a long piece of chive that sticks out of the side of your mouth as you go to take a bite. You just hope that no one is paying attention. Everyone is so enthralled with their own food and experience no one is paying attention. Except maybe your servers. But I'm pretty sure they've seen it all, maybe even from me and DH alone. 
Our first visit when we couldn't finish everything we left hidden Mickey shapes in our leftover sauces. We thought we were pretty funny, maybe it was the wine. I know the servers pay attention to the plates and what's leftover (or not), so hopefully they got a laugh out of that. Or they just thought we were crazy. I didn't know they paid much attention to plates back then. That's something I've learned over the years.
Ginamarie
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Dec 15, 2005
Thanks so much for this review! My husband and I are going to the Queen Victoria room next week, and I just can't wait. I just picked up the reservation a few days ago, and when I saw it was available, I had to have it, even though the price tag is unmentionable.
ThreeBoyMama
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Nov 5, 2014
Wow. That is the best write up of V&A that I've seen so far and quite possibly the most appealing menu I've seen there. Incredible!
Also, this made me laugh. I so totally get what you're talking about, LOL!
Also, this made me laugh. I so totally get what you're talking about, LOL!
You are very welcome! I'm very excited for you! I love the Queen Victoria Room. Way to jump on that reservation, nice! Yeah, the price is daunting, but the food, service, and atmosphere are all amazing. Have a wonderful dinner!
I'm flattered, thanks!! I always read every V&A review I can find because I love re-living everyone's experiences there. It's always so fun. This menu was really delicious. Then again, I like most of the menus.
I'm glad that you get my potato regret.
StarWarsMomofGirls!
DIS Veteran
- Joined
- Oct 16, 2015
Man, I am full just from reading about all that food! Looks and sounded amazing!
Burgundy Rose
Mouseketeer
- Joined
- May 18, 2016
Victoria and Albert's is my #1 priority next year. Thank you so much to you and your husband for the wonderfully detailed reviews! I really enjoyed both your comments. I've learned to ask for things I like in recent years, especially if the worst that can happen is that they'll say 'no'. I'd have asked for all the breads to be truffle brioche with truffle butter, no dessert, more cheese (and their names written down, please, I'm a cheese fanatic), and foie gras. My favourite wine is dessert white wine so I'd have asked for that as well.
Looks like such a wonderful experience, I can't wait to go!
Looks like such a wonderful experience, I can't wait to go!
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