A Unique Culinary Experience

When you hear the term “all-inclusive resort” you may immediately think of crowded buffets with lackluster food and watered down drinks. And while that is still the case for some resorts (the ones I avoid!), the approach to food service at many all-inclusive resorts (AI’s for short) has made a big turnaround in the past several years in order to cater to “foodies” - or people who just enjoy decent food and drinks on vacation.

I recently spent a few days at the Karisma El Dorado Royale Resort which is just south of Cancun on the Riviera Maya (about 25 min from airport). This brand has been on my radar for a while as they are known to be the resorts for foodies or for those with special dietary needs. Since I am a lifelong vegetarian, and I have family and friends with food allergies and celiac disease, resorts that can easily accommodate these needs are important to me. When you check-in, you are given a card if you have a special diet or allergy - you then show this when you dine at one of the 13 restaurants on property. Even though the vegetarian meals are clearly marked on the menus, I was given one of these cards as back-up but never needed it. My soy-allergy friend used hers several times. I haven’t stayed at any other resort that does this before but I can see others doing it in the future.

The Fuentes Culinary Theatre

While the meals at the restaurants (Italian, Asian, Indian, etc) were quite tasty, the definite “foodie” highlight is the Fuentes Culinary Theatre located on the resort property. Every night (except Tuesdays), they have a live show with a chef and sommelier that takes you through a 5-course food and wine pairing showcasing regional Mexican recipes.There is a $10 per person fee for this experience which is totally worth it! You then get the $10 back as credit if you decide to do the wine pairing (which is highly recommended - I had the best wines of any AI stay during this event!) I believe the menu changes nightly - we went on our last night but would have totally done it again.

What to Expect

Doors opened around 7pm (they told us to get there at 630pm - we were the first to arrive and quickly a long line formed behind us - we did get front row seats but not sure if that was due to how early we were there or just a coincidence). While you are waiting outside, they had a pop-up bar with a special Mezcal cocktail drink (bartenders had some serious flair!) We were then seated inside at our table which faced the open-air kitchen/stage. There are huge screens at every corner of the room so if you aren’t in the front, you can still see what is happening. We opted to do the wine pairing which actually began with a local beer (I’m “into” craft beer and had never had this so that was exciting - it was just a lager but still). We were served the most amazing chips and dip to go with the beer. Excellente.

The chef, sommelier, host and live musician were then introduced. For each course, the host and chef discuss what they are making and share tips/hints/background for the ingredients. When they finish making each course, a whole army of waiters comes out with the dish to serve the diners.

While you eat, the sommelier talks about why he chose the particular wine to go with the meal (all pairings were spot on). Then there is a live musician playing a mix of musical styles on his acoustic guitar. The music also paired well with the food and drink - wasn't distracting but complemented the experience.

There was also comic relief in the form of an “assistant” who would come in after each course in a different "funny" costume. One time it was an Eskimo handing out shots. Another time it was an old school ice cream man serving popsicles. They probably don’t really need that aspect to this evening (reminded me a bit of Benny Hill - like that music should have been playing) but I suppose some cultures may want a bit of slapstick humor mixed into the experience (you know who you are - haha!) I could have done without - sorta cheapened the experience a bit but that is just my opinion. And after several glasses of wine, it got more amusing.

Catering to Special Diets

Even though I am a strict vegetarian (no meat or seafood - cheese/dairy ok), they adapted each course so that I could follow along. Instead of shrimp in the Tomato Cream, I had eggplant. Instead of tenderloin, I had beets and cheese (sounds weird but it was amazing!). I can’t remember what they replaced the fish with, but I enjoyed it. The flavors and spices were not toned down by any means - the best seasoned food I’ve had at an AI!

In my experience, the El Dorado Royale definitely had some of the best food that I’ve had at an AI. Perhaps it helps that they have their own massive greenhouse where they grow a lot of their own vegetables, fruits and herbs (certainly doesn’t hurt - they also supply their sister-resorts along the Riviera Maya). The Fuentes Culinary Theater is something unique to this brand but I hope that other resorts take a cue from the El Dorado to offer more specialty dining options like this.

Want More Information?

Does this sound interesting to you? Contact me today for additional resort information, pricing and details. The El Dorado Royale is an adults-only resort however they have a sister-property that allows children (they especially cater to little ones!) so you could still enjoy this culinary experience while traveling with your kids (they can’t attend the culinary theatre but the resort offers babysitting.)