What a significant improvement!
I've been to many Club Med resorts over the past 40 years. At first, I could eat anything I wanted. By my fourth Club Med I was lactose intolerant. Club Med's staff were terrific at telling me which foods from the buffet I could and could not eat. By my sixth Club Med I was also gluten sensitive. Again, someone would walk me through the buffet and tell me what I could and could not eat. I ate a lot of grilled meats, french fries, and omelettes.
Since then, I've been diagnosed with IBS and I have many dietary restrictions. A couple of years ago I went on a cruise. I was very disappointed by what I could eat. I was glad that there were no mistakes on the cruise ship's part. I felt good the entire time and did not get sick. The downside was that I ate plain (unseasoned) chicken with boiled carrots, broccoli, and peeled baby white potatoes at most meals.
Before we booked Club Med, I wanted to be sure that I would not have another disappointing food experience. I'm a discerning customer. Honestly, I wasn't willing to book the trip if it was likely to be a repeat of my cruise experience. I emailed the Club and communicated with Julie and Elizabeth in Guest Relations before they put me directly in touch with Jordan the Club's head chef. Jordan assured me that they would be able to accommodate me. I was to ask for the Sous Chef at each meal who could make me a meal of my choosing, if I couldn't eat from the buffet. Five months later I arrived at Club Med. It had been so long that couldn't remember the head chef's name. I was a bit nervous without having his name. I explained to one of the people working in the buffet that I needed help from a Sous Chef. Sure enough, a Sous Chef came out and offered to make me anything I wanted. I have to admit that I had to get used to the idea that it was a genuine offer. I didn't want the staff to feel that I was being difficult. The first night I only requested gluten-free pasta with red sauce, chicken, and spinach. It was much better than what I usually get at Italian restaurants. I stayed at the Club for five nights. I had duck, lamb, flank steak, pork loin, and pasta with chicken. Each meal was delicious! They made the same offer at lunch and breakfast. Since I was skiing and had limited time between lessons I made simpler requests. One Sous Chef made me a fantastic salad! I believe it was Eduardo. It was ten times better than any salad I've had in a restaurant. For breakfast I had soft boiled eggs, gluten-free bread (which I brought from home), and fruit. I made it myself as I had limited time to get to my skiing lesson.
Things to know:
1.) They thoroughly understood my dietary needs.
2.) They knew what was in every dish.
3.) They were more concerned about cross-contamination on my behalf than I was. They didn't insist that I not use their toaster when I explained that I was O.K. with that level of cross-contamination.
4.) They were flexible about the timing of when they prepared food for me and extremely accommodating. I could show up at any time and have my meal in 15 - 20 minutes. Or I could tell them in advance, and it would be ready at the time I requested.
5.) They had a sense of pride in making something special for me. They were never put out, frazzled, or made me wait. They made me feel comfortable and taken care of. Each chef had a high level of customer service.
6.) At each meal the buffet had a variety of food options for Vegans, Vegetarians, Pescatarians, Celiac and Gluten-sensitive people. Jordan explained to me that when cooking they often use gluten-free substitutes in their regular dishes so that there are more options for gluten-sensitive guests. The food variety included chia pudding in the morning; gluten-free bread, pasta, and pizza; a fish station; dessert options of sorbet, meringue cookies, chocolate mousse (gluten and dairy-free). At breakfast there were a variety of milks including almond milk, soy milk, and oat milk. There was a soft-boiled/hard-boiled egg station, an omelette station, bread station, ...
7.) The food was attractive and appealing. I heard people talking about how it was better than what they had on cruises. Each day there were a number of new and interesting foods on the buffet. There were also foods that people could count on such as pasta, pizza, soup, a fish station, a variety of vegetables, salad station, burgers and fries. I'm sure I forgetting some of the stations as I was less interested in what everyone else was eating.
The chef's to know are Jordan the Head Chef and his Sous Chef's Eduardo, Roberto, Carlos, and Naheem. On Jordan's day off, he found me at lunch and asked me how they were doing. We had a very nice conversation. It was completely unnecessary for him to take time out of his day off to check in with me. It exemplifies their desire to provide great customer service and to make sure that I was happy with my experience.
I was incredibly surprised by how much Club Med has elevated the dining experience and accommodation for people with dietary restrictions. I would highly recommend Club Med!
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