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The last time we visited Cozumel, it was 5 years ago and we docked away from the Downtown area. Furthermore, we booked a taxi to take us to the Mayan ruins a little ways out. Therefore, we really didn't "see" the city portion of Cozumel. This time around, the pier was right in Downtown and we merely made a right hand turn out of the terminal. Much like our Mexican cruise last December, the people were friendly, but also very aggressive in trying to sell us something. Hey, people have to make a living right? After a great day of sunshine and Margaritas, we settled in for dinner #3.
For starters, my daughter had the Seared Tuna with Romesco vinaigrette, cucumber salad as well as balsamic & parmesan pearls. Thinly sliced, the tuna couldn't have been more perfectly prepared. It was only lightly seared on the outside, hence the rest of the fish was rare and buttery. The spice rub on the outside had a bit of a kick to it. On top, the balsamic pearls added an appealing sweet tanginess. My son didn't go far from his meatatarian ways and had the Baked Meatballs in a smoky tomato sauce. These were lean and meaty while mildly seasoned. I found the tomato sauce to be tangy and fresh-tasting with only the slightest amount of smoke.
Viv decided on the Braised Rabbit served in a puff pasty shell. This was a nice little bite that consisted of hollowed-out puff pastry stuffed with tender rabbit that was in a rich sauce. It exhibited strong hits of red wine in a reduced sauce with tanginess and a background sweetness. To top it all off, the pastry was baked properly where it was not undercooked, thus, it was flaky throughout. For myself, I went for the Tortilla Soup with Braised Chicken. Unlike the soup I had in San Antonio, this version was zesty and spicy. There was a nice consistency to the soup where it was smooth and slightly thick. In addition to the zestiness, there was a pleasant tang too.
For my main, I decided on the Rosemary Lamb Shank with roasted cauliflower and root veggies. This was pretty good where the lamb was tender and gelatinous throughout. I liked that they had removed the bone as it made eating it much easier. It was dressed in a light curry sauce which was pretty mild in terms of taste and spice. Loved the copious amount of fresh rosemary as it added a nice woodsiness. The root veggies were texturally on point by not being overdone. Viv opted for the Steak Tacos with pico de gallo, cilantro and avocado-arbol chili. The made-to-order steak was served hot and nicely charred. Most pieces were tender, except for 2 strips. Other than that, they were solid tacos.
My son went for the Veal Parmesan atop spaghetti. This was a rather large piece of veal that was aggressively breaded. It was good though where the veal was tender and remained moist. The breading was buttery and crunchy staying that way throughout the meal. Underneath, the spaghetti was fairly al dente and was tossed in a tangy and slightly sweet tomato sauce. For my daughter, she had the Seared Tilapia with a caper and parsley butter, succotash and whipped potatoes. Nicely seared until golden brown, the fish remained moist and flaky. It was well-flavored by the buttery and slightly salty sauce. Not sure how whipped potatoes went with this dish, but it was creamy and light nonetheless.
For dessert, I had the Tres Leches Cake with cocoa meringue, chocolate cream and finished with chilled dark chocolate soup. Okay, I've never had a tres leche cake like this before, but it was good though. The moist cake was soaked in a chocolaty sweet milk (maybe a touch too sweet) that didn't make it mushy. I found the meringue on top to be interesting, but it did provide a textural crunch to the soft cake. Viv decided on the sugar-free Praline Cake with grated meringue and chia seed crumble. If on one told us this was sugar free, we wouldn't have known. The cake was uncharacteristically soft and moist for a sugar-free version. Furthermore, it was just sweet enough. Once again, a pretty good meal. Liked how the proteins were prepared this time around.
Last time we were in Cozumel, we didn't get to check out the town very much as we made our way to the Mayan ruins. This time, we docked closer to Downtown, so it was an easy walk through the marketplace and then subsequently onto the main thoroughfare. Originally, we had planned to visit La Choza, but after trying to figure out where we were, it turned out that I had the wrong address. The kids were pretty hungry, so we didn't feel like walking 8 blocks. Therefore, we settled on the closest place from where we were standing in El Coctelito.
Viv and I decided that drinks were in order since we had walked all the way from the dock to nearly the end of the strip. I went for the fruity Mango Margarita while Viv had the classic Lime. These were blended fairly smooth while being not overly sweet. The fruit flavour was a tad weak as well as the booze. It wasn't very strong to say the least. Since Viv was only thirsty and not super hungry, she shared the Beef Nachos. These featured fresh tortilla chips topped with strips of steak and plenty of cheese. As expected, this ate a whole lot more hearty than plain nachos with crunchy chips and fairly tender beef. They actually didn't finish it and I had to some of it.
For myself I had the Guajillo Sauce Octopus served with rice and veggies. This was a whole lot better than I expected. Each little nugget had a tender bite that was just the right amount of chewiness. There was a definite spice that was both smoky and impactful. However, it wasn't too spicy, so I could definitely taste the layers of flavor. Wasn't overly excited with the veggies though. As for my daughter, she went simple with the kid's menu Chicken Quesadilla. As you can see, there was nothing super exciting about the presentation. However, it did the job with a decent amount of cheese and tender chicken tucked inside a soft tortilla. From the small sampling of the menu, we concluded that although El Coctelito was not exactly the place we would normally dine at when in Mexico, it did the job considering its location.
The Good:
- Awesome water view
- Okay quality of food for the price
- Decent service
The Bad:
- Touristy (but okay for that purpose)
- Drinks were a bit weak
After our first night aboard the Freedom, I was already getting the sense that the food was going to be better than expected. Sure, I didn't have super high expectations going into it, but I did have minimum requirements. So far, the first dinner showed that the food wasn't going to be what once was considered, "the McDonald's of cruising". Our second night was our "Casual Elegant" dinner where lobster would be on the menu. If my memory serves me right, NCL didn't even offer lobster in the main dining room for the duration of our 7-night cruise.
I started off my meal with the Fried Oysters accompanied by chipotle lime dip. Although small in portion (hey, you can always order more, it's a cruise!), the 2 oysters were lightly fried, hence being buttery and soft inside. The breading was crispy and just the right thickness. What brought this altogether was the creamy and spicy dip. It gave life to the mildly-briny oysters. For Viv, she had the Italian Wedding Soup with kale, meatballs, egg, endive and parmesan. The light chicken broth was not oversalted, unlike many other versions of this soup. Meaty and lean, the meatballs gave body to the soup while the tender kale florets ate easy.
My son ended up with the Mushroom Cream Soup as a means of satisfying his vegetable quota. Good try buddy... We made him eat the broccoli on his main dish... The soup was indeed creamy and full of woodsy mushoom flavor. There was actually lots of mushroom which had been diced into small pieces. Again, the soup was not oversalted, which we enjoyed. To get my intake of greens, I also added a Baby Spinach Salad on the side. This was topped with plenty of crumbled blue cheese as well as being dressed in blue cheese. Hence, the flavors were a touch sharp while creamy throughout. Loved the walnuts which added a texture.
For our mains, we practically all had the Broiled Maine Lobster with toasted orzo, shrimp, broccoli and citrus gremolata. Okay, this was another pleasant surprise as the lobster was absolutely perfect. No joke. The lobster was barely cooked through, which meant the meat was succulent, buttery and sweet. This is no small feat as we've been on 10 cruises and this has been executed the best. On the side, the shrimp didn't take a back seat as they were grilled beautifully being buttery with a cold-water snap. My daughter didn't do the lobster, opting for the Spaghetti Carbonara instead. It was a large portion of noodles which were fairly al dente, but a little dry. It did taste good with a garlicky cheesiness while the bacon crumble added saltiness. With that being said, we could've done with more saltiness.
To get more of a variety, I added the Slow Cooked Prime Rib with baked potato and broccoli. The thinly sliced prime rib was medium and sauced with a thick au jus. Much like the flat-iron steak from the previous night and the tenderloin I had for brunch, the meat was tender and moist. It was also well-seasoned where I didn't need much in the way of anything else. So far, the meat quality was impressive and we hadn't even made it to the steakhouse yet. Our last dish was the Seared Striped Bass with lemon, creamy savoy cabbage and sourdough fried potatoes. Unlike the mahi mahi, the bass was flaky and moist while being well-seasoned. The lemon provided a nice acidity. We weren't enamored with the potatoes though as when the batter got cold, it wasn't that appealing.
For dessert, we shard the Creme Brulee and the Malted Chocolate Hazelnut Cake with warm chocolate sauce. I thought the custard in the brulee was nicely textured being silky and lightly eggy. It wasn't too sweet either. However, the sugar topping was somewhat uneven. As for the hazelnut cake, it was more of a cross between a ganache and a gelatin. It tasted good with a nice chocolate start and a hazelnut finish. Other than a few issues here and there, this was yet another solid meal. Considering that the kitchen has to produce a wide range of dishes for half of the passengers at a time, the execution was more than acceptable. We went away especially impressed with the lobster.
Heading into the first night, we were scheduled for the early seating at Posh Restaurant. This is one of 2 main dining rooms aboard the Freedom with Chic being the other main dining room (but for "Your Way Dining"). Unlike any other cruise ship we have been on, we were assigned booth seating which was rather private for the 4 of us and comfortable at the same time. We were greeted warmly by our waiter, Iradwin and his 2 assistants, Gede and Gefri. We found them efficient, attentive and responsive to our requests.
For our appetizers, I started with the Maryland Corn Chowder with potatoes, peppers, oregano and cream. This was served smoking hot and chock full of sweet corn niblets and tender potato nuggets. I found this to be more similar to a thicker cream of corn (Asian-style) rather than a chowder. This was not a bad thing though as the soup was lighter and didn't take away our appetite. Viv went for the Fried Calamari which was served with 2 dips - zesty tomato and lemon aioli. Although this didn't look like much (weak plating), the squid rings were tender with a chew while coated in a light breading which was crispy. I enjoyed the lemon aioli as it was tangy and light while the zesty tomato came exactly as advertised with a kick.
My daughter had the Cured Salmon with candied tomato, dill cream, grapes and lemon dressing. Since it was sugar cured, the salmon was firmer and chewier. Again, this was not a negative, rather we had to point that out to her as she was expecting smoked salmon texture. It was mildly sweet with an equal amount of saltiness. We thought the dill cream added another layer of flavor while the tomato offered up the necessary tang as well as more sweetness. My son had the classic Shrimp Cocktail with traditional cocktail sauce. This was pretty straightforward with buttery shrimp that had a cold water snap. I found the cocktail sauce to have enough horseradish for impact.
Viv ordered the Fried Shrimp accompanied by a tangy sweet and sour sauce and a scallion garlic & shrimp fried rice. At first, I was skeptical of the dish as we had something similar on Holland America and it was not very good. This dish, on the other hand, was better since they served the sauce on the side. As a result, the crispy rice coated shrimp were crunchy and light while not soaked in sauce. The best part was actually the fried rice as it was nutty and well-seasoned with chewy grains. For my daughter, she had the Grilled Mahi Mahi with coconut, fresh pineapple and red pepper sauce. Unfortunately, the fish was a bit overdone, so it turned out to be dry. Despite this, the sauce was a nice compliment as it was tropical with aromatics and bright flavors.
My son wasn't sick of brisket and decided on the Barbecued Beef Brisket with baked beans and double baked yams. Although we've had our fair share of authentic smoked central Texas brisket during the week, this one was actually respectable. It was super tender and moist while lightly smoky. Sure, it wouldn't beat some of the competition-level BBQ in Texas, but it was delicious nonetheless. The ball of yams and peppers on the side were good except the peppers didn't seem to go. For myself, I had one of the standard (offered every meal) dishes on the menu being the Flat-Iron Steak with Bearnaise, baked potato, broccoli and a side of creamed spinach. I'll admit that I was surprised to see that my steak was cooked a perfect medium-rare. It was tender, juicy and nicely seasoned. The creamed spinach was also good where it wasn't cooked to a pulp.
For dessert, we shared their famous Carnival Melting Chocolate Cake for the table. This large serving was enough for 6 people, let alone 2 adults and 2 kids. There was a crispy crust on the top and sides while the middle was soft, moist and indeed melting. Exhibiting plenty of chocolate flavor, the cake wasn't incredibly sweet. Served on the side was a bevy of vanilla ice cream to eat with the cake. We also added the Tiramisu for good measure and it was also pretty good. It sported soft, well-soaked lady fingers and creamy marscapone. The dessert ate rather sweet and needed just a touch more espresso. For our first ever sit-down meal on a Carnival cruise ship, this was much better than we expected. Sure, the fish could've been better, but that is not unique to Carnival as it is a hard dish to nail when preparing so many of them. Good start to the cruise!
Okay, I'll be completely blunt on this one - I have always been afraid to take a cruise with Carnival. What??? Afraid??? Yes, I was one of those people who bought into the negative hype about the company. We've been on Celebrity (2X), Holland America (3X), Princess, Norwegian (2X) and RCCL (2X), but never Carnival. Finally, I decided it was time that I made my own conclusions by taking a cruise aboard the Freedom sailing from Galveston, Texas. As expected, the cruise was reasonably-priced and in fact, less expensive than all of the aforementioned companies. For myself and Viv with the kids in a quad-room, it cost roughly $2800.00 Canadian dollars including port charges and taxes for the March 24th, 2018 sailing. So far, that has been the lowest price we've paid for cruise outside of a special we had for our Alaska cruise aboard the Celebrity Mercury in 2006.
Carnival has tried to streamline their embarkation process by allocating a 1-hour time slot for people to arrive. In theory, passengers would arrive in waves so that the port would not be overwhelmed. We had the 11:00-11:30 embarkation time and it only took us roughly 20 minutes from arriving at the port to boarding the ship. There was no long lineup to speak of, except there was one for those who missed their time slot or arrived too early. Something that is out of Carnival's control, but was still slightly a hassle was the distance of the Galveston cruise port from Houston. We took an Uber from Hobby Airport and it took over 30 minutes while if one was to travel from George Bush International, it would be over an hour (without traffic). We could have stayed overnight in Galveston, but the hotel rates were quite high. If one wanted to rent a car and drop it off in Galveston, there is only one option in Enterprise. They are fully aware of this, hence their pricing is downright outrageous. Another option would be to drop off your rental car in Texas City which is only a 10 - 15 minute taxi or Uber ride to the port.
Once onboard, we made a quick beeline up to the Freedom Restaurant which is on the Lido deck aft much like any other cruise ship. The buffet had several different stations including comfort food, Mongolian wok, deli, sushi and a rotating theme section (Italian for lunch this day). I wouldn't say that the comfort food was anything to write home about, but it did the job and there were some highlights. The Mongolian Wok was a good choice for freshly-prepared food (rather than something sitting in a chaffing tray) that sported veggies, noodles, meats and sauces. Overall, I thought it was pretty good as it wasn't greasy and the food came out hot. Impressively, the meats were cooked just right including the buttery shrimp. The deli featured the usual sandwiches including turkey, pastrami and corned beef. Hot dogs as well as bagels with smoked salmon and cream cheese were available as well. Although the sushi required a surcharge, we thought it was good since it was pretty legit. The only negative was the dessert bar as the textures seemed a bit off.
After lunch, our Stateroom was available at 1:00pm. We made our way down to the room (#2355) on the Main Deck at mid-ship. This was a good location since it was close to the mid-elevators. However, with the Chic Restaurant sitting on floors 3 & 4 above at mid-ship, it prevented us from moving from one part of the ship to another without either walking down the hallway on 2 or above at 5. Back to the stateroom, it was fairly spacious with plenty of space to maneuver around the bed and between the vanity and sofa bed. The quad configuration saw a pull down bed just above the sofa bed to create a bunk bed-like arrangement. Again, this didn't impeded our mobility within the room and I much prefer this over the pull down beds above the main bed. Common with older ships, there was only one A/C plug in the room and one in the washroom. Be sure to bring an power bar or something similar to plug in multiple electronics. About the washroom, it was also standard with the usual stand-up shower featuring a dispenser with body wash, conditioner and shampoo.
The room was kept in pretty good condition with only a few parts with wear. Our cabin steward and assistant were attentive in making the room 2 times a day. Whenever we needed something, he was quickly responsive. We weren't too keen on the pink accents in the room, but it wasn't a deal-breaker. Storage space was good with the standard row of closets near the front door as well as the cabinets at the vanity and 2 night stands. There was even storage underneath the sofa bed. I particularly liked how the fridge was empty, so we could put our own beverages and other items into it. Many cruise lines fill it with their choice of beverages that are for an extra cost. Overall, we slept well as the beds were a good combination of being firm and comfortable. Although we were never too warm, the A/C in the room was a little weak when we were in warmer temperatures.
In terms of the public spaces aboard the ship, the Millennium atrium felt a bit compact, but was never difficult to navigate through. We sat at the bar and there was natural light from the above. This was used extensively for trivia and other games during the cruise. Just in the background of the picture, you will see the front desk, which was pretty calm. However, most of the time, there was a lineup down the hallway. That is pretty standard aboard cruises as people have various inquiries, but that made for quite the bottleneck. Other public spaces were not too bad, but deck space was at a premium during sea days and movie nights. Due to the various choices for food (at no extra charge), lines were manageable and according to people I asked, walk-ins for dinner at the Chic dining room were not a problem.
Remember I mentioned part of my fear with Carnival was with the mediocre food? Well, I have to take that back. For the most part, the food in the Posh main dining room was good. Even though I did dine at the Sunking Steakhouse for $35.00 extra per person, I thought the steak in the main dining room to be tender and prepared to my specifications. I will go more in depth with each dinner service in the next 7 posts. Onto more casual dining options, Guy's Burger Joint was pretty enjoyable with meaty, well-seared patties. Plenty of customization options available too with a DIY bar consisting of sauteed mushrooms, fried potato sticks, caramelized onions and so on... Also on the Lido deck, the Blue Iguana Cantina offered up freshly made tortillas (like made from scratch) with 3 meat options for tacos and burritos. There was also an option for taco salads in a taco shell bowl.
At the aft of the Lido deck, we found the adults-only pool where it was a bit quieter than the main pool area. The 2 food options available were pizza and seafood. The Pizza Pirate offered up fresh made-to-order thin crust pizzas. The fresh pizza dough was made from caputo flour and the tomato sauce was from San Marzano tomatoes. For those who aren't familiar with Neapolitan-style pizza, these 2 ingredients are pretty legit. The result was a uniformly crispy crust with a tangy sauce. In addition to the classic Margherita, there was funghi, prosciutto & arugula, 4 cheese and pepperoni. Lineups were common at The Pizza Pirate, but I didn't mind as it meant the pizzas were always hot and fresh. As mentioned above, there was also The Deli, which served up made-to-order sammies, smoked salmon bagels and hot dogs. I had the Montreal Smoked Meat a few times and for a cruise, it was pretty good with tender smoky and fatty meat.
Over on the port side, The Seafood Shack was one of the few pay restaurants aboard the Freedom. We decided to try a couple of items including the Fish & Chips (since my daughter really wanted it...). In terms of the fish itself, the preparation was on point being flaky, moist and tender. I found the batter a bit inconsistent where some parts were crunchy while the middle was too soft. The fries were excellent being hot and crispy. For myself, I tried the Lobster Roll served as 2 mini-portions. Although the roll was nicely buttered and seared on the flattop, I thought it was too dense and not warm enough. However, the lobster (without any other fillers) was texturally perfect having a sweet briny snap. It was dressed in a mild-tasting mayo. Although we thought the 2 items from the seafood shack were solid, it isn't necessary to deviate from the free options as they are just as good.
As if there weren't enough options already, there was a BBQ Restaurant above the buffet with a menu that offered up BBQ Beef, BBQ Chicken and Pulled Pork with sides of Mac n' Cheese, Coleslaw, Potato Salad and BBQ Beans. We went there twice during the cruise and although it doesn't compare to the awesome BBQ I had in Texas, it was more-than-acceptable. In fact, the BBQ chicken was super tender and juicy. The skin was nicely rendered and spiced while the chicken itself tasted good. If that wasn't enough, we could choose from 3 Guy Fieri BBQ sauces (Brown Sugar, St. Louis and Sriracha). The BBQ beef was decently tender with a light smoke while the pulled pork was decently moist. It did need BBQ sauce for full flavor though. Due to complete apprehension, we left the Sushi Bar to the end. Moreover, it was at an extra cost. But it turned out to be solid with chewy sushi rice and carefully constructed rolls. Definitely an option if one is tired of all of the heavier choices.
Since Carnival caters mainly to a younger crowd and families, there was more than enough activities to keep everyone busy. In addition to the usual kid's programs, we found a large arcade, mini-golf and many planned activities in our daily schedule. The shows in the Theater were decent with an enthusiastic cast featuring a few strong singers. The set design was quite modern. Our cruise director, Malcolm (who moved onto another ship as of this writing), was friendly, energetic and a great host. One of our favorite activities was watching Thor: Ragnarok up on the Lido deck. Literally, we were watching a blockbuster Movie with the waves splashing against the ship and the sea breeze around us. And if you look at the picture (Ferdinand was playing that night), we could also gaze at the stars and moonlight. They even had fresh popcorn. For all the times I avoided Carnival, I bought into the negative hype. A lesson learned, do not listen to the media, go with your own experience.
The Good:
- Surprisingly solid food across the board
- Plenty of activities with a youthful crowd
- Inexpensive compared to other cruise lines (except for NCL)
The Bad:
- Lineup for certain things could be long (buffet, front desk, popcorn)
- Stateroom decor a bit drab (but consider the pricing)
- Other than their awesome signature melting chocolate cake, some desserts needed work
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The last time we visited Cozumel, it was 5 years ago and we docked away from the Downtown area. Furthermore, we booked a taxi to take us to the Mayan ruins a little ways out. Therefore, we really didn't "see" the city portion of Cozumel. This time around, the pier was right in Downtown and we merely made a right hand turn out of the terminal. Much like our Mexican cruise last December, the people were friendly, but also very aggressive in trying to sell us something. Hey, people have to make a living right? After a great day of sunshine and Margaritas, we settled in for dinner #3.
For starters, my daughter had the Seared Tuna with Romesco vinaigrette, cucumber salad as well as balsamic & parmesan pearls. Thinly sliced, the tuna couldn't have been more perfectly prepared. It was only lightly seared on the outside, hence the rest of the fish was rare and buttery. The spice rub on the outside had a bit of a kick to it. On top, the balsamic pearls added an appealing sweet tanginess. My son didn't go far from his meatatarian ways and had the Baked Meatballs in a smoky tomato sauce. These were lean and meaty while mildly seasoned. I found the tomato sauce to be tangy and fresh-tasting with only the slightest amount of smoke. 
Viv decided on the Braised Rabbit served in a puff pasty shell. This was a nice little bite that consisted of hollowed-out puff pastry stuffed with tender rabbit that was in a rich sauce. It exhibited strong hits of red wine in a reduced sauce with tanginess and a background sweetness. To top it all off, the pastry was baked properly where it was not undercooked, thus, it was flaky throughout. For myself, I went for the Tortilla Soup with Braised Chicken. Unlike the soup I had in San Antonio, this version was zesty and spicy. There was a nice consistency to the soup where it was smooth and slightly thick. In addition to the zestiness, there was a pleasant tang too. 
For my main, I decided on the Rosemary Lamb Shank with roasted cauliflower and root veggies. This was pretty good where the lamb was tender and gelatinous throughout. I liked that they had removed the bone as it made eating it much easier. It was dressed in a light curry sauce which was pretty mild in terms of taste and spice. Loved the copious amount of fresh rosemary as it added a nice woodsiness. The root veggies were texturally on point by not being overdone. Viv opted for the Steak Tacos with pico de gallo, cilantro and avocado-arbol chili. The made-to-order steak was served hot and nicely charred. Most pieces were tender, except for 2 strips. Other than that, they were solid tacos.
My son went for the Veal Parmesan atop spaghetti. This was a rather large piece of veal that was aggressively breaded. It was good though where the veal was tender and remained moist. The breading was buttery and crunchy staying that way throughout the meal. Underneath, the spaghetti was fairly al dente and was tossed in a tangy and slightly sweet tomato sauce. For my daughter, she had the Seared Tilapia with a caper and parsley butter, succotash and whipped potatoes. Nicely seared until golden brown, the fish remained moist and flaky. It was well-flavored by the buttery and slightly salty sauce. Not sure how whipped potatoes went with this dish, but it was creamy and light nonetheless.
For dessert, I had the Tres Leches Cake with cocoa meringue, chocolate cream and finished with chilled dark chocolate soup. Okay, I've never had a tres leche cake like this before, but it was good though. The moist cake was soaked in a chocolaty sweet milk (maybe a touch too sweet) that didn't make it mushy. I found the meringue on top to be interesting, but it did provide a textural crunch to the soft cake. Viv decided on the sugar-free Praline Cake with grated meringue and chia seed crumble. If on one told us this was sugar free, we wouldn't have known. The cake was uncharacteristically soft and moist for a sugar-free version. Furthermore, it was just sweet enough. Once again, a pretty good meal. Liked how the proteins were prepared this time around.
