Chibang Review on Carnival Celebration: One of the Best Meals We Had Onboard
Chibang ended up being one of the best dining experiences we had during our Carnival Celebration cruise. We visited on the first night of the sailing, and between the excellent food, extremely fast service and ability to order from both the Chinese and Mexican menus, the restaurant impressed us from beginning to end.
Our dinner was also surprisingly quick. We were in and out in about an hour, making Chibang the fastest full-service restaurant we visited during the cruise. It wasn’t particularly crowded that first evening, service was fantastic, and nearly everything we ordered was a hit.
For more Carnival information, CruisePrism readers can also explore our Carnival Dining Menus, Carnival Drink Lists, and Carnival Onboard Guides for more information about restaurants, schedules and onboard activities.
Our Chibang Dinner on Carnival Celebration
One of the things that makes Chibang interesting is that you don’t have to commit to either Chinese or Mexican food. The restaurant has both cuisines on the same menu, and you can mix selections from either side.
That turned out to work perfectly for us because we ordered several different dishes and ended up switching entrées once the food arrived.
Chibang Sopa
My mom started with the Sopa from the Mexican side of the menu. It is made with chicken, avocado, lime tortilla, charred poblano and roasted tomatoes.
She loves soup, and this one did not disappoint. It had plenty of flavor without feeling overly complicated or heavy, making it a very good way to start the meal. There really wasn’t much to criticize here—she thoroughly enjoyed it.
Lettuce Wraps: Excellent, But Small
I ordered the Lettuce Wraps from the Chinese appetizer menu. They feature stir-fried chicken, mushrooms and fried rice noodles with chili oil and a sweet black vinegar dressing.
These were fantastic.
The combination of the seasoned filling, crisp lettuce and crunchy noodles worked extremely well, and the dressing brought everything together. Flavor-wise, this was easily one of the highlights of the appetizers.
My only complaint was the portion. They were rather small, and I definitely could have eaten more of them. Still, what they lacked in size they made up for in flavor.
The Pescado Frito Was the Star of Dinner
I initially ordered the Pescado Frito from the Mexican menu. It is a crisp fried fish served with three chili crema and pico de Jalisco.
The second it arrived at the table, I knew my mom was going to end up with it.
It looked fantastic, and it tasted even better. The fish had a substantial crispy coating while remaining tender inside, and the accompanying sauce added enough flavor and moisture to balance the fried exterior.
There’s no getting around the fact that this is a heavy dish. It is fried fish, after all. But if you’re looking for something light, this probably isn’t what you should order in the first place.
For what it is supposed to be, it was excellent. The crispy coating, fish and sauce all worked together, and this ended up being one of the strongest dishes we tried at Chibang.
The Hakka Noodles Were Another Winner
We also ordered the Hakka Noodles from the Chinese side menu.
These are prepared with shredded vegetables, green onions, garlic and soy. They sound fairly simple compared with some of Chibang’s more elaborate dishes, but they were fantastic.
The noodles were savory and flavorful without being overwhelmed by sauce. They also worked particularly well as a side because they were substantial enough to complement the entrées without competing with them.
This is absolutely a side I would order again.
Sweet & Sour Shrimp
My mom originally ordered the Sweet & Sour Shrimp from the Chinese menu, which comes with crisp fried shrimp, tomatoes, pineapple, peppers and plum sweet & sour sauce.
Once the Pescado Frito arrived, however, we basically switched entrées.
The shrimp had the familiar sweet-and-sour combination you would expect, with crisp battered shrimp coated in a glossy sauce and accompanied by peppers and pineapple. It was another very good dish and provided a completely different flavor profile from the fish.
That ability to jump between Mexican and Chinese dishes is really where Chibang works. We weren’t locked into one style of food for the entire dinner.
Broccoli and Steamed Jasmine Rice
We also tried the Broccoli and Steamed Jasmine Rice from the Chinese side dishes.
The broccoli is stir-fried with ginger and garlic glaze, while the rice is kept simple. The rice worked exactly as it should alongside the stronger flavors of the entrées, while the broccoli added another savory side to the table.
Between the rice, broccoli and Hakka Noodles, there are several easy ways to round out the meal depending on how much food you want.
Chocolate “C-Bang” Dessert
For dessert, we tried the Chocolate “C-Bang,” which the menu describes as textured chocolate with salted fudge ganache, ginger and caramel ice cream.
We are not big dessert people, so dessert was never going to be the deciding factor in our opinion of Chibang. Still, it was good and finished the meal nicely.
The chocolate portion was rich and dense, while the ice cream helped balance it. If you really like chocolate desserts, you’ll probably appreciate it considerably more than we did simply because neither of us tends to eat much dessert.
Chibang Premium Menu Options
Chibang also offered several additional premium dishes during our visit.
The premium menu included:
• Singapore Chili Lobster – $25
• Quesabirria Prime Beef Tacos – $15
• Honey Sriracha Jumbo Shrimp – $20
• Schezwan Lamb – $25
These are separate from the regular Chinese and Mexican dinner selections and come with an additional charge.
We didn’t need to add one to our meal because there was already plenty to choose from on the standard menu.
Service at Chibang Was Excellent
The service deserves its own mention because Chibang was easily the fastest restaurant experience we had during this Carnival Celebration cruise.
We ate there on the first night, when the restaurant was not particularly crowded, and everything moved quickly without feeling rushed.
From sitting down to finishing dinner, we were in and out in approximately one hour.
That was ideal for us. Dinner didn’t consume the entire evening, yet we still had a proper sit-down meal with appetizers, entrées, sides and dessert.
More importantly, the speed did not come at the expense of service. The service throughout dinner was fantastic.
How Much Does Chibang Cost on Carnival Celebration?
On Carnival Celebration, Carnival Jubilee and Mardi Gras, Carnival currently allows each guest one complimentary dinner at Chibang during the voyage. Additional visits cost $8 per person.
After eating here, I would absolutely pay the extra $8 to return.
There was enough variety on the menu that a second dinner could be completely different from the first. You could order Mexican food one night and concentrate almost entirely on the Chinese menu the next—or simply go back for the dishes you already know you liked.
For $8, I think the additional visit offers excellent value.
Chibang vs. Cucina del Capitano
We also ate at Cucina del Capitano during this Carnival Celebration cruise, and our experience there wasn’t nearly as good.
Chibang was the clear preference for us.
The food was consistently better during our Chibang dinner, the service was excellent, and the meal moved much faster. Given the choice of paying $8 for another visit to Chibang or returning to Cucina del Capitano, I would choose Chibang without hesitation.
That doesn’t mean everyone will have the same experience, but based on our meals during this particular sailing, there was a significant difference.
Is Chibang Worth It on Carnival Celebration?
Absolutely.
Chibang was one of the easiest restaurants from this cruise for me to recommend. The concept sounds slightly strange at first—Chinese and Mexican cuisine sharing one menu—but it works because you aren’t forced to choose one or the other.
The Lettuce Wraps were small but delicious. The Pescado Frito was outstanding. The Sweet & Sour Shrimp was very good. The Hakka Noodles were fantastic. Even the simpler sides did exactly what they needed to do.
Combine that with excellent service and an approximately one-hour dinner, and there wasn’t much to complain about.
Chibang FAQ
Is Chibang free on Carnival Celebration?
Guests currently receive one complimentary Chibang dinner during their voyage on Carnival Celebration. Additional visits are $8 per person.
What ships have Chibang?
Chibang is available aboard Carnival Celebration, Carnival Jubilee and Mardi Gras.
Can you order Chinese and Mexican food during the same meal?
Yes. That’s one of the main features of Chibang. You can order selections from either side of the menu rather than choosing only Chinese or only Mexican cuisine.
What was the best dish we tried at Chibang?
The Pescado Frito was the standout entrée for us. The fried fish was crispy, flavorful and particularly good with its accompanying sauce. The Hakka Noodles and Lettuce Wraps were also highlights.
Are the portions large?
It depends on the dish. The Lettuce Wraps in particular were smaller than I expected, although they tasted excellent. With appetizers, entrées and sides available, we still had plenty of food overall.
How long did dinner take?
Our Chibang dinner took approximately one hour from beginning to end. It was the fastest full-service restaurant experience we had during this Carnival Celebration cruise.
Would we eat at Chibang again?
Yes. I would happily pay the $8 charge for an additional dinner at Chibang on a future sailing.
Final Verdict: Chibang Was One of Our Best Carnival Celebration Meals
Chibang exceeded my expectations.
I went in expecting an interesting alternative restaurant and came out thinking it was one of the strongest meals of our Carnival Celebration cruise. There were a few minor criticisms—the Lettuce Wraps could certainly have been larger, and the Pescado Frito is undeniably a heavy entrée—but the actual quality of the food was consistently very good.
The Pescado Frito was the star, the Hakka Noodles were fantastic, the appetizers delivered, and service was both friendly and remarkably efficient.
Most importantly, Chibang is a restaurant I would actually return to and pay for. With additional dinners currently costing just $8 per person after the complimentary visit, I wouldn’t hesitate to eat here again.
For our Carnival Celebration sailing, Chibang was an easy recommendation.
