Sound the dinner gong. A bold new era in dining aboard cruise ships has been launched. Michelin stars are gracing ships' galleys in greater numbers than ever before as cruise lines embark on a feeding frenzy in their signing up of celebrity chefs to consult on ocean-going menus and put their vaunted names to dining venues.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Celebrity chefs are demanding big dollars to be aligned with cruise lines in return for elevating the reputation of on-board dining. The latest signing include Australian chef Curtis Stone for Princess Cruises and Hawaiian fusion cuisine king Roy Yamaguchi for MSC Cruises.
Almost every major cruise line now has celebrity chefs aboard, including Mark Best for Holland America Line; his Marque restaurant in Sydney is considered one of Australia's best establishments. However, not all of the chefs are household names in Australia, though they are highly rated.
Three Michelin-starred French chef Arnaud Lallement advises Disney Cruise Line, while new Norwegian Escape has a Spanish tapas bar and seafood restaurant from Ecuadorean-American restaurateur Jose Garces. Indian-born British chef Atul Kochhar – who claimed the first ever Michelin star for an Indian restaurant – heads Asian-dining venue Sindhu on six of P&O Cruises' British-based vessels.
The hunger for fine food among cruise lines isn't confined to aboard the ship. Cruise lines also offer an increasing variety of food-themed shore excursions. For example, Royal Caribbean International offers a local Alaskan salmon bake in Juneau, a dim sum lunch in Hong Kong, and a half-day food trail in Penang showcasing Malaysian street food such as fish laksa, stir-fried noodles and bean-paste pastries.
Silversea has an Antwerp pub crawl that delves into the history of Belgian beer making. At St Malo in northern France you can visit an oyster farm for a tour and tasting; at Hilo in Hawaii, indulge in a progressive lunch of island flavours across three private homes.
Azamara Club Cruises last year launched a "Cruise Global, Eat Local" program in no less than 27 European ports, in which it arranges a dining experience that can see you tucking into paella in a Valencia restaurant, or sea bass cooked in salt in a Cadiz eatery. Concierges on many cruise ships can also provide you with dining suggestions and make reservations. Several lines now provide "shop with the chef" experiences in which the ship's chef accompanies passengers to local markets and then, back on board, dishes up the ingredients in the evening meal.
Food-themed shore excursions includes APT's gourmet dinner at Michelin-starred chef Paul Bocuse's L'Abbaye de Collonges in Lyon while Uniworld has excursions to a vinegar estate in Speyer in Germany and a chocolate artisan in Brussels. Although some ocean cruises manage to visit vineyards, and both Silversea and SeaDream Yacht Club have sailings dedicated to wine, river cruising better accesses wine country, which lies mostly away from coastlines.
Most itineraries offer at least one opportunity to visit a cellar door, such as Chateau Siaurac in the famous St-Emilion wine region near Bordeaux (Viking), Nikolaihof estate in Austria (Uniworld) or a splendid eight vineyards in Washington and Oregon (Un-Cruise) on week-long wine-themed cruises on the Columbia River. In Europe, Avalon has eight wine-themed cruises (and two for beer), and APT has just launched a "Wine Ambassador" program that sees Australian winemakers accompany some cruises. APT sails into the Bordeaux regions.
But it's aboard the ship themselves with those star-studded meals conceived by high-profile celebrity chefs that have become the main lure to attract passengers and to ensure that cruise lines remain relevant. Here are some of Australia's leading chefs with cruise connections nominate their favourite shipboard dish as well as revealing how they replicate restaurant-standard cuisine at sea.
THE CHEF Curtis Stone
ON LAND The Melbourne-born chef and cookbook author has turned star material in the US, where his Beverly Hills restaurant Maude garners rave reviews. The co-star of ABC's Surfing the Menu, Stone now makes programs for the Food Network in the USA, including his latest, Beach Eats.
AT SEA Specialty restaurant SHARE on Princess Cruises' Coral Princess, Emerald Princess, Ruby Princess and Sun Princess features informal, upmarket food. The main dining room on Princess ships features select dishes by Stone. A chef's table experience arrives on Emerald Princess and Ruby Princess shortly.
FAVOURITE CRUISE DISH Roasted crab from Sun Princess' SHARE restaurant. The entire crab leg is lightly baked with lemongrass and paired with a chicharron powder (crispy pig skin crumble) and a fermented soybean aioli. The crab leg is served alongside a fresh crab salad using the knuckle meat, ginger, fresno, green onion and coriander.
WHY I LOVE IT I love the sea and seafood, and crab is one of my favourite ingredients with its sweet, white meat; it's such a treat. The dish is an elevation of technique using diverse ingredients, which is why it's a standout for me. SHARE has just opened on board Australia-based Sun Princess, so I'm excited for Aussie cruisers to try it.
COOKING ON LAND VERSUS AT SEA Chefs always have to be highly organised, but operating at sea takes that to a new level – once you leave port you obviously can't run out to buy supplies, so that's why we make a point of picking up fresh ingredients at every port possible. In terms of the culinary experience, though, there's no significant difference, and that's a really important factor for me. The dishes need to be 10 out of 10 by both land and sea standards.
See www.princess.com
THE CHEF Luke Mangan
ON LAND The Australian chef makes regular TV appearances and runs Salt Grill in Surfers Paradise, MOJO in Sydney's lately trendy Waterloo neighbourhood, and Glass Brasserie at the Hilton Sydney. He also has restaurants and bars in Singapore, Jakarta, Tokyo and the Maldives. Mangan is a consultant for Virgin Australia, while a new partnership with Eastern and Oriental Express sees his food on trains too.
AT SEA Specialty restaurants Salt Grill on P&O Australia's Pacific Aria, Pacific Dawn, Pacific Eden, Pacific Jewel and Pacific Pearl. Mangan's food celebrates modern Australian cuisine with distinct French and Asian influences, and an emphasis on tapas, seafood and grilled meats.
FAVOURITE CRUISE DISH Kingfish sashimi with eschalot dressing, Persian feta and rocket. This dish has become somewhat of a staple on our restaurant menus over the years, both on land and on board P&O. You can order it as an entree at my on-board Salt Grill.
WHY I LOVE IT It's a signature dish for us, and our regulars love it. I think it's a perfect summer dish with not a lot of cooking required, and it makes a perfect entree with a glass of bubbles.
COOKING ON LAND VERSUS AT SEA There's no real difference at all between cooking at sea or on land. The kitchen setups on P&O are the same as in any of my restaurants, and we serve pretty much the same menu as that of our Salt Grills on land, signature dishes included, so our diners have the same experience at all of our restaurants. When we're on the ships, we're pretty fortunate that we have the opportunity to stock up on ingredients at each port we stop at, so we have no excuse not to have the freshest ingredients on board.
THE CHEF Serge Dansereau
ON LAND Quebec-born Dansereau moved to Sydney in 1983 and was soon lauded for redefining Australian cuisine as executive chef of Kable. He later opened The Bathers' Pavilion at Balmoral Beach, which became an iconic Sydney dining spot.
AT SEA Dansereau is consulting chef on Lindblad Expeditions' National Geographic Orion and National Geographic Explorer. Ship menus feature signature dishes; Dansereau is noted for traditional cooking methods such as grilling and slow oven cooking.
FAVOURITE CRUISE DISH Roast venison loin with chanterelle mushrooms, lardons (cubes of pork fat) and porcini cream sauce, for dinner on board the National Geographic Orion. The two ships will be in France and northern Europe this season, so I've suggested some more robust dishes, such as this one, for cooler-climate travel.
WHY I LOVE IT I've always had a love for mushrooms, especially wild mushrooms. We're able to source wild chanterelles and I pair them with the venison loin and porcini cream sauce to create a great dish. I think it represents not only my cooking style, but also the best of European produce.
COOKING ON LAND VERSUS AT SEA? For me, it's the same philosophy. At Bather's Pavilion, I've always tried to represent my cooking style and showcase the best Australian produce. My mission has been to give the diners a taste of the regional produce found all around the country, from Tasmania to tropical Australia. It's no different with my dishes on Lindblad Expeditions' ships. Now that Lindblad is sailing in Europe, the same applies there too. With the help of the on-board chefs, we source exciting ingredients that are grown, collected and harvested by small local producers, and then cook them to bring out the best of their natural flavours and attributes.
THE CHEF Luke Nguyen
ON LAND The Vietnamese-Australian chef heads up restaurant Red Lantern in Sydney and Fat Noodle in Brisbane, and has hosted SBS cooking shows from south-east Asia, Britain and France.
ON RIVER Nguyen designs select menus on APT's Mekong river-cruise ships AmaLotus and AmaDara, and Irrawaddy ship Samatha. Mekong travellers also enjoy a six-course "Indochine by Luke Nguyen'' private-dining meal. Nguyen occasionally accompanies Mekong cruises, leading food-oriented shore excursions and preparing an on-board dinner.
FAVOURITE CRUISE DISH Pork ribs, slow-braised in young coconut juice, served during the welcome dinner on AmaLotus. I chop pork ribs into three-centimetre pieces, marinating them in garlic, red shallots, fish sauce, oyster sauce and pepper. I seal the ribs by flash frying very quickly to get a golden-brown coating, then submerge them in young coconut juice, which works as a fantastic, sweet braising liquid over about 30 minutes. I serve the ribs with steamed rice so that guests can absorb the beautiful reduced sauce.
WHY I LOVE IT I really enjoy cooking and eating meat on the bone, which releases loads of flavour to the meat and everything it's cooked with. Braising the pork ribs in young coconut juice adds another dimension of flavour and tenderness. As it reduces, it slightly caramelises too … delicious! Guests aren't used to eating pork ribs slow braised in juice, so I love to see the element of surprise and enjoyment as they eat.
COOKING ON LAND VERSUS ON THE RIVER? Shipboard kitchens are of course small, so my executive chefs, and myself when I'm on board, have to work in very confined spaces. Also, the supply of fresh ingredients is never entirely guaranteed at each port, so you have to be ready to think on the run, and adapt to what's available.
FIVE TOP FOREIGN CHEFS ALL AT SEA
THOMAS KELLER, SEABOURN CRUISE LINE Keller is the only US-born chef to claim multiple three-star Michelin restaurants, and runs 12 US restaurants. He has just introduced signature dishes and theme nights across the dining venues of Seabourn Odyssey, Seabourn Sojourn, and Seabourn Quest, and will soon launch signature restaurants across the fleet. See www.seabourn.com
NOBUYUKI MATSUSHITA, CRYSTAL CRUISES The Japanese-born, Los Angeles-based chef blends Japanese and Peruvian influences in numerous Nobu and Matsushita restaurants worldwide, including in Melbourne. The Sushi Bar on Crystal Serenity and Crystal Symphony features sushi and sashimi, while Silk Road offers soups, salads, tempura, spring rolls, noodles and main dishes. See www.crystalcruises.com
JAMIE OLIVER, ROYAL CARIBBEAN INTERNATIONAL The ultimate celebrity chef runs 40-odd restaurants worldwide and has produced a string of bestselling cookbooks and popular TV shows featuring rustic British and Italian cuisine. Jamie's Italian on Anthem of the Seas, Ovation of the Seas and Quantum of the Seas features informal, seasonal Italian dishes, particularly pasta, risotto and antipasti plates. See www.royalcaribbean.com.au
MARCO PIERRE WHITE, P&O CRUISES White leapt to fame as the youngest ever three Michelin-starred chef, fronts TV shows such as Hell's Kitchen and The Chopping Block, and operates steakhouses and Italian restaurants in Britain. He puts his name to Cafe Jardin on Oceania, Ocean Grill on Adonia and Arcadia, and gala-night menus in the main restaurants of P&O's British-based ships.
GUY FIERI, CARNIVAL CRUISE LINE The Ohio-born chef has restaurants mostly in California, though is best known for Food Network programs. Guy's Burger Joint on 11 Carnival ships focuses on hand-cut fries and burgers; Sydney-based Carnival Spirit offers a "boomerang burger" with beetroot relish, grilled onion and bacon. Carnival Magic will soon have a new Fieri smokehouse. See www.carnival.com.au
FIVE OF THE BEST PORTS FOR FOODIES
LYON, FRANCE
THE PORT This gastronomic capital on the Rhone and Saone rivers is where French chefs train and the world comes to eat in Michelin-star restaurants and bouchons, or eateries that serve traditional dishes such as andouillette (tripe sausage), creamed pike and dumplings. Les Halles food market is a marvel of truffles and cheeses. See www.en.lyon-france.com
THE CRUISE Uniworld's "Burgundy & Provence" cruise between Avignon and Lyon includes a full day in Lyon and gourmet tour. See www.en.lyon-france.com ; www.uniworldcruises.com.au
OSAKA, JAPAN
THE PORT This is Japan's top dining city, whether you sit in a tatami room and are served a fancy kaiseki meal by a kimono-clad hostess, or join locals at street stalls which specialise in octopus (takoyaki) or egg pancakes (okonomiyaki). Noodle bars and yakatori (skewered-chicken) bars are also ubiquitous.
THE CRUISE Ponant's "Best of Japan" cruise sails between Osaka and Maizuru; an optional pre-cruise Osaka stay includes an okonomiyaki lunch. See www.osaka-info.jp; www.ponant.com
ISTANBUL, TURKEY
THE PORT No surprise that the land of kebabs, skewered meats, mezze, rice-stuffed vegetables and Turkish delight (lokum) has a thriving street-food scene in its capital. Enjoy fresh fish by the Bosphorus and honeyed pastries in coffee houses, then delve into fusion flavours in progressive, upmarket restaurants.
THE CRUISE Silversea's "Istanbul to Piraeus" cruise includes a full-day Istanbul tour that takes in the spice market and a multi-course Ottoman lunch. See www.goturkey.com; www.silversea.com
PORTO, PORTUGAL
THE PORT Both river and ocean cruises visit Porto, whose Vila Nova de Gaia district has been home to wine lodges since the 17th century. After tasting port, plunder the old town's bakeries for almond biscuits and custard tarts. Stews, dried cod, seafood and petiscos (tapas) are other Porto specialties.
THE CRUISE APT's "Douro Delights" between Lisbon and Madrid spends two days in Porto and includes a cellar-door visit for port tasting. See www.visitporto.travel; see www.aptouring.com.au
HONG KONG, CHINA
THE PORT Hong Kong is a world-class food destinations, outstanding for top-end restaurants yet equally agreeable for dumpling stalls, noodle bars and dim sum restaurants where long brunches are fuelled by trolleys of scrumptious little dishes. Neighbourhood food markets provide ample sticky-beaking opportunities. See www.discoverhongkong.com
THE CRUISE Regent Seven Seas' "Empires of Asia" cruise from Singapore to Hong Kong has an optional Hong Kong day tour with dim sum lunch. See www.discoverhongkong.com; www.rssc.com.au
