Cruise lines often promote their culinary offerings as a major selling point. Some deliver the goods while other do not. From my perspective, one line that is at the top of its culinary game is Oceania Cruises. ?
Last month, I participated in a press trip to Miami where we spent a day aboard Oceania Vista to learn about the culinary offerings on it sister ship, Allura, which is scheduled to debut in July.
Reprising Jacques
For starters, Allura will feature Jacques, an Oceania signature restaurant that pays tribute to Jacques Pépin, founder of Oceania’s culinary philosophy. Currently available on Oceania Riviera and Marina, the restaurant will also be added to Vista in October, replacing Ember.
Our group was sampled a six-course tasting meal, which previewed Jacques’ new ?menu for Allura. It was created by Oceania’s two supremely talented executive culinary directors, Alexis Quaretti and Eric Barale, both of whom are Master Chefs of France; and Pépin himself.
And what a tasting menu it was. It included sharing bread with salty butter (the best bread ever), Proven?al spinach fritters, deviled egg with smoked trout rillette and sturgeon caviar, traditional beef tartar served tableside with crispy baguette; lobster thermidor with mushroom cream sauce; veal medallion with morel sauce; and stuffed cream puff with whipped cream and chocolate sauce.
Suffice to say the meal was of the top five of my life, and it put me in mind of a similar dining experience I had Daniel, Daniel Boulud’s first restaurant in Manhattan.
Oceania unveiled 12 new Culinary Discovery Tours this year. (Source: Oceania Cruises)
The Grand Dining Room
Allura’s Grand Dining also serves an example of how Oceania continues to raise bar it culinary offerings. In all, The Grand Dining, will feature menu items from 270 breakfast recipes, encompassing breakfast, lunch and dinner. “In crafting these new dishes, I drew deep inspiration from my childhood, family life, and of course, from across my career, including collaborations with renowned Chef Jacques Pépin, our culinary patriarch,” Quaretti said.
“Other inspirations for new menu items are especially personal, such as the Mousse au Chocolat de Mamie Huguette, which uses my grandmother’s recipe and is recreated with the same care and precision she taught me. This dish, like every creation served on board our ships, embodies a simple philosophy: honor the past, savor the present, and focus on flavors which leave a lasting impression.”
The Crêperie
Allura will also debut The Crêperie, which is situated adjacent to Barista, Oceania’s signature coffee bar. The venue will serve up items like French crêpes, Bruxelles waffles and bubble waffles, alongside Italian ice cream sundaes and more.
The Culinary Center
Guests will find Oceania’s immensely popular Culinary Center on Allura, where accomplished chefs provide a ranging of cuisine styles, many inspired by the destinations visited. The line also unveiled 12 new Culinary Discovery Tours, which are limited to just 18 guests, and virtually blanket the globe –from Europe to Asia to North America.
In the final analysis, Oceania’s culinary philosophy serves as an integral part of the vacation experience itself. “Food is more than sustenance; it’s a connection to culture, a story waiting to be told,” Quaretti said. “My goal is to craft dishes that resonate with our guests, taking them on a journey through flavor.”
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