Review of Grill on Quest

I wrote this as a response to a question elsewhere but thought it might be worth its own posting

We just returned from a 10 day cruise on the Seabourn Quest in Canada.

We were lucky enough to eat in the Grill 3 times on a 10 day cruise. The first night we had pre-booked prior to embarking. I had a wonderful rib eye steak with Hollandaise while my wife had a filet. The first course was a tableside prepared Caesar salad - very good, nice presentation but nothing special (a Caesar salad is a Caesar salad.). I know we had a dessert, but can not recall. They also gave us some real good chocolate chip cookies to take with us to the room. Sides were good - we had some very creamy, cheesy mashed potatoes and sautéed spinach

The second night, was the Chef's dinner in the dinning room. We really did not like the looks of that menu ( a lot of fish and neither of us are into fish) so we were able to get a later reservation (8 PM) in the Grill. I had a very nice "wedge" salad (lettuce, blue cheese and bacon) . They offered a rack of lamb for two, and I am a big eater (and lamb chop portions are notoriously small) so I asked for the double portion for myself. It was cooked using the Sous Vide method (look it up) and finished on the grill. Wonderful! My wife had another steak. More cookies for dessert.

The third night we went with another couple (Peter and Monique) who were in a penthouse suite so I guess they had some pull - it was their fourth visit. Peter had actually arranged for him and me and my wife to meet with Thomas Goetter the afternoon before. Thomas was the head chef in the Grill - a 28 year old "kid" with a fabulous resume. We talked with him for over an hour about cooking. He is the Chef in charge of bringing the Thomas Keller recipes on board. He described the process of the Grill's roast chicken The secret is in brining the birds, air drying them, then spraying a coating of clarified butter before roating. So all four of us ordered it for dinner. I can not believe I would go to a steakhouse and order the chicken, but it was beautifully done!. Crisp skin, very moist meat served with a simple but flavorful au jus. Outstanding! This night - being formal night and we were all dressed up - we decided to go to the dining room for dessert and after dinner wines.

Service was excellent. Other menu items that I recall were Lobster Thermador, and Dover Sole but we did not try them. We did buy up a nice bottle of wine for each evening, even though the house wines were offered.

I was extremely impressed with the Grill - the service, menu and execution. I was only on one other Seabourn Cruise, that had the old Restaurant 2 format -and was unimpressed. I never found a menu I cared for there. This was very well done.

Thanks for posting this reply.

I'm looking forward to trying The Grill in a few weeks.

I was on the Odyssey for the TK menus last year and have been curious to know how The Grill has been working out. There hasn't been too much feeback so far. It sounds like classic steak house fare which I know is the intention.

Thanks again!

JPH,

Thanks as well for the Grill review. Nice to know on my 24 day cruise coming up I may be able to get in there more than once. I do have a question about the menu. Can you tell me more about the selections. Are there a couple of standing dishes plus nightly specials or does the menu totally change every night?

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As i recall, there were not nightly specials. All items were on the printed menu which did not change. There was a soup - i believe a seafood bisque and a shrimp cocktail appetizer. The other items were as I described. A couple of salads and maybe 5 or 6 entrees.

When I called for the second reservation we were put on the waiting list. About 5pm we got a call saying we could have a table at 8 pm. Our third reservation was for 6 pm. So my advice is to be flexible in what time if you want more than one trip to the Grill

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This sounds wonderful. I'm hoping I can talk my mother into visiting on the spring transatlantic. While I liked some of the Thomas Keller dishes, she was not at all impressed by any of his dishes in The Restaurant (although I don't think she ordered any either). She did like the Ad Hoc night in the Colonnade though so maybe I'm in luck.

I have to agree with the original poster about the TK "The Grill" aboard Quest.

The décor is fresh and appealing, the menu is steak house with a large twist and the service is outstanding. It is good to see regular crew members really exited to be asked to serve in TK. They really up their game. The cooking and sourcing is top draw.

My only complaint was that we were only able to visit once unlike the OP who managed to negotiate 3 visits!

The TK project is a huge financial and managerial commitment by Seabourn and TK. On this evidence it will be a huge success.

The TK grill certainly sounds as if the meals there are enjoyable - it is the same menu each evening but with quite a lot of choice. My only slight disappointment, and I believe of others, is that we were expecting something more like TK's top restaurant in the USA. I imagine this would have been an impossible task to do this on a ship, with all the problems of getting ingredients.

I think some of the dishes on the extra menu inset in the dining room are more like his special dishes, and they were rather hit and miss when we tried them; one or two lovely, several very disappointing.

I am still not sure that it was a 'good fit' to get this chef in particular to work with Seabourn.

Were you really expecting The French Laundry or Per se? Dinner for two runs $1000 in those restaurants with wine.SB would go broke in a month.

Indeed Henry,I think also that some posters have never been to Per Se or French Laundry.

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I freely admit to never having been to the French Laundry or Per Se, but I think the puffery before TK's menus were introduced did give one the impression that it might be more exciting than just a superior grill restaurant. And I suspect that Seabourn thought so too? However, what do I know, as a humble vegetable from Lincolnshire.

It is interesting that some expect the Grill to be a traditional steakhouse. Others hear the Keller association and assume the French Laundry. In my observation, it is a variation of the traditional that is influenced by TK. For example "rack of lamb" is done Sous Vide and finished on the grill. Certainly not a traditional steakhouse approach. The approach to a roast chicken for two is not traditional steakhouse, with a full chicken brined then roasted before being semi filleted prior to presentation Even the rib eye is prepped in a unique way, compressing the meat to have the feel of a tenderloin. So view the Grill as an experience of itself, not trying to duplicate any other experience.

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Linkslady, I'm with you.

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I freely admit to never having been to the French Laundry or Per Se, but I think the puffery before TK's menus were introduced did give one the impression that it might be more exciting than just a superior grill restaurant. And I suspect that Seabourn thought so too? However, what do I know, as a humble vegetable from Lincolnshire.

Lincslady, I'm with you as well, we tried the TK Grill 3 times on our recent 32 days from Dover to Boston. We were underwhelmed on each occasion,

(although I'm pleased that some people enjoyed it)

Lincslady, I'm with you as well, we tried the TK Grill 3 times on our recent 32 days from Dover to Boston. We were underwhelmed on each occasion,

(although I'm pleased that some people enjoyed it)

What didn't you like about it, what dishes did you try? We've been pretty lukewarm on the TK experience thus far, and will miss R2, but the Grill sounded like an interesting venue for a night or two (if you can manage two) per cruise.

JPH,

Thanks as well for the Grill review. Nice to know on my 24 day cruise coming up I may be able to get in there more than once. I do have a question about the menu. Can you tell me more about the selections. Are there a couple of standing dishes plus nightly specials or does the menu totally change every night?

 

 

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24 days? Might you be sailing on Nov 4?

24 days? Might you be sailing on Nov 4?

We are from Belgium and we leave on November 4 from Fort Lauterdale

Purple ally,

We are on the Holiday Antarctica cruise Dec. 19.

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I do not recall ever seeing any promotional material promising the equivalent of the French Laundry or Per Se, only that TK would be in charge of the new restaurants plus other dishes onboard. I'll take a Grill run by TK anytime over the typical steak house on most ships. Hardly anything worth griping about. But then this is Cruise Critic!

This is all too much for me. Now I'm offended!

Happy and healthy sailing!

Beware that most dishes are heavily sauced. Dover sole in particular is gross, IMO.

Not sure what you mean by "most dishes"

Can't speak for the sole, but the steaks, chicken and lamb was definitely not "heavily sauced." Steak had offer of sauces on side. Lamb had a mint gravy served in a boat. The chicken did come in a puddle of wonderful jus.

And our friend who had the sole on an early dinner loved it.

" De gustibus non est disputandum".

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Maybe someone could post the menu?

Now that the Grill is open, are there still TK family style dinners every other night in the Collonade ?

Maybe someone could post the menu?

 

Now that the Grill is open, are there still TK family style dinners every other night in the Collonade ?

I meant to photo the menu when I was on board but forgot.

I did remember a couple of other items; a very nice veal chop, nicely and simply grilled; and a starter - a crab cake. I had it one evening - not impressed.

There were three family style dinners on our 10 day cruise, but we did not try anyone of them.

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Maybe someone could post the menu?

Now that the Grill is open, are there still TK family style dinners every other night in the Collonade ?

I have photos of both pages of the current TK Grill Menu on my IPhone, if someone could please tell me how to post them😀👍

If you have the CC Forums app on your mobile device it is very easy. When you start to type a reply to a post you will see a grey circle with a plus sign inning to the left of that space. If you tap it it will put your reply in a box with a blue header. At the bottom are three icons -- tap the middle one and that will allow you to select a photo from your camera roll. Thank you for posting the menu !

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