Thomas Keller NY Times review

I'm honestly not being difficult; I just don't see the irony, which to me, would be if the identical cheese or near-identical cheese were available in France. But it is all semantics. In the end, the important thing is a great cheese. I am suddenly hungry for the Morbier we have in the fridge.

Just curious, since the ash technique seems to be like the Morbier. How similar (or not) is the taste? I am embarking on a Humboldt Fog hunt soon!

Update - Just did the zip code search and it is available at three local stores! Yay!

http://www.cypressgrovechevre.com/the-grove/faqs.html

Marazul, very different, both in taste and texture. The Morbier is a cow's milk. It is, although still fairly soft, a much firmer and more yellow cheese than the Humboldt Fog, and it is "buttery" in flavor…..not sharp. The Humboldt Fog is a goat's milk cheese…...very creamy, especially toward the center, when ripe. Although you can use it in a salad, I find the texture to be somewhat like a triple creme, and so I especially like it as a dessert cheese. It does not, however, get runny when ripe, as do some of the double and triple cremes. Really delicious with pears. Hope this helps.

Marazul, very different, both in taste and texture. The Morbier is a cow's milk. It is, although still fairly soft, a much firmer and more yellow cheese than the Humboldt Fog, and it is "buttery" in flavor…..not sharp. The Humboldt Fog is a goat's milk cheese…...very creamy, especially toward the center, when ripe. Although you can use it in a salad, I find the texture to be somewhat like a triple creme, and so I especially like it as a dessert cheese. It does not, however, get runny when ripe, as do some of the double and triple cremes. Really delicious with pears. Hope this helps.

Thanks. Of course, cow and goat milk would make a big taste difference. Can't wait to get to the store. I should do my own comparative sampling this week, pending some ripening.

As we slowly make our way from Moorea to Bora Bora and it is just after 5am internet might allow me to post.

The Humboldt Fog cheese with honey combination is delicious. I had it when we had our TK menu at the Colonnade and it along with the rest of our dinner was very good. My husband and I were able to have a table for two outside and our wait staff were excellent.

With regards to the other TK menus I think it is a case of people judging for themselves. My husband and I have had some we enjoyed and some we didn't. But on speaking to our friends later, some of the things we weren't keen on they thought were wonderful. So I think it will come down to personal taste.

The only thing I will say is I think it will be much better when it is not an extra item in the MDR as I think it does cause an added burden to the staff there. This is my opinion.

Last night we had a wonderful meal from Chef Rajat's capable hands and my Vitello Tonnato for appetiser and Calamari stuffed with lobster and shrimp for entree were delicious. The Calamari was lovely and tender and the pea puree and morel mushrooms added a nice freshness.

Emperor Norton I mentioned before that Chef Pascal was to come on at Auckland but that now looks unlikely. It appears Chef Rajat will stay on until at least Sydney.......but don't hold me to that :).

I am off to get ready for our day in Bora Bora. Hopefully the snorkelling will be as good here as the other islands we have visited.

Oh and we are missing Rarotonga in the Cook Islands as they have just been battered by a cyclone and it appears the remaining swell will make it to dangerous to tender.

Julie

As we slowly make our way from Moorea to Bora Bora and it is just after 5am internet might allow me to post.

 

The Humboldt Fog cheese with honey combination is delicious. I had it when we had our TK menu at the Colonnade and it along with the rest of our dinner was very good. My husband and I were able to have a table for two outside and our wait staff were excellent.

 

With regards to the other TK menus I think it is a case of people judging for themselves. My husband and I have had some we enjoyed and some we didn't. But on speaking to our friends later, some of the things we weren't keen on they thought were wonderful. So I think it will come down to personal taste.

 

The only thing I will say is I think it will be much better when it is not an extra item in the MDR as I think it does cause an added burden to the staff there. This is my opinion.

 

Last night we had a wonderful meal from Chef Rajat's capable hands and my Vitello Tonnato for appetiser and Calamari stuffed with lobster and shrimp for entree were delicious. The Calamari was lovely and tender and the pea puree and morel mushrooms added a nice freshness.

 

Emperor Norton I mentioned before that Chef Pascal was to come on at Auckland but that now looks unlikely. It appears Chef Rajat will stay on until at least Sydney.......but don't hold me to that :).

 

I am off to get ready for our day in Bora Bora. Hopefully the snorkelling will be as good here as the other islands we have visited.

 

Oh and we are missing Rarotonga in the Cook Islands as they have just been battered by a cyclone and it appears the remaining swell will make it to dangerous to tender.

 

Julie

Thank you for your comments.

I think they underline just how important the chef is to the whole operation.

Julie, we all appreciate your evenhanded review of the TK cuisine. We are looking forward to trying it in June. And with all of this talk about Humboldt Fog I just had to go out yesterday and buy some. Yum! Have not tried it with honey I just enjoy some on a plain cracker. Might have to put in a standing order for it on the cheese plate on our upcoming cruise.

Thanks. Of course, cow and goat milk would make a big taste difference. Can't wait to get to the store. I should do my own comparative sampling this week, pending some ripening.

Final answer: Yum!

Oh great -- now there is going to be a worldwide run on the cheese!

I don't think the readers of the Seabourn posts on CC are enough to cause a worldwide run on anything.

You can't get it here (well i've been looking)

So count out that world wide run :mad:

Thank you frantic (which I hope you are NOT after all that snorkeling & relaxing & cheese eating) for your thoughts on TK. It's always good to get your well considered opinion. I'm very much looking forward to trying the menus. Continue to enjoy your trip & all of the lazy days at sea. Thanks for your thoughts & keep them coming.

Hi everyone! I'm a Seabourn lurker (thinking about a cruise) and a fourth generation restaurateur (high end) and wanted to point out a few things about Thomas Keller.

Firstly, he's not a celebrity chef. TK is famous because he is one of the best chefs on the planet, and yes, he has a very good reputation around the world. He is famous because he cooks not because he has a reality show.

Secondly, his recipes for the cruise line will be a little different experience than his restaurants because the Seabourn chefs have to replicate them thousands of time to the exact same specifications. That also limits what he showcases because the exact same ingredients have to be available to matter where the cruise ship happens to be.

The man is a hard worker and culinary genius, it's actually one of the reasons I'm looking at Seabourn.

Just my 2 cents from someone with a culinary background.

Hi everyone! I'm a Seabourn lurker (thinking about a cruise) and a fourth generation restaurateur (high end) and wanted to point out a few things about Thomas Keller.

 

Firstly, he's not a celebrity chef. TK is famous because he is one of the best chefs on the planet, and yes, he has a very good reputation around the world. He is famous because he cooks not because he has a reality show.

 

Secondly, his recipes for the cruise line will be a little different experience than his restaurants because the Seabourn chefs have to replicate them thousands of time to the exact same specifications. That also limits what he showcases because the exact same ingredients have to be available to matter where the cruise ship happens to be.

 

The man is a hard worker and culinary genius, it's actually one of the reasons I'm looking at Seabourn.

 

Just my 2 cents from someone with a culinary background.

First - According to Wikipedia, "A celebrity chef is a kitchen chef who has become famous and well known." That seems to define Thomas Keller.

Second - Logic dictates that if the Seabourn chefs are tasked with replicating his recipes thousands of times to the "exact same specifications" as his land-based restaurants, the experience should be the same.

He sells his recipes in books

the definition of celebrity is a famous person

He's a celeb chef

No matter who the chef is and his attempts to homogenise it's very rarely identical, even the same chef using the same ingredients cannot be expected to exactly replicate a dish... one harvest of asparagus will not be identical to the next.

Fresh oranges of the same variety can taste different week to week...

First - According to Wikipedia, "A celebrity chef is a kitchen chef who has become famous and well known." That seems to define Thomas Keller.

 

Second - Logic dictates that if the Seabourn chefs are tasked with replicating his recipes thousands of times to the "exact same specifications" as his land-based restaurants, the experience should be the same.

Anyone can and does write Wikipedia. I can go in and change it to add "...except for Thomas Keller."

Yes, the experience should be exactly the same on all ships.

My husband knows Thomas Keller. I'm just trying to tell you what I know.

Anyone can and does write Wikipedia. I can go in and change it to add "...except for Thomas Keller."

You are right about Wikipedia, so we decided to expand a bit and looked at the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group website instead. Boy, we had no idea how diversified he and his group are.

Anyone can and does write Wikipedia. I can go in and change it to add "...except for Thomas Keller."

 

Yes, the experience should be exactly the same on all ships.

 

My husband knows Thomas Keller. I'm just trying to tell you what I know.

I understood the sentiment behind your initial post. TK is known because of his skills as a chef as opposed to a personality who happens to cook.

I haven't tried his food but am very much looking forward to experiencing his influence on Encore.

Henry :)