Le Cirque on the Nieuw Amsterdam

The first Le Cirque on the Nieuw Amsterdam was on Dec 2.

And it was excellent!!

The special place settings and decorations had not arrived but the food and service by the Pinnacle staff was great.

The meal was $39 per person and you could buy for $20 per person a special wine offering which was 3 glasses selected for the special dinner.

Each person was first srved an Amuse (just like the regular Pinnacle offers). It was Pate Foi Gras -- goose liver mousse with rhubarb chutney -- very good.

The appetizer was Lobster Salad "Le Cirque" -- poached lobster with haricot and citrus (I will post at a later time the recipe foe this)

Soup - Sweet Corn Soup -- prepared table side. On the bottom of the soup bowl were ground corn fritters, wood ear mushrooms and some whole kernals of corn. The corn soup -- nice and thick and very tasty with a hint of basil -- was served from a tureen.

There were 3 choices for the main menu:

Wild Halibut with leek fondue, Rocca Di Fransinello sauce -- DH had this - very flaky and tasty.

Rack of Lamb - goat cheese panisse, artichokes and arugula -- I had this -- excellent -- very tasty and meaty lamb chops -- got 2 big double ones.

Cote de Boeuf - (aged prime rib steak) - horseradish flan, sweet and sour baby beets for two. Can't comment on this.

Side Dishes:

Seasonal vegetables -- DH had them -- a mixture broccoli, summer squash, cauliflower, bamboo shoots, zuccini in a truffle oil -- excellent.

Pommes Dauphine -- I had them -- mashed potatoes made into tiny puffs and quickly fried -- good -- hot and crunchy.

Desserts:

Chocolate Souffle -- we passed on this as we had already had a couple of chocolate souffles in the Pinnacle.

Creme Brulee Le Cirque -- we both had it and loved it -- recipe will be posted at a later time.

Assortment of Sorbets - again we did not try them - so - no comment.

Wines to follow on next post.

Oh I am so glad you have posted this can't wait to see what the wine pairings were..

As I mentioned we chose to try the $20 per person selected wine paring.

When we sat down we were each served a glass of sparkling wine.

For the appetizer and soup we were each served a glass of Ruffino Pinot Grigio, Italy - juicy white peaches and citrus with a flinty-minerality (glass $8; bottle $39)

For the entree we were served Villa Florita Barbera D'Asti Superiore, Italy - persistent and intense, yet warm and harmonic (glass $10; bottle $54)

If you didn't want to go with that offering you could order anything from the list below -- all prices are for the bottle.

White Wine

Michel Redde Pouilly Fime, France - highly expressive nose and a mouth-smaking finish - $59

Cloudy Bat Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand - herbaceous flavors with hints of citrus fruits - $78

Marques de Caceres, Spain - delicious flavors of pears and apples - $29

Laboure-Roi Pouilly Fuisse, France - collage of white fruits flavors, lively floral undertones - $54

Franciscan Chardonnay, California - lively and lengthy on the palate with a great body - $47

Conundrum, California - peach, apricot, green melon and pear - $39

Red Wine

Meridian Pinot Noir, Italy - bing cherry with hints of strawberry, roses and violets - $37

Chateau Ste Michelle, Canon Ridge Merlot, Washington - a medium to full bodied rich, berry flavored long finish wine - $69

Perrin Reserve Cotes Du Rhone, France - full bodied, rich fruit with peppery finish - $39

Beringer Founders Estate Cabernet Sauvignon, California - bursts with cassis, black fruit and sweet brown spice - $39

Arboleda Carmenerem Chile - dark berries with plum, dark cherries and violets - 449

Castello Banfi Brunello Di Montalcino, Italy - soft and velvety with licorice, spices and cherry notes - $108

Thanks for bringing us along for your evening at 'Le Cirque,' KK! I have been very curious about this new offering and love reading about it. :)

P.S. Special thanks for taking the time and effort to post the wine menu, this is valuable information!

The first Le Cirque on the Nieuw Amsterdam was on Dec 2.

 

And it was excellent!!

 

The special place settings and decorations had not arrived but the food and service by the Pinnacle staff was great.

 

The meal was $39 per person and you could buy for $20 per person a special wine offering which was 3 glasses selected for the special dinner.

 

Each person was first srved an Amuse (just like the regular Pinnacle offers). It was Pate Foi Gras -- goose liver mousse with rhubarb chutney -- very good.

 

The appetizer was Lobster Salad "Le Cirque" -- poached lobster with haricot and citrus (I will post at a later time the recipe foe this)

 

Soup - Sweet Corn Soup -- prepared table side. On the bottom of the soup bowl were ground corn fritters, wood ear mushrooms and some whole kernals of corn. The corn soup -- nice and thick and very tasty with a hint of basil -- was served from a tureen.

 

There were 3 choices for the main menu:

Wild Halibut with leek fondue, Rocca Di Fransinello sauce -- DH had this - very flaky and tasty.

Rack of Lamb - goat cheese panisse, artichokes and arugula -- I had this -- excellent -- very tasty and meaty lamb chops -- got 2 big double ones.

Cote de Boeuf - (aged prime rib steak) - horseradish flan, sweet and sour baby beets for two. Can't comment on this.

 

Side Dishes:

Seasonal vegetables -- DH had them -- a mixture broccoli, summer squash, cauliflower, bamboo shoots, zuccini in a truffle oil -- excellent.

Pommes Dauphine -- I had them -- mashed potatoes made into tiny puffs and quickly fried -- good -- hot and crunchy.

 

Desserts:

Chocolate Souffle -- we passed on this as we had already had a couple of chocolate souffles in the Pinnacle.

Creme Brulee Le Cirque -- we both had it and loved it -- recipe will be posted at a later time.

Assortment of Sorbets - again we did not try them - so - no comment.

 

Wines to follow on next post.

This is the first "complimentary" review of "Le Cirque" that I have read here on CC!;)

We enjoyed it and would certainly do it again.

We enjoyed it and would certainly do it again.

Thanks KK and am looking forward to my Cirque experience on Eurodam next month. :)

Question about how full the PG was for this special night. Was it empty or full or somewhere in between? Just curious.

We selected the 5:30 reszervation -- I counted 48 of us there for that time slot alone. Around 6 and 6:30 another 10 people came in.

When I inquired the next morning they had a total of 82 people for the Le Cirque.

Not bad for a first time.

Le Cirque Lobster Salad (serves 4)

4 small poached lobster tails

1 head bibb lettuce (8 leaves, torn into rounds)

1 tomato cut into thin wedges

1/3 pound haricot vert (string beans) blanched

1 grapefruit, separated into supreme's (segments with membrane removed)

1 avocado, cut into wedges

Potato confit - recipe below

Lemon vinaigrette - recipe below

Truffle vinaigrette - recipe below

Fresh minced chives for garnish

Lemon Vinaigrette:

1 lemon, juiced

1/3 cup quality olive oil, extra virgin

Salt and fresh ground pepper

Whisk the olive oil briskly into the lemon juice to create an emulsion. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Truffle Vinaigrette:

2 tablespoons truffle juice

2 tablespoons sherry vinegar

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1/3 to 1/2 cup grape seed oil

Truffle shavings

1/8 teaspoon Kosher salt, or to taste

In a medium bowl, combine the sherry vinegar with the truffle juice and balsamic vinegar. Gradually whisk in the grape seed oil. Add the truffle shavings and salt.

Potato Confit:

2 small new potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/8 inch rounds

3 to 4 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

1 clove finely minced garlic

1 teaspoon fresh minced thyme

Poach potato slices in salted water until just tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Strain the potatoes and while still warm mix gently with the remainder of the ingredients, being careful to keep the rounds intact.

Assembly:

Pool a small amount of the truffle vinaigrette in the center of the serving dish. Arrange two or three of the lettuce leaves atop of the vinaigrette, allowing a portion of the vinaigrette to be visible. Place the poached lobster atop of the lettuce. Arrange the tomato wedges, grapefruit segments, avocado wedges, haricot vert and potato confit decoratively around the lettuce/lobster base. Drizzle the salad lightly with the lemon vinaigrette and garnish with the fresh minced chives. Serve immediately.

Le Cirque Creme Brulee (serves 8)

1 quart heavy cream

3/4 cup granulated sugar

1 vanilla bean, halved lengthwise and scraped

8 egg yolks

8 tablespoons brown sugar

In a medium saucepan, combine the cream, granulated sugar, vanilla bean and vanilla bean scrappings. Heat until hot but not boiling, stirring to ensure the sugar is fully dissolved. In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks and slowly add them to the warm cream mixture, stirring constantly. Fill each ramekin and place in a warm water bath. Cover with aluminum foil. Bake 15 minutes at 300 F and chill 3 hours. Sprinkle each custard ramekin with 1 tablespoon brown sugar.

Brulee with a torch or under the broiler and serve immediately.

Thanks for the recipes, I LOVE to cook and will have to try these sometime! There is a specialty store near me that sells truffle oil, would that be the same as truffle 'juice?' :s

We did Le Cirque on December 23 on the NA. It was good but we actually had much better experiences at the Tamarind and Pinnacle Grill. We shared the Cote de Boeuf which was very good. However, we found the lobster salad ordinary (perhaps coming from New England and having lobster locally might impact our taste!). The corn soup ok. The side dish pommes Dauphine was cold and pretty bland. The sorbet desserts all right. The service was great. Would I do it again - probably. Was it memorable? No. --R

Thanks for the recipes, I LOVE to cook and will have to try these sometime! There is a specialty store near me that sells truffle oil, would that be the same as truffle 'juice?' :s

I have no idea if they are the same -- I am not much of a cook anymore.

We did Le Cirque on December 23 on the NA. It was good but we actually had much better experiences at the Tamarind and Pinnacle Grill. We shared the Cote de Boeuf which was very good. However, we found the lobster salad ordinary (perhaps coming from New England and having lobster locally might impact our taste!). The corn soup ok. The side dish pommes Dauphine was cold and pretty bland. The sorbet desserts all right. The service was great. Would I do it again - probably. Was it memorable? No. --R

We also ate several times at the Tamarind and only one other meal at the Pinnacle.

We also live on the east coast and do get better lobster tails than what is served on a ship.

Do you make reservations at the Pinnacle for this special meal or elsewhere on the ship?

is usually grape or olive oil that has had truffles marinating in it for a period of time. Truffle juice is the watery residue that is in the jar of truffles that they stay in while jarred or canned. Truffle oil is available from many sources and varies in price. You have to buy a truffle to get the juice.

Do you make reservations at the Pinnacle for this special meal or elsewhere on the ship?

You can either make reservations online -- HAL's website -- under for Booked Guests.

Or you can wait until you are on the ship to make the reservations at the Pinnacle.

is usually grape or olive oil that has had truffles marinating in it for a period of time. Truffle juice is the watery residue that is in the jar of truffles that they stay in while jarred or canned. Truffle oil is available from many sources and varies in price. You have to buy a truffle to get the juice.

Thank you for explaining the difference between the two.

Thanks for the review KK, we are going to give Le Cirque a try in June, we have already booked a 7:30 spot. Your descriptions of the food you had are great, made me hungry just reading them :D.

Kirk

You are welcome -- hope yours is as good as ours was.

thank you KK. It was nice to see exactly what the menu and wine was all about. Much appreciated. Thinking of booking this for our next cruise and was wondering.:)

I think that the next time we do Le Cirque -- we will not do the $20 wine package -- but will select something else.

Thanks for the review KK, we are going to give Le Cirque a try in June, we have already booked a 7:30 spot. Your descriptions of the food you had are great, made me hungry just reading them :D.

 

Kirk

Where are you all going?

Donna

Where are you all going?

Donna

We are going on the Rotterdam in June to the Baltic and Fijords, 19 days of fun!

What are you guys up to?

Kirk

KK,

What was the dress like in your visit to Le Cirque? Is it fairly formal? I am trying to figure out if I need to bring a sports coat, I use a rented tux for formal nights so normally don't bring a suit or sports coat.

Thanks,

Kirk