What are your HAL "must eat" recommendations?

[sevenseasnomad]

Wang Wang (spelled Weng Weng on our last bar rceipt):

 

1/4 oz Vodka

1/4 oz Gin

1/4 oz White Rum

1/4 oz Scotch

1/4 oz Bourbon

1/4 oz Tequila

1/4 Triple Sec

1/4 oz Brandy

 

Top it off with Pineapple and Orange Juice

 

Add a splash of Grenadine and let the games begin!

 

Good Heavens! If I drank this, I'd be under the table for the rest of the cruise! A half a glass of wine usually does me in, which is why I rarely drink.

[cec5248]

All the soups are great.

 

Osso Buco is my favorite meal.

 

Bread pudding w/a little vanilla sauce is my favorite afternoon snack.

 

Creme brulee in the Pinnacle is my favorite dessert.

[mudscraper]

The Wang Wang is the best drink ever, and served only on HAL. It's not even on the drink menu any more, but there are always bartenders on the ship that know about it and smile when you request it. Copper 10-8 had posted about it quite some time back, and that's how I found out about the Wang Wang.

The`re twice as tasty during 2 for the price of 1 Happy Hour.:)

 

 

Rich

[panpan16]

I just took the Boston-Montreal trip on Ms Maasdam. The food was excellent- here are my favorites:

 

Breakfast:

1. Muesli/yogurt/honey/fruit mix. That stuff is awesome! I had a bowl every morning.

 

Lunch:

1. dark chocolate bread pudding. OMG- so good.

2. They had various 'no sugar added' mousses and puddings. They were delish.

 

Dinner:

1. escargot

2. strawberry soup/bisque

3. lobster tail (part of Surf and Turf). The lobster was cooked perfectly.

[mrsltg]

Let's see... my favorite HAL meal was the Chef's Table. Andreas did an amazing job and served what could only be described as one of the very best meals of my life! After that comes the Pinnacle. I loved the lobster bisque and the steak diane! Last cruise, we ate at the Pinnacle four times in seven days! In the MDR I really enjoyed the baked brie, the prime rib, and a fish dish that I can't remember right now. We ate most breakfasts in the Lido and really loved the waffles and the omelettes. When it comes to drinking, well, I do love the Lemon Drop!

 

Enjoy your cruise!

[innlady1]

Escargot...it's the only thing I allow myself to order twice instead of one of the other courses! I even had it low-sodium this year and it was good. We were on a b2b and the second part I threw caution to the wind and ordered the "regular" instead of LS.

 

The lobster macaroni and cheese in the Pinnacle was yummy, too.

[innlady1]

I just took the Boston-Montreal trip on Ms Maasdam. The food was excellent- here are my favorites:

 

Breakfast:

1. Muesli/yogurt/honey/fruit mix. That stuff is awesome! I had a bowl every morning.

 

Lunch:

1. dark chocolate bread pudding. OMG- so good.

2. They had various 'no sugar added' mousses and puddings. They were delish.

 

Dinner:

1. escargot

2. strawberry soup/bisque

3. lobster tail (part of Surf and Turf). The lobster was cooked perfectly.

 

I would imagine they serve Maine Lobster on that cruise? Far and away better than the lobster served in the Caribbean. I never have that anymore...but during the summer at home, I have lobster (Maine) as often as I can!

[Typhoon1]

Pinnacle Grill

 

The Infamous Chocolate Volcano Cake.

[LRene]

I loved the onion soup in the Pinnacle but not the onion soup in the MDR or room service at all. They were two totally different soups. Also enjoyed everything we had in the Pinnacle - steaks, kabobs etc.

 

Also loved all the fresh sorbets and sherbets (not an ice cream fan) especially the watermelon sorbet in the Pinnacle.

 

In the Canelletto, the penne ala vodka sauce was great and the lasagna not bad either. I asked the waiter what he recommended and his reply was "I don't know. You have a chef from India and a waiter from China. What do we know about Italian??" Cracked me up.

[smslms]

Read the menu, if it sounds good try it, you may like it or not. Remember this is a cruise ship that serves thousands of meals, some of which are pretty good and some of which are average at best. Please do not mistake eating on the average large volume cruise ship with fine dining or you will be sadly disappointed.

[cruisemom42]

I like the stir fries in Lido at lunch. Grilled salmon in Pinnacle.

I used to love HAL's pea soup but the last few times I had it, I think the recipe was changed. :( Same for gazpacho. Used to be wonderful but they now put mango in it. :(

 

What??? :confused:

 

I love gazpacho, and I am NOT a fan of chilled fruit soups. (IMO they belong in a glass and should be consumed while sitting by the pool, but that's just me....)

 

So is it just gazpacho with mango added (hard to imagine), or a completely different soup?

 

 

 

Also, I like bread pudding and given the majority seem to love it, when can I find it at the buffet? Lunch? Midafternoon snack, as someone mentioned?

[RuthC]

Also, I like bread pudding and given the majority seem to love it, when can I find it at the buffet? Lunch? Midafternoon snack, as someone mentioned?

Lunchtime. At least on the Vistas and Signature ships, it's available after the main lunch line closes down; I don't recall how that works on the S- and R-class ships.

The bread pudding is served in the dessert area, so as long as lunch desserts are being served, the bread pudding is, too (as long as it lasts, anyway).

[m steve]

is a wonderful desert.

[cruz chic]

is a wonderful desert.

I agree...but I haven't seen it for a long time. Hal replaced every good dessert on their menu with bland offerings.

[matondo]

I am loving this thread.

 

Croissants are delicious, after living in France for a year I am very picky about my croissants.

 

The mushroom soup was wonderful. Can't remember if it was three or four mushroom.

 

Be very careful, if you are debating between two entrees, desserts or whatever your server just might show up with both. Not that there is a problem with that but unless you are a big eater it is hard to clean your plate.

[Two@Sea]

I am loving this thread.

 

Croissants are delicious, after living in France for a year I am very picky about my croissants.

 

The mushroom soup was wonderful. Can't remember if it was three or four mushroom.

 

Be very careful, if you are debating between two entrees, desserts or whatever your server just might show up with both. Not that there is a problem with that but unless you are a big eater it is hard to clean your plate.

 

I agree about the croissants, and am unashamed to admit that I might hold the record for a single breakfast ... I ate six of them all by myself! :o

 

And, yes, I have had servers bring more than one entree when I have inquired which they would suggest between two... and if you can't clean your plate, well dear, you simply aren't trying hard enough! :D

[kazu]

I agree...but I haven't seen it for a long time. Hal replaced every good dessert on their menu with bland offerings.

 

On my Zuiderdam cruise just last April it was in the Lido every single day!

i think the key is it is offered in the Lido. Never saw it on the MDR menu.

[beargal]

My new favorite is the Antipasti tray in Canelletto! I could just take the whole tray back to my room and be sooooooo happy!!!

 

The eggs benedict in the Lido with all the new kinds they are making.

 

And the chilled fruit soups at dinner. I order them with my dinner but ask that they hold them for my dessert. As others have said the desserts these days are pretty bad so I just enjoy my chilled soup as my dessert! It allows me to have a hot soup or a salad as a second course.

 

The very best thing is not having to do the dishes! :)

 

Rebecca

[PROCRUISE]

Spinach and cotta cheese lasagna. Had it on The Noordam and it was superb!

[Jackie&Gene]

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=159762&stc=1&d=1276997876Baked brie with hazelnuts in phyllo dough with some type of onion sauce. It was fabulous! When I mentioned to our waiter how much I liked it, he brought another one.

 

DH loved the filets especially in the Pinnacle. Also shrimp cocktail. Our waiter served it nightly to him once he mentioned how much he liked it. Not just one but two!

[CanWeGoYet?]

Are the desserts really not worthwhile? :( Hard to imagine, I hope there is a half way decent cheesecake offered. I know I won't go hungry, but I like at least a bit of something sweet after dinner.

[cruz chic]

On my Zuiderdam cruise just last April it was in the Lido every single day!

i think the key is it is offered in the Lido. Never saw it on the MDR menu.

Really...where do they keep it? If it's the dessert I remember it's a cappuccino ice cream ball covered in chocolate.....so it's a bit high maintenence. Did you see it at the ice cream section, because I think it would be hard to store.

[cruz chic]

Are the desserts really not worthwhile? :( Hard to imagine, I hope there is a half way decent cheesecake offered. I know I won't go hungry, but I like at least a bit of something sweet after dinner.

I LOVE cheesecake! They used to have it every night several years (I'm talking at least 10) on my Alaska cruise. They have one now made from low fat cream cheese (yuk) every cruise. I think they might have had a half decent pineapple one but other then that the dessert offerings are bland. I don't eat sugar at home so when I go on holidays I take full advantage. HALs desserts are hardly worth spending the calories on.

[CanWeGoYet?]

Darn, I'm sad to hear that. I could say then I will be be virtuous and avoid dessert, but I'm sure I will still order it and hope I luck out. Are there standard dessert items on the menu every night in case you don't want to try the ones offered on the regular menu - like ice cream or flourless chocolate cake?

[kazu]

Really...where do they keep it? If it's the dessert I remember it's a cappuccino ice cream ball covered in chocolate.....so it's a bit high maintenence. Did you see it at the ice cream section, because I think it would be hard to store.

 

It was right in the middle, if I recall correctly. There was a sign there for it. Seems to me there was a waiter there every day passing it to people and they only had a few at a time, but no one had to wait.

 

hope this helps :D