Must have in specialty dining or mDR

[Minoushka]

This will be my first cruise on Oceania .I have reserved all specialty restaurants .what is not to be missed

I have checked the menus ...they seem quite nice

So advice as to what and where to enjoy ..i love meats ,seafood ,lobster veal ,steak roast beef

Lovely veggies and desserts

 

Merci

[no fuss travel]

For breakfast in the MDR, lamb chops. I like the lobster in Jacques the best.

[airheadfan]

Depends on which ship you are on - the larger have 4 specialty restaurants while the smaller ships have only two.

 

Our favorites are the miso glazed sea bass and lobster pad thai in Red Ginger, the foi gras appetizer and the sole prepared table side in Jacques; the filet with gorgonzona in Toscano and and no real favorites in Polo. Others of course disagree totally with our preferences.

 

I have only had one bad meal out of 30 nights in the specialty restaurants: Toscano had a stuffed pork chop that tasted very, very good but was so tough you needed a third hand to hold it on the plate while you sawed your way through.

 

MDR - never had a bad meal but none struck me as overly memorable - always very good with remarkable service.

[ginabab]

I like the octopus carpaccio salad in Tuscana

[Minoushka]

Sounds good thank you

[spindrift]

Toscana - Osso Buco; Polo - Shrimp Cocktail & marshmallow dessert; Red Ginger - (the rib dish--don't remember the name).

 

Actually, anything you specifically like, you will like that dish. :D

[bitob]

Toscana - dover sole

[bbwex]

In Red Ginger (on O class ships only) the duck and watermelon salad was exceptional. The carmelized tiger prawns were excellent as well. For dessert, you must, must, must have the Bounty cake -- phenomenal!

 

In Polo (O and R class), any of the steaks is a good choice, and the prime rib is very good. One thing that stood out for me, both in Polo and Toscana, were the baked potatoes. They were exactly perfect, and I mean perfect, every single time. I know the 32 oz. prime rib is absurd, since there is no point in taking a doggie bag, but it was very, very good. Larger piece, done perhaps more perfectly.

 

Cannot remember what I had at Toscana, but everything I had was excellent.

 

At Waves, try the surf and turf or have the Wagyu burger. Both are great choices!

[babysteps]

... I know the 32 oz. prime rib is absurd, since there is no point in taking a doggie bag, but it was very, very good...

 

We *did* ask for doggie bags in Polo once, obviously no one else ever does because they didn't have any. They were happy to give us room service covers, though! Guess no one else likes cool steak for breakfast ;)

[Travelcat2]

Lobster Thermidor (sp?) in Jacques. Agree with Miso Glazed Sea Bass in Red Ginger.

[xrvlcruiser]

Baked potato: are they baked in foil? (I hope not)

[SD_Traveler]

The lobster fra Diavolo isn't very good. The veal chop is good as is the gnocchi. Bread in all venues is excellent. Don't miss the homemade ice cream. Food in the GDR is generally excellent.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Forums mobile app

[Minoushka]

Wow ...sounds great ...my last cruise on Celebrity was ho hum at best food wise ...not the best so this sounds much better

[Hawaiidan]

Ok, everybody had given you "their" favorite and things would be all hunkey-dory if you were them...but your not

 

Food is so subjective that one persons wow is another persons bow-wow..

For example, I found most of the menu in Red ginger to be poor..and the Miso bass the poorest of then all as well as most of Re gingers menu. It was not to my taste at all

 

Am I right or wrong? Or are others right or wrong?

Neither, we are 100% correct for our personal taste

 

So you know what you like and are an adult with experience. Rely on your personal take and trust it more than mine or anyone else's...

 

In truth there are no universal" must haves" . They are all individual based on the individual.

Trust in your self and have an adventure of discovery.....Your will have ample opportunity to be captivated by something.

 

All I can say is truthfully I spent 34 days on the Marina and ate 102 different meals and never had a bad one. Some were better some were less so.

[Travelcat2]

Hawaiidan: Agree with you somewhat. Food is definitely subjective and I believe that Red Ginger is a dining venue that you need to be prepared for. Firstly, you are from a place that has some of the best food we have tasted in the world. IMO, if someone goes into Red Ginger expecting what they would typically find in a upscale Chinese, Thai or Japanese restaurant, they could be disappointed. I don't know what the definition of Asian Fusion is other than mixing Asian foods and coming up with new tastes. That is how I see Red Ginger. Nothing is exactly as I expect but we like it. My DH really likes regular Sea Bass while I like the texture of the thicker Chilean Sea Bass that is used when preparing the Miso Glazed Sea Bass. The dish is quite sweet which is another reason that not everyone will like it.

 

I also find Jacques (our favorite dining venue) to be different than what we would typically find in a French restaurant. Actually, we do not generally care for French food but love everything we have tried in Jacques. (We will be dining there our first night on board the Riviera - next Saturday - can't wait:-)

 

I read a thread on the Oceania board from last year where favorite foods on the Riviera were described. We actually took notes and made an effort to order some of the dishes on that thread. Most of them were really delicious. Some of them we did not order as we could tell that it would not be to our tastes. My point is simply that I like threads like this one. It gives ideas of what people like (or not).

Edited November 23, 2014 by Travelcat2

[cruiserchuck]

We are going to take our first Oceania cruise next week on the Marina, and enjoy reading the responses. It is helpful to us to find out which dishes others like. Although as others have noted, different people enjoy different speciality restaurants and items more that other folks. We plan to try them all, and hopefully will enjoy them all. My wife is looking forward to the lamb chops for breakfast. We read a similar post about Celebrity before a cruise with them, and learned about a lot of tasty items that we would not otherwise have tried, such as cold soups.

[PaulMCO]

Lamb chops anytime anywhere..

 

Toscana -- Food is subjective -- while some don't like the lobster fra diavolo. I do. Also the Osso Buco and the Parmigiana cheese is just great to munch on with bread and the olive oil.

 

Polo -- prime rib -- the big cut... The Shrimp cocktail with the nuclear over sized shrimp yum...

 

Just getting hungry here when all I have here is some pita and Hummus...

[Paulchili]

Just getting hungry here when all I have here is some pita and Hummus...

 

Easy solution for this - jut get onboard of an O ship :D

[PaulMCO]

Easy solution for this - jut get onboard of an O ship :D

 

Yes Indeed less than 30 days.... :D

What I really crave is real Bacon --- none here where I am...

[Hambagahle]

I loved the lobster in Prime 7 and especially the fact that they took it out of the shell (I suppose I am lazy!) at the table. It was really yummy.

 

Toscana - I did not like at all. I found the food heavy and the portions way too big. It isn't the kind of food I am used to eating when I am in northern Italy (close to home).

 

Red Ginger - Travelcat has summed it up well. If you go there expecting classic Chinese/Vietnamese/Thai you will be disappointed. If on the other hand you go there and just taste the fabulous flavours the chef(s) get into the food you will be thrilled. We ordered the Miso Sea Bass to eat in our suite several times when we were on board last time.

[Hambagahle]

And I should have added that we had a Châteaubriand with Sauce Béarnaise in the MDR that was the best - absolutely the best - we have ever eaten. Obviously this doesn't occur every day but it is worth checking the evening's menu to see if it is on offer and then changing one's dinner plans to go and eat it!!

[Minoushka]

I understand completely about tastes and choices .I know for a fact one of my friends likes foods with a sweet taste to them ...I do not ...desserts sure but not food ..so if she says sone main course was delicious it was probably sweet and not to my taste.i prefer salty spicy combinations ....loads of garlic and onions ...not everybody likes that .Of course i will try to smple different things ...looking forward to great dinners in good company

Thanks for suggestions

[orchestrapal]

I understand completely about tastes and choices .I know for a fact one of my friends likes foods with a sweet taste to them ...I do not ...desserts sure but not food ..so if she says sone main course was delicious it was probably sweet and not to my taste.i prefer salty spicy combinations ....loads of garlic and onions ...not everybody likes that .Of course i will try to smple different things ...looking forward to great dinners in good company

Thanks for suggestions

 

If you don't like sweet savory dishes by all means skip the Miso Glazed Sea Bass. It is super sweet and I had to return it the fir and last time I tried it.

If you like spicy as I do as well you must ask for more spice and I always make sure to have my Oceania supplied bottle of hot sauce. Enjoy your cruise,

Edited November 24, 2014 by orchestrapal

[StanandJim]

I understand completely about tastes and choices .I know for a fact one of my friends likes foods with a sweet taste to them ...I do not ...desserts sure but not food ..so if she says sone main course was delicious it was probably sweet and not to my taste.i prefer salty spicy combinations ....loads of garlic and onions ...not everybody likes that .Of course i will try to smple different things ...looking forward to great dinners in good company

Thanks for suggestions

 

If you're looking for flavor profiles such as "loads of garlic and onions".....or anything deliberately salty, you're setting yourself up for a disappointment.

 

Oceania's food verges on the superb, but like the demographic that they are serving, it is also on the tame side.

Highest quality ingredients prepared simply and served elegantly, usually sums it up.

 

[sitraveler]

Check out the blackboard specials in the terrace for breakfast, this was new to me. Missed the filet mignon at the terrace evening menu.