Ventura - Favourite food in MDR

[NewWestwardbound]

We are sailing on Ventura later this month for the first time. I wondered if anyone had an opinion on their favourite dishes from the MDR Dinner menu? (as if we wouldn't have an opinion on this board!). When we cruised with "another cruise line" in the summer, I found a thread like this really helpful to guide me with my choices, and also to plan ahead for when to consider a Speciality Restaurant rather than the MDR.

 

I know food attracts strong opinions that are often very personal to the individual - but that's what I'm looking for!

[smurph]

Hi

 

We've been on Ventura a few times and have always eaten in the MDR. Menu changes every day. Really good choice. They put the menu up outside the restaurants every day in the afternoon so you can always have a look before you decide. If you google 'menus on Ventura' a couple of places where people have posted the menus from their cruises come up

 

The quality of the food is one of the reasons P & O is my favourite cruise line. And too many lovely things to pick favourites!

[Somerset Cruiser]

Hi

 

We've been on Ventura a few times and have always eaten in the MDR. Menu changes every day. Really good choice. They put the menu up outside the restaurants every day in the afternoon so you can always have a look before you decide. If you google 'menus on Ventura' a couple of places where people have posted the menus from their cruises come up

 

The quality of the food is one of the reasons P & O is my favourite cruise line. And too many lovely things to pick favourites!

 

Difficult but as a vague rule, the Lamb and Beef are normally good as are many of the fish dishes. Never touch the Turkey, and I like Turkey.

[lebreos]

Difficult but as a vague rule, the Lamb and Beef are normally good as are many of the fish dishes. Never touch the Turkey, and I like Turkey.

 

Lamb shank was superb, cheese course - port soaked stilton on formal nights when its available

All the food was generally good but that would be my stand outs

[P&O SUE]

Also every night there is one side on the menu that is called "favourites" or something similar which has chicken, steak etc and things like egg mayonnaise as a starter so if anyone is fussy there are always those options.

[NewWestwardbound]

"Difficult but as a vague rule, the Lamb and Beef are normally good as are many of the fish dishes. Never touch the Turkey, and I like Turkey."

 

"Lamb shank was superb, cheese course - port soaked stilton on formal nights when its available. All the food was generally good but that would be my stand outs."

 

 

 

Many thanks, exactly what I was looking for.

[Presto2]

Pork belly was horrible I'm afraid so i would avoid it. Loved the meringue swans ... yummy and remember that you can have extra ice creams etc if you so wish. :-)

[jeanlyon]

Strangely this year on Oriana, I had evenings when I didn't like anything. Everything seemed to be roast meat.

[Raymondo111]

Also every night there is one side on the menu that is called "favourites" or something similar which has chicken, steak etc and things like egg mayonnaise as a starter so if anyone is fussy there are always those options.

 

On Britannia a couple of weeks ago the only P & O favourite on the main course was sirloin steak, no chicken and no salmon.

[P&O SUE]

On Britannia a couple of weeks ago the only P & O favourite on the main course was sirloin steak, no chicken and no salmon.

 

Ooh Britannia,perhaps, is different? Azura had it every night!

[Elderflower]

I like the Lancashire Hot Pot with red cabbage, usually on the first night of a cruise. Another favourite is sea bream with a Veronique sauce. Then again, the lemon posset is wonderful. Last cruise we did there was roast butternut squash in the early days and was the best I've ever had. This, however changed when the head chef changed and all the food did a nose dive. We were on for 104 nights so were able to sample our favourites roughly every three weeks.

 

One thing I would never have again - the Thai eggs, just like rubber balls, they bounced.

 

The curries are great and the Indian theme night in the buffet is the only time we use the buffet in the evening. I can recommend the tandoori chicken salad as a starter. Mmm can't wait as we are sailing again in time for Christmas.

 

Hope this helps.

 

Pat

[groovechick]

We are sailing on Ventura later this month for the first time. I wondered if anyone had an opinion on their favourite dishes from the MDR Dinner menu? (as if we wouldn't have an opinion on this board!). When we cruised with "another cruise line" in the summer, I found a thread like this really helpful to guide me with my choices, and also to plan ahead for when to consider a Speciality Restaurant rather than the MDR.

 

I know food attracts strong opinions that are often very personal to the individual - but that's what I'm looking for!

 

On Ventura's sister ship, Azura, I often tried the special which was themed to the country/port we had just visited. In Norway I had a delicious dish based on smoked loin of pork, on the Iberian peninsula cruise I tried a type of fish I'd never had before (and whose name escapes me now) which was simply stunning (and I'm not a massive fish fan). The ingredients have often been bought in locally on the cruise and so are very fresh and authentic flavours.

[jaceyar]

Ooh Britannia,perhaps, is different? Azura had it every night!

All the menus have changed now - there is a starters section which includes soups, no favourites section and the only constant "favourite" available is steak. We were on Azura on the Transatlantic and found it so.

[Somerset Cruiser]

Strangely this year on Oriana, I had evenings when I didn't like anything. Everything seemed to be roast meat.

 

Would that be everything apart from the grill options, the fish and the casserole type, ie hot pot.

[Presto2]

All the menus have changed now - there is a starters section which includes soups, no favourites section and the only constant "favourite" available is steak. We were on Azura on the Transatlantic and found it so.

 

Sorry, does this mean that there is far less choice and less courses. E.g. you can't have a starter and then a soup course and the menu on the left re favourites is just limited to steak rather than the 3 / 4 main dishes they had before?

 

If so, that's been quite a massive change and one that hasn't been mentioned before on here ............ unless I've missed it. :confused:

[cruisebore]

Sorry, does this mean that there is far less choice and less courses. E.g. you can't have a starter and then a soup course and the menu on the left re favourites is just limited to steak rather than the 3 / 4 main dishes they had before?

 

If so, that's been quite a massive change and one that hasn't been mentioned before on here ............ unless I've missed it. :confused:

 

 

YOU CAN OF COURSE REQUEST A STARTER AND A SOUP COURSE, HOWEVER IN PRESENTING THEM TOGETHER ON THE MENU, IT IS NO LONGER OBVIOUS. :(

 

sorry for the caps typo

[Sea Green]

I remember the asparagus risotto starter being very tasty, wished I'd asked for it as a main. Also the chicken noodle soup.

For dessert another vote for the lemon posset, also the hazelnut and pear cake. And the ginger and honey icecream is amazing.

One thing I didnt like was the chicken kiev - VERY dry.

[Presto2]

YOU CAN OF COURSE REQUEST A STARTER AND A SOUP COURSE, HOWEVER IN PRESENTING THEM TOGETHER ON THE MENU, IT IS NO LONGER OBVIOUS. :(

 

sorry for the caps typo

 

So if you are a new cruiser you know no better

 

Am disappointed by this new move - have always claimed that P&O are really good re a 6 course meal option.

 

To be honest I very rarely had the soup course but hubby did. It just added class to have decent 6 courses if needs be .

 

Dumbing down comes to mind now and I thought P&O were better than that.

 

Have been very critical of Celebrity for dumbing down and been a real advocate of P&O.

 

Never thought in a million years I would say this, but I wonder if they are forcing cruiser who like fine dining and a more formal dining experience to move to Cunard ...

 

Just disappointed tonight if this is the way forward ----

[NewWestwardbound]

Many thanks for all the input.

 

For anyone coming new to the thread, a quick summary:

 

MDR food

 

Recommended

 

Asparagus risotto

Chicken noodle soup

 

Lamb

Beef

Fish

Lamb shank

Lancashire hot pot

Sea bream

Roast butternut squash

Smoked loin of pork

 

Merîngue swans

Lemon posset x2

Hazelnut and pear cake

Ginger and honey ice cream

 

Port soaked Stilton

 

Not recommended

 

Thai eggs

 

Turkey

Pork belly

Chicken Kiev

 

 

Buffet

 

Recommended

 

Tandoori chicken salad

[Somerset Cruiser]

Moving on to Lunch in the MDR ;) The curries are pretty good.

[Raymondo111]

Moving on to Lunch in the MDR ;) The curries are pretty good.

 

From what I can remember on my recent Britannia Cruise the lunchtimes in the Peninsular Restaurant mainly consisted of soup and snack type options and no full lunch options i.e. curries etc. I remember having a lot more options for lunch on the Azura but it was 5 years ago.

[daiB]

From what I can remember on my recent Britannia Cruise the lunchtimes in the Peninsular Restaurant mainly consisted of soup and snack type options and no full lunch options i.e. curries etc. I remember having a lot more options for lunch on the Azura but it was 5 years ago.

 

 

No I never went to the lunches but the menus were the same as always with the lighter options at the top followed by the meals. My wife went a few times and said she was only having the lighter one but ended up with a lunch.

 

We had the menus delivered every day to our cabin, which is why we were able to read them.

[Josy1953]

Also every night there is one side on the menu that is called "favourites" or something similar which has chicken, steak etc and things like egg mayonnaise as a starter so if anyone is fussy there are always those options.

 

Menu no longer shows favourites, steak is in the mains most nights but chicken and salmon do not appear as frequently. The current questionnaire asks what we think of the new menu layout.

 

On the last formal night there was absolutely no starter that I liked so they offered fruit salad which when it came was all melon which I hate, the only main that I thought I might like was hot smoked salmon but when it arrived it was so salty that it was inedible and the potato that came with it was stone cold, the waiter offered to get me something else but as there was nothing else on the menu that I liked asked for either plain chicken or salmon and was told that they weren't available. When I reiterated that I did not want anything else from that menu the waiter called the head waiter who immediately offered to get some poached salmon but said that on the nights when they had MPW menu they preferred that passengers ate from that menu.

 

I have to say that apart from this one small blip the food on Ventura for the last 12 days as been outstanding, better than we have had for several years on any of the P&O ships.