No more Bistro on 5 on Reflection

[ghstudio]

Really? You think I should care about commenting on what millions eat in Japan? LOL I'm laughing even though I know you aren't joking. I don't give a raw fish's butt about Japan or what they eat - I've been to Japan by the way. We are discussing a sushi bar on a cruise line frequented by many Americans.

 

I have never been to a "fine" sushi restaurant because I don't like sushi. The few places I have been that serve it - when it arrives it smells like a dead, raw fish. The few places I've been where they sell it - it smells like a dead, raw fish.

 

I'm sad if this is the way that BO5 will go under, it was a quiet place to dine, with really slow service, nice wines - and we enjoyed it.

 

I'd enjoy taking you to a good sushi restaurant and introducing you to many types of sushi that are cooked and taste good. Sadly, you are not alone in having bad experiences in sushi restaurants and not knowing what to order....it's really not that unusual. BTW good does not necessarily mean expensive...there are good moderately priced sushi restaurants.

 

I certainly don't disagree that BOF was a quiet place to dine with really slow service....but obviously it didn't make the financial goals. For most of us, we saw an empty venue every time we walked by...and of course Celebrity saw the income vs expense.

 

Hopefully whatever Celebrity winds up with will please more/many of their passengers. I happen to really enjoy sushi and I do understand that there are some/many that don't. I'm happy if they decide to serve vietnamese Pho, greek food or something interesting and they'll get my $'s. I ate at BOF once every cruise....like many....embarkation day. Hopefully for Celebrity and for me whatever they decide to change it to will entice me (and you) to eat there more.

[SusieV]

We just got off Eclipse and were told that there was going to be a deli. Honestly, if I want a sandwich, I'm going to the buffet. They have lots of yummy sandwich fixings for free.

 

I won't eat sushi- I don't even like Silk Harvest, personally. I like some of the suggestions though. BBQ or Thai or Brazilian BBQ or Mexican all sound good and worth a fee to me.

[Jane2357]

I'd enjoy taking you to a good sushi restaurant and introducing you to many types of sushi that are cooked and taste good. Sadly, you are not alone in having bad experiences in sushi restaurants and not knowing what to order....it's really not that unusual. BTW good does not necessarily mean expensive...there are good moderately priced sushi restaurants.

 

I certainly don't disagree that BOF was a quiet place to dine with really slow service....but obviously it didn't make the financial goals. For most of us, we saw an empty venue every time we walked by...and of course Celebrity saw the income vs expense.

 

Hopefully whatever Celebrity winds up with will please more/many of their passengers. I happen to really enjoy sushi and I do understand that there are some/many that don't. I'm happy if they decide to serve vietnamese Pho, greek food or something interesting and they'll get my $'s. I ate at BOF once every cruise....like many....embarkation day. Hopefully for Celebrity and for me whatever they decide to change it to will entice me (and you) to eat there more.

 

Lol - I always love it when you post. :o Listen - I'll give you this - I grew up in the mid-west (small farming town in Michigan) back in the day when there was no sushi in that part of the county. HOWEVER I am sailing out of Vancouver in May - a town that I've heard is full of wonderful sushi. YOU recommend a restaurant and I will go give it a real try, and the good news is you don't have to buy! :D Then I'm going to come back and let ya know.

 

[koolforkatz]

Lol - I always love it when you post. :o Listen - I'll give you this - I grew up in the mid-west (small farming town in Michigan) back in the day when there was no sushi in that part of the county. HOWEVER I am sailing out of Vancouver in May - a town that I've heard is full of wonderful sushi. YOU recommend a restaurant and I will go give it a real try, and the good news is you don't have to buy! :D Then I'm going to come back and let ya know.

 

 

One of the best in Vancouver: http://www.tojos.com

 

There are countless others.

[ghstudio]

Lol - I always love it when you post. :o Listen - I'll give you this - I grew up in the mid-west (small farming town in Michigan) back in the day when there was no sushi in that part of the county. HOWEVER I am sailing out of Vancouver in May - a town that I've heard is full of wonderful sushi. YOU recommend a restaurant and I will go give it a real try, and the good news is you don't have to buy! :D Then I'm going to come back and let ya know.

 

 

Having visited Vancouver, it's hard to find a bad restaurant....but I'm not going to recommend one because you really need to go with someone who knows and enjoys sushi and explains and talks you through what you are eating...many of the choices are actually cooked.

 

Good raw tuna does not taste at all fishy...similarly yellowtail is raw fish, but has a wonderfully smooth buttery taste. Octopus and squid are cooked...no different than italian scungili or the fried calimari appetizer you get at your local restaurant. On the other hand, if you order mackeral, it's always vinegared and has a strong fishy taste/smell...not something I'd recommend at least the first time....you kind of need a guide. Without someone helping you pick, explaining what you're eating and letting you try different things, you're likely not to enjoy your meal.

 

How can anyone like raw tuna wrapped in seaweed...ugh. Well, if I let you try some of the nori seaweed just by itself, it actually tastes quite good..and if it's toasted the way it should be, it's crispy....it's certainly not the slimy seaweed that one's mind conjures up and the tuna is not much different than steak tartar.

 

So I'll pass but I'd encourage you to find someone who does enjoy sushi and try it with them. You may still dislike it...but my bet is that you find it pretty tasty stuff and you might even want to try a few other things the next time.

[bar_20]

Where are they getting their fish and shellfish? I hope not China. In the mean time enjoy the mercury poisoning!

[ghstudio]

Where are they getting their fish and shellfish? I hope not China. In the mean time enjoy the mercury poisoning!

 

Celebrity gets their fish and shellfish from the same places your local fish market and fish restaurants are getting them. The US ships tuna to Japan...they don't ship it to the US.

 

It's true, there is a measurable exposure to mercury if you eat too much fish...but it's the same exposure if you eat it at home, at a restaurant or in a sushi restaurant.

 

Of course, if you like beef, you are subject to all the antibiotics and GMO feed that they get...similar with chickens and other meats....and let's not forget residual weed killer (roundup) on your vegetables.

 

I believe in food safety and health as much as the next person....but I'm not ready to hide and only eat purely organic food. That's my personal choice....and your's may be different.

 

I don't think that Sushi restaurants are ruining our health any more than that tuna steak we grilled tonight at home.

[OBX-Cruisers]

Makes no sense to give away what you can sell. The sushi they currently serve is flash frozen. If you see someone "making" sushi it is just for show. I do not think the sushi in the Bistro will be "different" or higher grade sushi as that would be counter productive of making a profit. Maybe just more choices. I guess they could go to an even lower grade in the buffet but I do not see that happening. There are limits to how low you can go.

 

I also posted that the sushi in the buffet is very minimal. However, I do not agree with your contention that it is "flash frozen". WHERE did you ever get this idea?

I and I'm sure many have seen the sushi being made and it was NOT "just for show" and we often got the stuff just as it was made, cut and put on the trays

[ghstudio]

I also posted that the sushi in the buffet is very minimal. However, I do not agree with your contention that it is "flash frozen". WHERE did you ever get this idea?

I and I'm sure many have seen the sushi being made and it was NOT "just for show" and we often got the stuff just as it was made, cut and put on the trays

 

The fish served raw in sushi is flash frozen per US FDA requirements...and that's whether it's on a ship or in a US restaurant. So yes, I certainly hope it is flash frozen for our safety. Some erroneously think that fresh (never frozen) sushi is the best....actually it's illegal to serve unfrozen fish raw in the US...and it's unwise to eat it anywhere else in the world. It's also medically unwise to just buy fish at your local fishmonger, slice it up and eat it raw....

 

The sushi which is a combination of the flash frozen and thawed fish with the (supposedly vinegared) rice is made on board as are the rolls. At times, Celebrity does make some of the rolls in advance...you can tell because the nori (seaweed) on the outside is soggy (ugh!) instead of crispy (yum!)...but often it's made right at the sushi station where it's cut and put on platters.

[hcat]

My complaint is not the cuisine. If I don't like it I won't go. My problem is the pricing. $5,$7, and then$10 to now no one knows. If few are buying at $5 and few at $7 and fewer at $10.... I do know raising prices will not increase traffic. I'd prefer five customers at $5 for $25 than one customer at $10.

 

We enjoyed it for lunch , esp with the new daily special menu and would see a number of folks peruse the menu by the door ...when advised of the extra charge, they would move on...presumably to a non fee venue..

 

On EQ we were told some of the food would take 15 minutes, we just ordered mac & cheese to share before the main course arrived..not in a big rush anyhow...never had a bad meal there..

[bothluv2cruise]

I love good sushi and I'll be on the Reflection in April so I'll report back. We only ate at BO5 on embarkation day, otherwise it looked pretty empty so I'm not surprised that Celebrity is trying something else.

[bEwAbG]

I may be the exception in this conversation, but a sushi bar sounds fantastic to me on celebrity, and would really represent modern luxury well. I doubt they will discontinue the free sushi in the buffet since A) it is popular, and B) the sushi is extremely basic using cheap ingredients in the buffet comparative to nicer rolls. When we were on the Reflection in December, the area was vacant, I may have seen 4 or 5 people enjoying a meal in there the entire trip. They also had a glass cabinet of their display of food, which honestly looked disgusting. Personally food should never have to be displayed to be sold. The glass display turned us off enough not to try it. If it was a sushi bar there is a greater chance we would go.

 

I was going to post the same thing about the glass case. On the Reflection two weeks ago, and we stopped by BOF twice (as suite guests, this was our alternative lunch spot for port days? No thanks!). We read the menu the first time and nothing seemed appealing. Then, I noticed that case and said "no way." Went a second time to see if our opinion had changed about the menu, and that ugly food staring at us from that case sealed the deal. Very unappetizing.

Edited February 24, 2016 by bEwAbG

[FLSteve11]

Does that mean they will do away with the free sushi from 5-8pm in the buffet area???

 

That's basically what happened on RCCL when they started rolling out the paid sushi restaurant (Izumi)

[russg140]

I just hope it's a proper sushi bar with good ingredients and a decent selection of sake. Would definitely pay an up charge for that. However if it was the "sushi" they serve in the buffet then I'll pass.

 

Totally agree. The "sushi" in the Oceanview is usually fairly bland with very basic offerings. We like Bistro on 5 but agree that the upcharge to $10 was a little steep. It was never very busy when we were there.

 

The Porch was not a proper raw bar (no clams or oysters). The upcharge for the Tower wasn't too bad because there was A LOT of food on it. The concept just needs some tweaking. There were several nights on our TA where The Porch was sold out - so it must be working.

[Andy]

Hi Everyone,

 

I reached out to Celebrity, and here's some additional information on Reflection's Sushi Bar (Sushi on Five) :

 

-- This is a pilot concept, and will only be offered on Reflection at this time.

 

-- Sushi on Five will be open for Dinner only on the current sailing, and is expected to expand for Lunch, on sea days, on the following sailing.

 

-- Menu items are priced A la carte. I have the menu, and will post it in a few moments.

 

-- At this time, the venue cannot be booked in advance, but reservations can be made, once onboard Reflection.

 

Thank You Celebrity for providing the information and menu. Hope this is helpful !

Edited February 24, 2016 by Host Andy

[Wine-O]

Hi Everyone,

 

I reached out to Celebrity, and here's some additional information on Reflection's Sushi Bar (Sushi on Five) :

 

-- This is a pilot concept, and will only be offered on Reflection at this time.

 

-- Sushi on Five will be open for Dinner only on the current sailing, and is expected to expand for Lunch, on sea days, on the following sailing.

 

-- Menu items are priced A la carte. I have the menu, and will post it in a few moments.

 

-- At this time, the venue cannot be booked in advance, but reservations can be made, once onboard Reflection.

 

Thank You Celebrity for providing the information and menu. Hope this is helpful !

 

Sounds like it might be some form of a "Silk Harvest" like on Solstice and Equinox.

[Andy]

Hi Everyone,

 

Here's the Sushi on Five menu. Enjoy !

 

Note : When I converted the file to .jpg (so I could post it on here) the fish images became very pronounced, and I'm unable fix this. However, I'm able to view the menu, and hope this works for you.

 

 

 

Edited February 24, 2016 by Host Andy

[like2cruise]

Thanks Andy for getting the menu so fast for us. I was so hoping it would not be an al a carte priced restaurant. I was keeping my fingers crossed that it would continue to be a fixed priced restaurant, even though I figured it would be a la carte since it was sushi. At those prices, it would add up fast.

 

I am still mourning no more Dulce de Leche Crêpes.

[Tesseract]

Thanks Andy. This news had me in a panic. I have a cruise on the 26th on the Silhouette and the orange crepes in the Bistro on Five is the reason I chose celebrity again for the third time. I get them at least once per day and sometimes twice. It's one of the greatest things I've had in my life. If they get rid of the crepes I'll no longer go on celebrity as I'm quite a lot younger than the typical guest they have.

[SerraG]

Hi Everyone,

 

Here's the Sushi on Five menu. Enjoy !

 

Note : When I converted the file to .jpg (so I could post it on here) the fish images became very pronounced, and I'm unable fix this. However, I'm able to view the menu, and hope this works for you.

 

Andy, thank you so much for posting this!

 

Wow! I'm surprised at the cost, though! I had expected there would be a bit of an upcharge, but this is more than I pay at my favorite sushi restaurant on land. A really good spicy tuna roll around here is only $7-8 compared to $10 on this menu.

[CruisingChick]

Thank you Andy for all the information.

 

I am happy, that so far, it's only on Reflection. I do hope it doesn't spread to other ships. It's not something we would utilize at all.

[villauk]

Thanks for posting, Andy. It's not for us and like CruisingChick, I do hope it stays on just Reflection ;). On the other hand, I'd love the LCG to expand to a few other ships :).

[Alsmez]

Hi Everyone,

 

Here's the Sushi on Five menu. Enjoy !

 

Thank you Andy. Like others, I'm a bit dismayed at these prices - I live in New York City and these prices are easily as expensive as mid-range sushi places here. Also, the selection is quite small - where are the basic salmon, yellowtail, cucumber or other vegetarian maki? Or other standard items, like hand rolls, edamame, seaweed salad, shumai, yakitori apps, miso soup?

 

One more question - do you know how/if this restaurant works with dining packages, including the Ultimate Dining Package? I am a big fan of sushi and I'm sure we will try Sushi on Five when we're on Reflection next week, but given the prices and selection, I doubt VERY seriously that this is going to be a successful venture for Celebrity.

Edited February 24, 2016 by Alsmez

[Desertbelle]

Looks pretty good. I can see us going up for a drink and a couple of pieces of sushi. That Smashy Japanese looks right up my alley!!

[Karynanne]

So many nay sayers already, and they haven't even tried this new venue. I'll hold my judgment until I try it myself.