Thomas Keller

[pdx13]

makes sense that the new restaurant would serve TFL, Per Se type of menu (experience) rather than the casual Ad Hoc fare. Will be interesting to see how it is finally rolled out.

[newlondon]

Hi Emperor, Actually the Jacques Pepin experience on O has been very successful.

[Techno123]

Jacques Pepin is the 'executive culinary director' so has (I think) an overview of the entire menu rather than just a section of it even though Jacques is very much his concept whereas TK and Seabourn seem to just have a taste of some of the land based offerings. I must say I did enjoy the food on Oceania :) but the bathroom in the veranda suite :eek:

[Emperor Norton]

Hi Emperor, Actually the Jacques Pepin experience on O has been very successful.

 

Perhaps for others, but if Mr. Pepin had seen what was served on my visits I think he'd want his name removed or have the kitchen staff keel-hauled.

[pdx13]

I have never dinied in the Colonnade at night but on my upcoming cruise I will be tempted to at least try one TK night just to see for myself. I very much appreciate all of the detailed reports on TK from posters on recent cruises, especially Jenidallas's we'll be balanced, detailed posts. Of course the bottom line is it does not matter what others liked and did not like of the TK dinners, but rather what my DH and I think as everyone's tastes are different. So I will go into the whole thing well armed with a substantial amount of valuable information and an open mind. And if for some reason there is something not to our taste I will be sure not to shot the messenger. I have often been truly embarrassed on a few cruises to witness the poor behavior of a fellow passenger berate the waiter for a problem with the food.

 

As to Seabourn's TK endeavor I have to say while I applaud them for not sitting in their laurels and trying to find ways to enhance the cruise experience (ok, the cynic in me will also say and to try to entice new passengers) I am surprised by this. By most accounts the Charlie Palmer was a miserable failure -- and a costly one at that . I was never so happy as when that partnership ended. So either SB management is suffering from amnesia or they have a slew of new managers who were not around when the Charlie Palmer dining was introduced and removed. It seems to me that there are areas where the reported large sums of money could more effectively have been employed. I am a big TK fan, but as others have stated have concerns about transferring what makes dining in his dining in restaurants wonderful to the world of cruise ship dining. Nonetheless, I am very much looking forward to trying it on our June cruise. And if nothing else I will be thrilled there is a supply of Humboldt Fog cheese on board and will try to commandeer some for my cheese plate.[emoji4][emoji893]

 

We begin our first Seabourn cruise on the 30th, shortly after the conversion, and are anxious to experience everything on Seabourn, including the TK menu, although I am not so interested in the AdHoc items (except for the cheese). We also are TK fans, but based only on experience at TFL. Nonetheless,we will have open minds, fully expecting that there will be many more hits than misses at the end of the day.

[Chairsin]

Yes, all we can do is try it for ourselves and come to our own conclusions. But I am grateful to have all of the feedback from recent posters. As our cruise in June will be on the a Odyssey we will be experiencing pre conversion TK. But in Dec we will be on the Quest for the Antarctica cruise and thus will get to try the post conversion TK. I have only been to TFL not Ad Hoc ( or Per Se.) so I don't have that frame of reference.. But I must admit to being a sucker for great fried chicken so fingers crossed they have the fryers installed in the kitchen on the Quest. Please do let me know if you see it offered on your Quest cruise.

[sananda]

Emperor Norton - Setting aside Pepin because you didn't like the food on Oceania, I still think there are a lot of celebrity chefs on cruise lines that have been successful. You can start with the previously mentioned Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, who has translated very well on Crystal or Jean-Pierre Vigato from the world renowned Apicius who's signature menus aboard Paul Gaugin are spectacular. Disney has Arnaud Lallement a Michelin rated chef for their Remy restaurant (no idea if it's any good). NCL has Geoffrey Zakarian and the seafood at Ocean Blue was very good.

 

More to the point, I think that Carnival corp is completely committed to celebrity chefs on their lines.

 

1. Carnival has Guy Fieri and his burger joint.

2. Cunard has Todd English and his restaurants aboard the Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria. Really enjoyed my meal here.

3. Holland America has Craig Hopson of Le Cirque. You can get Le Cirque's most well known dishes in the Pinnacle Grill and they were excellent.

4. P & O has two Michelin rated chefs, Marco White and Atul Kochhur. I really liked the modern Indian at Sindhu.

5. Princess has Curtis Stone and his dishes in the MDR have been delicious.

 

By almost all accounts the Thomas Keller dishes have been a poor pairing with Seabourn. I think Carnival is capable of bringing celebrity chef cuisine aboard their lines. It's puzzling why Seabourn has failed to make Keller's cuisine a delightful pleasure for its passengers.

[Emperor Norton]

Emperor Norton - Setting aside Pepin because you didn't like the food on Oceania, I still think there are a lot of celebrity chefs on cruise lines that have been successful. You can start with the previously mentioned Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, who has translated very well on Crystal or Jean-Pierre Vigato from the world renowned Apicius who's signature menus aboard Paul Gaugin are spectacular. Disney has Arnaud Lallement a Michelin rated chef for their Remy restaurant (no idea if it's any good). NCL has Geoffrey Zakarian and the seafood at Ocean Blue was very good.

 

More to the point, I think that Carnival corp is completely committed to celebrity chefs on their lines.

 

1. Carnival has Guy Fieri and his burger joint.

2. Cunard has Todd English and his restaurants aboard the Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria. Really enjoyed my meal here.

3. Holland America has Craig Hopson of Le Cirque. You can get Le Cirque's most well known dishes in the Pinnacle Grill and they were excellent.

4. P & O has two Michelin rated chefs, Marco White and Atul Kochhur. I really liked the modern Indian at Sindhu.

5. Princess has Curtis Stone and his dishes in the MDR have been delicious.

 

By almost all accounts the Thomas Keller dishes have been a poor pairing with Seabourn. I think Carnival is capable of bringing celebrity chef cuisine aboard their lines. It's puzzling why Seabourn has failed to make Keller's cuisine a delightful pleasure for its passengers.

 

Corporate doesn't seem to understand what will work with passenger. IIRC the last time they went the celeb chef route (Charlie Palmer) passengers were very happy to see him go.

 

Not to nit pick too much but Fieri isn't actually a chef, and Princess just (relatively) signed Stone so that's up in the air as to whether it works or not. Also English was replaced on the QV.

Edited April 8, 2016 by Emperor Norton

[jenidallas]

NCL has Geoffrey Zakarian and the seafood at Ocean Blue was very good.

 

That partnership was only on the Breakaway-class ships and ended less than two years after it began.

 

I personally was not impressed by Ocean Blue on either ship and thought the surcharges far exceeded the quality when compared to the other NCL specialty restaurants.

Edited April 8, 2016 by jenidallas

[Suite Travels]

Emperor Norton - Setting aside Pepin because you didn't like the food on Oceania, I still think there are a lot of celebrity chefs on cruise lines that have been successful. You can start with the previously mentioned Nobuyuki Matsuhisa, who has translated very well on Crystal or Jean-Pierre Vigato from the world renowned Apicius who's signature menus aboard Paul Gaugin are spectacular. Disney has Arnaud Lallement a Michelin rated chef for their Remy restaurant (no idea if it's any good). NCL has Geoffrey Zakarian and the seafood at Ocean Blue was very good.

 

More to the point, I think that Carnival corp is completely committed to celebrity chefs on their lines.

 

1. Carnival has Guy Fieri and his burger joint.

2. Cunard has Todd English and his restaurants aboard the Queen Mary 2 and Queen Victoria. Really enjoyed my meal here.

3. Holland America has Craig Hopson of Le Cirque. You can get Le Cirque's most well known dishes in the Pinnacle Grill and they were excellent.

4. P & O has two Michelin rated chefs, Marco White and Atul Kochhur. I really liked the modern Indian at Sindhu.

5. Princess has Curtis Stone and his dishes in the MDR have been delicious.

 

By almost all accounts the Thomas Keller dishes have been a poor pairing with Seabourn. I think Carnival is capable of bringing celebrity chef cuisine aboard their lines. It's puzzling why Seabourn has failed to make Keller's cuisine a delightful pleasure for its passengers.

 

Nobu on Crystal and Prego are two of the finest restaurants at sea in addition to Tastes on the Serenity which serves nice tapas. Fried chicken or a hamburger on a luxury line at dinner is pretty lame unless you request it.

 

Apparently Seabourn does not care about customer feedback. One thing I can say about Nobu is that the chefs have all been trained on land and brought their talent to Crystal. Prego is gourmet Italian to die for.

[Catlover54]

lincslady, my top tip for the "family style TK" is to dine at a table with only someone you know really well. We witnessed one poor couple, after saying "hello" as they passed the table of a couple they'd met earlier that day, being then asked to join that couple. How do you say no? I'd start practising now!! They have since told us they dare not step into the Colonnade again on a TK night.

 

 

I am confused about the dread. Did something terrible happen with the other couple joining them? Did they hog all the food, or unhygienically contaminate the shared plates? Or were they just terrible company!

 

Cannot people, in the new venue set-up, just say " thanks, but my husband and I prefer to dine alone tonight" or, if someone looks like he is almost certainly likely to be a huge eater, ask for larger servings in advance as if it would be for you whereas you really just want to make sure there will be abundance for the bigger person?

 

For DH and me the most awkward dining situation was when on SS we assented to the waiter's suggestion of a communal table in the MDR, as we often do as we like to meet people, but once we sat down with two other couples realized that only the two women could talk. One unfortunate man had had a stroke and was literally drooling heavily most of the evening, and also mostly incoherent, and the other man was sadly very demented and prone to childlike mini-tantrums, as well as struggles with what likely had been throat cancer surgery. We made the best of things by trying to talk to the company-seeking women, and felt empathy and remained polite, but that is not what we had in mind when we joined a table that was open to others hoping to relax and have good conversation. Oddly the maitre'd did not think twice about seating us there. There was no way, in that sad situation, we could politely leave immediately without offending the ladies, but here, if you generally do not want to sit with strangers, I would hope the TK set-up on SB does not prevent you from dining alone as a couple if you do not want to risk a strange situation.

[jenidallas]

You can most definitely done as 2 (or even 1) at the Colonnade for the TK dinners and your family-style portion will be sized accordingly.

 

I do wish the staff would offer "would you like us to serve you or would you like to serve yourself?" - I thought the large salad tongs might be difficult for some to handle and the serving dishes are a bit heavy if one has arthritis or any weakness in the hands/wrists.

[lincslady]

Re dining at just a two, in any restaurant on board (the patio grill excepted, I suppose) we ask firmly for a two, and if pre-booked, as I believe the Colonnade will be in the evenings, tell the seating person so when we book in. It has worked so far.

[Laylam]

I am confused about the dread. Did something terrible happen with the other couple joining them? Did they hog all the food, or unhygienically contaminate the shared plates? Or were they just terrible company!

 

Cannot people, in the new venue set-up, just say " thanks, but my husband and I prefer to dine alone tonight" or, if someone looks like he is almost certainly likely to be a huge eater, ask for larger servings in advance as if it would be for you whereas you really just want to make sure there will be abundance for the bigger person?...................

 

It was the couple who were asked to join the other couple that ended up with the dread. This couple had just sat themselves at a table set for four, alongside another couple sitting at a table set for four. After a polite nod of recognition and a "hello", the couple who had been seated longest asked, "would you like to join us?" and they didn't know how to decline. No Maitre'D or waiter was involved. I don't think there was anymore to it other than a table that became very overcrowded with wine glasses & platters of food, a long conversation about the weather where each lived and the awkwardness of each having to dish up their own meal.

 

Our observation has been that at tables where there are more than 2 people, food seems to go uneaten, perhaps because everyone is reluctant to be seen to dish themselves too much.

[Roxburgh]

Nobu on Crystal and Prego are two of the finest restaurants at sea in addition to Tastes on the Serenity which serves nice tapas. Fried chicken or a hamburger on a luxury line at dinner is pretty lame unless you request it.

 

Apparently Seabourn does not care about customer feedback. One thing I can say about Nobu is that the chefs have all been trained on land and brought their talent to Crystal. Prego is gourmet Italian to die for.

 

Are you privy to 'customer feedback' or is your comment based on cruise critic feedback some of which has come from people who have not yet experienced the Keller offerings?

 

Also, Seabourn Chefs are actually being trained at Keller kitchens on land as we speak.

Edited April 9, 2016 by Roxburgh

[Kauaijim]

Our experience was based on two TK meals on the odyssey Auk to Sydney in Feb of this year. The food was fine and since we ate in the MDR we were able to mix and match with the regular menu . In the latest SB email it describes a TK chop house coming in April on the Quest replacing restaurant 2 . That seems to be the plan all have been discussing. Im just curious about next Feb when we are on the quest for the Antartica trip as to what if anything will be going on with TK and the wind down of R2 . In any case we will assume all will be well as almost always on SB.

[jenidallas]

Im just curious about next Feb when we are on the quest for the Antartica trip as to what if anything will be going on with TK and the wind down of R2 . In any case we will assume all will be well as almost always on SB.

 

That's an easy one. The sailing I am on now is the definitive *last* sailing for R2 on Quest... the "farewell tour" if you will. When she comes out of dry dock later this month, R2 will be a TK exclusive venue. That is the one absolute!

[Kauaijim]

Thanks, got my years wrong reading the email It is 2016 so it should be fun next year

[pdx13]

I just went back and read the latest promotional materials from Seabourn regarding the new restaurant (The Grill(, which they describe as a chophouse. Not sure how this relates to Keller's land based products, certainly not TFL themed. Sounds more like a Morton's or Ruth Chris type place. The materials indicated the menu would be available this spring. They also mention that the themed meals with continue to be part of the Colonnade offerings. Wonder is some of the other TK interpretations will be available in the MDR?

[Joc123]

It was the couple who were asked to join the other couple that ended up with the dread. This couple had just sat themselves at a table set for four, alongside another couple sitting at a table set for four. After a polite nod of recognition and a "hello", the couple who had been seated longest asked, "would you like to join us?" and they didn't know how to decline. No Maitre'D or waiter was involved. I don't think there was anymore to it other than a table that became very overcrowded with wine glasses & platters of food, a long conversation about the weather where each lived and the awkwardness of each having to dish up their own meal.

 

Our observation has been that at tables where there are more than 2 people, food seems to go uneaten, perhaps because everyone is reluctant to be seen to dish themselves too much.

I wish people at our table were reluctant to serve themselves too much - by the time I was passed the salad all the good bits were gone! If it was a true family style ie with my family, I would have said "save some for me!" When you are with people you have not met before it becomes a little awkward.

[Suite Travels]

Reminds me of our family Thanksgiving dinners....pass this and pass that. For us that is not luxury on any level.

[2SailingNomads]

Food is a very subjective subject. We were on the Odyssey for the initial TK rollout and again a couple of months later - we disembarked in LA early Jan. Our experience was the TK dishes in the MDR were OK, not great for the most part, but we tried quite of few of them and never had to send anything back. We also did the themed dinners in the Colonnade several times and liked them, although did not like the noticeably louder music on the second cruise, and don't like the wine glasses nor the dress of the crew, which we did not think fit in with the overall atmosphere of Seabourn. The times we did dine with others, we requested additional portions be brought out to avoid any shortage issues.

 

Reading some reviews stating the beans were flat, etc. I wonder if they modified the recipe since the first few times we had the beans they had a pleasant kick - and I like spicy food.

 

I'm not sure aligning with a famous name chef - as has been stated on multiple occasions by others - is going to be a wise decision long term, and agree the money probably could have been better spent on other upgrades. I think it will be interesting to see how the updated R2 turns out. Only time will tell.

[jenidallas]

I finally wrote up my comments about the Thomas Keller Ad Hoc experience in the Colonnade. This is lengthy but thorough. Part 1 reviews the land-based version, part 2 the Seabourn version, and part 3 is the comparison of the two.

 

http://jetsettershomestead.boardingarea.com/2016/04/04/ad-hoc-by-thomas-keller-by-land/

 

http://jetsettershomestead.boardingarea.com/2016/04/05/ad-hoc-by-thomas-keller-by-sea/

 

http://jetsettershomestead.boardingarea.com/2016/04/10/ad-hoc-verdict/

[Emperor Norton]

Your bartender at Ad Hoc wasn't fresh of the Odyssey was she? That sounds like her level of service she'd provide before she left in Melbourne.

 

Also, odd that your TK review #2 menu was different than on the Odyssey. We were supposed to have horseradish mashed (1 out of 2 was) further we had asparagus in place of the broccolini. Also it seems your bread was missing the honey and Humboldt fog cheese. It seems odd to me that a fleetwide menu would differ so much between ships. And perhaps I need to take a ride up to Yountville after work one of these days.

Edited April 10, 2016 by Emperor Norton

[softsands]

I am on the same cruise as Jenidallas and we have had the pleasure of dining together as well as discussing the Keller offerings.

 

Bottom line. So far it is good but not great. So the jury is still out. I think we need to wait and see how TK works in a dedicated restaurant setting, give it six months and then take a check point.

 

I dined in R2 tonight. It was also good but not great. The status quo is not always better (although, overall, the food has been outstanding on this cruise). Time to take a step back and give TK a chance. Maybe it will work, maybe not. Time will tell.

 

Well, indeed, perhaps time will tell. However, for those of us who can only sail Seabourn very periodically and for limited durations, I don't want my time to be used as testing ground for what I read as a wholly over-rated cook's imagination.