Food on Viking Embla is horrible

[goldenrod]

Wife requested a pastrami sandwich on a white bread roll, when it arrived we were all amused to find it had lettuce, tomatoes and mayonnaise on both sides. LOL

 

 

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[ExpatBride]

Wife requested a pastrami sandwich on a white bread roll, when it arrived we were all amused to find it had lettuce, tomatoes and mayonnaise on both sides. LOL

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What am I missing?

[Mark_T]

What am I missing?

 

For a lot of people the only thing that goes on a pastrami sandwich is pastrami... :)

 

Mustard if you wish but nothing else if you are a purist.

 

However, expecting anyone outside of a NY deli to get that right without training is more than a little hopeful :)

 

If you order anything like this do be precise if the details are important to you.

[ExpatBride]

For a lot of people the only thing that goes on a pastrami sandwich is pastrami... :)

 

Mustard if you wish but nothing else if you are a purist.

 

However, expecting anyone outside of a NY deli to get that right without training is more than a little hopeful :)

 

If you order anything like this do be precise if the details are important to you.

 

I'm a born and bred New Yorker. The point I was getting at is that if you're on a European river cruise, you're lucky to get pastrami at all. Being as picky as the OP is, it's their own fault for not being specific. I don't see the "LOL" in the situation. OP seems to complain for the sake of complaining.

[terry&mike]

I'm a born and bred New Yorker. The point I was getting at is that if you're on a European river cruise, you're lucky to get pastrami at all. Being as picky as the OP is, it's their own fault for not being specific. I don't see the "LOL" in the situation. OP seems to complain for the sake of complaining.

Agreed. That's not only a European difference, that's a regional US difference. If you visited Louisiana and you were even able to find pastrami on a menu anywhere here, you would be served it "fully dressed" (lettuce, tomato, mayo) unless you specified otherwise.

At this point, he is just being that obnoxious American traveler that everyone hates.

[SuiteTraveler]

Agreed. That's not only a European difference, that's a regional US difference. If you visited Louisiana and you were even able to find pastrami on a menu anywhere here, you would be served it "fully dressed" (lettuce, tomato, mayo) unless you specified otherwise.

At this point, he is just being that obnoxious American traveler that everyone hates.

 

In Texas, California, even Arizona, a pastrami sandwich is pastrami on your choice of bread (usually Rye) with mustard (and possibly cheese) and that's it. But I must admit, in Louisiana, where many sandwiches are called Po'Boy's, if you get pastrami in that form, it would be loaded like any other Po'boy with lettuce and tomato.

[goldenrod]

I'm a born and bred New Yorker. The point I was getting at is that if you're on a European river cruise, you're lucky to get pastrami at all. Being as picky as the OP is, it's their own fault for not being specific. I don't see the "LOL" in the situation. OP seems to complain for the sake of complaining.

 

 

Well maybe you can explain the spaghetti with meat sauce for lunch with cauliflower florets in it even our waiter was dumbfounded!

 

 

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[Mark_T]

I'm not sure there is much to explain.

 

Spaghetti and cauliflower is a popular vegan/vegetarian dish, the meat sauce created a non-vegetarian option as well...

[notamermaid]

Vegetarian cooking creates traditional dishes anew sometimes with surprising combinations... While probably nice as that, trying to return it to a meat dish (Bolognese if done the "proper" Italian way) adding cauliflower is creative but not really that good a combination of ingredients.

 

But if you order a specific dish with a name, let's say Caesar salad, it becomes tricky to fulfill expectations. Are chefs trained to do it like the original or are they given free reign / wants to add his personal touch. Here for me much lies in the mindset of the person ordering. From past experiences - a couple of times unpleasant - I know that the simplest of things can go "wrong", even ordering a cup of tea can become a small food adventure in Germany for an Englishman. ;p

 

On a more technical note: Viking recruits / trains their own staff, most river cruise companies go through an agency like River Advice.

 

notamermaid

[Mark_T]

But if you order a specific dish with a name, let's say Caesar salad, it becomes tricky to fulfill expectations. Are chefs trained to do it like the original or are they given free reign / wants to add his personal touch.

 

... and that is rather the point I suspect.

 

If the menu says 'Caesar salad' then that is a very prescriptive title with little room for interpretation.

 

If the menu in this case said 'Spaghetti with roasted cauliflower and a bolognese sauce' then you can like it or not like it as you choose, but it shouldn't have just said 'Spaghetti Bolognese'.

 

Catering from the tiny kitchens on these ships is always going to involve some compromises and I wouldn't blame a chef for trying to get dual use out of a vegetarian option, especially with one where the only meat content is in the sauce added at point of service. But equally, you shouldn't slip cauliflower into the mix without a mention on the menu.

[E@syPe@zy]

Agreed. That's not only a European difference, that's a regional US difference. If you visited Louisiana and you were even able to find pastrami on a menu anywhere here, you would be served it "fully dressed" (lettuce, tomato, mayo) unless you specified otherwise.

At this point, he is just being that obnoxious American traveler that everyone hates.

 

I guess you didn't know that you have 2 Jason's Deli locations in Baton Rouge that serve pastrami sandwiches and you have to request anything extra.

I wouldn't be surprised to find a few small family run delis that serve pastrami. The muffalettas have a nice assortment of deli style meats and cheeses on them. And there seems to be a lot of interpretations of that local sandwich. :)

[E@syPe@zy]

Regarding pastrami, this an excerpt from realclearlife website:

"As for where it came from, there are two theories. The most popular opinion is that pastrami was based on a Romanian dish called goose pastrama. When Romanian immigrants couldn’t recreate pastrama in New York City, they modified the recipe and ingredients, creating beef pastrami in the process.

Daniel Vaughn’s theory is that pastrami came to America through Texas first, through the preserving techniques of Czech and German butchers who emigrated there."

[terry&mike]

I guess you didn't know that you have 2 Jason's Deli locations in Baton Rouge that serve pastrami sandwiches and you have to request anything extra.

I wouldn't be surprised to find a few small family run delis that serve pastrami. The muffalettas have a nice assortment of deli style meats and cheeses on them. And there seems to be a lot of interpretations of that local sandwich. :)

Yes, I know the chain Jason's Deli has a couple of locations here, but I have rarely visited them as we tend towards locally owned places.

And I can't imagine what the OP would have thought if they had served his pastrami with olive spread, the key ingredient in a muffaletta! Yikes.

[Marlster]

We did not spend 25k to eat in local restaurants, the regional food on the ship have been very limited to non existent, shrimp cocktails first became popular in Great Britain in in the 60's. If they can't serve decent American and regional foods the should not serve them, Viking caters to a Senior American market, I'm sure they can hire chefs that can serve decent food of high quality!

 

 

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Yes for that price the food should be amazing. I have never travelled on Viking. Contact Viking when you get back and give them your complaints regarding the food, I am sure they will listen, or go into the kitchen yourself and help the chef prepare something you would like Ha Ha.

Or even do it right now online.

Marlster

[SuiteTraveler]

Well maybe you can explain the spaghetti with meat sauce for lunch with cauliflower florets in it even our waiter was dumbfounded!

 

 

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The cauliflower was actually in the meat sauce??????????

[SuiteTraveler]

Yes, I know the chain Jason's Deli has a couple of locations here, but I have rarely visited them as we tend towards locally owned places.

And I can't imagine what the OP would have thought if they had served his pastrami with olive spread, the key ingredient in a muffaletta! Yikes.

 

Jason's Deli is from Beaumont, TX the HQ is still there - so not a Louisiana restaurant, but regional for you,

[acwmom]

The cauliflower was actually in the meat sauce??????????

 

 

Actually, it's a pretty common dish!

 

 

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[TravelerThom]

Actually, it's a pretty common dish!

One recipe of many:

 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/215034/spaghetti-sauce-with-cauliflower/

[E@syPe@zy]

One recipe of many:

 

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/215034/spaghetti-sauce-with-cauliflower/

Uh....that recipe does not have "meat" anywhere in it.

So...it's not the same thing.

Cauliflower in a spaghetti meat sauce is not something I would expect. Sounds very odd to me.

I guess if you were making a sauce from leftovers then it could happen. But I sure hope that wasn't the case on the Viking cruise.

[E@syPe@zy]

Actually, it's a pretty common dish!

 

 

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Maybe from Northern KY, but not from the part of KY I'm from. And being common....I don't really think so.

[Karry66]

Nope, not in NKY either....only seen cauliflower in vegetarian sauces.

 

 

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[Host Jazzbeau]

Not being a fan of cauliflower, if I am forced to eat it I think drowning it in a nice Bolognese sauce would be a great idea! Now, when we're in the South on our Snowbird escape I would be willing to try deep-fat-fried cauliflower. I was even willing to try a "NY-style cheesecake" in Alabama once they mentioned that it was deep-fat-fried [tasted like a cheese danish!]

[acwmom]

The OP, according to MarineTraffic, is currently in the Bulgaria/Romania region. Cauliflower is very commonly used there. If the onboard chef decided to add meat to the cauliflower/tomato sauce (which is a common Romanian dish) to make it a little more hearty, or familiar, I don't see the big deal. "Common" is relative:-)

 

 

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[BarbarianPaul]

Just found this thread, and noticed that goldenrod's next cruise is on Princess. We've been spoiled on both Crystal and Regent, but last month took the Star Princess out of our hometown of Los Angeles for a fun 10 day cruise to Mexico.

 

It was our first time on Princess. We had a blast...loved the ports, the entertainment, the excursions, but, alas, the food was almost inedible. We couldn't eat any fish because it was almost all uniformly overdone, greasy, tasteless and had a completely unappetizing and weird, hard to describe texture. For us, the MDR offered subpar cafeteria food, so we ate upstairs in the buffet every night. It was only mildly better. The specialty restaurants were all nice.

 

So, goldenrod, if you're expecting some kind of gastronomical fantasy on your next cruise, you might want to readjust your expectations.

 

 

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[hawkeye65]

Just found this thread, and noticed that goldenrod's next cruise is on Princess. We've been spoiled on both Crystal and Regent, but last month took the Star Princess out of our hometown of Los Angeles for a fun 10 day cruise to Mexico.

 

It was our first time on Princess. We had a blast...loved the ports, the entertainment, the excursions, but, alas, the food was almost inedible. We couldn't eat any fish because it was almost all uniformly overdone, greasy, tasteless and had a completely unappetizing and weird, hard to describe texture. For us, the MDR offered subpar cafeteria food, so we ate upstairs in the buffet every night. It was only mildly better. The specialty restaurants were all nice.

 

So, goldenrod, if you're expecting some kind of gastronomical fantasy on your next cruise, you might want to readjust your expectations.

 

 

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This post is so right. We were on Princess NE/Canada cruise several yrs ago.. I'll never get dh on another Princess cruise. The food is only part of the reason, but it was terrible. At lunch one day in the MDR, I ordered a salad with "field greens" as did another woman at the table. The "field greens" were iceberg lettuce!

 

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