Best Food Choices On Oceania ??

[curtdesilets]

We have not sailed Oceania in almost 3 years.  Any suggestions for not to be missed food selections.

We are sailing today on Regatta,  9 day California Coastal. 

[ToxM]

The porterhouse in Tuscan was excellent, but honestly, as you know you are in for a treat with everything…  

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, curtdesilets said:

We have not sailed Oceania in almost 3 years.  Any suggestions for not to be missed food selections.

We are sailing today on Regatta,  9 day California Coastal. 

Aragosta Fra Diavolo in Toscana. Simple Sicilian fare that will remind you of “nona.”

[njhorseman]

2 hours ago, ToxM said:

The porterhouse in Tuscan was excellent, but honestly, as you know you are in for a treat with everything…  

Tuscan Steak is only on Sirena. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 minutes ago, njhorseman said:

Tuscan Steak is only on Sirena. 

Interesting tidbit: One downside of Tuscan Steak is the combined Polo/Toscana menu with a loss of certain items from the original individual menus on the other O ships.
Note, however, that you can ask for the missing items (check with the chef or a maitre d’ several days ahead and, if they’ve got the ingredients, they’ll do their best to accommodate you.

[LHT28]

just pick something you like 

It will probably be good

Food is subjective  not everyone will like the same thing

 

[ChathamCat]

16 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

Interesting tidbit: One downside of Tuscan Steak is the combined Polo/Toscana menu with a loss of certain items from the original individual menus on the other O ships.
Note, however, that you can ask for the missing items (check with the chef or a maitre d’ several days ahead and, if they’ve got the ingredients, they’ll do their best to accommodate you.

I haven't been on O for about 10 years now. Do Polo and Toscana have only one menu now? Doing a back to back in about a month. Thanks. 

[LHT28]

6 minutes ago, ChathamCat said:

I haven't been on O for about 10 years now. Do Polo and Toscana have only one menu now? Doing a back to back in about a month. Thanks. 

They have  one menu EACH

Sirena is the exception where they combined the restaurants Polo & Toscana to Tuscan Steak & now share the menu but pared down versions

sample menu

https://www.oceaniacruises.com/ships/sirena/culinary-experiences/

[Hawaiidan]

3 hours ago, curtdesilets said:

We have not sailed Oceania in almost 3 years.  Any suggestions for not to be missed food selections.

We are sailing today on Regatta,  9 day California Coastal. 

from A-Z..... what ever they are serving.     The less contemplation, I have found on what you think you have to eat and more you  can let go and  be excited by the  moment....  like a child opening their Christmas presents.     Every day in every way  is a discovery...and adventure....Let it happen   be surprised and amazed.   

 

   Built up  expectations lead to disappointments..  What I tell you I love is great if your ME...      But your not... ( probably a good thing).     Follow your impulse and mood for the day.... do not  try to chase others ideas and ideals.....   Leave the adult control at home... bring along  the child with curiosity and wonder. 

[Noxequifans]

Excellent food ..... individual preferences yield different offerings. 

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, ChathamCat said:

I haven't been on O for about 10 years now. Do Polo and Toscana have only one menu now? Doing a back to back in about a month. Thanks. 

Only on Sirena where the restaurants were combined to make space for the addition of a Red Ginger.

[mauibabes]

When O resumed sailing on August and October on Marina and Riviera, they introduced many new items to the Toscana menu and of course removed some.  Our favorite, Grandma’s Lasagne Bolognese, was removed but the uproar from the guests brought it back at least for our sailings on Riviera and then last month on Marina. I would be curious if it is included on the Toscana menus on all the ships now. Any comments? 

I can not recall any major changes to the Polo or Jacques or Red Ginger menus. The rolls with Jacques name on them are gone. We heard it was a 5 hour process to make them so like the dinosaur, the are now extinct in Jacques. Or at least we have not seen them post pandemic. 
Ciao,

Mauibabes

 

[vlthom]

On our recent sailing on Regatta, we noted that it appeared that Toscana's menu had been trimmed down but we were hard pressed to figure out what was missing.  There was one salad that we had previously enjoyed -- one that contained asparagus and prosciutto that is no longer on the menu.  And changes to the dessert offerings.  There were a couple of new items listed and cannoli are no longer on the menu at all.  I had one heck of a time getting a "normal" cappuccino from Toscana and tried on multiple occasions.  I don't know if the machine was malfunctioning or if they simply didn't know how to operate it.  There was never foam and on one attempt, the entire thing was room temperature.  

[Hawaiidan]

On 4/24/2022 at 11:52 AM, Flatbush Flyer said:

Only on Sirena where the restaurants were combined to make space for the addition of a Red Ginger.

Yup   I found out that..too.     So it appears that of the R ships   Sirena will have the most variety for cuisine.    Good to know

[Flatbush Flyer]

On 4/24/2022 at 1:59 PM, mauibabes said:

When O resumed sailing on August and October on Marina and Riviera, they introduced many new items to the Toscana menu and of course removed some.  Our favorite, Grandma’s Lasagne Bolognese, was removed but the uproar from the guests brought it back at least for our sailings on Riviera and then last month on Marina. I would be curious if it is included on the Toscana menus on all the ships now. Any comments? 

I can not recall any major changes to the Polo or Jacques or Red Ginger menus. The rolls with Jacques name on them are gone. We heard it was a 5 hour process to make them so like the dinosaur, the are now extinct in Jacques. Or at least we have not seen them post pandemic. 
Ciao,

Mauibabes

 

Replaced by rustic brown bread - yuck!

[njhorseman]

2 hours ago, Hawaiidan said:

Yup   I found out that..too.     So it appears that of the R ships   Sirena will have the most variety for cuisine.    Good to know

Except if one isn't fond of Red Ginger this arrangement isn't very satisfactory because not all dishes from Toscana and Polo are on the Tuscan Steak menu. For example @Flatbush Flyer's favorite Lobster Fra DIavlo isn't.

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, njhorseman said:

Except if one isn't fond of Red Ginger this arrangement isn't very satisfactory because not all dishes from Toscana and Polo are on the Tuscan Steak menu. For example @Flatbush Flyer's favorite Lobster Fra DIavlo isn't.

I always have it on Sirena. Just need to ask the chef a few days prior to your res. They have all the ingredients. Same goes for other “missing” regular Toscana dishes. 

[rbtan]

On 4/24/2022 at 9:07 AM, curtdesilets said:

We have not sailed Oceania in almost 3 years.  Any suggestions for not to be missed food selections.

We are sailing today on Regatta,  9 day California Coastal. 

Using Riviera as our ship. We're both in the food industry. One reason we like Oceania! Pretty much everything is excellent.(though not always perfect) Our faves are as follows: Le Bourgeoise dinner in La Reserve. Chilean Seabass in Red Ginger. The Sea Bass in puff pastry in Jacques(overall favorite single dish) Lobster in Polo Grill. Dover Sole or Filet Mignon in Toscana. Generally preferred the steaks in Toscana, sorry, Polo! 

[Mura]

On 4/24/2022 at 9:07 AM, curtdesilets said:

We have not sailed Oceania in almost 3 years.  Any suggestions for not to be missed food selections.

We are sailing today on Regatta,  9 day California Coastal. 

I am late to the game here, but you are asking people what THEIR favorites are ... and they may not be what YOUR favorites are.

 

My favorites are the big prime rib in Polo, also the shrimp cocktail, several favorites in Jacques ... Or just go to Terrace (or the GDR) and take a daily favorite.

 

We have not been disappointed over the years.

 

Mura

[chloemonkey]

On our last trip that the Lobster Bisque was better in Polo than in Jacques.......as there is a lobster bisque type entre in this Bourgeois meal that got us talking about it.....I could not comment as I had not ordered it from either....but interesting.  Again, the food is so subjective....not to mention what ship, what chef was in charge of preparation.....it is just ALL pretty darned good!  So nothing to worry about as you WILL gain a couple!

 

[Harters]

On 4/26/2022 at 1:11 AM, njhorseman said:

Except if one isn't fond of Red Ginger this arrangement isn't very satisfactory

As with pretty much everything food related, this is all a matter of personal taste. Prior to our last O cruise (to date our only O cruise), I read the forum and saw all the recommendations for Red Ginger. I was really looking forward to eating there as I enjoy East Asian food in general. But what a disappointment - bland and very mediocre offerings. We have made our two reservations for RG for our forthcoming cruise and we will definitely keep the first one but may cancel the second if still unthrilled. I'd rather eat in the GDR than repeat our last experience

[Flatbush Flyer]

2 hours ago, Harters said:

As with pretty much everything food related, this is all a matter of personal taste. Prior to our last O cruise (to date our only O cruise), I read the forum and saw all the recommendations for Red Ginger. I was really looking forward to eating there as I enjoy East Asian food in general. But what a disappointment - bland and very mediocre offerings. We have made our two reservations for RG for our forthcoming cruise and we will definitely keep the first one but may cancel the second if still unthrilled. I'd rather eat in the GDR than repeat our last experience

True that Red Ginger is not my favorite mom & pop authentic (pick which Asian cuisine you want tonight) joint anywhere across the SF Bay Area. But, IMO, there is something for everyone on the RG menu. My “go to” is the Duck & Watermelon Salad. As for the main dishes, I agree that traditional “spicy“ needs to be specified when you order.

 

And that brings me to my most pet peeve about Oceania food. There is a lack of appropriate condiments for specific cuisines. For example, Chili flakes, Tabasco and Sriracha are just sooo wrong for Mexican night in the Terrace Café. We actually bring individual serving packets of Tapa Tio with us on O cruises!

[Harters]

12 minutes ago, Flatbush Flyer said:

I agree that traditional “spicy“ needs to be specified when you order.

I may not of explained myself too well. I wasnt just referring to "spicy" as meaning heat from chilli, but a lack of assertive use of all the other vibrant spices that I'd expect to come across in East Asian food. It really was just very mediocre. If it was  a landbased restaurant, there's no way I would have been considering a return visit.

[Flatbush Flyer]

5 minutes ago, Harters said:

I may not of explained myself too well. I wasnt just referring to "spicy" as meaning heat from chilli, but a lack of assertive use of all the other vibrant spices that I'd expect to come across in East Asian food. It really was just very mediocre. If it was  a landbased restaurant, there's no way I would have been considering a return visit.

FWIW: most of the chefs I have encountered on O ships are very approachable about making a passenger’s preferred dish (with advanced request and dependent upon available ingredients). Still doesn’t mean perfection but worth a shot.

[LHT28]

3 hours ago, Harters said:

As with pretty much everything food related, this is all a matter of personal taste. Prior to our last O cruise (to date our only O cruise), I read the forum and saw all the recommendations for Red Ginger. I was really looking forward to eating there as I enjoy East Asian food in general. But what a disappointment - bland and very mediocre offerings. We have made our two reservations for RG for our forthcoming cruise and we will definitely keep the first one but may cancel the second if still unthrilled. I'd rather eat in the GDR than repeat our last experience

maybe request a more traditional preparation of the dish

Then the cooks can tweek it before you get it

I had the Green curry dish & I think it was meant for someone that requested  it be spicer  or the cooks were Pi** d off

It was so hot spice wise that I could not tell if the tea was hot or cold ..it felt cold to me  but the feel of the cup with my hand was HOT

It took most of the evening to get the feeling back in my mouth