Rudi's Sel de Mer supl appetizers?

[POA1]

Does anyone happen to know if you can order an additional appetizer at Sel de Mar? I don't mind if there's a supplement or surcharge. If there is and you know the amount, please share. Thank you!

[kazu]

5 minutes ago, POA1 said:

Does anyone happen to know if you can order an additional appetizer at Sel de Mar? I don't mind if there's a supplement or surcharge. If there is and you know the amount, please share. Thank you!

 

Yes you can order an additional appetizer.  There wasn’t a surcharge when I did it and I don’t recall seeing it on their menu - only for an extra entree.

[Florida_gal_50]

It’s a fair bit of food so you may not want one.  I wouldn’t describe myself as a small eater and I eat pretty healthy during the day with no snacking.  I really feel like tamarind is the only place that I need a second appetizer so I hope hal doesn’t continue down this road.  Without a doubt sel de mer is my favourite although I didn’t always feel that way.  I would go for fresh items rather than a bunch of fried items.

Edited April 30, 2023 by Florida_gal_50

[POA1]

In related news... Our ability to reserve specialty dining showed up yesterday (Saturday 4/29.) It wasn't there on Friday. Yesterday was 225 days before sailing. I'm not sure if that's why dining reservations came online or not. I wasn't expecting them yet. Someone in my roll call spotted them.

[Florida_gal_50]

45 minutes ago, POA1 said:

In related news... Our ability to reserve specialty dining showed up yesterday (Saturday 4/29.) It wasn't there on Friday. Yesterday was 225 days before sailing. I'm not sure if that's why dining reservations came online or not. I wasn't expecting them yet. Someone in my roll call spotted them.

Mine it there too!  Thanks so much for the heads up. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t there on Friday as well. Ouch, looks like sel de mer has had a pretty good price increase but maybe I just am not remembering correctly. 

Edited April 30, 2023 by Florida_gal_50

[POA1]

1 hour ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

Mine it there too!  Thanks so much for the heads up. I’m pretty sure it wasn’t there on Friday as well. Ouch, looks like sel de mer has had a pretty good price increase but maybe I just am not remembering correctly. 

I think it's up by $10 or so. Considering the increase in food costs, it's not awful.

[Florida_gal_50]

44 minutes ago, POA1 said:

I think it's up by $10 or so. Considering the increase in food costs, it's not awful.

It’s close to $80 cdn total.   For me it’s getting to be a little more than it’s worth.

[OlsSalt]

Beware the "foie gras" appetizer is a big slab of tinned paté au foie gras, which they also use on their Tournados Rossini  entree. Heavy, dense, fatty and tasteless. Even the MDR used to have real foie gras, when offered as an appetizer.

 

Just one in the string of disappointments at our first Sel de Mer experience on the Konigsdam. We cancelled our later second reservation, and stuck with Canaletto which was remarkably good.

[AncientWanderer]

5 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

Beware the "foie gras" appetizer is a big slab of tinned paté au foie gras, which they also use on their Tournados Rossini  entree. Heavy, dense, fatty and tasteless. Even the MDR used to have real foie gras, when offered as an appetizer.

 

Just one in the string of disappointments at our first Sel de Mer experience on the Konigsdam. We cancelled our later second reservation, and stuck with Canaletto which was remarkably good.

 

 

Oh....I really love the stuff, OlsSalt, even though it is indeed paté rather than true foie gras.  They use it for an appetizer as well, with some type of berry compote, and I alway look forward to it.  To me...smooth, creamy and with a kind of special delicate flavor that melts in the mouth.  I keep trying various patés from specialty markets to find something with that same je ne sais quois.  With no luck so far.

 

So there you have it.  To each his own in the food department.   🤷‍♀️

[Florida_gal_50]

37 minutes ago, OlsSalt said:

Beware the "foie gras" appetizer is a big slab of tinned paté au foie gras, which they also use on their Tournados Rossini  entree. Heavy, dense, fatty and tasteless. Even the MDR used to have real foie gras, when offered as an appetizer.

 

Just one in the string of disappointments at our first Sel de Mer experience on the Konigsdam. We cancelled our later second reservation, and stuck with Canaletto which was remarkably good.

I really continue to love canaletto but I stick to the same few items. I get the tomato seafood soup.  It's yummy and boiling hot. I either get osso bucco or veggie risotto, both are excellent snd always chocolate tart for dessert. 

[AncientWanderer]

3 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I really continue to love canaletto but I stick to the same few items. I get the tomato seafood soup.  It's yummy and boiling hot. I either get osso bucco or veggie risotto, both are excellent snd always chocolate tart for dessert. 

 

I like those dishes, too.    I also like the way they do the branzino.   Possibly my favorite HAL fish preparation.

 

But all OP asked about was appetizer surcharge.  I must be hungry.  lol

[POA1]

We were thinking Escargot (DW), Crab Bisque (Me) and then sharing the duck liver pâté and beef tartare to share.  I didn't hold out any special hopes for true fois gras when I saw the words "duck liver" in the description.

[AncientWanderer]

Just now, POA1 said:

We were thinking Escargot (DW), Crab Bisque (Me) and then sharing the duck liver pâté and beef tartare to share.  I didn't hold out any special hopes for true fois gras when I saw the words "duck liver" in the description.

 

You will be happy campers.  😊

[Seasick Sailor]

16 minutes ago, POA1 said:

We were thinking Escargot (DW), Crab Bisque (Me) and then sharing the duck liver pâté and beef tartare to share.  I didn't hold out any special hopes for true fois gras when I saw the words "duck liver" in the description.

 

I love the crab bisque too. One night in Pinnacle I asked our waiter if he was able to get the crab bisque for me from Sel de Mer, and he did.

[Florida_gal_50]

The bisque is definitely worthwhile.  The other items are not yo.my taste so I can't speak to that.

[northernphoenix]

Indeed $80 CDN for Rudi Sel de Mer.  But I know that we would never have this excellent cuisine to enjoy in the Near North of Ontario; so I factor this into our reservation.  Am looking forward to this in September.

[Florida_gal_50]

6 minutes ago, northernphoenix said:

Indeed $80 CDN for Rudi Sel de Mer.  But I know that we would never have this excellent cuisine to enjoy in the Near North of Ontario; so I factor this into our reservation.  Am looking forward to this in September.

I'm just a bit on the cheap side and i just never go out for that pricy of a meal where I live.  I also don't like "fancy" food that much so that is lost on me.  I know people love the celler master dinners too. It's just nothing I enjoy.

Edited April 30, 2023 by Florida_gal_50

[northernphoenix]

9 minutes ago, Florida_gal_50 said:

I'm just a bit on the cheap side and i just never go out for that pricy of a meal where I live.  I also don't like "fancy" food that much so that is lost on me.  I know people love the celler master dinners too. It's just nothing I enjoy.

Isn’t life grand…you, do “you”!

[CA Oceanfront]

Does anyone happen to know who the Maitre ‘D is at Rudi’s on Nieuw Statendam currently? Thank you.

[OlsSalt]

22 hours ago, POA1 said:

We were thinking Escargot (DW), Crab Bisque (Me) and then sharing the duck liver pâté and beef tartare to share.  I didn't hold out any special hopes for true fois gras when I saw the words "duck liver" in the description.

 

Would have been easy to simply add the word "paté" in the interests of full disclosure. Particularly when HAL main dining room has served  whole piece "foie"  in the past.

[BigMattT]

On 4/30/2023 at 10:44 AM, AncientWanderer said:

 

 

Oh....I really love the stuff, OlsSalt, even though it is indeed paté rather than true foie gras.  They use it for an appetizer as well, with some type of berry compote, and I alway look forward to it.  To me...smooth, creamy and with a kind of special delicate flavor that melts in the mouth.  I keep trying various patés from specialty markets to find something with that same je ne sais quois.  With no luck so far.

 

So there you have it.  To each his own in the food department.   🤷‍♀️

Agree— the wine and shallot in the foie gras pate makes it for a wonderful accompaniment for the filet. Almost like a sauce— especially with the black truffle mingling in there. A seared medallion would add fat, but not a lot of flavor in comparison.

 

I highly doubt the foie pâté is “canned”. The price point difference with foie gras is getting the large lobes of it to sear as medallions. Frozen nuggets, in comparison, are high quality, much cheaper, and easily made into pate… which is what I think they do on the ship. At least on ships with a Rudi’s standalone.

 

(The pop-up Rudi’s on Eurodam, however, served us awful canned foie gras pate piped on a toast point… glad they stopped the pop-up version.)

 

My point is: you can taste the can. And there’s been zero metal interfering with the taste on Koningsdam and Rotterdam so far post pandemic. 
 

[jeh10641]

On 4/30/2023 at 6:15 AM, POA1 said:

In related news... Our ability to reserve specialty dining showed up yesterday (Saturday 4/29.) It wasn't there on Friday. Yesterday was 225 days before sailing. I'm not sure if that's why dining reservations came online or not. I wasn't expecting them yet. Someone in my roll call spotted them.

POA1,

A little off topic but does your handle refer to Point of Americas in FLL?

[jeh10641]

I think that I ordered two portions of the Steak Tartare appetizer at Rudi's for my main course on Rotterdam (12/21). Total was 8 oz.

[POA1]

3 hours ago, jeh10641 said:

POA1,

A little off topic but does your handle refer to Point of Americas in FLL?

Yes. It's where we live.

[hbsurfcitycruiser]

On 4/30/2023 at 11:39 AM, POA1 said:

We were thinking Escargot (DW), Crab Bisque (Me) and then sharing the duck liver pâté and beef tartare to share.  I didn't hold out any special hopes for true fois gras when I saw the words "duck liver" in the description.

It's my favorite appetizer on HAL. I think you will really enjoy it!

 

(And I do not think it is canned)

Edited May 2, 2023 by hbsurfcitycruiser