What's not to miss on the revamped vegetarian menu?

[ExpatBride]

Thanks to a recommendation on this forum, I enjoyed a mezze plate most nights the last time I sailed HAL. I wouldn't have chosen it otherwise, and it turned out to be one of my favorite MDR dishes of all time. I even ordered a double portion and ate it for my "main" on several nights.

I can see that HAL has revamped the vegetarian/vegan menu since then. Unfortunately, they've removed my beloved mezze plate. Are there any sleeper items on the new menu that I should try? I'm sure I won't starve, but nothing really appeals to me.

[rodndonna]

2 hours ago, ExpatBride said:

Thanks to a recommendation on this forum, I enjoyed a mezze plate most nights the last time I sailed HAL. I wouldn't have chosen it otherwise, and it turned out to be one of my favorite MDR dishes of all time. I even ordered a double portion and ate it for my "main" on several nights.

I can see that HAL has revamped the vegetarian/vegan menu since then. Unfortunately, they've removed my beloved mezze plate. Are there any sleeper items on the new menu that I should try? I'm sure I won't starve, but nothing really appeals to me.

 

I missed the post on the new Vegetarian menu - would you be able to post it or refer to it?

[ExpatBride]

1 hour ago, rodndonna said:

 

I missed the post on the new Vegetarian menu - would you be able to post it or refer to it?

 

You can see it here: https://profcruise.com/25-holland-america-dining-secrets/

[rodndonna]

4 minutes ago, ExpatBride said:

 

You can see it here: https://profcruise.com/25-holland-america-dining-secrets/

 

Thank you! We are not vegetarian, just non-meat eaters and have normally just managed OK from the regular menu, but will definitely be asking for the vegetarian menu as well on our next cruise.

 

We sail in 3 weeks - I'll ask about the mezze plate if you don;'t get a response before then. Seems odd they would remove that one and maybe it is just now an "always available" item.

[0106]

There is a vegetarian option on the regular MDR menu every evening.  I eat seafood and often order multiple appetizers to replace my main course. 

[ExpatBride]

Just now, 0106 said:

There is a vegetarian option on the regular MDR menu every evening.  I eat seafood and often order multiple appetizers to replace my main course. 

I know. I'm looking for specific recommendations that I might otherwise overlook.

[ExpatBride]

8 minutes ago, rodndonna said:

 

 

We sail in 3 weeks - I'll ask about the mezze plate if you don;'t get a response before then. Seems odd they would remove that one and maybe it is just now an "always available" item.

 

Please do report back 😊 I'm not sailing until the end of July.

[rodndonna]

1 minute ago, ExpatBride said:

I know. I'm looking for specific recommendations that I might otherwise overlook.

 

There is an Indian menu available as well, and it typically has vegetarian options as well.

[ExpatBride]

1 minute ago, rodndonna said:

 

There is an Indian menu available as well, and it typically has vegetarian options as well.

I've had a look at that one, and it's definitely piqued my interest! Food is one of my favorite parts of cruising because I cook almost 100% of everything I eat, so it's nice to hand off that responsibility to someone else for a bit.

[PACD_JG]

Why miss anything?  Everything listed is included in your fare, so just try it all and see what you like...

[ExpatBride]

6 minutes ago, PACD_JG said:

Why miss anything?  Everything listed is included in your fare, so just try it all and see what you like...

 

I'm a tiny lady, it would take me months to try everything 😅

 

And I don't subscribe to the "I've paid for it, so it's my perorogative to waste it" school of thought.

Edited May 12, 2023 by ExpatBride

[shack]

6 hours ago, ExpatBride said:

 

You can see it here: https://profcruise.com/25-holland-america-dining-secrets/

Thanks for sharing.  Many great HAL dining tips (25) beyond the veg menu.

[YourWorldWithBill]

Thanks for these notes, everyone. It appears that this vegetarian menu has, as mentioned, revamped since our Alaska trip in September. I wasn't sure about when the change happened.

It looks better to me!

[rj59]

I found that the Indian vegetarian options are more interesting, larger, and taste better than regular vegan/vegetarian options, so I'd ask for both menus and compare. The other big advantage of the Indian menu is that you have Indian cooks and chefs, so you're going with their specialty and where they can show off creativity--I remember asking the Indian head chef in a HAL elevator about the Indian menu, and he took great delight in organizing a tasty, varied, personal menu based on my likes. 

 

I love Prof Cruise, not only her humor, but her hints and menu/drinks guides with photos. I thought I knew all the HAL hints, but I didn't realize that one could still order off-menu creme brûlée--I remember being angry when I didn't see it on Koningsdam last December, and thought it was just another awful cutback (like the single lunch menu for the entire cruise, cutting out their delicious cold soups, and the free chocolate-covered strawberries that used to pop up every evening in the explorations cafe). I'm also happy to see one can still order MDR dishes as room service, something I think really separates them from lines like Celebrity and Princess and is really comforting for a shy solo cruiser like me who doesn't like crowds or what I felt on Koningsdam and other large ships at full capacity of waiters just taking orders and slapping down plates, and a brusque unfriendliness that wouldn't earn them a good tip on land. 

[YourWorldWithBill]

11 minutes ago, rj59 said:

I remember asking the Indian head chef in a HAL elevator about the Indian menu, and he took great delight in organizing a tasty, varied, personal menu based on my likes. 

I also met the head chef (on the Noordam) in an elevator, and also had a nice discussion with him about Indian items on the menu! Many, many years ago I spent some time in South India.