Favorite foods/dishes on NCL (within the past year or two)

[GORDONCHICK]

I'm a bit a of a foodie.  Cruises are a time for me to order old faves and try new dishes!.  I know food is something that has been impacted by the cust cutting.  I haven't been on NCL in a few years (5) so I'd love to hear your favorites to see if any of my old ones are still around - and if they're still good!

[RB9643]

 

 

Personally, I'll take French Onion soup anytime it's available, but in Le Bistro they take it to another level, and I've never been disappointed. The creme brulee in the MDR has only rarely been subpar.

 

The escargot in Le Bistro was great. The appetizers everywhere often impressed when least expected. Try everything.  There was seared/smoked octopus somewhere that was incredible.

 

This is hard.  😄

 

 

[omahabob]

Soft serve ice cream, and I paid dearly for it.

[GORDONCHICK]

1 minute ago, RB9643 said:

 

 

Personally, I'll take French Onion soup anytime it's available, but in Le Bistro they take it to another level, and I've never been disappointed. The creme brulee in the MDR has only rarely been subpar.

 

The escargot in Le Bistro was great. The appetizers everywhere often impressed when least expected. Try everything.  There was seared/smoked octopus somewhere that was incredible.

 

This is hard.  😄

 

 

My husband loves French onion soup so he's always up for that.  I also love the escargot in LeBistro.  I hope you can remember where you had the octopus - I've never had that!

Creme brulee is one of my favorites - except for the time they put pineapple in it!  That texture was all kinds of wrong, though I don't mind the raspberry one.  Chocolate creme brulee is not often found but delicious when you do find it.

But one important item that I'm hoping to find is the pretzel rolls in the buffet?  I don't care if they're the little round ones or the long ones.  I will use either for sandwiches with the deli meats and cheeses at lunch and be perfectly happy.  Sometimes the simple things are awesome, too!

[KP@Sea]

The scallops (appetizer) at Ocean Blue were excellent last month on the Getaway. I also agree the French onion soup at LeBistro is very good.

Edited June 27, 2023 by Winky7650

[KP@Sea]

3 minutes ago, GORDONCHICK said:

 

But one important item that I'm hoping to find is the pretzel rolls in the buffet?  I don't care if they're the little round ones or the long ones.  I will use either for sandwiches with the deli meats and cheeses at lunch and be perfectly happy.  Sometimes the simple things are awesome, too!

Both varieties of pretzel rolls were available at the buffet last month. Often, one or the other, but sometimes both. 

[RB9643]

5 minutes ago, GORDONCHICK said:

My husband loves French onion soup so he's always up for that.  I also love the escargot in LeBistro.  I hope you can remember where you had the octopus - I've never had that

 

But one important item that I'm hoping to find is the pretzel rolls in the buffet? 

 

 

I believe the octopus was at Palomar on Prima, but I can't count on my short-term memory.

 

I only eat the buffet for a quick lunch, so I've never had the pretzel rolls.

 

 

[GORDONCHICK]

15 minutes ago, RB9643 said:

I only eat the buffet for a quick lunch, so I've never had the pretzel rolls.

The buffet is great for a quick lunch, which is what I use the pretzel rolls and deli meats for.  Though the crepes in the evening at the buffet are good if you did find a dessert that sounded good wherever you ate dinner.

[egurbi]

I'd like to enter into this contest the whole turkey they cook at the buffet, typically on country and western night or all-american night.  If you like turkey, it's as good as grandma's thanksgiving!

[GORDONCHICK]

1 minute ago, egurbi said:

I'd like to enter into this contest the whole turkey they cook at the buffet, typically on country and western night or all-american night.  If you like turkey, it's as good as grandma's thanksgiving!

I'll let hubby know.  He's the turkey fan in our house, though the spatchcocked one I cooked last Christmas was the best I've ever had.

[RB9643]

31 minutes ago, GORDONCHICK said:

I'll let hubby know.  He's the turkey fan in our house, though the spatchcocked one I cooked last Christmas was the best I've ever had.

 

I have always wanted to try a spatchcocked chicken on the grill, but never have. I can't imagine a whole turkey.

 

 

[GORDONCHICK]

Just now, RB9643 said:

 

I have always wanted to try a spatchcocked chicken on the grill, but never have. I can't imagine a whole turkey.

I did it in the oven and it was amaze-balls!  So juicy it was ridiculous!  I won't hesitate to do it again.  1.5 hours to cook a 14# turkey.

[RB9643]

3 minutes ago, GORDONCHICK said:

 1.5 hours to cook a 14# turkey.

 

 

We need to get back on topic, but I have to know -- convection or standard oven?

 

 

[GORDONCHICK]

1 minute ago, RB9643 said:

We need to get back on topic, but I have to know -- convection or standard oven?

standard

[BirdTravels]

1 hour ago, GORDONCHICK said:

I'm a bit a of a foodie.  Cruises are a time for me to order old faves and try new dishes!.  I know food is something that has been impacted by the cust cutting.  I haven't been on NCL in a few years (5) so I'd love to hear your favorites to see if any of my old ones are still around - and if they're still good!

The food has absolutely not been impacted by cost cutting. NCL has always and continues to lead the cruise industry with innovating. So,,, yes old favorites leave the menu when they are not selling and being thrown out every night, despite claims that they are best sellers (e.g., max-n-cheese on the MDR menu). And there are impacts of supply chain since the restart. 
 

Favorites

Ocean Blue: tuna avocado stack

Ocean Blue: cheesecake in a jar

Le Bistro: lobster thermidor 

 

[GORDONCHICK]

2 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Favorites

Ocean Blue: tuna avocado stack

Ocean Blue: cheesecake in a jar

Le Bistro: lobster thermidor 

 

I am a huge fan of tuna tartare, so that tuna stack looks awesome.  I've never had lobster thermador - it's intriguing.  But since we will spend a week in Maine after our cruise, that may be where I try that dish.  I'm pretty picky on cheesecake and while I'm sure that was tasty, I don't think I can eat something that's supposed to be cheesecake-esk but has more of a pudding or custard texture.  Heck, I won't even eat it at the Cheesecake Factory because they serve it too warm.  Cheesecake should be very cold (I prefer mine just short of frozen) and very firm.  And if it isn't baked, it isn't cheesecake.

[RB9643]

7 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

 

Le Bistro: lobster thermidor

 

 

 

Absolutely agree. The lobster thermidor was insanely good. But it also had a $25 surcharge.

 

 

[UKstages]

i like the curiously named “mushroom tartare” at onda, the mexican street corn at los lobos, the mushroom flatbread and banana banoffee at the haven and the chicken korma and chicken tikka at tamara, within the indulge food hall.

[Pitzel]

23 minutes ago, GORDONCHICK said:

I did it in the oven and it was amaze-balls!  So juicy it was ridiculous!  I won't hesitate to do it again.  1.5 hours to cook a 14# turkey.

We spatchcock our turkeys for Thanksgiving and I don't think we will never go back to the "traditional" method of preparation ever again! So good and so easy!

As for NCL food, we were very impressed by the food in the Indulge Food Hall on the Prima. The Indian dishes and the BBQ were both quite good, especially considering that it is a complementary venue.

The mushroom soup in Le Bistro is also a favorite of ours and we order it every time we go there. The French Onion is also good, but we can also get onion soup at Cagney's and the MDR (not exactly the same as LB, but also not bad).

[GORDONCHICK]

17 minutes ago, UKstages said:

i like the curiously named “mushroom tartare” at onda, the mexican street corn at los lobos, the mushroom flatbread and banana banoffee at the haven and the chicken korma and chicken tikka at tamara, within the indulge food hall.

There are lots of different tartares these days - lots of vegetarian options - but I tend to stick to the seafood and beef ones!

[2bc cruisers]

Appetizer from MDR  - spicy cornbread!  Yum, yum.  

[GORDONCHICK]

Has anyone seen the goat cheese stuffed portobello mushroom lately?  I remember having it in one of the smaller MDRs a few years ago on embarkation day.  It was delish!  My son is a huge fan of the mussels in LeBistro, but he won't be with us on this cruise.  We've done 17 with him, this will be a first without him (he's finishing his last year of college).

[UKstages]

3 minutes ago, GORDONCHICK said:

There are lots of different tartares these days…

and many of them are incorrectly called tartares… strictly speaking, a tartare consists of raw meat or fish. 

[GORDONCHICK]

Just now, UKstages said:

and many of them are incorrectly called tartares… strictly speaking, a tartare consists of raw meat or fish. 

True, but I think they are taking chef's creative license.

[Cruising Lynne]

1 hour ago, Winky7650 said:

Both varieties of pretzel rolls were available at the buffet last month. Often, one or the other, but sometimes both. 

Glad to hear this. On my last cruise (April 20323) they were not always available in the buffet, but we could get them at O'Sheehan's.

 

Love Cagney's chocolate cake. O' Sheehan's carrot cake is good and the cannoli in La Cucina. Crepes are still good in the buffet. Now I'm hungry!