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

[UKstages]

oh, the almond croissant in the haven!
 

how could I forget the almond croissant?

[GORDONCHICK]

4 minutes ago, UKstages said:

oh, the almond croissant in the haven!
 

how could I forget the almond croissant?

I'm gonna need someone to smuggle some out for me!

On my very first cruise (on X), they had this little tea cart.  In the mornings, it had amazing pastries and I always got an almost croissant!  In the afternoons, they had cookies.  I could walk by the cookies all day long, but I'm like a moth to the flame when it comes to an almost croissant (or a piece of a kringle!).

[laudergayle]

Some of our favs:

 

Grilled chicken salad sandwich in The Local

Dessert Cheese & Fruit Plate as appetizer in MDR (goes great with rolls)

Goat Cheese croquettes and Beet Salad in LeBistro

Ile Flontante dessert in LeBistro

Butterscotch Cheesecake in Cagney’s 

Salad Bar in Moderno

Grilled Pineapple in Moderno

Frito Misto in LaCucina

 

I made myself hungry 🤤 

 

here is a pic of the grilled chicken salad from the Local.

 

 

 

Edited June 27, 2023 by laudergayle

[laudergayle]

2 hours ago, GORDONCHICK said:

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

Don’t know what ship you’re sailing, but if there is an Observation Lounge they are typically found there too.

[alackas]

1 hour ago, RB9643 said:

 

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

 

 

Spatchcocked on a Traeger wood pellet grill is my go to.   No one else in the family is a turkey fan so I have to initiate it

[GORDONCHICK]

5 minutes ago, laudergayle said:

Don’t know what ship you’re sailing, but if there is an Observation Lounge they are typically found there too.

Good to know!  I'll be on the Joy in September.  It's very port intensive so I don't know how often I will get to the OL.

[laudergayle]

9 minutes ago, GORDONCHICK said:

Good to know!  I'll be on the Joy in September.  It's very port intensive so I don't know how often I will get to the OL.

We found it was a great place to get a drink after getting back on board…in the AC (or warm in cold weather) and typically not crowded at that time.

Edited June 27, 2023 by laudergayle

[hallux]

My go-to at Le Bistro is the French Onion soup, Steak tartare (ironic since I'll send back an under-cooked steak), Dover sole and Marquise au Chocolat (which got some interesting comments from the next table over when they got it as I was being seated).

 

MDR has had some good shrimp & cheese grits (the grits got the seal of approval from a Georgia resident so they must have been good).  I'm also a fan of the breaded flounder in the MDR.

[laudergayle]

3 minutes ago, hallux said:

I'm also a fan of the breaded flounder in the MDR.

My DH agrees.

[LatinaInTexas]

First time NCL cruiser last month and found the food in the MDR very good overall, especially the apps. All cruise lines have a few entrees on the menu that are available every night, usually the steak option isn't very good.

I ordered the steak option one night and was very surprised at how good it was. It was thick and juicy, cooked and seasoned perfectly, basically as good as I have had at a steakhouse.

[RocketMan275]

1 hour ago, RB9643 said:

 

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

And, it is worth every penny of the surcharge.

My wife loves the escargo

[Cruising Lynne]

1 hour ago, Cruising Lynne said:

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! 

Ugh! Too late to edit. April 2023 not 20323 LOL. 

[valleyvillage]

I am vegetarian, which can be a challenge. So I really appreciate the Cauliflower Steak ras el hanout in Oceal Blue. The napoleon de legumes in Le Bistro is another favorite! 

[cruiserbear55]

 

  Lava cake in the MDRs. ( Indigo on the Pearl-yum!!). Soft serve ice cream.

[itsnotjustme]

The beef fajita style dish in Los Lobos is great.  It might be called Carne Asada.  The Mexican street corn is also very good.

 

French onion soup at Le Bistro. 

[Elvis1209]

We were on Breakaway in March, 2022.  I made it my mission to see who has the best prime rib on the ship.  (I'm a prime rib fanatic!)  I have to say that after careful consideration I have to give this one to The Haven Restaurant with Cagney's a close second!  We're on Escape in September so I may have to test them all again!  I mean it's the only fair thing to do!

 

Elvis

[graphicguy]

Chocolate Croissants in the Observation Lounge!  Chicken Salad sandwich in O’Sheehans or The Local!  Brisket at Qs!  Hamburger Sliders at the Haven Bar!  Fresh carved Prime Rib in Cagney’s!

[GORDONCHICK]

36 minutes ago, Elvis1209 said:

We were on Breakaway in March, 2022.  I made it my mission to see who has the best prime rib on the ship.  (I'm a prime rib fanatic!)  I have to say that after careful consideration I have to give this one to The Haven Restaurant with Cagney's a close second!  We're on Escape in September so I may have to test them all again!  I mean it's the only fair thing to do!

 

Elvis

It's a noble goal.

[Ramblin and Gamblin]

The Coq Au Vin in Le Bistro is a underappreciated gem.  I think it gets overlooked simply because it is a chicken dish on a menu with steak and seafood options.  However, it is fabulous.  DW orders it every time, meaning I also get to enjoy it because it is too big for her to finish.

 

Also, +1 to the other Le Bistro dishes others have mentioned.  LB is our favorite specialty dining restaurant.

[GORDONCHICK]

13 minutes ago, Ramblin and Gamblin said:

Also, +1 to the other Le Bistro dishes others have mentioned.  LB is our favorite specialty dining restaurant.

I think it's our fave too.

[bkrickles1]

15 hours ago, laudergayle said:

Some of our favs:

 

Grilled chicken salad sandwich in The Local

Dessert Cheese & Fruit Plate as appetizer in MDR (goes great with rolls)

Goat Cheese croquettes and Beet Salad in LeBistro

Ile Flontante dessert in LeBistro

Butterscotch Cheesecake in Cagney’s 

Salad Bar in Moderno

Grilled Pineapple in Moderno

Frito Misto in LaCucina

 

I made myself hungry 🤤 

 

here is a pic of the grilled chicken salad from the Local.

 

 

 

Thanks for the recs!

I love chicken salad but I've never tried it at the Local/Osheehans.

I'll remedy that in 25 days when I board Joy. 

And I love the idea of the dessert fruit and cheese plate for an app. Something else I plan on trying on my sailing.

Thanks again!!

[frayedend]

16 hours ago, GORDONCHICK said:

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.

GordonChick understands cheesecake.  NY style, dense, baked, and served cold is the way it should be.

[oneloyaldawg]

Ocean Blue - Blazing Shrimp appetizer. So good I went back a second night without another specialty dining coupon and just paid for the shrimp as my main.

 

MDR - Asian ribs appetizer. absolutely fall off the bone saucy perfection. I usually get two

 

In general, I've found that the appetizers tend to be my favorite parts of a meal, so I usually just order one as my app and one as my main. Also helps to not overeat on a cruise. 

[GORDONCHICK]

7 minutes ago, frayedend said:

GordonChick understands cheesecake.  NY style, dense, baked, and served cold is the way it should be.

Amen!

[UKstages]

well, that’s one style of cheesecake. and I live in new york, so i can certainly appreciate it. and I do. but there is also italian cheesecake… it’s an entirely different dessert.  lighter, less dense and made with ricotta, not cream cheese. i like them both, but prefer the less sweet ricotta version when dining in an italian restaurant.
 

onda serves a good italian cheesecake.