A Taste of Salt
P&O
Pacific Explorer
One of the perils of cruising alone is that I have no-one to help me with dress zippers. Due to snapping my upper arm literally in half, many moons ago, I have limited mobility with fandangal-ing a zip on the back of a dress. And so I found myself in a bit of a conundrum before my much-anticipated multi-course dinner at Taste of Salt, Night One aboard Pacific Explorer.
I contemplated asking the steward, but that would be inappropriate (and a little weird). I didn’t know the cabin numbers of any members of the entourage in the media group, so that was no good. And I couldn’t very well just knock on random cabins and ask a stranger to ‘hook a sister up’ while I sucked in my breath and pulled in my belly.
I have dined at Salt grill numerous times aboard several P&O cruises, so I was excited about the meal ahead. However, this new degustation concept aboard Explorer was completely new to me, and I was curious to know if my favourites would be served up tonight (crossing my fingers a bowl of mash with truffle oil would be waiting with my name elegantly designed on the surface akin to a barista's artwork on my morning cappuccino. I won’t keep you in suspense, there wasn’t).
With most degustations I’ve experienced on land, the servings are quite small. But don’t be fooled into thinking because it’s called a ‘Taste’ that you’ll be leaving hungry. Actually, here’s a suggestion P&O, when sending out your invites, add the below disclaimer:
“Please come with a completely empty stomach.
In fact, we recommend that you skip lunch if possible.
And wear stretchy clothing.”
For brevity, I will list the courses below:
Starter: Warm mini bread rolls with za’atar dukkah and oil and balsamic
Try to resist eating the whole roll. You will thank me. Zesty, tangy and a lovely starter. Honey yum scale: 7/10
First Course: Prawn Toast
When this came out, I was surprised it was full-sized. Hang on, I thought this was a degustation = mini plates? Crispy, and piled high with succulent prawns and corn. Honey yum scale: 8/10
Second Course: Kingfish Sashimi with ginger, eschallots and feta
I eat most things in this world, but sashimi is not my favourite. THIS however, was not fishy, had the most beautifully perfumed ginger flavour (and none of the heat due to an intricate curing process that kept only the flavour) and topped with creamy, salty feta. If the meal ended here, I would have been happy. The sashimi was melt-in-the-mouth tender and mouth-gasmic. Honey yum scale: 9/10
I eat most things in this world, but sashimi is not my favourite. THIS however, was not fishy, had the most beautifully perfumed ginger flavour (and none of the heat due to an intricate curing process that kept only the flavour) and topped with creamy, salty feta. If the meal ended here, I would have been happy. The sashimi was melt-in-the-mouth tender and mouth-gasmic. Honey yum scale: 9/10
Third Course: Seared scallops with blue cheese polenta and truffle oil
Again, full-sized! Scallops are in my top 10 favourite dishes, and I can’t express fully my love for truffle oil, except I would bathe in it if I could. Blue cheese, no matter how much I try, I just can't stomach it. I have tried many times, it just tastes rotten to me (well, because it is). Anyway, the blue cheese polenta wasn’t going to deter me from wolfing down the sweet scallops which were perfectly cooked with a slight crust. I did dip my fork in the polenta, and it had a beautiful texture, but the flavour wasn’t to my liking. Honey yum scale: 8/10
Pause
A note about the wine. I am by far the least knowledgeable person when it comes to wine. I am a complete lightweight and prefer sweet and bubbly tipples. I liked some of the wines, and some I didn’t. But, the wine connoisseurs around me were very pleased with the selections. I must however warn you all; your glasses will never be empty as the waiters will keep topping you up. A few times I would look away, and boom, the never-ending wine glass would miraculously be filled again. I know how much I can handle, so I let the waiter know when I’d had enough. Don’t feel obliged to drink it all, however if you want to indulge in all the wines, then go ahead.
Fourth Course: Roasted lamb cutlet with a tomato and basil salsa
Juicy, tender, well seasoned. The broccolini was crisp and dressed well. Honey yum scale: 8/10
At this stage I was finding it hard to take a deep breath. My new dress was already rather snug, and with four courses and nearly four glasses of wine (or was it 5?) under my belt I was quietly hoping I wouldn’t pop a seam. Then I remembered, the zip wasn’t completely done up. Thank the dress gods for little mercies bestowed upon this fatty foodie.
Fifth Course: Grilled sirloin with mash, beans and shallots.
Oh yes, mash potatoes! But do you think I could finish them? Alas, no. The steak was cooked to perfection, medium (the way I asked) and aromatically spiced. My eyes were ravenously eating the meat, but my stomach could only fit in a few bites. Honey yum scale: 9/10
Sixth Course Luke’s liquorice parfait with lime syrup
I’d really missed this dessert (I’ve had it many times before) as it has such unique flavour combinations and a cool light texture. I somehow summoned the strength and dug in, gulping down mouthfuls of the moscato, relishing in the sweet, tangy dessert. Honey yum scale: 9/10
Powder room break
Excusing myself, mistakenly believing that was the last course, I stood up, and then immediately sat down again. I’m sure we hit an errant wave? Um, no Honey, you’ve had too much wine. Giggling, and this time steadying myself, I made my way to the powder room to freshen up. My knees were rather wobbly and I was tempted to kick off my red stilettos.
Seventh Course: Cheese platter
Upon returning to the room, I discovered that in fact there was one more course. This beautiful cheese platter was willing me to eat it, I could hear the high pitched little cheesy voices, “Go on Honey, just a nibble! We don’t want to go in the bin!” “Stop tempting me,” I whispered as I brought my face closer to the plate. My dining companions stole furtive glances, thinking, “why is this crazy woman talking to cheese? Anyway, the cheeses wouldn’t stop pleading, and so I enjoyed a slice from each (except for the blue), sampled the date log and apologised, “I did my best little cheesies!” Oh, I may have forgot to mention, that I also downed a glass of sticky botrytis semillon that was scrumptious. Honey yum scale: 9/10
After a mammoth three and a half hours, the Taste of Salt dining experience was over. Now, you might think I’m exaggerating, but it is humanly impossible to finish this epic meal and have any room left in your belly. For $119 per person, it is worth every single cent, and I would highly recommend for everyone to try it once.
Bading my lovely dining guests goodnight it was time to sleep off this wonderful meal. Teetering on my heels and swaying slightly, I found my cabin, kicked off my heels and sunk onto my bed.
Remember at the beginning of the story how I couldn’t fully zip my dress? Well due to my marathon eating session, I can’t tell you what a relief it was that I didn’t have to wrestle too hard to get the dang dress off!
Remember at the beginning of the story how I couldn’t fully zip my dress? Well due to my marathon eating session, I can’t tell you what a relief it was that I didn’t have to wrestle too hard to get the dang dress off!
