Cruising With Honey: dining

Dragon Lady - but there's no tattoo

By Cruising With Honey - 13:43

HERE'S a little known fact, I'm actually the Dragon Lady.

Yup, I was born under the Chinese Horoscope of the Dragon, and I'm a lady, so yeah, it makes sense to you all now, right? Anyway...

I LOVE Asian cuisine and slurped my way through the bowls of ramen in Chatswood, inhaled pork buns at Tim Ho Wan, eaten my weight in Korean bbq and had litres of pho in Marrickville. Our family has set the record in devouring plates at various Sushi Trains around Sydney, and nothing beats great Pad Thai from our local favourite.

Dragon Lady doesn't quite fit any specific country of regional cuisine. It's a little bit Malaysian, a little Chinese with a sprinkling of Japanese.

Nevertheless, we were excited to have an 'Asian inspired' dinner - and I was a little relieved that there would hopefully be something for everyone in my family.

First Impression

Absolutely blown away by the decor. It was beautiful - but much like the menu, a little confused. There was a Balinese-style statue at the entry, Japanese inspired artworks of, I'm guessing, the actual Dragon Lady, complete with sword. The room was decorated with screens, orchids, a huge gong.

The tables were beautifully set with bamboo mats, chopsticks and tasteful bowl. The blue theme was nuanced with the lighting, furnishings and menus.

Also, it was very quiet and subdued. A hushed ambiance. If the aim was to create an atmosphere of relaxation, it was achieved. As always, the staff was attentive, courteous and extremely helpful.

The Menu

We were presented with a folded menu, that once opened, presented four different options. It gave the impression that you were going to have an 'experience' rather than a meal.

To start we were offered veggie chips (which the kids thought were potpourri) and a little ginger shooter. The kids didn't like the amuse–bouche so I threw back four of them. The lovely waitress then explained we could order 2 - 3 items from each section (basically entree and main) to share and a dessert each.

Entree: The standout for me were the rice paper rolls. Very fragrant and full of crunchy goodness. Bowls of edamame were soon gobbled and Miss 8 wolfed down the salmon sushi. The pan-fried dumplings were nice, but far from the best I've had.

Mains: Beef cheeks were Miss 10's favourite - probably because they were so succulent and easy to eat. I found them too oily. I did try the soft shell crab, but again, very oily and I personally can't stomach eating this crustaceans. I suppose they are an acquired dish. Satay stick were very tender, but lacked the peanut factor - maybe they were cooked in a recipe my palate isn't use to, but I love getting that big nutty flavour whenever I eat a satay. The vegetarian stirfry was delicious and aromatic.

Desserts: Very rarely would I enjoy a dessert after an Asian meal, but when in Eden...

I suppose the main reason is due to the bad memory of deep-fried ice cream as a child and then as an adult, not really moved by Asian desserts. I don't mean to stereotype as I know there are many different styles of Asian desserts - just my opinion. You'll find that the dessert menu, isn't quite Asian-inspired - unless you count the mango pudding as it has tapioca as its base, a common ingredient in south-east Asian sweets. Having said that, the pudding IS very nice, but quite filling so easily one to share between two. The chocolate option was the most dense and chocolatey thing I've ever eaten. Eden, Miss 10, is the world's biggest chocaholic and she barely made a dent in it! Milkshakes in Mason jars were frothy, sweet and again, very filling.

My general overview of Dragon Lady is that the concept is great, but definitely needs refinement.

For me, it's too confused. I understand that the cruise wants to appeal to a large cross section of people and introduce a pan-Asian inspired menu, but I think having a little more clarity and order would improve the eatery. Trying to please everyone with everything is never a success. That's what the Pantry is for.

It's hard to give just one score, so I'll break it down:

Decor - 10

Staff and Service - 10

Food - 6

One more thing, the servings are VERY generous so please be specific or clarify how much you're getting when you order. When we went the second time, the staff brought us TWO of everything. The two plates of sushi, edamame and veggies were very welcome, but we could not get through the mains and I felt absolutely terrible having to waste the food.

A BIG shout out to Gay who was the most amazing waitress at Dragon Lady - my kids and I loved her to bits!

P.S Sorry again for the pictures - it's quite dark in there and I didn't want to use a flash.

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dining

Salt - of the Earth (and Sea)

By Cruising With Honey - 21:02

-->MUCH like many of my peers, I am not immune to the current trend of celebrity chef fandom.

With the explosion in mainstream media in recent times of cooking shows, competitions, books etc, the names of top-class chefs are now peppered in every day vernacular (see what I did there?).

While I’ve never met Luke Mangan, I know his name and have seen him on the tele. I know of his influence on modern Australian cuisine and I’ve dined at Glass Brasserie, at Hilton Sydney – only once though. Fine dining is usually reserved for birthdays and anniversaries in my household, so it was a real treat. But, I’m not here to talk about Glass.

To tell you the truth, I had to prepare the little monkeys for daddy and mummy’s alone time i.e our ‘date’ at Salt Grill a few weeks before departure. It was strictly an adults-only dinner, and they’d have to deal with being in Kids Club for two hours. Yes, there were protests, and now I feel a little guilty I didn’t organise it better as they completely missed dinner that night. They did however join us at the very end to share (devour) our desserts, so the mummy-guilt isn’t weighing too heavily. And they got burgers and pizza at the Grill on the Lido deck close to midnight.

It was quite exciting getting ready, to be honest. I got dolled up and strapped on the heels – I know it sounds silly as we weren’t actually going anywhere, but the room looked so beautiful, I wanted to fit my surroundings. I had heard so much about Salt, and I didn’t want to be disappointed. The room next door, which I call the Red Room, (I think it was supposed to be the Salt’s bar but was more of a lounge area) was my favourite spot on the Eden, so I had stolen my fair share of peeks walking past.

The first impression you get is the quiet ambiance. A ship is quite a noisy place, not complaining as I like the bustle, but you are immediately transported to a little retreat. I felt as I was in a little secret, secluded, member’s-only hideaway, something to savour for just long enough to enjoy a special meal – in peace!

Next, the decor. Red soft furnishings, black-and-white chequered tiles, trendy bird cages. Crisp linen and subdued lighting completed the look. And, very comfy chairs. We were seated at a two-person table near the heavily-curtained window (a slight panic washed over me, then I remembered we were a twosome tonight, not a quintet). The waiter and maitre’d knew our names and beautifully introduced themselves, ensured we were comfy, and glided away to get our menus.

I will be upfront with you all here. I’ve never really felt comfortable having waitstaff wait on me in an ultra formal manner. I didn’t grow up dining at 5-star establishments – the local Chinese buffet was our treat as kids – and even though I’ve reviewed countless meals and eaten at the best Sydney restaurants, I still feel a little awkward. Maybe it was the fact that I couldn’t see any other diners in Salt while were there, but I felt we got some extra special attention. Again, not complaining, but I felt a tad embarrassed. I had to stifle a giggle when the waiter came over with our bottle of still water (I couldn’t stomach any more wine) and presented it to us like a $200 bottle of Crystal.

But, I get it, there’s a standard to meet – the service, food and all the extra bells and whistles are meant to stand out as a notch above the rest of the eateries on the ship. And certainly Salt is at a different standard, a higher level, and well worth the extra bucks you’ll fork out for a very nice meal.

The lovely waiter explained the menu to us, and reiterated that we could order as many sides that we needed to accompany our mains. We started our meals with an appetiser of freshly baked za’tar bread, with olive oil and dukkah. I tired to make a joke to the waiter that I eat za’tar every day for breakfast, but I don’t think he got my attempt at lighthearted humour. Moving on….

N.B For those who don’t know what za’tar is, it a mix of toasted sesame seeds, thyme, sumac and other spices. Each family and country across the Middle-East has their own recipe. It has been around since time immemorial. It is eaten by dipping bread in olive oil then in the spice mix. You can’t stop at one mouthful.

Entrée

Me: I always order scallops if they’re on a menu, but my eyes spied the dukkah-crusted lamb and my tummy told me to stick with the Middle-Eastern flavoured theme kicked off at appetiser. I was not disappointed. The delicately sized lamb fillets were elegantly arranged with roasted pumpkin, feta, rocket, olive paste and harissa yoghurt dressing. The strong flavoured meat matched the more subtle pumpkin and dovetailed nicely with the salty, creamy feta and spicy rocket. Surprisingly, it was quite a substantial entree (where entrees are concerned). I enjoyed the harissa yoghurt which added a lasting impression.

Him: He loves sashimi and only slightly hesitated before ordering. I know he wanted to order the scallops so I could try them (God love him), but I told him to order for him. The kingfish sashimi was aromatically accentuated and beautifully presented. I think it took him about 23 seconds to wolf it down.

Main

Me: While I was already eating red meat (I didn’t want to confuse my stomach - yes I have issues), I decided on the Scotch fillet. I wouldn’t buy a grain-fed, marble score three steak for myself to cook at home, so this really was an extravagance. It was a large 300g cut, cooked medium and delectably tender. I struggled to finish it, but I did. I could never waste this gorgeous dish.

Him: The man lives for his pork, and he chose the pork chop with mashed swede and pears. I saw a slight eyebrow raise when it arrived (due to the pear), but he was soon won over by the surprising combination. He said it was the best pork chop he’d ever had and thoroughly enjoyed the smooth texture. We both had the red win jus on our mains (as recommended by our waiter).

Sides

Truffle mash potatoes – just get a vat of these delicious spuds and leave me alone. Every mouthful was decadent and filled my mouth with a luxurious blanket of deliciousness. I almost ordered another bowl, but that would make me a glutton.

Heirloom tomato salad with feta, onion and feta – tangy but a little too over dressed. Tomatoes were a little sad. It didn’t disappoint or excite me.

Steamed Mixed veggies with lemon olive oil – the lemon olive oil was the shining star in this.

Dessert

Me: I’d saved up all cruise for a chocolate hit, and the tart with grilled banana, caramel ice cream and honeycomb was scrumptious. As I mentioned before, I had gone to fetch the kids, and I managed to score two memorable mouthfuls of my dessert. That honeycomb was amazing! Literally dissolved as soon as it hit my tongue.

Him: We were advised to try Luke’s signature liquorice parfait with lime syrup and tuile, so that was hubby’s pick. It’s hard to imagine two strong flavours such as lime and liquorice to complement each other, but they did! I think it was that the texture and temperature of the parfait softened the liquorice flavour. The lime syrup was not too tart and had a perfectly measured sweetness.

The weirdest thing was getting up and walking out back into reality. For just under 2 hours, we had an out-of-ship culinary experience, and now we were forced back to the reality of life without truffled potatoes.

Why oh WHY didn’t I buy a bottle of the truffle oil?

Thank you Luke. I appreciate the thought you put into the menu and each dish, the creativity to deliver, the use of local produce and the expertise and care put into cooking our meal.

Do you want my score? I’d give Salt Grill by Luke Mangan 9.5/10.

P.S Sorry about the quality of the photos. It was quite dark and I didn't want to paparazzi-out on the food.

P.P.S I forgot to mention the price, $49pp

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Angelo's

Angelo’s - That’s Amore

By Cruising With Honey - 15:14

No, I’m not going to break out into song (you’ve got Dean Martin in your head now, don’t you?), but I guess you can assume I LOVED Angelo’s.

From the decor, to the food to the service, this restaurant was my favourite on the Eden.

Before we left, I assumed there was a surcharge for the specialty restaurants, Angelo’s, Dragon Lady and Salt Grill. However, soon after we departed, much to my delight, I discovered both Angelo’s and Dragon Lady were gratis, complimentary, FREE! We were advised by the Maitre’d at The Waterfront to book as soon as possible, so we toddled off to Level 8 and made our bookings.

I feel a little greedy telling you this, but after our first dinner there, I thought I’d take advantage of Angelo’s being free and proceeded to book another two nights there PLUS Christmas dinner.

So here’s my first tip: Book early, book often and you won’t miss out.

My first impression of Angelo’s was WOW. I almost felt like we weren’t on a cruise ship, but rather a nice restaurant in Sydney’s inner-city. I did say, “almost” as there were a few giveaways – the rocking, the lanyards and of course, the fact we didn’t have to find a parking spot!

Decor: The room is bright and beautifully decorated. I’ve always had a soft spot for the magnificently stunning Sofia Loren – she reminds me of my gorgeous mum – and her exquisite face adorns the walls of Angelo’s. There’s a funky Vespa at the front (which doubles up as a reception desk for Gerard – say ‘Hi’ from me), and the palate is soft, neutral and classy.

Seating: Super comfy (I have problem with sitting on hard chairs due to a smashed coccyx many years ago) and again, there are configurations to suit most dining parties. We always got a booth which was very spacious. The tableware is crisp and elegant. Oh, and there are tablecloths.

Service: The waiters are efficient and really seem to glide around the room. But, as I have stated in all my posts, I was impressed with all the staff aboard the Eden.

Food: Bread sticks to start to help you decide on your meal (and I must warn you it was really hard to just pick one option from each course).

Entree

Arancini are a favourite treat for my children and the Fontina and Pumpkin arancini were sublime. Unfortunately, they were a little too delicate in flavour for the kids, but I enjoyed them. Perfect size and not oily at all.

Tuscan bean soup – served in a bread bowl was exactly what you’d imagine. Hearty, tasty and very filling. I didn’t eat the bread bowl which made me feel guilty, but it was quite big.

Charred sweet peppers, served on a platter with prosciutto, mortadella, salami, baby mozzarella, marinated sun-dried tomatoes, black olives and pickled artichoke hearts was our families favourite. Both my husband and I come from backgrounds where platters of antipasti are customary before meals, so this was perfect. On our second and third visits to Angelo’s we didn’t even hesitate to order five platters!

Mains

I urged my husband to try the sardines and he raved about them to anyone who would listen. Do yourself a favour and try these.

Gnocchi with pumpkin and sage butter was light and aromatic. Again, the subtle flavours did not appeal to the kids, but I enjoyed the dish. Extra shaved Parmesan on top would have elevated it to the next level.

Penne Puttanesca was Miss 8’s favourite and she smashed down the dish in a matter of minutes.

Risotto is a classic, but left me underwhelmed – the rice was too al dente and the flavours needed more oomph.

Pork neck was delicious, according to Miss 11. She must have loved it as she ordered it twice.

Veal ossobucco did not disappoint. If you love osso bucco, you will enjoy this dish. I don't eat veal so I can't tell you from first-hand. The family found it very flavoursome and full of all the classic flavours. 

Chicken Parmy was my favourite from the menu. The only thing I could fault with this is that it could have been bigger (cause I’m a piggy).

Dessert

Chocolate and strawberry tiramisu, if you like traditional tiramisu, this is a little different. I found it yummo and not too heavy.

Ricotta and semolina pastry puffs, with mixed berry compote – crunchy, sweet and great with the kids. Would have been nice with ice cream.

Grana padano cheese, with rosemary honey and salted lavosh bread was a nice alternative to cake. I was missing my cheese on the cruise, so took advantage of munching on this full-flavoured and matured cheese. The rosemary honey is SUPER sweet, so use sparingly, but it matched the cheese perfectly.

Wine
Quite extensive and a little more pricey than Waterfront.We had the Cianti and it was okay.

Would you like my score out of 10? I’d give it a solid 8.5.

If Angelo’s was a restaurant in Sydney, it would our family's go-to Italian restaurant.

Addendum 1: The Angelo’s menu on the P&O website is much more detailed than the one we were offered on the Eden. I am assuming this is due to it being free on our voyage. I would like to try the extras such as the Linguini Vongole next time (fingers crossed).

Addendum 2: On the last night of our trip, we had booked into Angelo’s. Due to the rough seas coming back in to Sydney, within minutes of ordering, my Eden (Miss 10) started getting very seasick. The waiters couldn’t do enough to make her feel more comfy, even hand chopping a green apple for her to munch on, but nothing made her feel better. So, I took her down to the cabin – a little disgruntled I’d miss out on my Chicken Parmy which I had been craving all day – and waited for the others to finish their dinner so I could sneak up to the Pantry to eat. About 30 mins later, I got a knock at the door. The lovely staff from Angelo’s brought down my dinner! This was kind of against the rules and I was flabbergasted. And I go to eat my parmy!

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dining

The Grill - Cheap and Tasty

By Cruising With Honey - 20:51

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Everyone has a Go To Dish (GTD) they will order at their favourite eatery.

If you’re anything like me, sometimes you can get a little overwhelmed by the menu, afraid If you order something different you’ll be disappointed, or you don’t want to think and just want to feed your belly.

Invariably my GTD is pizza, my husband’s is burgers. I like my pizza LOADED with topping, but please no anchovies. A whiff of just one hairy little putrid fish, and the pizza is ruined. The end, go bury it at the back. The husband likes his burgers meaty and eggy. Leave the fancy brioche for the hipsters, he likes a good ol’ fashioned run-down-your-fingers-pattie-juice stacked burger.

While there are heaps of dining options aboard the Eden, we actually missed dinner a couple of times. Now, don’t let your minds wander off, it’s not as saucy as you think (remember, kids wouldn’t leave us alone). I overslept one afternoon due to mixing sea-sickness tablets with a cocktail and the other time I was on the Blackjack table. Only joking, I only played Blackjack once every one was in bed. Anyway, as the Pantry closes around 10pm(ish), the only other options were Room Service or The Grill.

I'm not a fan of eating in bed, so grabbing a bite on the open deck was a nice treat. It's not like you can do that everyday.

Located on Deck 11 – Lido Deck – tucked at the back of the pool area (pretty much on the opposite end to the entry of the Pantry) is The Grill. I believe this is a feature on all P&O ships, but I don’t think I saw it in 2014 on the Jewel. There’s a guy standing there ready to take your order and a couple of blackboards with the menu written on them. There’s nachos, pizza, pies, hotdogs, bacon and egg rolls and burgers – also I think buckets of prawns. When we first walked past the window, I saw ‘pizza’ and hubby saw ‘burger’ and you could almost hear the “ding ding ding” but resisted for a few days. Once we tried the offerings, we were very pleased indeed.

The prices! For what you got, it was SUPER cheap and the servings VERY generous.

Pies, hotdogs, bacon and egg rolls and burgers - $3

Nachos $7

Pizzas $9.50

Pies – Kinda like a Harry Café de Wheels – complete with mash, peas, gravy. The filling was succulent and the crust nice and crispy. 8/10

Hot Dog – Very long, soft bun and tasty toppings (cabbage, cheese, sauce). 7/10

Bacon and Egg Roll – Very tasty, not oily, satisfying. It was served on a large English muffin. 7/10

Burger – Huge, tasty, moist, very delicious. Cheese, pickles, onion. Proportion of meat to bun was perfect. I’d say 9/10

Nachos – Pretty average, but hard to get through a serving 6/10

Pizza – Aussie, Hawaiian and Pepperoni. We tried all three and can say they aren’t the best I’ve had, but not the worst. Nice crust, although a little dry. Toppings could be more generous. 5/10

The Grill is a great option if you want a GTD. If you are peckish in the middle of the night or nothing at the Pantry tickles your fancy, fork over three bucks and get a burger that’ll make your tastebuds happy. I know some people don't want to pay for food when the Pantry and (most) restaurants are free, but if you want some variety or can't stand the food on the rest of the ship, a couple of dollars at The Grill will be well spent. Trust me.

P.S If you are traveling with teenagers, The Grill is kinda a late night meeting hub. Many a night I saw a group of youngthings sharing a pizza and a few flirtatious glances.

Sigh, youth is wasted on the young.

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Dragon Lady - but there's no tattoo

First Impression

The Menu

Salt - of the Earth (and Sea)

Entrée

Main

Sides

Dessert

Angelo’s - That’s Amore

The Grill - Cheap and Tasty

Countries I've Cruised

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Dragon Lady - but there's no tattoo

First Impression

The Menu

Salt - of the Earth (and Sea)

Entrée

Main

Sides

Dessert

Angelo’s - That’s Amore

The Grill - Cheap and Tasty

Countries I've Cruised

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Ahoy! I'm Honey

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