The Almost Complete Food Lovers Guide to the Oasis of the Seas

[BrianAlt]

Brian-I see you are booked on Enchantment in October. Are you planning another guide for the foodies on CC?? Enchantment does not have the variety of restaurants, but it would still be great to sail along with you and your meals!

 

I'll definitely do...um...something. I can't say what yet cause I really don't know. I didn't know I was going to do a food review. I expected to do a "regular" one, but I realized early on I wanted to concentrate on food. I thought it would be unique and interesting. Just like the Oasis, unique and interesting (yeah, sure, the Allure has made it half as unique, but still applies). This thread has gotten decent attention on here, so I hit on something right.

 

Whatever I do I'll definitely talk about food. Just don't know if that will be the sole thing. We shall see! :cool:

[dalai]

Brian,

Thanks for the helpful review!

Question for you - do any of the restaurants have good views - sunset? Ocean? I enjoy the 30 minutes before and after sunset and wonder in particular if any are well placed for that?

Thanks again,

dalai

[BrianAlt]

Question for you - do any of the restaurants have good views - sunset? Ocean? I enjoy the 30 minutes before and after sunset and wonder in particular if any are well placed for that?

 

Chops Vintages and Giovanni's are in Central Park, no view of the ocean. Izumi has a view above the pool deck. I found the view more disturbing than enjoyable. Solarium (now the Brazilian restaurant on Allure) might have a nice view of the sun setting, but the restaurant is well set in, not over the ocean. The sun would have to be setting fore, which would be unusual. Chef's Table has a lovely view of the Boadwalk, but none of the ocean.

 

Glad you enjoyed the review.

[garlicdaddy]

Since you are lactose intolerant, did you happen to notice if/where soy milk is available? My wife is also L.I. and likes her cereal with soy milk. Thanks for the great review. Very entertaining and informative! We leave next week, woo hoo!

[BrianAlt]

Since you are lactose intolerant, did you happen to notice if/where soy milk is available?

 

Good question. However, I don't touch the stuff. I was never much of a cereal eater. Probably due to the fact that I naturally shied away from milk.

 

I do think that most, if not all, had soy milk available. Just ask around.

 

Have a wonderful cruise! :D

[spabsie]

Would love to see an Enchantment food review since I will be doing the same sailing as you a month later! I plan on doing thorough food reviews of both of my upcoming sailings. I'm a chef, its in my blood I can't help it!

[BrianAlt]

Would love to see an Enchantment food review since I will be doing the same sailing as you a month later! I plan on doing thorough food reviews of both of my upcoming sailings. I'm a chef, its in my blood I can't help it!

 

I'll definitely do...something! Not sure what yet.

 

Have a great cruise and either way, I'll be happy to answer whatever questions you might have when I return.

[mommywholuvstocruise]

BrianAlt - Thank you so much for your excellent review of the Oasis restaurants. This has been very useful in helping us decide what specialty restaurants to dine at on our Allure cruise at the end of May.

 

My hope that the food is of the same quality as what you experienced on the Oasis.:)

[BrianAlt]

My hope that the food is of the same quality as what you experienced on the Oasis.:)

 

I hope so too! Have a great cruise! :)

[jlhtraveler]

I'm confused. I clicked the link but didn't find a review. Don't really care but thought it would be nice to get some ideas if there was anything exceptional.

[BrianAlt]

I'm confused. Which link?

[jlhtraveler]

to the food review

[BrianAlt]

It's the entire thread. Just start from the beginning.

 

It starts...On day 1...

[ILuvCruisin']

I'm confused. I clicked the link but didn't find a review. Don't really care but thought it would be nice to get some ideas if there was anything exceptional.

 

I'm confused. Which link?

 

to the food review

 

It's the entire thread. Just start from the beginning.

 

It starts...On day 1...

 

don't take this the wrong way but this conversation is too funny!!!

[BrianAlt]

don't take this the wrong way but this conversation is too funny!!!

 

I don't mind, but do the questions make sense to you? Am I missing something?

[tomcatfalco]

When you have a second can you send me the links to your posts about Oasis? I am trying to find all of the ones about food and cannot find the other parts. Thanks.

[BrianAlt]

When you have a second can you send me the links to your posts about Oasis? I am trying to find all of the ones about food and cannot find the other parts. Thanks.

 

Does this link start with page 1? I know they archive after a while, but I think everything is still there.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1243807

[tomcatfalco]

Does this link start with page 1? I know they archive after a while, but I think everything is still there.

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1243807

 

I am still looking for part 3. It has 1 and 2.

[BrianAlt]

I am still looking for part 3. It has 1 and 2.

 

It's post #24.

 

Part 3: Day 2 Baking in the Solarium

 

The next morning, Day 2, I woke up early and headed to the gym. I told my wife I would meet her back in room and we would go to the Solarium for breakfast. We planned on spending most of the day in the quiet solitude of the Solarium. My first impression of the Solarium Bistro for breakfast was that it wasn’t too different than the Windjammer. Except for one thing, the crowds! And a second thing, the food! Okay, actually the food isn’t that different. Sure they have turkey bacon and turkey sausage and granola and dried fruit and fresh fruit and nuts and hot cereals and I can go on and on. But the Windjammer could have a “healthy” corner just as easily and I think usually does. It’s really very difficult to know how “healthy” any of the food is. Was it cooked in oil? What kind? How are the eggs different? Is there any sugar in this granola? How much salt is added? On and on. But it does seem healthier and it’s foods I enjoy, so this is a good place for me to have breakfast. And I did so most days of the cruise. You can also sit by the window and there’s some running water between the pool area and the eating area. It’s very nice there unless it’s a very hot day. Then sit close to the AC, cause it does get hot in there! Especially later in the day.

 

After breakfast I took a short break just outside the Bistro to relax:

 

Between breakfast and lying out in the Solarium we decided to do a little more exploring. Plus we had the Meet and Mingle and I had signed up to meet with a representative to book our next cruise (see the sig). At the Meet and Mingle we met Rachelle and her mom Jackie. They came a little late and most people had left, but we hadn’t, still standing around and talking to anyone that would talk to us. We started talking about our plans and we realized that we both had reservations at Giovanni’s that night! Theirs was at 6:30 and ours was at 7:00. So I suggested we all go together and they agreed. Dazzles is right across from Central Park, so I suggested we just walk to Giovanni’s and see if we can combine. They said 7 PM was fine for them. (I had posted my itinerary ahead of time, so I secretly wondered if they had planned that all along – just teasing ;) ). So we walked over and they said they could take us all at 6:30. We didn’t mind only a half hour early and I said we can always just eat slowly if we wanted anyway. :D

 

After running our errands we got back to the Solarium to lie out and get some sun and some swimming. So we figured we’d just get a quick bite in the Solarium Bistro for lunch. Lunch was very nice; they have fish crepe wraps and nice salads, lots of colorful foods, but my comment from above holds, not anything you CAN’T get at Windjammer, just a nicer setting to do it in. Several sugar free dessert choices are here. They also have the sugar free flavored water here that I mentioned above. My wife loved that and it was great that it was so close to where we’d be spending most of our time.

 

Then we came across Amanda and Ed from the Meet and Mingle in the Solarium. They sat down next to us. Then they started talking about the fabled Roast Beef Sandwich. They decided we each needed one! I was thinking, “well, there goes trying to be good…” They came back with what I think was a half dozen sandwiches and we downed them very quickly.

 

One sort of food related note…on our previous cruise, my wife decided that 4 PM was BBC time. What is a BBC and why does it get its own time? Well, a BBC is Baileys, Banana liquor and Colada mix, blended and frozen. She “discovered” it on the Explorer of the Seas. Every 4 PM we would saunter over to the Solarium Bar and she would order her BBC and I would have a Margarita. I’m not big on banana as a flavoring. As we made friends, we introduced them to BBC time. It’s not surprising that one of those friends became the bartender. Well, we decided that on this cruise the tradition would continue! 4 PM was STILL BBC time! As the cruise went along, we turned many people on to the BBC and the bartenders, Turnip and Ivan, encouraged us to bring fresh bananas that they would put in the BBC. My wife said it was delicious!

 

My wife enjoying her BBC.

 

Turnip and Ivan at the Solarium Bar. Tell them we said hello if you see them!

 

Next Part - Part 4: Day 2 Giovanni's with New Friends

 

(It's getting too long so I'm breaking this part into two)

[delacruz]

I am still looking for part 3. It has 1 and 2.

 

I've stayed 'subscribed' to this thread to stay up on any additional comments to this MOST EXCELLENT review:) for any subsequent Oasis or Allure cruises. It really helped me on my Oasis cruise last November, and I definitely agree that Brian should have been offered a free cruise for it!

 

But I'm so confused by the confusion about this review! :rolleyes:

 

Part 3 is on the 2nd page of the thread. Just keep clicking 'Next' from Page 1 until you get back here.:p

[BrianAlt]

I've stayed 'subscribed' to this thread to stay up on any additional comments to this MOST EXCELLENT review:) for any subsequent Oasis or Allure cruises. It really helped me on my Oasis cruise last November, and I definitely agree that Brian should have been offered a free cruise for it!

 

Glad you still enjoy it. :D For the record, free cruise didn't happen. :( Not as if I was expecting it to.

 

But I'm so confused by the confusion about this review! :rolleyes:

 

Part 3 is on the 2nd page of the thread. Just keep clicking 'Next' from Page 1 until you get back here.:p

 

Well, I'm here to help. Even though I'm not sure why people are having difficulty. :confused:

[ahamill]

Part 6: Chef's Table

 

We spent the rest of the day relaxing. Chef’s Table wasn’t until 7:30, but we were pretty much ready by 7 PM. We walked over to the Library at around 7:10 after starring at each other, trying to figure out how to waste some time. For the Chef’s Table you first meet in the Library and the Concierge takes you into the Concierge Lounge after all have arrived. When we got to the Library there was one family already there. The adult daughter said ‘hello’ and her parents ignored us. They were speaking to each other in a foreign language, French I believe. Others showed up and the Concierge said we were still missing a family of 6. It was 7:30, so he took us into the lounge and then upstairs to the Chef’s Table. Thankfully, the French family was at the other end of the table. The family of 6 sat at the opposite side from me and I had a very nice conversation with the father who was around my age. He was one of the people we introduced the BBC to at the Solarium Bar.

 

When you first come in you mingle near the table, looking out at the spectacular view of the Boardwalk from the picture window on the other side of the room. Soon everyone finds their seats and the dinner begins. It is difficult to tell you all the details of the food. The Chef, Sous Chef Maarten Smeets, tells you every detail of every dish. This includes the time he starts to prep the dishes and every single ingredient he uses and how he prepared each ingredient. I’ll share with you as much as I remember.

 

Smoked Duck Salad

 

The Smoked Duck Salad was served with orange confit, baby lettuce, green asparagus, and zesty Cointreau dressing and accompanied with Mer Soleil Chardonnay. The Chef described the confit with amazing detail. He described how he baked it and what kind of salt he used on it and how he sprinkled it in specific places for the taste and texture. He described why he used green asparagus versus white asparagus and told us that white is underground while green is over ground. He was VERY detailed. The duck was delicious and the confit did add the taste and texture the Chef was looking for. The Chardonnay was fine, if not slightly disappointing. I found the taste to be a little dull. There was nothing wrong with it, just not as lively as I had hoped it would be.

 

Trio of Soups (sorry it's a little blurry)

 

The Trio of soups were sweet garden pea veloute, duck and vegetable consommé and truffle scented mushroom cream. The pea soup was delicious! The pea flavor just explodes in your mouth! I’m not sure if you can tell, but the color is such a beautiful green. And the Chef describes all he did to keep that color, from blanching to a little lemon juice. The consommé was downplayed by the Chef. He said that this was more of a palate cleanser than anything else. It included vegetables in the tiniest dice I had ever seen. The Chef told us what that dice is called, but I forgot. Perhaps the chef on the thread here can tell us? It was fantastic! And I told him that he shouldn’t downplay it so much. It stands on its own. However, the last soup was the one that took everyone’s breath away. The richness of the truffle was superb! The mushroom flavor was AMAZING! And the presentation? 5 perfect dots of truffle oil sitting on the top in a pentagram. It might be hard to see that in the picture (I think you can see it). I was the last one done with my soups. I was savoring them. They come in small cups that you pick up and sip. No additional wine is served with this course, but the Chardonnay continues to flow. Russell, the waiter/host, makes sure to keep pouring so the temperature of the wine doesn’t fall too far.

 

Pan-fried Scallops and Crab Cake

 

I have to say, this was my least memorable course. Pan-fried Scallops and Crab Cake with lobster-flavored tartar sauce, cilantro oil and balsamic drizzle. You can see the three sauces covering the plate. The tartar sauce was good, the balsamic drizzle was tasty, but I couldn’t make out the cilantro in the oil at all. The scallops were delicious, perfectly cooked and the crab cake was nice. It was served with a Belle Glos Pinot Noir. I remember discussing with Brian across the table with me how we both often drink red wine with seafood. The wine was very nice.

 

Grilled Beef Tenderloin

 

Grilled Beef Tenderloin with whipped potatoes, wilted spinach, tomato onion jam and aged port win veal reduction. WOW! Just WOW! Everyone at the table just LOVED this dish. The jam was amazing! I dislike ketchup. If ketchup tasted like this I would eat it all the time. The reduction was fabulous and the potatoes and spinach were perfect. Everyone’s beef was cooked to order. They suggested Medium Rare, but they would cook it differently if requested. The Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon was bold and held up to the meat perfectly. So delicious!

 

Passion Fruit Crème Brulee

 

I enjoyed the dessert, but not everyone did. Passion Fruit Crème Brulee with crisp caramelized sugar tuille and strawberry ice-win jus. The caramelized sugar was thick, very thick. It was hard to break it was so thick. I ate it all anyway. J The custard underneath was very tasty. It didn’t have a strong flavor of the passion fruit, but it was very nice. It was served with Errazuriz, Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc. Most at the table agreed that the wine did not pair will with the dessert. I think the problem is that I think there are only two bottles of dessert wine on the ship and this is the better one. I had this bottle at Giovanni’s and enjoyed it very much. I agree that it did not pair all that well, but drinking the wine on its own was just fine and a perfect ending to a fantastic meal.

 

At the end the Chef came back out and socialized with us all. He was sooo amazingly friendly. I told him I was sorry about his team’s loss in the World Cup the day before, yes he’s from the Netherlands. He joked that it was convenient that I mentioned that after the meal was over. I said that I really was sorry and I was rooting for them from the start. We had a nice conversation about the tournament.

 

Sous Chef Maarten Smeets from Netherlands.

 

Next : Part 7: Johnny Rockets, Solarium and Vintages

 

Just a little update on the Chef's Table. DH and I just got off the 3/26 sailing and did the Chef's Table which was wonderful however the menu was different, which was a little disappointing to me. It was still great, but different. When I find my menu under all my suitcases, I will post the details but a quick summary is:

 

Chilled Lobster over a citrus slaw with crab meat

Trio of soups (the only same menu item)

Duck spring roll

Lamb over a potato risotto

Trio of apple items-tart, colavados (sp?) flavored creme, green apple gelato

 

Again, I will post the details as well as the wine pairings when I uncover the mysteries of my luggage!

[BrianAlt]

Just a little update on the Chef's Table. DH and I just got off the 3/26 sailing and did the Chef's Table which was wonderful however the menu was different, which was a little disappointing to me.

 

Thanks for updating that here. Yes, I heard it had changed. I think it's a good idea to change it. I'll be looking forward to my Chef's Table visit on the Allure.

[hazeleyez3]

Thank you so much for the review. We are sailing on her in December and this has given me a good idea of what places to try (and how to explain to my husband that we don't have to go to the Windjammer).

 

Maybe some might be confused because the review is broken up by others' posts?

[BrianAlt]

Maybe some might be confused because the review is broken up by others' posts?

 

Could be. I guess everyone has to look at it historically. As I was writing it, people were busy responding and asking questions. I have the review in a single PDF that can be sent to whoever needs it by emailing me.

 

Glad you enjoyed and found it useful. Have a great cruise!