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

[sailingawaysoon]

Hi Brian,

 

I'm loving your pictorial review of the food. I wasn't going to eat at Chops this time around, since we've eaten there in the past, but based on your review of your meal, I'm changing my mind. It sounds like you had a great dinner. I can't wait for your next installment. Awesome job!

[dalitos]

Amazing post, thank you. I'm enjoying it so much!

[Ella2]

Well, now you have to do a Maya Chan review for us too (pretty please) :D because our entire group of 18 is going there on 8/25. Glad to hear the food is as good as it sounds from their website!

 

I'm not a steak eater so will be skipping Chops, but am definitely looking forward to your reviews of 150 Central Park and the Solarium Bistro!

[BrianAlt]

Part 9: Solarium Bistro

 

The next morning we got into Cozumel pretty early. We weren’t in a hurry because a couple dozen of us from the Roll Call were going to Nachi Cocum and we weren’t meeting until 10 AM to head over there. So we went to Park Café for some breakfast and it was like the other days we were there, mostly empty. We had a nice breakfast and then went to get ready for Nachi. The skies opened up and that was a bit of a bummer, but after a good half hour soaking, the rest of the day was fine other than a couple quick 10 minute showers. Those showers gave us an excuse to eat more food, which we did each time. The food at Nachi was good, but as I said about Maya Chan, that’s a post for another time. I did have about 8 drinks, mostly beer, at Nachi and Rachelle did tell me her bra size, like she promised. Which is to say, a good time was had by all. So you can imagine that I was happy that this evening we were eating at the Solarium Bistro for dinner.

 

The Solarium Bistro is advertised as a healthier alternative to the other eateries around the ship and I’d say it lives up to that. When we came in there were two or three tables of people seated in the entire restaurant. When we left, there were maybe five tables and I think two of them were cruise staff. Solarium Bistro is either a) a hidden gem, b) uninteresting to most people on the cruise, or c) healthy equals no thank you on a cruise. I would suggest one thing, lower the cost. I didn’t mind spending $20 per person, but I bet if they made it $10, more people would come. The Maitre d’ at the Solarium said that it, “just hasn’t caught on yet.” It may never catch on and that’s not because of the food.

 

After Nachi a whole bottle of wine for the two of us was going to be a little much, so we ordered a glass each. I thought the Hess Chardonnay would go nicely with my meal. My wife ordered the Zinfandel. The waiter came back with the glasses and set down a pink glass of wine in front of my wife. We both just looked at it. Ah! He brought a White Zinfandel! He gladly took it back and realized she wanted the XYZin. Both glasses were nice.

 

Me showing off my glass of wine and my pink cufflinks

 

My wife started out with the Caribbean Pumpkin-Coconut Pot. I tasted it and it was very nice, but I didn’t taste the Spicy Pumpkin Seeds. I was disappointed that I couldn’t taste them, even though I could see them. I guess they weren’t spicy enough. I ordered the Sea Scallops and Whitefish Ceviche. It was delicious. Nice lime flavor and the sweet potatoes added an interesting contrast. I really enjoy ceviche.

 

We both ordered the Orange, Grapefruit and Asparagus Salad, which I would have called a Watercress Salad, which is what it was more than anything else. That wasn’t a bad thing. The watercress was fresh and peppery in flavor. The citrus provided a very nice distinction in flavors and asparagus are always yummy (even if it does smell bad later). The dressing wasn’t heavy on the salad and complimented well.

 

For entrees, my wife ordered the Muscovy Duck Breast on Lentils and I ordered the Red Curry Seared Rare Tuna. Unexpectedly, the waiter asked how I wanted my tuna done. I had assumed it would be rare, so I said, “rare.” Heh. The duck was excellent! Perfectly cooked. The lentils with the pomegranate and black currant had a terrific flavor. My tuna was equally good. It was definitely rare and was almost cool in the very center of the thick piece of fish. The vegetable accompaniment was very good. I ordered one side, the Cabbage-Mango Slaw with Rice Wine Vinaigrette. Mostly I wanted to taste it and it was excellent. The mango is a nice twist on a fairly standard “health slaw”.

 

The dessert is interesting. They walk you over to the bar and show you all of the desserts they have that evening. I ordered the mixed berry parfait and my wife had the low-fat cheese cake with mixed berries on the top. Both desserts were very good, although simpler, sticking with the theme of healthier eating.

 

When I look at this menu today, I wish I could be back there again. There are so many dishes on this menu I’d love to try. I could easily go to this restaurant two or more times in a week and be very happy with it. I think it’s a hidden gem. Hopefully it catches on, otherwise it will probably go away.

 

One word of warning, it gets very hot in the Solarium and the Bistro heats up too. The sun was still up when we came in and it was warm in there. It was better by the end of the meal, but keep that in mind on warm days.

 

A bored waitress (because its empty) trying on my goofy glasses

 

Next : Part 10: MDR for Lunch

and coming up...

Part 11: 150 Central Park (a worthy finale)

Part 12: Final Thoughts and Conclusions

[BrianAlt]

Well, now you have to do a Maya Chan review for us too (pretty please) :D because our entire group of 18 is going there on 8/25. Glad to hear the food is as good as it sounds from their website!

 

I'm not a steak eater so will be skipping Chops, but am definitely looking forward to your reviews of 150 Central Park and the Solarium Bistro!

 

Two second Maya Chan review. It is AWESOME! It is paradise. I loved it! I have never experienced silence like I experienced here.

 

But I only had 4 hours there and that's WAY too short. Oasis gets in too late to fully take advantage of this slice of heaven.

 

Me relaxing in a hammock, margarita in hand. Zzzzzzzz

[Ella2]

:D Love it, thanks! I agree with you on the too-short time there, when I booked it I hadn't even realized we don't get off the ship until noon. But four hours of paradise is better than no hours of paradise! Can't wait!

[CariBear]

I am really enjoying your food review!! We weren't planning on booking any specialty restaurants, but I might have to rethink the decision!

[cluelyss18]

Please Please don't stop! We are going on the Oasis Sept 25, and have already booked Chops for the first formal night. I am highly enjoying your posts, but I have one question...Solarium Bistro, is this the only place specializing in healthy dishes? and do they charge for all meals? (BF LU DN) and be honest, how was getting around the ship? I am nervous I am going to feel a little overwhelmed upon arrival! :cool:

[BrianAlt]

but I have one question

You mean three. :D

 

Solarium Bistro, is this the only place specializing in healthy dishes?

Every place has it's share of healthier fare, but Solarium and Vitality Cafe are the only places that specialize in it.

 

and do they charge for all meals? (BF LU DN)

Only dinner. The others are free buffets, just like Windjammer.

 

and be honest, how was getting around the ship? I am nervous I am going to feel a little overwhelmed upon arrival! :cool:

I'll be VERY honest about this. I got used to getting around the ship in one day. I found it very easy. My wife was never really sure about the direction, but here is a tip. When you exit your stateroom, the number on a door is a circle, but they all have a little arrow. The arrow always points to the front of the ship. These are the things you need to know: Pool Deck 15, Central Park 8, Boardwalk 6 and Promenade 5. Everything else will fall into place once you know that.

[Yeldarb]

This is a great food review. I've got a reservation for 150 Central Park for my wife's birthday but Chops might be more up our alley though and it's cheaper so I'm teetering. Can't wait to see your day 7 review of 150. Thanks for all the great info.

 

Cheers!

[BrianAlt]

Part 10: MDR for Lunch

 

It was our last day of the cruise, always a sad thing. We started at the Solarium for breakfast and then did a bit of relaxing. We went to see Splish! Splash! at the Aquatheater an Rachelle and Jackie were there too. They started talking about their wine package. They had one more bottle of wine and they weren’t sure when they could use it since they were going to be at the Chef’s Table that evening. I suggested that they go to the Main Dining Room for lunch and have the waiter open it. They didn’t have to finish it; they could take it with them after it was opened. Instead they asked if my wife and I would like to join them and finish their last bottle. Well, far be it for us to turn down an offer like that! ;)

 

One of the amazing performers at Splish! Splash!

 

So the four of us went to the MDR for lunch. I have to say that this is a MUST DO! Go to the MDR for lunch at least once during your cruise. It’s relaxing, it’s civilized, the food is good, and it’s a little bit of pampering. Who doesn’t deserve pampering? I have done this on most of my other cruises and I always enjoy it.

 

Unfortunately I did not take notes on everything we all ate, but I do remember that I had the Openface Steak Sandwich. This was sliced steak on a flatbread with salad all around it. So it was more like a steak salad with a flatbread on the bottom. It was very good! I also had an appetizer, not sure exactly what.

 

There was a salad bar, but none of us bothered with it. We stuck with the full service side of things.

 

The women all ordered dessert, but I was full by then. We easily finished the bottle of wine and now it was back to the pool deck for more sun worshipping.

 

Part 11: 150 Central Park

[sailingawaysoon]

Just had my daily dose of your food review! As usual, very very nice. Can't wait to read more.

[BrianAlt]

Hoping to complete 150 CP by tonight, but we shall see.

[Delila]

Brian, I am so enjoying all the information. I was also hoping you could answer a question... When you combined your dinner reservation with Jackie and Rachelle were they able to split the bill between your seapass cards or did it all bill on one receipt? I'm asking because my husband and I have cruised by ourselves, but our upcoming cruise we going with friends and I'm not sure how that will work. Thanks in advance.

[Hugh2011]

Hoping to complete 150 CP by tonight, but we shall see.

 

Brian,

 

Quite an interesting resume, I agree with everybody.

 

Still waiting for your 150 CP review though, before I ask my questions. :)

 

Hugh

[hawkfish]

Part 6: Chef's Table

 

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.

 

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.

 

It's interesting that asparagus would be such a focal point of a wine tasting dinner, since asparagus is one of the most difficult foods to pair with wine. Along with artichokes, most chefs consider this an almost impossible pairing, and consequently only use them sparingly when part of a tasting.

 

And the issue with the Errazuriz probably stems from that being a dessert wine, which you typically don't drink with dessert, but rather on its own. A dessert wine with a sugary dessert results in something that's usually too cloying. Probably would have been better off with a regular sauv blanc.

 

Thanks for the detailed review - everything sounds so wonderful!! Can't wait for our trip in January on the Allure!

[hawkfish]

One of the amazing performers at Splish! Splash!

 

 

And now I'm dying to know - how did this guy even get into this position?!??! Amazing!

[BrianAlt]

When you combined your dinner reservation with Jackie and Rachelle were they able to split the bill between your seapass cards or did it all bill on one receipt?

 

Both of us had pre-reserved online, so they just had to move our reservation to be at the same time.

 

When you reserve online you have the option of linking other people's reservation number and using multiple credit cards. So everyone can pay their own way. We didn't do this in our case because we hadn't even met yet. :)

[BrianAlt]

It's interesting that asparagus would be such a focal point of a wine tasting dinner, since asparagus is one of the most difficult foods to pair with wine. Along with artichokes, most chefs consider this an almost impossible pairing, and consequently only use them sparingly when part of a tasting.

 

Interesting, could have been the problem with the less than perfect pairing. But I still enjoyed it.

 

And the issue with the Errazuriz probably stems from that being a dessert wine, which you typically don't drink with dessert, but rather on its own. A dessert wine with a sugary dessert results in something that's usually too cloying. Probably would have been better off with a regular sauv blanc.

 

Agreed. And I think I said that I enjoyed just drinking it on it's own. I can't remember anymore on this 16 page review and counting. :eek: Hehe.

[BrianAlt]

And now I'm dying to know - how did this guy even get into this position?!??! Amazing!

 

If I told you, you would NOT believe me! If I had taken a series of pictures you'd be asking me that on each picture I took. Let's just say that his future in being a father is in question. ;)

 

This show was TERRIFIC!

 

Oh, and I will finish 150 CP today. I promise!

[jjtt]

And now I'm dying to know - how did this guy even get into this position?!??! Amazing!

 

 

I was wondering the same thing and how did he stay in that position??? AMAZING!!!! We will have to see this show for sure!!!

[BrianAlt]

Part 11: 150 Central Park

 

So, a few days before we were talking with Brad and Erica and they said they were going to 150 Central Park on Friday. We said that we were too and asked if they wanted to have dinner together. Our reservation was at 8:30 and they weren’t sure if theirs was 8:00 or 8:30, but they would call and make sure. It turned out their reservation was 9:00 PM, but they had no problem changing it to 8:30 and joining us.

 

We got there a little early, so we relaxed in Central Park for a few minutes and took some pictures. We had a passer by take our picture too.

 

Everyone seems to like this picture (it was the most commented on Facebook)

 

We were still a few minutes early, but we went to claim our table and sit down. The table was lovely, with flowers set on it and all of the glasses ready to go. We were right behind the bar where they mix the Cucumber Martini. There was a loveseat across the back of the bar for two people to sit. My wife sat there as well as Erica, who almost magically appeared a minute or two after we sat down. The men had standalone chairs that were very heavy. It was a very comfortable set up.

 

Also on the table was this:

 

Salt choices at 150 CP

 

Our waiter, Raul from Romania, told us that the butter is not salted. You are invited to butter your bread and then try to various salts. He explained the different flavors and the locales of each salt. We asked his favorite and he said it was the left most one. He said that one tasted like hard boiled eggs and he was right! Obviously it had a lot of sulfur in it. I believe it was from Eastern Europe. The black one was from Hawaii, if I remember correctly. It was very smoky and I enjoyed it a lot. Trying the salts was a lot of fun.

 

Raul asked if we wanted the signature martini and both couples said we would like to try it, so we each split one. We also told Raul that we would like to each share the wine tasting. He said that it was not a problem. I’m not much of a martini drinker, but this was very nice. It has muddled basil, like the mint in a Mojito, which gives it a very fresh flavor. The cucumber, a subtle flavor in itself, was distinctive. An impressive feat. It comes in a set of two glasses. The lower glass holds ice and the upper glass is cylindrical like a martini glass. You are supposed to just drink from the upper glass and leave the lower one on the table. We all didn’t realize and we were drinking from the whole thing. Raul pointed this out without embarrassing us.

 

The first course came out and all four of us were served simultaneously. No matter how large the table is, everyone gets served simultaneously. If there are 8 people at the table, 4 waiters will appear with your food and time it perfectly so all the food is placed at once. Raul was always one of our servers and then another waiter would help him place the plates.

 

The first course is Gazpacho with a Lobster Beignet. The Gazpacho was very nice with a touch of spice. I would have enjoyed a little more heat, but then again I’m a “spice head”. The beignet was good, but it was mostly dough. I couldn’t get much of a distinct taste of lobster.

 

The wine came out well after we were served and I was wondering if I had explained myself correctly, that we wanted to share the wine tasting. A few minutes later Raul appeared with D’Arenberg, “The Stump Jump White” from Adelaide, Australia. He explained that the wine was not meant to be enjoyed with the soup, but instead after the soup. It wasn’t meant to pair with the course as much as it was to cool down any spiciness after you were done with the Gazpacho. The wine was nice, not overly interesting or memorable, but nice.

 

The second course was Duck Confit with a Shallot Apple Compote, Brioche Crouton Apple Syrup, Frisée. It wasn’t a typical Duck Confit as this was more of a salad course than an appetizer. The duck was sliced and placed on top of the frisee. It was very tasty and everyone eagerly finished their plate. It was paired with Michel Redde, Sauvignon Blanc, Sancerre from “Les Tuilières”, France. It paired very well, especially with the nice apple flavor that was on the duck.

 

Our third course was the Basil Dusted Halibut with Potato Cream and Citrus Oil. The Halibut was delicious, nice and light and perfectly cooked. This was paired with Jordan, Chardonnay from Russian River Valley, California. Jordan Cabernet happens to be my wife’s favorite. This is obviously very different, but it’s a yummy Chardonnay from a wonderful winery. Halibut and duck are also among my wife’s favorite, so you can imagine how happy she was with the menu.

 

Next up was the Spring Pea Risotto with Candied Carrot and Asparagus. Risotto is such a wonderful dish. Rich and creamy and with the peas and carrots it was a little sweet too. The asparagus gave a nice balance to the dish. It was paired with Bodegas Sierra Cantabria from Rioja, Crianza, Spain. I liked the choice of wine. It was bold to hold up to the dish without being an overpowering glass of red wine.

 

The main entrée was Steak and Potato, which means it was actually Roasted Veal Tenderloin, Pea Puree, Potato String, Cabernet Gloss. The meat was delicious! Perfectly prepared and it just melted in your mouth. The cabernet based sauce was very nice with the veal. However, the wine didn’t quite stand up to the meat. It was served with Stark-Conde, Syrah from Stellenbosch, South Africa. The wine was fine on its own, but it just did not stand up to the veal. Raul specifically complained about it to me. He felt that it should have been a Cabernet he was serving instead of the South African Syrah. I think he is right. But what I said to him was that I think the intent was to present this meal from all around the world and the sommelier wanted to present that as part of the wine tasting too. Raul agreed with me, but still felt it should have been a bolder wine. And I agree.

 

The final course was dessert, Upside Down Peach Cake with Raspberry Peach Sorbet, Peach Air, Crispy Butter Cookie. It was a lovely dessert and it was delicious! It was sweet without being too sweet. I love raspberries and peaches and judging from my dining companions, we all finished it very easily. With this dessert we had a glass of Veuve Clicquot, Brut, Champagne, “Yellow Label” from France. This was a familiar choice to me as I have a bottle at home. I think champagne is a nice alternative to a dessert wine and the dryness of the champagne went well with the tartness of raspberries and peaches.

 

Raul also offered us a selection of cheeses, but by now we were all stuffed and as I said from the start, I’m not big on cheeses.

 

150 Central Park is a fabulous place for dinner. If you think of eating as entertainment, then have dinner here! This is more than just a nice dinner, it is entertaining. One interesting thing about my dinner here, it FLEW by. We were here for almost three hours, it was 11:15 by the time we were getting up and I have no idea where that time went. The four of us were talking, talking about the food, about the cruise and about our lives. I struggled to complete this review because of this. I realized that I was just eating away at times without making sure I stopped to take note of my food. Everything about the place was comfortable. This is in spite of this being a fairly formal dining venue.

 

When you come here, just fasten your seat belt and enjoy your ride!

 

The Menu, Raul signed the back for us

 

Next: Part 12: Final Thoughts and Conclusions

[Ella2]

YUM on 150 Central Park! Like your wife, I LOVE duck and halibut, so this menu (except for the veal) is right up my alley.

 

One question on sharing the wine tasting...how did that work, exactly? Did each of you get a small pour of each wine or did you alternate which wines you drank between the two of you. We are pretty serious wine drinkers so there's no doubt we will be doing the pairings, but I just want to figure out if we need to each get our own or if sharing one will give us each enough wine with each course.

[BrianAlt]

One question on sharing the wine tasting...how did that work, exactly? Did each of you get a small pour of each wine or did you alternate which wines you drank between the two of you.

 

He gave us two glasses and poured approximately half into each glass. (I would say it was slightly heavy handed.) It was plenty! Six glasses each would have been too much. Plus, don't forget the martini!

[Spring]

Also, do you have any pictures:o