Celebrity Chefs

[samjane92]

Hello,

 

Has anyone ever eaten in a select dining venue when the celebrity chef is onboard? We have booked for East when Atul Kochar is on Ventura so hopefully will be a special night! Do they do anything else when on also?

[the english lady]

Hello,

 

Has anyone ever eaten in a select dining venue when the celebrity chef is onboard? We have booked for East when Atul Kochar is on Ventura so hopefully will be a special night! Do they do anything else when on also?

 

Yes we ate at Ocean Grill on Arcadia when MPW was onboard. In his case I am not sure he does the actual cooking now. Just oversees things when he is onboard. It was a very nice meal. Booked in there again, after he had got off.

He sat/stood just inside the entrance and took time to talk to everyone as they came in and went out.

Atul may actually do the cooking when he is onboard, or just oversee things.

You can bet your bottom dollar though when the "chef" is onboard things are upped a notch .

[majortom10]

We have been on Azura when Atul was onboard and even though he was in the restaurant dont think he was doing any cooking just overseeing everything but thats normal in any of their restaurants even on land I dont think they actually do much cooking. He also did a cookery demonstration and talk.

[Elviex]

Yes, Atul was on Azura for a few nights on our cruise in May. One evening in Sindhu when we eating there he hosted a small party of diners, and we went on the P&O excursion with him to markets and to eat at a beautiful restaurant in La Coruna. We ate again later in the cruise in Sindhu and the standard was the same...excellent.

 

 

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[majortom10]

Sindhu and XV11 (not a celebrity chef restaurant) are the best restaurants we have eaten in on all the cruises we have done. Every time we have cruised on Azura we eat twice in each to use both menus and have cruised on Azura 5 times and never had a bad meal in either.

[Rosefan]

Yes we were on Azura in May. Athul was on board at the beginning. I booked his hosted dinner for the 2nd night on board, there were only 7 of us on the table he sat at our end of the table for the first two courses, then went into the rest of the restaurant and spoke to all the other diners then came back and sat at the other end for the last two courses. All wine was included and the cost £55 each. Worth it in my opinion, special treat and a lovely evening, he is a lovely man good conversation was had by all. We booked just after boarding I asked the young lady as she came round at lunch and she confirmed the booking later. I don't think it's advertised.

If that's not to your liking then dining in the restaurant whilst he is on board he will come round and meet all diners, or as above there may be a trip with him, that will appear in your cruise personaliser trips, but it is more expensive. Good luck, the food is great whatever you do.

 

 

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[scottishgolfwidow]

We have booked the White Room on Ventura for the first night of our cruise on 08/10/14. Do you think PMW will apear in the restaurant? He is supposed to be onboard from the 8th - 10th. Just wondered if we would actually see him

[Lovemychoos]

I think MPW has come a long way, and settled down since first joining P&O,lol.

 

We ate in Cafe Jardin not long after it became a MPW venue. He was sat with an officer at the first table as you go into the restaurant (port side).

 

It's the worst meal we've ever had in there - the staff were so awe struck, and were so busy trying to get everthing absolutely perfect - they ended up doing exactly the opposite ! I did feel sorry for them.

[scottishgolfwidow]

OOOPS should be MPW :eek:

[kathsmum]

We were on Arcadia in April and ate in Marco's Ocean Grill - the food was great although I can never manage more than a mouthful of the dessert. Towards the end of the cruise Marco was on board and we ate in there again. He greeted us when we first went in and was very friendly and chatty spending about 5 minutes with us. Although it was a lot busier than on the previous occasion the standard of food and service was just as good.

[the english lady]

We were on Arcadia in April and ate in Marco's Ocean Grill - the food was great although I can never manage more than a mouthful of the dessert. Towards the end of the cruise Marco was on board and we ate in there again. He greeted us when we first went in and was very friendly and chatty spending about 5 minutes with us. Although it was a lot busier than on the previous occasion the standard of food and service was just as good.

 

Kathsmum we must have been on the same cruise!

Yes he did seem to make time to talk to everyone.

Whilst chatting to him ,he knew the area where we lived. Discussed the pubs he went to, which were getting nearer and nearer to our little tiny village. The final one was just on the outskirts of our tiny little village.

Some people do get the wrong idea of the celeb chefs. We went to MPW talk. He never does any cooking now (seems to spend his time flying round the world). Anyway we ate in Ocean Grill twice, once before he got on and once during. Food was fantastic both times.

We were going to ask the photographers something ,and there was a lady in front of us. So we waited. She felt the need to totaly slag off HIS cooking. If she met him she would tell him how bad HIS cooking was onboard. HE couldn't cook at all.

We stayed and listened to this rubbish for a while then wandered off.

I thought I remembered seeing her elsewhere . It was is the East bar when she was holding forth to all and sundry (she had such a LOUD voice, that even just being in the bar meant you could hear her) on the food in East.

[richleeds]

Ate in east last week on Ventura with Atul onboard, starter and dessert ok but main the most bland meal in a Asian/east restaurant ever. Service wasn't up to much either considering he was hovering about.