We enjoyed the new Le Cirque menu

[travelinjones]

Our favorite specialty restaurant menu at sea — on any cruise line — is the “An Evening at Le Cirque” on Holland America Line.

 

So during our recent 7-Day Western Caribbean cruise on the Nieuw Amsterdam, we had to try out the new updated menu.

 

On the updated menu, the Yellowtail Snapper Crudo replaced the Le Trio appetizer, and the Wild Burgundy Escargot is an additional new item under the appetizer section.

 

The Garden Pea soup replaced the Butternut Squash soup on the prior menu.

 

Under the main courses, the Seabass replaced the Alaskan Black Cod, the lamb and chicken are new preparations, and the Spaghetti Primavera takes the place of the Three Cheese Ravioli.

 

Thankfully, the signature Crème Brûlée ‘Le Cirque‘, and the Chocolate Soufflé remain as the stars of the dessert menu, but there are a couple of additions.

 

This link contains pictures of all of the dishes that our group of four tried:

http://www.travelingwiththejones.com/2015/03/17/the-updated-menu-for-an-evening-at-le-cirque-on-holland-america-cruises/

 

Our thoughts:

-we did not switch from our favorite lobster salad appetizer, but our friends had the Yellowtail Snapper Crudo and the Ceasar Salad, which they said they enjoyed.

 

-the new pea soup was a big hit, fresh, but filling and delicious.

 

-For the main courses, the Seabass was a nice change from the cod, and the chicken dish looks much more interesting that the prior one. Mr. Jones still loves the Chateaubriand.

 

We could not resist the two favorite desserts:

-the traditional chocolate soufflé with vanilla gelato,

-and the Crème Brûlée ‘Le Cirque‘.

 

Bottom line: all of the favorites are still on the menu, with a few new and/or improved delicious options.

[Crew News]

Joanie and I were the first HAL passengers to taste the new menu on Dec 7th aboard the Nieuw Amsterdam on the first night it was introduced to the HAL fleet. The new HAL CEO and his entourage were scheduled on that Le Cirgue night at 7:00 PM. We scooped them with dinner at 5:30 PM.

 

Joanie loved the new escargot and pea soup. The strawberry pavlova was incredible.

[PathfinderEss]

Thanks for your thoughts on the new menu at Le Cirque, can't wait to try it, though I will say the pea soup is something I will never have. I liked their Butternut Squash soup, to bad they changed it. My DH will love the Escargot.

[canuckgardener]

We also enjoyed the Le Cirque menu on March 12 on board the Nieuw Amsterdam. The pea soup was the best surprise as it was amazing!

[Krazy Kruizers]

The new menu is on the Zuiderdam as well and we got to try it 2 times.

The first week, our waitress told us that the chef said the Seabass was not very good. The second cruise, the Seabass was replaced with Barramundi.

[sapper1]

Joanie and I were the first HAL passengers to taste the new menu on Dec 7th aboard the Nieuw Amsterdam on the first night it was introduced to the HAL fleet. The new HAL CEO and his entourage were scheduled on that Le Cirgue night at 7:00 PM. We scooped them with dinner at 5:30 PM.

 

Joanie loved the new escargot and pea soup. The strawberry pavlova was incredible.

 

My husband and I were there on the first night as well and it was a wonderful treat wasn't it? :) However, it was not held on December 7th as that was the first night of the cruise. It was held a few days into the cruise.

[Ky Colonel]

... we enjoyed the new "Le Cirque" menu on our January 26 Southern Caribbean cruise on the Noordam and, with one exception, agree that it is an improvement - IMHO substituting the pea soup for the absolutely divine butternut squash-boysenberry soup was not an improvement. While the pea soup is good, IMO it lacks the complexity and subtlety of flavors that the squash soup had. We were fortunate to have dined at the original Le Cirque in the Mayfair Regent Hotel in the late '70s/early '80s, so my opinion may be clouded by those wonderful memories of dinners past. And I do appreciate that taste is a very subjective and personal matter, so I don't expect that everyone will agree with me on this matter. In any event, we will continue to enjoy "An Evening at Le Cirque" on our future cruises and hope to see the butternut squash-boysenberry soup back on the menu soon.

 

Rod

[aliaschief]

Enjoyed your post and pics. Thanks for sharing.

[sapper1]

... we enjoyed the new "Le Cirque" menu on our January 26 Southern Caribbean cruise on the Noordam and, with one exception, agree that it is an improvement - IMHO substituting the pea soup for the absolutely divine butternut squash-boysenberry soup was not an improvement. While the pea soup is good, IMO it lacks the complexity and subtlety of flavors that the squash soup had. We were fortunate to have dined at the original Le Cirque in the Mayfair Regent Hotel in the late '70s/early '80s, so my opinion may be clouded by those wonderful memories of dinners past. And I do appreciate that taste is a very subjective and personal matter, so I don't expect that everyone will agree with me on this matter. In any event, we will continue to enjoy "An Evening at Le Cirque" on our future cruises and hope to see the butternut squash-boysenberry soup back on the menu soon.

 

Rod

Another vote for the butternut squash soup! It was worth the price of admission all by itself. Please please HAL--- bring it back.

[Ky Colonel]

Another vote for the butternut squash soup! It was worth the price of admission all by itself. Please please HAL--- bring it back.

 

... my sentiments to a T!!!

 

Rod

[Ky Colonel]

Another vote for the butternut squash soup! It was worth the price of admission all by itself. Please please HAL--- bring it back.

... just checked the HAL web site and found "Butternut Squash with Huckleberries" listed in the soup section of the Le Cirque menu. Does this mean that HAL has brought the wonderful " Butternut Squash with Huckleberries" soup back? Or is the HAL web site merely out-of-date (again)?

 

Rod

[Typhoon1]

Glad you enjoyed it.

 

Some love Le Cirque, others despise it.

[Krazy Kruizers]

... just checked the HAL web site and found "Butternut Squash with Huckleberries" listed in the soup section of the Le Cirque menu. Does this mean that HAL has brought the wonderful " Butternut Squash with Huckleberries" soup back? Or is the HAL web site merely out-of-date (again)?

 

Rod

 

 

Not all of the ships have the new menu which no longer has the Butternut Squash soup.

[LAFFNVEGAS]

We were last on HAL 15 months ago for the New Years Cruise on the Veendam and was not overly impressed with Le Cirque but the new menu with Sea Bass peaks my interest, I love a good Sea Bass. But count me in for another that will miss the Butternut Squash Soup :( But I am willing to try the Pea Soup ;) Hoping the Volendam has it in 7 weeks. :)

[Krazy Kruizers]

The Zuiderdam did not have the Sea Bass -- Barramundi was substituted.

[lazey1]

Thank you for posting the new menu and for the photos. We may decide to give LeCirque another try on our So.Pacific cruise. We tried LeCirque when it was first introduced and the food was good but nothing better than the Pinnacle. Each serving was probably big enough to fill up a 300 lb football player.

Therefore my question, are the servings still so big that 2/3's of our meals will go to waste?

[Crew News]

The portions are more in the MDR size with the exception of the Chateaubriand which was big.