Queens Grill “off-menu” questions/limits

[johng75370]

We’re looking ahead to our first Cunard (and Queens Grill) experience and to the option of ordering “off menu”.  We’ve heard if the ingredients are in there, we can order it  - “the galley is your oyster”, given enough notice for them to prepare it.  There are two items in particular I’m thinking of, but they may be labor-intensive:  the Queens Jubilee Pudding (Jemma Melvin’s trifle), and a white tomato soup. I’ve been reading not many households in the UK made the Pudding because of the effort involved, despite the ingredients being available.  Likewise I’ve made the white tomato soup (as well as having it on another cruise line), but it needs a lot of time to extract the white essence for the soup.  Other things we’re thinking are Tournedos Rossini entree and Pavlova dessert, but those I would expect would be no problem.  

 

If the ingredients are available but it’s a hard dish to make will we be turned down?

Edited June 10, 2022 by johng75370
Typo

[exlondoner]

For the Jubilee pud, they may not have the recipe, so I would bring a copy, and ask a few days in advance. Then I'm sure it won't be a problem. It can't be that difficult. I've never heard of white tomato soup, but from what you say, they would need lots of warning. There will,obviously be lots of to,atoms on board. Tournedos and Pav may well be menu items so easy to request.

[Victoria2]

I have yet to have a request turned down. The request might not turn out exactly as you’ve experienced elsewhere [Blackened Tuna turned out more seared than I would have liked so I now ask for it to be 'just shown the pan, each side'] but the chef will, in our experience, give it a go as long as he/she has some knowledge of the dish. If not, the Head Waiter might ask for some guidance.

 

Steaks are a regular so no problem there.

 

The Jubilee pudding was in my opinion, a complicated recipe designed for a televised competition and not for the average UK street party contribution. I have heard it quoted as 'an arse-ache to make' [and if that gets through, apologies for the language but I am only quoting]  but if adapted to shop bought ingredients, it was easy to make,  I'm sure it didn't taste the same as the made from scratch, following the recipe trifle as shown on TV, but it was most acceptable.

However,  as most UK households will have a preferred family recipe for trifle handed down through the generations, which is usually made on high days and holidays, in our case, the family recipe will triumph over a lemony trifle, any day.

Edited June 10, 2022 by Victoria2

[rakkor]

35 minutes ago, Victoria2 said:

The Jubilee pudding was in my opinion, a complicated recipe designed for a televised competition and not for the average UK street party contribution.

 

I made it, albeit with a couple of cheats (bought lemon curd and packet jelly and 100s &1000s instead of mixed peel) for a BBQ at friends and it wasn't too hard. It was tasty though!

 

 

 

 

[Victoria2]

8 minutes ago, rakkor said:

 

I made it, albeit with a couple of cheats (bought lemon curd and packet jelly and 100s &1000s instead of mixed peel) for a BBQ at friends and it wasn't too hard. It was tasty though!

 

 

 

 

Looks super.

Ours was  a cheats version too. Dead easy but then most of ours was 'pre-prepared'! M&S Gastropub custard, yum yum.  🙂

[Yaldi]

That looks fabulous.
 

I must admit I like the Cunard trifle served on the regular menu. It isn’t fancy just red jelly, fruit, custard and cream but it always hits the mark with me. In fact if I find out it is on the lunch menu I will go specially to have it.
 

Their lasagne too garners the same reaction. If both, by coincidence, are on the same lunch menu I am in heaven.

[LadyL1]

In March my husband asked for a Wagyu steak, and was told that it was not available in QG. We know it can be had in the Verandah for a premium payment.  No problem as the chateaubriand is spectacular.

As for the Jubilee pudding, I think you might be pushing your luck, as they generally prepare items for just one or 2 people (if off menu).

Whatever, I am sure you will enjoy the menus, and the flambé desserts will make up for the Jubilee pudding if not available.

This is making my mouth water at the thought; so looking forward to being back on QV in November!😊

[exlondoner]

1 hour ago, Yaldi said:

That looks fabulous.
 

I must admit I like the Cunard trifle served on the regular menu. It isn’t fancy just red jelly, fruit, custard and cream but it always hits the mark with me. In fact if I find out it is on the lunch menu I will go specially to have it.
 

Their lasagne too garners the same reaction. If both, by coincidence, are on the same lunch menu I am in heaven.

 

I loathe trifle of all sorts, but completely agree about their lasagne. Always worth turning up for.

[Victoria2]

2 hours ago, LadyL1 said:

In March my husband asked for a Wagyu steak, and was told that it was not available in QG. We know it can be had in the Verandah for a premium payment.  No problem as the chateaubriand is spectacular.

As for the Jubilee pudding, I think you might be pushing your luck, as they generally prepare items for just one or 2 people (if off menu).

Whatever, I am sure you will enjoy the menus, and the flambé desserts will make up for the Jubilee pudding if not available.

This is making my mouth water at the thought; so looking forward to being back on QV in November!😊

Not asked for Wagyu so that's interesting. I might try and see. We have had off menu dishes prepared for one when it should be a shared dish and meals for the table to share so a small trifle might be in their remit. Don't ask, don't get. 🙂

[njguy_south]

There was a time, not that long ago, that a luxury cruise line named Cunard used to even allow the steerage passengers in the Brittania Restaurant to order "off menu." I remember in the mid-2000s a gentleman at the next table (a large group) ordered true haggis. (Pre-ordered and brought his own ingredients, one one used to be allowed.) And it was cooked for their table.  Yes, those were the days, when the whole of a Cunard ship was considered luxury...

[exlondoner]

I also wouldn't get hung up on ordering off menu. What with the menu of the day and the two alcs, there is usually more than one thing there to tempt. I don't think I have ever ordered completely off menu, but I do sometimes ask for something from another day's menu which I missed, because I had something else.

[Colin_Cameron]

9 hours ago, njguy_south said:

There was a time, not that long ago, that a luxury cruise line named Cunard used to even allow the steerage passengers in the Brittania Restaurant to order "off menu." I remember in the mid-2000s a gentleman at the next table (a large group) ordered true haggis. (Pre-ordered and brought his own ingredients, one one used to be allowed.) And it was cooked for their table.  Yes, those were the days, when the whole of a Cunard ship was considered luxury...

We've done that a couple of times (not bringing our own ingredients).

 

On an around Britain cruise, with a table of English and Americans, I thought it would be a treat if  haggis could be organised for one of our nights in Scotland. A quick word with the chef and it was all sorted. Enough haggis for our table and several others around us was ordered and delivered to the ship.

 

On another occasion, on QM2 in Hawaii, again with a table full of Americans, the subject of haggis came up. The waiter had overheard the conversation and when I queried the possibility of arranging that for another night he rather embarrassedly explained that although they didn't have haggis onboard they could make it from scratch but that due to restrictions on some ingredients it would be "American haggis". When your Turkish waiter knows the difference you know you've got a good one😃.

[WestonOne]

On 6/10/2022 at 8:48 AM, Victoria2 said:

Looks super.

Ours was  a cheats version too. Dead easy but then most of ours was 'pre-prepared'! M&S Gastropub custard, yum yum.  🙂

The problem with the Jubilee trifle is the original recipe was for 20 but they said to half the ingredients for 10 people.  So if a lot of people in Queens Grill agreed it would work well, but I am not so sure for 1 person or couple.

[Victoria2]

1 hour ago, WestonOne said:

The problem with the Jubilee trifle is the original recipe was for 20 but they said to half the ingredients for 10 people.  So if a lot of people in Queens Grill agreed it would work well, but I am not so sure for 1 person or couple.

Ours could be pared down for two or even one but then ours was a cheat's version. You never know, the ingenuity of the galley could be tested and found not wanting! Then of course, there's a cheat's version too. Very acceptable, especially if the original was never experienced!

Always worth asking.  🙂

[WestonOne]

4 hours ago, Victoria2 said:

Ours could be pared down for two or even one but then ours was a cheat's version. You never know, the ingenuity of the galley could be tested and found not wanting! Then of course, there's a cheat's version too. Very acceptable, especially if the original was never experienced!

Always worth asking.  🙂

I did wonder whether it might appear as one of the desserts on the menu sometime. That would go a long way to overcoming the quantity issue, though predicting how popular it was going to be would not be easy!

[exlondoner]

I had always thought trifle was a dish made to use up leftovers, like stale cake. I loathe it, because I dislike custard. But is this Jubilee trifle actually all that nice?

[Victoria2]

11 hours ago, exlondoner said:

I had always thought trifle was a dish made to use up leftovers, like stale cake. I loathe it, because I dislike custard. But is this Jubilee trifle actually all that nice?

 

I found out I don't particularly like lemon curd or anything lemony in a trifle. Give me Hartley's strawberry jelly as a main ingredient any day! 🙂