A very smart lunch

The first thing to say is that with very very few exceptions the food on this holiday has been excellent and TSH and Diva have enjoyed it very much. But on the last day of the Grand Voyage (TSH and Diva are staying on board for another 12 days), they were invited to the final special lunch for those who have been on the Silver Moon since Athens. Normally there is a wide choice of food but this was a fixed menu with at most 2 options for each course.

If there was to be a least suitable menu for them, this was it. ‘Carpaccio’ and ‘Tartare’ are not good words for appetisers, as they basically mean raw meat and fish, which they do not eat. Having explained this to the waiter, no alternative was offered – ‘just go straight to the next course’. The beetroot risotto, when it arrived, was topped with what looked like cream, which Diva had already explained she does not eat. (Later she discovered it was actually ‘goat cheese espuma’ but the waiter also though it was cream).  A fresh portion was cooked for her – it arrived well after TSH had eaten his. There were walnuts scattered on top – good job she does not have a nut allergy.

And then her wagyu steak arrived – she had asked for it well done, as the kitchen was obviously being run by somebody who doesn’t like cooking. She had a vague idea that this was one of the most highly prized steaks in the world. It was only afterwards that Google explained that the meat should not be cooked much beyond rare and that it was meant to be fatty. So that wasn’t great either. TSH’s ‘Red snapper fillet with breadcrumbs coat, passion fruit and eggplant quenelle’ was mediocre and a woman at the next table complained that hers was dry.

No substitute other than ice cream was offered for the cream drenched dessert. They never discovered what was being offered to vegetarians, vegans, dairy intolerant, gluten free people etc.

The service was slow. Partly because the top chef (in his hat, which has to be taller than the hats of all the other chefs) was personally carving the iberico ham for the anti pasta, followed by the waiters adding the olives, tomatoes etc. For around 100 people!!

La Terrazza is booked for tonight. Real food.

Only 1 crew member testing positive for Covid now. All transit passengers have been tested again.