Tell me about your favorite food(s) on Oosterdam

[wheretocruise]

Hi All, I'm thinking of sailing on the Oosterdam in the next couple of months. I'd love to hear about your favorite foods and what not to miss if we take the trip to Mexico. Thanks for sharing!

[SwissMyst]

In Mazatlan, be sure to eat at Te Amo Lucy in the Centro Historico. American ex-pat lawyer owner so easy to use English. Really yummy fresh Mexican food that is unlike what one typically finds in the US - definitely more refined, yet still a very casual, likable place.

Plus the owner Tony makes the most delicious home made icecream - we had seconds. This is a place others come back to over again when they come to Mazatlan. It is a mix of North American and Mexcian items - all excellent. Really excellent. This place is a real find for one day trippers to Mazatlan.

It is on Av Constituion which is a few blocks from the pretty plazeula on the way to the Mercado Central, which is also a very fun thing to see. This part of Mazatlan is undergoing historic renovation and is a delight to see. You can walk there from the ship or take one of the tiny open air taxis.

I love all the soups (cold and hot) in the main dining room at night along with the fresh baked bread and sweet butter there every night. The breakfast baked items, donuts and croissants are first rate so one gets most of their sweet treat fixes early in the morning instead of later on in the day.

For the most part the food was pleasant and creatively presented, but to my tastes not outstanding or unforgettable. Just very pleasant and well-served in a lovely setting. Dinner was always a high-light for the experience of ending our days on board. We always looked forward to it and loved our table for two in the late fixed seating.

We used the wine card and I always had a glass of champagne as my house wine choice - again, always a very pleasant, very fine bubbled, dry champagne. Have no idea what brand or vintage or if I was lucky enough to get some leftovers from a very nice bottle opened for someone else or if they have a house champagne or Proseco. It was always just the right touch for me.

We also found the really good Talavera pottery in Puerto Vallarta at Galeria Indigena, which is a few blocks up from the malecon on Av. Juarez. They had the best selections as well as other very nice quality crafts. There is a lot of cheaper knock-off pottery available but for the true renditions of this craft, we found this to be the best place of all our Mexican Riviera stops. Just beautiful colors, designs, glazes and all are lead free and dishwasher safe. I am sorry we did not get more now that we love using the bowls we brought back home. The cheaper pottery chip and dip sectional which looked okay did not even make it home without cracking (repaired with glue) which shows the real sturdy quality of the real stuff we got at this shop.

[Copper10-8]

Look for (or ask for) the Indonesian lunch on the Lido deck (midships pool) or in the Lido restaurant. Try the Sate Ayam (skewered chicken) with peanut sauce, Krupuk (shrimp chips) and rice; good stuff! In the Pinnacle Grill, try the Steak Diane medaillons. Have a great cruise!:)

[RuthC]

Not limited to the Oosterdam (which I have not sailed)---the chilled soups. It's like starting dinner off with dessert first.
Speaking of dessert: the flourless chocolate cake. One of the best desserts ever. Even better than the volcano cake in the Pinnacle, in the opinion of the Chocolate Goddess. :D

The prime rib in the dining room, and the filet mignon in the Pinnacle are both worth blowing the diet for.

[duck tune]

I agree with RuthC about the chilled soups. Every one of them is wonderful. I also thought the fresh made waffles have been some of the best I've ever had land or sea!

[TiogaCruiser]

Also- haven't been on the O but the rib eye steak at PG ( I don't usually even like steak) and the Dutch raisin rolls. Oh, the rolls! ;-D

[cruznon]

I love the baked brie with cranberry sauce. Wonderful appetizer not to be missed.
I agree with Ruth about the chilled soups--delicious.

[Vic The Parrot]

Look for (or ask for) the Indonesian lunch on the Lido deck (midships pool) or in the Lido restaurant. Try the Sate Ayam (skewered chicken) with peanut sauce, Krupuk (shrimp chips) and rice; good stuff! In the Pinnacle Grill, try the Steak Diane medaillons. Have a great cruise!:)



Don't forget the Bami! ;) :cool:

[fundude1990]

Does anyone know if there is a coffee bar on the Oosterdam? We have traveled mostly on RCCL ships and love the CAFE Promendade. Does HAL (Oosterdam) have anything like that on their ships? This is our first HAL cruise.

[Copper10-8]

Does anyone know if there is a coffee bar on the Oosterdam? We have traveled mostly on RCCL ships and love the CAFE Promendade. Does HAL (Oosterdam) have anything like that on their ships? This is our first HAL cruise.

HAL has the Explorations Cafe - On Oosterdam it's up on the starboard side of the Crow's Nest along with the internet center & library. Specialty coffee prices are still cheaper than Stabucks:)

[tarps14]

Favorite foods...hmmmm. All of the soups were really good, chilled and hot. Really liked the ginger grilled chicken, the crab legs, and the clams with pancetta in the main dining room, the steak diane in the Pinnacle grill, the limoncello dessert in Canaletto (very light and refreshing), and the salad bar in the lido (incredible number of add-ons each day). The eggs benedict station was also a nice touch in the lido each morning. It had about a dozen different varieties.