Pinnacle / Tamarind

[Vince1980]

Hi all,

Just a few questions about the Pinnacle Grill and the Tamarind on the Nieuw Amsterdam.

How often do you usually go to these specialty restaurants? I am thinking of going 1 time to Tamarind, 1 time Pinnacle, and the rest Main Dining Room and Canaletto (on a 7 days cruise). As I didn't read good reviews on the buffet restaurant we'll probably skip this (or am I wrong??).

What, in your experience, is the best day to go to these specialty restaurants, on a sea day after spending a lazy day at the pool, or after an shore excursion day?

When is the best time to reserve the restaurants? On the ship? Or should I do it before, do they tend to fill up quickly?

Lunch vs. Dinner. I understand Tamarind is free for lunch and Pinnacle is cheaper during lunch time. Do they have a different menu for lunch compared to dinner or is it exactly the same? Is it possible to reserve for lunch or is it first come first serve?

Finally: what's your favorite dish of the Tamarind/Pinnacle?


Lot's of questions, feel free to just answer part of them :D

Thanks,
Vincent

[Krazy Kruizers]

On the Eurodam we ate a lot at the Tamarind on our 14 day cruise -- we did not care for the food in the main dining room -- but that was 2 years ago. We were only able to eat 1 time in the Pinnacle on the first segment of our cruise -- but because of a large group on our second segment -- could not get any reservations on any day!! And for the first time ever we did not pre-book either restaurant. You can be sure that we now prebook all restaurants way ahead of our cruises.

The menus are different for lunch for both restaurants.

Menus coming up.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Pinnacle Lunch Menu (it is a BIG meal -- just like a dinner)

Menu - $10 per person. I suggest you make reservations once on the ship

Starters:
1)Grilled Prawn Bruschetta with a primavera salsa - aged asiago cheese and balsamic fusion
2)Mediterranean antipasto plate - pesto virgin olive oil
3)Scallops creme brulee - caramelized parmesean wafer
4)Northwest five onion soup - tomato shallot soubise
5)Chilled carrot and ginger soup - creme faiche and fried sage
6)Chiffanade of greens and tomato tower salad - Italian vinaigritte

Entrees:
1)Pacific rim beef salad - mesclun leaves, mangoes and lotus fruit
2)Alaskan halibut fillet sandwich - sour dough bread, cilantro relish and cucumber potato salad
3)Crab and shrimp cake - exotic fruit chutney, lime Thai curry sauce and orange rice with pine nuts
4)The Pinnacle burger - apple smoked bacon, cheddar cheese and bistro style shoestring potatoes. This dish can be served with a low carb bun and without the potatoes.
5)Sterling silver beef tenderloin with Oregon blue cheese crust - grilled asparagus and scalloped potatoes
6)Penne with grilled chicken breast, lemon basil sauce, sun dried tomatoes and arugula
7)Vegetarian couscous - grilled vegetables and fried mint leaves and harissa

Desserts:
1)Fresh strawberries with raspberry sorbet - sugar dough gaufrette
2)Chocolate brownie decadence - an explosion of chocolate
3)Orange and lime panna cotta
4)Ice creams and sorbets - ask for the day's selections
5)Fruit plate

[Krazy Kruizers]

Pinnacle Dinner Menu - $20 per person

The Beginning:
French Onion Soup King Louis XV - beef broth with aged cognac & caramelized onions, baked with gruyere croutons
Spicy Chicken Coconut Soup - fragrant coconut milk & lemon grass
Lobster Bisque - crème fraiche & aged sherry
Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail - brandy horseradish cocktail sauce
Vine Ripened Beefsteak Tomato Salad - sliced purple onion, balsamic vinaigrette or blue cheese dressing
Baby Arugula Salad - tossed with sliced red onion, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms and a warm bacon dressing topped with smoked bacon & chopped egg
Caesar Salad - crisp romaine tossed with very own Caesar dressing, grated parmesan cheese, garlic croutons and anchovies, prepared tableside
Dungeness Crab Cakes - spiral shaved cucumber & sweet chili-mustard sauce
Pinnacle Ocean Platter - carpaccio of lightly smoked salmon, accompanied with hot smoked salmon, sea scallops and wasabi cream



The Grill:
Filet Mignon, New York Strip Steak, Bone-In Rib Eye Steak, Porterhouse - served with our own hand crafted sauces: sun-dried tomato; Master Chef's green peppercorn bearnaise; horseradish mustard; hollandaise; maitre d' garlic butter

Colorado Lamb Chops - spiced apple chutney & fresh mint jelly

Grilled Veal Chop - marinated overnight in a savory blend of rosemary, garlic & pepper vinegar with scallions

Chicken Breast - stuffed with spinach & garlic herb cheese & served with lemon garlic beurre blanc sauce

Filet Steak Diane - pan-seared medallions of beef tenderloins & enriched with mushrooms & cognac

Filet Mignon Burger - a half-pound of freshly ground beef, fin herbs & truffle-infused


Sea Food:
Broiled King Salmon - troll caught (for sustainability) in Alaskan waters, quick seared & broiled, served with your choice of lemon garlic herb splash or sesame-soy kalbi

Broiled or Poached Lobster Tail - on a bed of wilted spinach & arugula, mustard seed & "mangochurri" pesto sauce or melted butter

Cedar Planked Black Cod with Shrimp Scampi - roasted garlic & cilantro butter

Pinnacle Signature Skewers:

Beef Delight - beef tenderloin marinated with parsley, onion, thyme, rosemary & marjoram

Tantalizing Lamb - lamb loins marinated with herbs, garlic, cumin, honey, coriandor & red chilies, served with yogurt sauce

Chicken & Turkey Temptation - with onion confit & tomato coulis

Deletable Seafood - shrimps & swordfish, seasoned with lemon, paprika, garlic, mustard, cayenne & dill

Vegetarian Zen - array of mixed vegetables seasoned with herbs de provence


Side Dishes:
Creamed Spinach, Sautéed Button Mushrooms, Sautéed Onions, Asparagus, Scalloped, Whipped, Jumbo Baked or Shoestring Potatoes and/or Basmati Rice

The Finale:
Not-So-Classic Baked Alaska, Warm Grand Marnier Chocolate Volcano Cake, Velvet Soufflé – Chocolate or Vanilla, Creamy Homemade Raspberry Cheesecake, Chocolate And Raisin Bread Pudding, Pinnacle Crème Brulee, Fresh Seasonal Fruits and Berries, Premium Ice Cream or Sorbets and/or the Assortment of International Cheeses.

[Krazy Kruizers]

The Tamarind Lunch is free -- can only make reservations once on the ship.

It is a set menu -- only get to choose dessert:


Hot and Sour Soup

Asian Herb Szechuan Sesame Salad

Steamed Classic Dumplings:
Chicken
Asian Pork
Steam Vegetable
Spinach and Mushroom
Shrimp 'Shu Mat'

From the Wok:
Vegetable Spring Roll
Spicy Crab Sushi Nugget
Shrimp Won Ton Sticks
Shrimp Spring Roll
Spicy Crab Rangoon

Holland America Line Culinary Fusion Sauces:
Bora Bora BBQ - tomato, ginger, aged vinegar, soy sauce
Mirin Pesto - sweet wine, soy, fresh basil, garlic, lemon grass
Coco Churri - coconut, cilantro, chili, lime
Shoyu Sabi - classic flavors of soy and wasabi

Choice of One Dessert:
Mango Sirbet
Coconut Ice Cream
Egg Tart
Green Tea Tiramisu

[Vince1980]

Thanks for posting the menus, very useful!

[Krazy Kruizers]

Tamarind - $15 per person

When you sit down at the table, a couple of servers will come to the table -- one will pour Jasmine tea while the other one gives you a HOT towel to cleanse your hands. Then you are given your menu. There are already 4 small sauce bowls on the table -- there is a soy sauce; a sweet-sour sauce; a garlic-chili pepper sauce; and a Japanese horseradish sauce (very hot). You are brought a basket of Shrimp Crackers.

SOUP:
Yin-Yang Scallop Consomme’ - tender sea scallops & julienne cut squash in a ginger infused shellfish broth sprinkled with minced scallions

Jewels of the Sea - delicate shrimp filled won ton with sliced baby bok choy in a fragrant lemongrass & sesame broth

Chicken Pho with Wild Lime & Rice Stick noodles - shredded chicken & rice noodles in a coconut milk broth flavored with lime leaf, cilantro, galangal, mint, bean sprouts & Serrano chilies



Appetizers:

Trail of Spices Satay Sampler - Malaysian-spiced lamb, Chinese pork, Thai -spiced beef, Indonesian-spiced chicken & Vietnamese-spiced shrimp served with Asian pickled vegetables & 2 traditional dipping sauces

Shrimp Tempura Indochina - sweet, fresh shrimp dipped in a light batter & fried and served with a tart-and-sweet green papaya salad & garlic chili sauce

Shanghai Ribs - five-spiced rubbed baby-back pork ribs, served over a Chinese pickled cabbage salad with a Tamarind chutney

Streetside Pot Stckers - succulent lobster, pork and chicken dumplimngs, shallow-fried till crispy on the bottom and served with a vinegar-soy ponzu dipping sauce

Spring Roll Delights - a trio of spring rolls: crispy duck, vegetable and a rice paper wrapped lobster roll, served with plum and sweet chili sauces

Thai Beef Salad - rare-seared beef, tossed with scallions, tomatoes, onions and cucumbers -- presented on salad greens and sprinkled with fresh mint, chilies and a lime-leaf dressing

Green Papaya Salad - freshly shredded raw vegetables and spinach, tomato, water chestnuts and papaya tossed with lime juice & palm sugar

Sushi & Sashimi Menu

YOUR CHOICE OF 6 ITEMS AS AN APPETIZER OR 12 AS AN ENTRÉE

Sashimi - tuna, salmon, snapper. Octopus

Nigiri Sushi - tuna, salmon, snapper, Octopus

Sushi Rolls:
Rainbow (reversed California roll topped with an assortment of fish)

California - crab and avocado

Salmon Tsutsumi - salmon, avocado, cream cheese

Tuna Tsutsumi - vegetable roll topped with tuna slices

Yozo - snapper, masago, asparagus, Japanese mayonnaise

Yoshi - tempura snapper, avocado, scallion, Japanese mayonnaise

Wraps - Indonesian vegetable, seafood, lettuce, chicken



Entrees:

Water:

Hoisin-Lime Glazed Sea Bass - Golden pan-seared fish crowned with crisp wok-seared Asian greens

Asia-Pacific Hot Pot - A one-pot surprise consisting of shrimp, scallops, Manila clams, rock fish, crab legs, squid, scallions, shallots, garlic, lemon grass and coriander leaves all braised in a flavorful stock

Baked Snapper in Rice Paper - Snapper marinated in a sake and citrus liquor, then golden baked and served atop ginger and garlic steamed Asian greens


Wood:

Wasabi & Soy Crusted Beef Tenderloin Steak - Served on an oak wood cedar plank and complimented with tempura-style onion rings and vegetables

Scallops & Prawns with Garlic, Ginger and Chili - steamed to perfection and presented in a bamboo basket and drizzled with a light soy sauce

Cantonese Duck & Hainan Rice - roasted, served on a bed chicken borth infused rice and garnished with flakes of fresh chili and cilantro


Fire:

Shrimp Szechuan with Thai Basil - Shrimp sauteed with chili peppers, Asian spices, straw mushrooms, sweet bell peppers and scallions glazed in a light chili sauce

Penang Red Curry Coconut Chicken - A mild spicy dish consisting of chicken cubes braised with Chinese pea pods, eggplant, green zucchini, red pimiento, opal basil, lemon grass and lime juice - presented in a bath of red curry and coconut milk

Vietnamese-Style Lamb with Mint - Thinly sliced lamb loin quickly sautéed with bell peppers, shiitake mushrooms, fresh spinach leaves, minced garlic and scallions


Earth:

Five-spice Seitan & Tempeh - quickly seared with thinly sliced red bell pepper, enoki mushrooms, asparagus, broccoli, scallions, garlic, ginger and soy sauce - served with lime wedges

Sesame Udon Noodles - flat Japanese wheat noodles, stir-fried with tofu, scallions, vegetables, sesame oil and chilies, and sprinkled with toasted peanuts and sesame oil

Sweet and Sour Vegetable Tempura - asparagus, broccoli, mushrooms, green beans, and carrots dipped in a light batter and fried - garnished with fruits and served with Tamarind glaze

On The Side:

Steamed seasonal garden vegetables with red miso garlic sauce

Steamed Jasmine rice OR Brown rice

Stir-fried cucumber, snow peas, mushrooms, scallions and chili with sesame seeds

Bok Choy with oyster sauce

Sake-braised oyster and ****ake mushrooms



Desserts:

Tamarind Chocolate - a bittersweet chocolate shell filled with a rich Tamarind & chili flavored chocolate and ginger mousse served with a red raspberry and black raspberry compote

Mango Cloud - a light egg white souffle served with a mango sorbet

Tempura Ice Cream - coconut & Javanese coffee with infused lemon grass sauce anglaise

Chocolate Almond Fortune Cookie -- an almond baked tuile with a surprise filling of chocolate panache -- served with a scoop of coconut ice cream

Ginger Banana Bread Pudding - with tempura bananas and caramel sauce

Trio of Sorbets - passion fruit basil, lychee green tea and cube with shaved fruit juices

[Krazy Kruizers]

Canaletto Menu - right now free - make reservations once on the ship



ANTIPASTI e ZUPE:
Our chef’s selection of antipasti, cucumber and olives

Insalata Canaletto – Seasonal greens and tomato, cucumber and olives

Minestrone – A flavorful tomato broth consisting of white beans, pasta shells, fresh vegetables and thyme

Zuppe Di Pesce – Assorted seafood simmered with vegetables, tomatoes, flat parsley and saffron

PASTA, CARNE, PESCE e POLLO
Penne Alla Vodka – A deliciously light combination of our Pomodoro sauce, cream and vodka

Linguini Frutti Di Mare – Linguini pasta and clams, mussels, shrimps and scallops tossed in garlic, onions and cherry tomatoes

Baked Meat Lasagna Pomodoro – Baked with meat and tomato sauce and gratinated with four cheese sauce.

Veal Milanese – Breaded veal scaloppini with porcini mushrooms, spaghetti and vegetables

Chicken Marsala Scaloppini – Tender Scallops of chicken breast glazed with Marsala wine. Served with linguini pasta tossed with tomato and roasted garlic

Cod Putanesca – Marinated in lemon, oregano and olive oil, quickly sautéed and coated with a flavorful herbed tomato concassee with kalamata olives, capers and chopped parsley, served with grilled cheese polenta and balsamic glace

Spaghetti with Meatballs – The classic way to eat spaghetti; home made meatballs braised in a tomato and meat sauce served over olive oil tossed spaghetti

DOLCI
Trio of Tiramisu – Italy’s most famous dessert: presented in three flavored variations, espresso, lemon and Amaretto

Limoncello Crème – Refreshing crème topped with Tuscan lemon liqueur

Mille-Feuille of Madagascar Chocolate – With walnut praline and ice-cream

Gelato – A refreshing and full-flavored selection: strawberry, mango, vanilla and lemon

[Krazy Kruizers]

We have only eaten once at the Pinnacle for lunch -- it was just too much food for us considering that we have early dinner. We are not used to 2 huge meals in a day.

Pinnacle dinner -- we love the Filet Mignon and lamb chops. When the lobster tails first appeared on the new menu we got them -- but on our last cruise they were the same ones served in the dining room -- tiny - gone is 2 -3 bites -- and no seconds were offered.

Tamarind -- lunch -- we had the unfortunate experince of getting one of each itme offered -- the place was packed the day we were there and the chef could not keep up. Thus we only got a couple items -- DH went away hungry.

Tamarind -- we tried nearly everything on the menu -- and loved it all.

Canaletto -- never had a chance to try it on our Eurodam cruise. Then each ship that we were on after the Eurodam did not get the Canaletto until after we were on the ship. So can't help you there.

[Vince1980]

Wow! I'm sure my girlfriend will love the Tamarind as she loooves Sushi!

[Krazy Kruizers]

You are welcome!!

Enjoy.

[merryecho]

We ate at Tamarind a couple of times. We didn't arrange reservations in advance, just asked for reservations early in the day. Tamarind would say they only had an opening at 6, but 75% of the tables were still open when we left at 7:30.
Pinnacle said they were fully booked for the whole cruise- even though we were in a suite. One night I kept stopping by, asking if there had been any cancellations. No, no no. Finally a cancellation happened in front of me, so they couldn't say no. Again, the room was only half full- this was 8:30, so they weren't expecting a rush. Very odd. And the table next to us was full of HAL employees.
I know this is a mass market cruise line, so didn't expect gourmet food. We thought the main dining room was just OK- the menu used lots of cheap foods, not very appealing. And, again, just our opinion, we found the Lido food to be downright awful. Lots of reincarnations of last night's dinner for lunch. The pinnacle was pretty good, but we didn't bother to go back. Lots of people liked it though.

[bcd2010]

Canaletto Menu - right now free -

Do you know if there are plans to start charging at the Canaletto?

Thank you for posting all these menus. Our last cruise (in Jan/Feb) was our first in 10 years and we thought (based on our memories of previous cruises) that we would be fine with just the mdr. To be honest, it didn't "wow" me the way I remember from the past. And my older (adult) son requested pasta dishes every night - so, of course, he'd probably like the Canaletto. In the future, I want to try the other venues, too. These menus help.

[sail7seas]

I haven't heard anything about them charging for Canaletto but, of course, that is always a possiblity. Everything is all about $$ these days. Wouldn't surprise me if they institute a charge.

[cruisin crazy in Michigan]

We made reservations during our exploration of the ship on the first day of boarding the Eurodam. We had lunch one day in the Tamarind and dinner on one of the sea days at the Pinnacle. I asked for one lobster tail and filet mignon. It was delicious! Tamarind was great.

[Rabarro]

Nieuw Amsterdam: We had dinner at Pinnacle once as we do on each cruise and wonderful. We had dinner once at Tamarind and it was spectacular but would only do it once as it really is too much food, atleast for us. The main dining room dinners were exceptionally good...partial to the fish main courses. In Istanbul we took dinner at the Lido and ate on the stern of the ship, with a glass of wine, and just took in the beauty of the city at night. Food in Lido was good.

I know we all have our specific tastes and taste buds. My wife and I find HAL cuisine to be among the best in the industry. Maybe we have been lucky in our timing or ship selection. We live in Los Angeles and I am from NY and my wife from Paris so I don't think it is because we don't know good food!

Never tried Canaletto, not appealing for some reason to us. If I had one quibble it would be the pizza which is just so so. In fact we found Pizza to be the only edible food (and the quiche in the lower lobby) on the Crown Princess. But as I said, taste is very personal.

[AfriCan]

Dined in the Pinnacle on a few occassions for dinner and found it excellent. Did the Tamarind for dinner and lunch a few times too and absolutely loved it. We do not care for the Canaletto. The food is really just so-so, in our opinion. Definitely cannot compare it to the other two options and we will not return to the Canaletto again. The diningroom food was OK, nothing exceptional.

The reason the restaurants aren't full, even though they say there is no space at a specific time, is to allow the kitchen and chef to spend enough time on each meal, without overloading the kitchen. That way they can maintain a high quality on a few guests at a time, rather than mass quality for a full restaurant (i.e. main diningroom standard with passable quality).

[terigo]

The reason the restaurants aren't full, even though they say there is no space at a specific time, is to allow the kitchen and chef to spend enough time on each meal, without overloading the kitchen. That way they can maintain a high quality on a few guests at a time, rather than mass quality for a full restaurant (i.e. main diningroom standard with passable quality).

I'm pretty sure that is not the reason....
if they wanted to have few passengers per staff (either kitchen or waitstaff) they would simply have made the venue smaller, creating the perception of exclusivity for those who got reservations.
If they want to accomodate the tables they have, they just have to increase staff.
i think it is just a matter of not having found an efficient way to handle reservations.

[Krazy Kruizers]

I asked once about why the Pinnacle is never completely filled at any one time.

I was told that they allow only so many reservations for each time slot -- this allows the chef to cook everything as it is ordered. Also each table is suppose to be used only once during the evening. Thus limited number of people each evening.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Do you know if there are plans to start charging at the Canaletto?

Thank you for posting all these menus. Our last cruise (in Jan/Feb) was our first in 10 years and we thought (based on our memories of previous cruises) that we would be fine with just the mdr. To be honest, it didn't "wow" me the way I remember from the past. And my older (adult) son requested pasta dishes every night - so, of course, he'd probably like the Canaletto. In the future, I want to try the other venues, too. These menus help.

I haven't heard anything about them charging for Canaletto but, of course, that is always a possiblity. Everything is all about $$ these days. Wouldn't surprise me if they institute a charge.



This is from a thread:
I just got off the Maasdam yesterday. The Canaletto was very nice. The service was great, the food very good. It was a nice break from the fray of the dining room. We went the first formal night. We did hear from 2 sources(the Party Planner and one of the Canaletto severs) that starting in one month there will be a charge for dining in the Canaletto. I don't think they mentioned an amount but I guess there will be a charge on the Massdam.

The thread was here:
http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?p=26282731&highlight=maasdam+canaletto#post26282731

[rebeccac]

Tamarind lunch question - I am a vegetarian and I see that there are a few items on the menu which appear to be good for me, but would I be able to get them to give me only the vegetarian items and none of the other things? I am already planning on going for dinner where I will have several choices. I am just not sure if I should bother with lunch.

[Krazy Kruizers]

Tamarind lunch question - I am a vegetarian and I see that there are a few items on the menu which appear to be good for me, but would I be able to get them to give me only the vegetarian items and none of the other things? I am already planning on going for dinner where I will have several choices. I am just not sure if I should bother with lunch.

It is a set menu and automatically brought to your table after you finish a course -- you could ask at the beginning of lunch and explain that you eat only certain items and to just skip bringing the the items that are not vegetarian. Never hurts to ask.

[SeaWatch]

The menu items are GREAT, thanks for posting them. Can you get as many in each catagory on the menu for Tamarind and Pinnacle, for example Filet Mignon and Lobster?

[Krazy Kruizers]

The menu items are GREAT, thanks for posting them. Can you get as many in each catagory on the menu for Tamarind and Pinnacle, for example Filet Mignon and Lobster?

NO -- you are limted to one entree -- most of the ships that we have been on have allowed you order either the lobster or the filet -- but I did read hear that a couple of people did get both entrees -- guess they were lucky. They will charge an extra $20 for the extra entree.

But you can order as many appetizers, soups, salads, sides and desserts as you want.

[AfriCan]

The menu items are GREAT, thanks for posting them. Can you get as many in each catagory on the menu for Tamarind and Pinnacle, for example Filet Mignon and Lobster?
Frankly I found the amount of food in both restaurants to be more than sufficient to fill one up for a meal, without resorting to ordering extra food. With all the side items they bring to the table (other than your order), I found it hard to even get to dessert. DH recently ordered a rib-eye steak in the Pinnacle, and couldn't finish the 16oz monster they placed in front of him. We prefer to have multiple meals in the specialty restaurants to try various dishes, rather than othering multiples for a course. We eat in the specialty restaurants for the quality, rather than the quantity.

[Typhoon1]

Both are a must. We try to dine at both at least once during a cruise.

[Aruba]

We were going to do Pinnacle Grill night 1 and Tamarind night 7 on our Eurodam cruise but the Tamarind menu looks so wonderful that I'm thinking that we may be making a mistake to wait until the last night...because if we really do love it as much as I hope we will, there won't be an opportunity to go back!

[tcook052]

How many guests tried to do Tamarind for both lunch & dinner? I really want to give it a try as something different and will do an evening meal at Pinnacle but was curious whether posters liked Tamarind enough to make a point of doing both.

Thanks for any input. :)

[parrotfeathers]

I've heard so many good things about Tamarind I've got reservations for the first night. I already know my MDR tablemates and will eat in there on formal nights.

[croosieloosie]

do you have to wear formal wear on formal nights in these reataurants?

[m steve]

we'll be on a B@B in Nov and have 2 MCD's so We won't need another one. I might go there for lunch as well as booking it early in the cruise. Just wanted to be sure to get a table that night. We'll do the Pinacle on the Nov cruise.

[RuthC]

do you have to wear formal wear on formal nights in these reataurants?
The Pinnacle and Tamarind follow the same dress code as the rest of the ship. So, yes, HAL's definition of "formal" is expected in these restaurants on formal night.

[cat0341]

I reserved a table in the Pinnacle Grill on the Eurodam on line last year before we left on our cruise so we would be sure to get a table on our anniversary night. We had a wonderful waiter who even got the pastry chef to make my husband's favorite dessert, Banana's Foster, even though it was not on the menu. They were doing Baked Alaska so it really wasn't asking too much to ask of the chef. We enjoyed the meal so much that we went a second time and this time we called on the morning of the day we wanted to go. Got a reservation with no problem and even got to have the Bananas Foster again. :) It seemed like they were pretty busy both times, but we got excellent service. We also went there for breakfast several times including disembarkation day. They never rushed us. Didn't try any of the other speciality dining rooms, but I'm thinking I might like to try the Canalleto when we cruise on the Noordam Dec. 3 if we can get in. Already made my reservations for the Pinnacle Grill for at least one night. If it is as good as the one on the Eurodam we may try to go twice (especially if we can get them to make the Bananas Foster for us).

Everyone in the Pinnacle was friendly and spoke to us when we walked past the grill when wandering around the ship.

[DeirdreTours]

We just returned home from the 11/6-11/13 sailing on the Eurodam. We dined at the Tamerind for lunch and dinner, at the Pinnacle Grill for dinner, the MDR for dinner several times and the Lido for dinner once.
The Tamerind lunch menu was only fair-- it is called a "dim sum" menu and does feature small bites of a variety of items. Most are not particularly well prepared and are somewhat bland.
The Tamerind dinner was very good with the exception of dessert-- Both of ours were not worth eating (the chocolate mousse was completely overpowered by the ginger and the bread pudding was really more of a oddly flavored flan with deep fried banana on top). I really enjoyed the curried chicken which was offered at whatever level of spice you prefer (I requested medium which was perfect for me). The service was better than the main dining room, but far from perfect. For example, after the entree was cleared we were asked three separate times (over about 15 minutes) if we wanted coffee before coffee was produced.

Dinner at the Pinnacle Grill was good, but not great (my lamb chops were a bit over cooked) and service was ok. I don't ever order lobster on board as it is always frozen rather than fresh (and lobster loses a lot when frozen).

The food in the MDR was better than on previous cruises, with all the meat delivered as ordered (that is, chops ordered medium rare arrived medium rare rather than medium well) and more inventive fish dishes than I have had on previous cruises. Service was the now normal on board state of near chaos-- severely overworked staff desperately trying to meet a service standard that simply isn't possible with number of waiters working the room.

In the Lido, I favor the simpler dishes and fresh fruit, cheese, vegetables and bread. These were consistently good. Plain roast beef was also very good. The leg of lamb was hopelessly overcooked.

As on previous cruises, the biggest food disappointment were the desserts. They were lovely to look at, but not very enjoyable to eat. The ice cream was freezer burned on both times that I sampled it while the cakes and pies consistently bland.

Overall, I found the food to be good, but not great.

[bigtony777]

Can anyone please tell me how much time to allow for lunch at Tamarind?

[terigo]

Can anyone please tell me how much time to allow for lunch at Tamarind?

If you don't get to talking to the people next to you, (like we did :D) it will take about half an hour to 45 minutes.
It's a fixed menu of soup, a variety of dim sum, and dessert. You only get to choose the dessert.

It was delicious.

[Krazy Kruizers]

The Tamarind Lunch is free -- need reservations once on the ship.

It is a set menu -- only get to choose dessert:


Hot and Sour Soup

Asian Herb Szechuan Sesame Salad

Steamed Classic Dumplings:
Chicken
Asian Pork
Steam Vegetable
Spinach and Mushroom
Shrimp 'Shu Mat'

From the Wok:
Vegetable Spring Roll
Spicy Crab Sushi Nugget
Shrimp Won Ton Sticks
Shrimp Spring Roll
Spicy Crab Rangoon

Holland America Line Culinary Fusion Sauces:
Bora Bora BBQ - tomato, ginger, aged vinegar, soy sauce
Mirin Pesto - sweet wine, soy, fresh basil, garlic, lemon grass
Coco Churri - coconut, cilantro, chili, lime
Shoyu Sabi - classic flavors of soy and wasabi

Choice of One Dessert:
Mango Sirbet
Coconut Ice Cream
Egg Tart
Green Tea Tiramisu

[bigtony777]

Thank you Terigo. I could find everything about the lunch except how long to plan for it to take. There is a 1 hour break one sea day from CE courses so wanted to make sure we could fit it in. I will head there to make reservations once on board.

[Hawaiidan]

I say this as a foodie and CordonBleu graduate:

Caneletto... basic italian past and tomato and garlic stuff standard Italina fare... nothing exciting unless you have never had Italian. Nothing northern Italian.. all southern and central cuisine, but it is free
Pinnacles, I cancelled because to menu was all heavy meat based and just not worth the investment.. to me; I dont care for steak or salmon at all... to heavy and ho-hum and all haute steakhouse trappings.....

Lido....excellent food, quality, and creativity was outstanding from Thai to German.... the variety and rich flavor were our favorites. You could create for yourself just outstanding meals. Loved the variety and the freedom . I could not beleive this was a buffet. What is really outstanding is that they have 8 different stations each focused on a cusine. By taking a bit of German and marrying it with some Indian and a dab of continental you could have wonderful meals....
We skipped dinner 2 nights to eat dinner at 11 in the lido because of the feature on German food.... which was outstanding rather than eating in the dining room or eariler.... anticipation was fulfilled in spades
Lido serves the same menue as the Main dining room but with some extras.plus you can see what good and what is not.


At breakfast the British breakfast station... was a classic, Bangers, Back bacon, fried bread, tomatoes mushrooms...oh yes.
The Egg benidict station staff would make you all sorts of variations... from the available foods.... let your brain wander build on a grilled tomato capers and spinach rather than a english muffin for a new twist...

Main Dining room: Never had a bad meal .Told the waiter the night they has surf and turf to skip the filet .. he brought out 2 giant tails... one would have been enough .. 6 oz tails without asking..... I found nothing wrong with and menu or its quality Someone said " cheap" food..... poor quality.... ( were we on the same ship) !!!!

Tamarand: easily the best food outside the Lido, served with style and passion by the aisan crew/staff. Outstanding quality and presentation. rich and delicate...subtile ..lite. Great wine list Caymus Conundrum is a perfect match for their menu I found.

Grill... the grill guys would after explanation make a turkey burger without the bun or fries....

Pizza... Ok, I dont really care all that much for Pizza... or Italian.. but the Pizza guy would make these killer " garde" pizzas, using only a hint of tomato.. or none with all sorts of just excellent and creative combos...
The guy was a true chef in his experments out of the norm.... I was impressed.

My last Cruise was on Regent, which has the best meals afloat in my opinion... Holland over all was very impressive and while not Regent level came in several areas very close....

It is impossible to say what the best thing to order is because that is pure subjective and emotinal... Too it is seasonal and regional as what to order for that meal.... It is all up to you. I will say try new things...get out of the rut.... travel is an adventure... eat stuff you never tried before... see what suprises await...instead of holding your meal up to the same old yardstick of the past 100 meals of the same stuff you have back home...
Get creative.... mix and match.... try a different berakfast then the one you have been eating for 40 years.... You have everything to gain and nothing to loose.....

Bon Appitite;)

[PC168]

Pinnacle Dinner Menu - $20 per person

The Grill:
Filet Mignon, New York Strip Steak, Bone-In Rib Eye Steak, Porterhouse - served with our own hand crafted sauces: sun-dried tomato; Master Chef's green peppercorn bearnaise; horseradish mustard; hollandaise; maitre d' garlic butter

Colorado Lamb Chops - spiced apple chutney & fresh mint jelly

Grilled Veal Chop - marinated overnight in a savory blend of rosemary, garlic & pepper vinegar with scallions

Chicken Breast - stuffed with spinach & garlic herb cheese & served with lemon garlic beurre blanc sauce

Filet Steak Diane - pan-seared medallions of beef tenderloins & enriched with mushrooms & cognac

Filet Mignon Burger - a half-pound of freshly ground beef, fin herbs & truffle-infused


Sea Food:
Broiled King Salmon - troll caught (for sustainability) in Alaskan waters, quick seared & broiled, served with your choice of lemon garlic herb splash or sesame-soy kalbi

Broiled or Poached Lobster Tail - on a bed of wilted spinach & arugula, mustard seed & "mangochurri" pesto sauce or melted butter

Cedar Planked Black Cod with Shrimp Scampi - roasted garlic & cilantro butter

Pinnacle Signature Skewers:

Beef Delight - beef tenderloin marinated with parsley, onion, thyme, rosemary & marjoram

Tantalizing Lamb - lamb loins marinated with herbs, garlic, cumin, honey, coriandor & red chilies, served with yogurt sauce

Chicken & Turkey Temptation - with onion confit & tomato coulis

Deletable Seafood - shrimps & swordfish, seasoned with lemon, paprika, garlic, mustard, cayenne & dill

Vegetarian Zen - array of mixed vegetables seasoned with herbs de provence



Thanks for the Pinnacle dinner menu. Can you please tell me how many lobster tails do they serve for the entry? One or two?

[terigo]

Thanks for the Pinnacle dinner menu. Can you please tell me how many lobster tails do they serve for the entry? One or two?
They serve 2 medium sized tails.
Same size as we got the night before during second formal night.

[PC168]

They serve 2 medium sized tails.
Same size as we got the night before during second formal night.

Thank you.

[kazu]

Tamarind lunch question - I am a vegetarian and I see that there are a few items on the menu which appear to be good for me, but would I be able to get them to give me only the vegetarian items and none of the other things? I am already planning on going for dinner where I will have several choices. I am just not sure if I should bother with lunch.

the Tamarind is a set menu BUT they ask you if you have any allergies. If you do, they do not serve it and substitute (we ate there just a few weeks ago). Just tell them you are allergic to meat or something like that and I am sure they can substitute.

Give it a shot:)

[gainesvillegatorgirl]

I couldn't help but notice that the Lobster Macaroni & Cheese was not on the posted PG dinner menu... someone please tell me that it's still around!

[terigo]

I couldn't help but notice that the Lobster Macaroni & Cheese was not on the posted PG dinner menu... someone please tell me that it's still around!
It was as of this past Friday....