8-Night Independence Menus (New Fleet Menus) 1/9/10 Sailing

Hey Everyone,

Just got off the Indy last weekend and have been typing up the Menus so I could post them. Here are the first few days. According to our waitress this was the first Indy sailing with the NEW FLEET MENUS. I don't know if they are new, since I havent been on a RCI cruise since 3/2007, so I will have to really on you guys to see if this is a new menu. I did notice some stuff that was new to me and some stuff that changed - like - the Grand Marnier Souflle is no longer!

I will type up the rest of the menu and Post ASAP! (need to finish Night 6,7,8)

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Night One:

Starter:

Smoke Fish Tapenade – Sweet onions, tangy capers and fresh herbs compliment this fish dish; served with a golden brown crostini

Vidalia Onion Tart – sweet Vidalia onions combined with nutty Gruyere cheese, then baked in a buttery crust, served with leek fondue and sautéed red peppers

Sopa de Tortilla – Robust Mexican tomato soup garnished with dried julienne tortilla

Hot and Sour Shrimp soup - Spicy, pungent lemongrass-scented seafood broth with cilantro and vegetables

Child Watermelon Gazpacho – A variety of flavors and textures play off beautifully in this soup; garnished with chopped celery and cucumber

Caesar Salad or Spinach Salad

MAIN COURSE

Pan-Fried Pork Medallions 0 Meaty medallions served with buttery mashed potatoes, broccoli and a savory forest mushroom ragout

Truffled wild mushroom linguini alfredo – White truffle oil enhances the earthiness of the wild mushrooms in this creamy pasta dish.

Slow-Roasted Prime Rib

Grilled Mediterranean Quesadilla – Melted Monterey Jack cheese and vegetables sandwiched in a warm flour tortilla; served with a tomato-cilantro salsa

Pan-seared golden sea bass – Served atop green lentils, green beans, snow peas and verjus beurre blanc

Aloo Gobi Methi ) – Fenugreek-flavored potato and cauliflower curry served with fragrant basmati rice, pappadams, and tangy riata

DESSERTS

Strawberry Pavlova – Crispy Meringue coated with fresh cream and topped with strawberry compote

Chocolate Cherry Cake – Classic flavor combination in cake; served with a dollop of kirsch cream

Low-fat blueberry and peach cobbler – Spiced with cinnamon and dusted with powder sugar

Sugar-Free chocolate pot de Crème – Rich chocolate cream perfumed with a hint of coffee

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Night Two @ Sea – Formal

STARTERS

Shrimp Cocktail

Escargot Bourguignonne

Lobster Bisque

Oxtail Broth

MAIN COURSE

Shrimp Ravioli – Bits of shrimp in pasta pillow, served in a creamy coconut-lim lobster sauce, atop wilted spinach and garnished with fried leeks

Grilled Seafood Brochett - A monkfish, scallops, and shrimp kebab, served with potato and cauliflower hash, and a black olive and red bell pepper pesto beurre blanc.

Roasted Duck – A black currant sauce and sweet red cabbage complement the richness of the duck, while golden brown potato croquettes add texture

Sauteed Seasonal Mushrooms – In a blue cheese cream sauce and bohemian dumpling

Potato Curry – Potatoes, onion and rich, spicy tomato curry served with fragrant basmati rice, pappadams and tangy raita.

DESSERTS

Bittersweet Chocolate Souffle – With each bite, this warm delicacy melts on the tongue to release a hint of lightly bittersweet chocolate served with espresso custard

Double Strawberry Cheesecake – Creamy cheesecake laced with a strawberry swirl; add a dollop of whipped cream, a spoonful of strawberry compote and enjoy

Marinated Cherry Bake – Marinated cherries baked in a light cake served with vanilla sauce

Low-fat Berry Mouse-Light strawberry and blueberry yogurt mousse accompanied by a rich-tasting, low fat vanilla sauce

Sugar-free coconut vanilla layer cake – a Tahitian vanilla mousse rests between layers of moist cake; toasted coconut adds a bit of crunch.

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Night THREE @ SEA

STARTERS

Antipasti – cured Italian ham, seasonal melon, grilled vegetables, marinated portabella mushrooms and baked caramelized garlic

Scallop Risotto – Delicate sea scallops enhanced by the charred sweetness of corn, served over a creamy mascarpone risotto

Creamy Roasted Garlic Soup – Mild and fragrant; garnished with rye bread croutons

Strawberry bisque – perfectly chilled soup garnished with a sprig of fragrant mint

Caesar Salad

Insalata Mista – mixed greens, crisp zucchini, sweet red bell peppers and black olives

MAIN COURSE

Rigatoni Pasta – Spicy chorizo , flavorful bell peppers, grilled corn, olive oil basil lend a southwestern twist to this dish

Garlic Tiger Shrimp – reminiscent of classic shrimp scampu, sauted in garlic-herb butter and accompanied by seasonal vegetables

Chicken Marsala – sautéed chicken scallopine nestled in Marsala mushroom sauce; served with buttery mashed potatoes and fresh veggies

Eggplant and Roma Tomato Bake – Smothered in mozzarella cheese with basil-balsamic syrup drizzle

Kaju Paneer Dhansak – Paneer, fenugreek, tarka dal and pineapple curry served with fragrant basmati rice, pappadams and tangy ratia

DESSERTS

Warm Chocolate Cake – warm chocolate cake complemented by mil chocolate sauce and sweet roasted pears

Raspberry Panna Cotta – full of raspberry flavor, this light Italian dessert is served on a crunchy almond butter cookie.

Tiramisu

Low-Fat angel food cake w/ grand marnier marinated strawberries

Sugar-Free Chocolate mint cake

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NIGHT FOUR @ St. Marteen

STARTERS

Exotic Fruits w/ mojito jelly

Crab and Shrimp Salad – sweet crab meat, surimi and shrimp are served atop mixed lettuce, mango and papaya, and dressed with lime cilantro dressing.

Beef and Veal Tortellaci – Tender pasta filled with Combination of beef and veal, enveloped in a zuchinni and garlic cream

Jalapeno potato soup – this creamy potati soup has a twist of heat and a hint of sour cream for richness

Chicken Consomme – flavorful broth with strips of crepe fettuccine, liberally garnished with chives

Caesar Salad

Seasonal Salad – with cool crisp cucumber and sweet red bell peppers

MAIN COURSE

Parmesan-Crusted Turkey Tenderloin – a savory mustard sage sauce is the perfect foil for the tender parmesan-crusted turkey

Cornmeal-Dusted Tilapia – Slightly crispu fish filet served with a healthy portion of Japanese ratatouille and a wasabi aioli

Slow-Roasted Beef Shoulder Filet – served with decadent mascarpone mashed potatoes and a shiraz reduction

Asparagus and Brie Tart – fresh asparagus and nutty Brie are nestled in a buttery crust – topped with grilled plum tomatoes and arugula salad; red pepper essence and chive oil add a bright touch

Penne Tarantina – a chunky tomato and garlic sauce loaded with plump mussels, shrimp and sweet bay scallops all tossed with al dente pasta

Gobi Ki Sabzi – cauliflower curry with cumin seeds, ginger, peppers and tomatoes served with fragrant basmati rice, pappadams and tangy raita.

DESSERTS

Choca-Chino Trilogy – A Delightful chocolate trio: Sweet Grand Marnier white chocolate mousse, creamy mile chocolate kahlua cheesecake and a slice of dense dark chocolate mud cake

BBB – Banana and Baileys Irish Cream brulee custard baked under a caramel crust

Magic Mango Parfait – light, creamy frozen mango custard layered with Caribbean mango salsa

Low-Fat Exotic pineapple and coconut cake – A Pina Colada in a flourless cake – with a healthy scoop of pineapple sorbet for good measure

Steamed Sugar Free vanilla and berry custard w/ fresh berries

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NIGHT FIVE @ St. Thomas

STARTERS

Papaya, lychee & water chestnut salad – crunchy and slightly sweet, this salad is dressed with a kaffir lime syrup

Smoked Salmon Carpaccio – thinly sliced smoked atlantic salmon served with red oinion, capers and lime.

Bread Mushrooms – fresh mushrooms are lightly breaded and fried until golden brown, served with tartar sauce

Mulligatawny Soup – Spicy Indian soup with curried chicken, vegetables and rice

Shellfish Saffron Consomme – Delicate broth with baby shrimp and leeks

Chilled orange and banana Soup – sweet citrus and creamy banana complement each other garnished with julienne basil

Caesar Salad

Tomato Salad – Vine ripe tomatoes with sweet red onion and tangy crumbled blue cheese

MAIN COURSE

Asian Duck – Ginger marinated duck glazed with orange hoisin sauce, roasted and served with stir –fried Chinese cabbage and steamed rice

Baked Cheese Cannelloni 0 Tender ricotta filled pasta in Gruyere-parmesan sauce atop a beef and forest mushroom ragou

Pan-Seared Tilapia – Tender fish served on a potato-leek gratin with corn niblets, snow peas and saffron beurre blanc

Pan-Fried pork medallions – Served with tangy sour cream mashed potatoes, carmelized shallots and a savory port reduction

Wild Mishroom and Goat cheese pizza – Earthy mushrooms, creamy cheese and crispy crust with a balsamic drizzle

Bglai Cauliflower – Cauliflower, potatoes and green pea curry served with fragment basmati rice, pappadams and tangy raita

DESSERTS

Pear Tart Bourdalou – Rich almond custard, topped with sliced pears and baked in a flaky crust

Chocolate Banan Strudel – Bananas and dark chocolate wrapped in thin layers of strudel pasty, then baked until golden brown

White chocolate cheesecake – Creamy and delectable, with a hint of lemon

Low-Fat Mango Mousse – Silky dessert with the sweet subtle taste of fresh mango

Sugar-Free Orange Yogurt Pudding – tangy citrus pudding with bittersweet orange reduction

Bless your heart! That's a whole lot of work, and I know we all appreciate it. Thank you!

Thanks so much!!! :)

How was your cruise?

Thanks for posting this!!!!

Does anyone know if the menu would the menu be similar on other ships such as Serenade?

Thanks for all your work...Seeing this new menu has made it now easier for me to choose to eat in one of the specialty restaurants or the WJ for dinner...Sorry it doesn't look very good to me...:(..JMHO

Thanks for posting. Too bad about the souffle, that was one of their few decent desserts. Oh well.

No filet of beef on night two either?

How was the food overall, and were there any really 'off' nights?

We're on this sailing in March, thank you for posting, some of the selections are new, (it's about time). Did you write a review? I'd like to hear anything you have to say about service, food quality, condition of ship, etc. This will be our first time on a Freedom class ship.

My Thanks to you for your effort in typing this.....the menu seems "strange" .....it seems as if there is a lot of seafood and taking away the beef.... mushrooms as a main course??? hmmmmmm

I look forward to seeing the rest as well as hearing your opinion of the ship. Again thanks for your time! Were going on 2/20 and CANT WAIT!!!

I'm hoping that there are more meat options. I don't like seafood so these options don't excite me!

Thanks for taking the time to do such a wonderful thing. I really appreciate it as it will help me plan for my upcoming cruise.

Lots of familiar stuff and some new stuff ... definitely noticed that prime rib was missing on a few of the menus where it used to be be present.

Lots of familiar stuff and some new stuff ... definitely noticed that prime rib was missing on a few of the menus where it used to be be present.

I thought it was missing off Night One but she just didn't highlight it so I missed it at first.

Interesting information but I'm of the opinion that any menu is only as good or bad as the talent of the chefs (cooks) preparing the food. Otherwise we are judging the executive chef's ability to write creatively and as they say, "the proof of the pudding is in the eating".;) All too often I have found that items that didn't sound good to me when I read their description in the menu turned out to be wonderful and sometimes my anticipation of a wonderful meal based on the descriptions in the menu led to serious disappointment when presented with the actual food. I have rarely been unable to find something on the dining room menu that would be meet my admittedly finicky tastes but have often had trouble deciding between two or more menu choices. It should also be noted that this post represents only eight night's worth of menus and perhaps the Grand Marnier Souffle would have turned up on another night.

Also, not listed were the always available items and the ala carte "Chops steak".

It should also be noted that this post represents only eight night's worth of menus and perhaps the Grand Marnier Souffle would have turned up on another night.

The Grand Marnier souffle was previously listed on the night two formal dinner menu.

I have always posted positively about the menus but on our cruise this summer I did notice a decline in the general quality of the food.

Hmm.

On some nights, there is nothing that excites me. But on others, there are several things I'm sure I'd like. Things are looking up for the specialty restaurants. I'm sure that's the idea, in part.

where's the beef?

Usually I can find something that I like or else get a starter as a main.

We fill in with one mid-week Portofino visit and maybe share a $15 steak or two on other nights.

...or did I miss that?

Mitch

...or did I miss that?

 

Mitch

Prime Rib was on the night 1 menu.

The OP is only half through posting the menus. I'd expect the lobster is still to come...

Thanks for sharing the menus.

Did any of the dishes really stand out for you? It's hard to know what to pick since they nearly all sound so good. :)

I'm hoping we'll have something similar in May.

The Grand Marnier souffle was previously listed on the night two formal dinner menu.

 

I have always posted positively about the menus but on our cruise this summer I did notice a decline in the general quality of the food.

And I thought the quality and selection on our last two cruises on Jewel of the Seas was an improvement. It may be a matter of differing tastes or it may also be a matter of the different skill levels of the people preparing the food. I don't believe that, unlike the food at say most land-based chain restaurants, the food on different ships of the same line will taste and look exactly the same from restaurant to restaurant, perhaps even from one cruise to another on the same ship.:)

Wow that must have taken sometime to type , really appreciated, I hope key lime pie is still available as its my fave ! its so nice... :eek:

Mark x

MAIN COURSE

Pan-Fried Pork Medallions 0 Meaty medallions served with buttery mashed potatoes, broccoli and a savory forest mushroom ragout

Truffled wild mushroom linguini alfredo – White truffle oil enhances the earthiness of the wild mushrooms in this creamy pasta dish.

Slow-Roasted Prime Rib

Grilled Mediterranean Quesadilla – Melted Monterey Jack cheese and vegetables sandwiched in a warm flour tortilla; served with a tomato-cilantro salsa

Pan-seared golden sea bass – Served atop green lentils, green beans, snow peas and verjus beurre blanc

Aloo Gobi Methi ) – Fenugreek-flavored potato and cauliflower curry served with fragrant basmati rice, pappadams, and tangy riata

????????

Mitch

sorry

Not sure I like the apparent lack of meat! Guess I will be ordering that 14.95 Chops filet if it's still offered.

1st Formal night's entrees, are, IMO lacking.

I did notice a different layout of the menus though on our B2B...at first I sometimes missed the "chefs signature" entree - hard to explain...but when looking at the menus, i guess i got conufsed...:confused::eek: (MAYBE it was the bumpy ocean...i don't THINK it was the adult beverages!)

Anyway, it will be interesting to see the rest of the selections!

And, many thanks to the OP for writing all that stuff.....