If You Were Chef Rudi What Would You Add or Take Off the Pinnacle Menu?

[erewhon]

Remove the oversalted spinach from the menu.

 

Ostrich would make a pleasant change.

[foodgirl]

More seafood. Mussels.... I could eat my weight in them. DH wants more fish as that is what he prefers. Just change it up based on where the ships are and the season That is what nice restaurants do to keep it fresh. We agree that the beef could be better quality and we would pay more for it. We didn't even do the pinnacle last week on our cruise because it was underwelming last fall on the Eurodam and we didn't expect it to be better. We loved it on the Oosterdam and booked it twice in November and had to send steaks back twice. Very disappointing for sure. As a chef I have trouble with not being able to cook a steak to temperature in a nice restaurant. It can happen, but shouldn't in such a small venue. IMO. I do hope they improve it as we loved the atmosphere and service.

[irishjim]

We really need a change of menu on all HAL SHIPS,same old,same old,same old.I like the food on HAL but it is getting BORING.JMHO.:D

[GeriatricNurse]

I was thinking the same thing! Somehow, HAL does not do Italian very well.

 

Respectfully, I disagree! ;) My four dinners at the Canaletto on my recent Noordam cruise were all EXCELLENT! As was the service in the Canaletto! Far superior to my (first) of two dinners in the PG! :) Actually, the Canaletto is a bargain as an alternative dining venue with no surcharge! :D

[Hawaiidan]

For a ship stores stuff like fish needs to be put on frozen. The concept of showing up in a port and going out and buying fresh fish would be very problem filled.

Local restauraunts can do it way easier, smaller kitchen. Talking on live mussels, clams, oysters, lobster is impossible because of lack or storage space, and methods of storage. Also there are no facilited to age beef either, Frozen stuff is safer, tastes pretty darn good unless you think it wont. Fruit and Veg and eggs are all that really can be taken of fresh.

 

There few ports where this could be done... San Diego, LA, Seattle, Vancouver, Boston,New Orleans, Singapore, Hong Kong, Sydney, are abouth the only places have a fishing industry large enought to support a big ships needs. ( No place in Hawaii because we have to import most of our fish, from Thailand, Chile and California. Most of the Mahi Mahi is Thai and frozen here in Hawaii. )

I talked to an EXc chef on a luxury line and he said they like to provosion from the US, and will even ship or fly in products because they can rely on quality, safety and reliability.. When the ship stopped in Tahiti, there were pallets waithng that had been flown in that morning... The reliability, and food safety was why they dont buy local if they can help it. Too risky for passengers.

 

I am glad someone likes caneletto, More power to you. I just found it very poor and bases around pasta this and pasta that, and tomato and garlic. We has a Italian restauraunt here in Kona that closed because it had aisian cooks... who didnt grasp the passion for Italian, The guys on Holland are from Manila and Jakarta,,, not big Italian hang outs. I would likewise not expect Eskimos to be into Haute french.

[foodgirl]

Respectfully, I disagree! ;) My four dinners at the Canaletto on my recent Noordam cruise were all EXCELLENT! As was the service in the Canaletto! Far superior to my (first) of two dinners in the PG! :) Actually, the Canaletto is a bargain as an alternative dining venue with no surcharge! :D

 

We too love Caneletto and eat there every cruise. We always have great service and enjoy the atmosphere. The flavors they use are a bit different from mainstream Italian restaurants, but that is what I like about it. We all have things we like as my mom did not care for the flavors as we do

[localady]

I am glad someone likes caneletto, More power to you. I just found it very poor and bases around pasta this and pasta that, and tomato and garlic. We has a Italian restauraunt here in Kona that closed because it had aisian cooks... who didnt grasp the passion for Italian, The guys on Holland are from Manila and Jakarta,,, not big Italian hang outs. I would likewise not expect Eskimos to be into Haute french.

 

Really??:eek:

I would expect any professionally trained chef, regardless of heritage, be able to cook any food that is required. :rolleyes:

P.S. They do a fine job on beef wellington IMHO, one of my favorites on HAL!

[foodgirl]

Really??:eek:

I would expect any professionally trained chef, regardless of heritage, be able to cook any food that is required. :rolleyes:

P.S. They do a fine job on beef wellington IMHO, one of my favorites on HAL!

 

As a professionally trained chef I will tell you that you can have skill even if it is not the cuisine of your choice or heritage. In an independent restaurant where there is flexibility in recipes or method if preparation I could see that being more of an issue, but on a cruise ship with rigorous training and execution standards I would say it is the flavors that one might not care for. Should have nothing to do with where they are from. Having worked in the food industry all my life I will tell you there are many restaurants owned/run by people who have a different ethnicity to the cuisine they offer. Having a true passion for what you cook IMO matters when you get to decide what will be prepared. That is definitely not the case on a cruise b

[cmdchiefthom]

Personally, I would eliminate Le Cirque in the Pinnacle. I know the Pinnacle staff on at least one ship, would echo my suggestions.;)

[Down-Unders]

I know that HAL reads CC and we have spoke about this before and I recently mentioned this but I kind of feel like the Pinnacle is getting stale.

 

If you could make changes to the current Pinnacle Grill Menu what would you change, add or delete. Granted there are a few items that are staples to the Pinnacle that they should keep but any new ideas or things you think they could get rid of?

 

 

Get rid of Rudi and bring in the French or Italians.

[m steve]

what's wrong with Rudi or is that another "con"?

[Hawaiidan]

For your comments Chef, I too have some years on the line as well and Cordon Blu education.

 

Food is so subjective. I have never seen an Aisian do Italian well.. I think because of the similiar pastas/ noodles they have it mutes or morphs some where along the line However french is a different story. Chefs and Cooks on Holland learn in Jakarta and Manila from local chefs who over the years have an affinity for local flavor.

The fusion cuisine west east melange thus arose.

Jaques Pepin on Oceaina has laid out not a haute but a excellent provincial french menu that Holland could follow

My experience is that Canieletto is a notch below Olive Garden.. That is my taste, owing to spending a lot of time in the SF region which is Italian home turff.

Persons not overly familiar, or in regions lacking intense Italina or any cuisine will see it as a new and delightful wonder.. People come to Hawaii and love Spam, not because its so good but because its so different from their norms ! Perhapse Canelleto is different for some too?

[m steve]

could not exist without the cooks and kitchen help from Central America. Olive Garden is not my idea of good Italian food. Carrabas is the best chain for that. And Tony Chang is fake Chinese cooked by Latinos. I'll take the local ethnic place any time. Most Chinese today are carry outs run by Viet Namese. And the HAL kitchen is run by Indonesians but the rarely offer Riistaffle.

[Rockfan2]

I would like to see the steaks reduced to 8 ounce from 16. These portions are huge and on our last 3 visits to PG I have not been able to make a dent in my beef. It is such a waste.

 

I would also like to see the lobster mac & cheese as a side dish. I told my DH today that when we dine at PG on our Alaskan in August, if I order anything other then the Lobster Mac & Cheese, he needs to remind me to re-think.

 

Rockfan2 :rolleyes:

[foodgirl]

Hawiiadan. I am so laughing about the spam. People love it there and it cracks me up. This thread certainly brings out the differences we all have with regard to food. Our backgrounds and experience come into play as to what is good to us. I have friends that love olive garden and I don't get it but they say my palate is not like theirs. I ditto the prime rib and scallops. Make it bone in and that would be heaven!!

[RedmondCruiser]

We have always enjoyed the Pinnacle, even back when it was called the Marco Polo. I'm one of those boring people who always orders the same thing. Thai Chicken Soup, The Pacific Platter and the surf and turf.

My only suggestion would be to add a desert that was always served on Dutch Night.

Please add the Chocolate Boombe with capachino ice cream and set in a rasberry puree. Once in a while we run into the Boombe but not the puree. Makes all the difference.

PS - I think Rudi does a great job.

[sail7seas]

I hope Chef Rudi fights to not have the food budget further reduced.