Why did NCL remove Creme Brulee from dessert menus?

[time391]

Hello everyone, 

I just recently came back from a Cruise on the NCL Epic and am planning another trip on NCL Pearl soon. One thing I noticed onboard was the change in food choices and menu variety. It appeared that Creme Brulee at Le Bistro or equivalent egg custard dishes at other restaurants have been removed from their menus. I also check NCL Pearl's current menu offering and discovered the same issue.

 

Does anyone know why egg custard is now forbidden on NCL? Was there a specific reason or is it a matter of NCL's executive chef's choice to end the menu item?

[BirdTravels]

In most cases, menu changes are driven by passenger demand. If you make 50 creme brulee a night and throw out 30 every night, it is not an item you want to keep on your menu.

 

With the restart of cruising in August 2021, NCL made a concerted effort to "up their game" and increase the quality of foods in restaurants like Le Bistro. Items like creme brulee may have been considered too pedestrian or actually a waste of money if most of them were fed to the fish at the end of each night. 

 

For us, if we were picking up a dessert at a Vegas buffet, we may pick up a creme brulee. But it would be the last thing that I would order in a specialty restaurant or a upscale land-based restaurant. 

 

I can still remember endless Cruise Critic threads condemning NCL when they removed fish fingers from the lunch menu and replaced it with poached salmon. Or removed chicken soup from the lunch menu and replaced it with Pho. When foods just sit and get thrown out after service, they are quick to leave the menu. 

Edited August 2, 2022 by BirdTravels

[kjquilts]

I loved the original Creme Brulee but wasn't a big fan of the raspberry version....even though I love raspberries.

[Trimone]

After my last cruise, I believe the food and quality has gone to an all-time low, the beef is inedible if cooked medium rare, the best food I had in the last 2 years off NCL was afternoon tea in Bristol as a guest.

[baflagg]

4 hours ago, kjquilts said:

I loved the original Creme Brulee but wasn't a big fan of the raspberry version....even though I love raspberries.

Same, had the raspberry at Cagney's on the Breakaway and was happy to see it, two of my favorite things but nope, it was a miss

[SeaShark]

7 hours ago, time391 said:

Does anyone know why egg custard is now forbidden on NCL? Was there a specific reason or is it a matter of NCL's executive chef's choice to end the menu item?

 

Likely a very good question to ask while on board and you have access to employees who might know.

 

It is certain that someone in NCL made that decision. It is just as certain that NCL does not explain "why" to Cruise Critic.

[mjkacmom]

That was my favorite dessert on NCL besides ice cream (most desserts look pretty but are tasteless).

[Tyskie]

7 hours ago, time391 said:

Hello everyone, 

I just recently came back from a Cruise on the NCL Epic and am planning another trip on NCL Pearl soon. One thing I noticed onboard was the change in food choices and menu variety. It appeared that Creme Brulee at Le Bistro or equivalent egg custard dishes at other restaurants have been removed from their menus. I also check NCL Pearl's current menu offering and discovered the same issue.

 

Does anyone know why egg custard is now forbidden on NCL? Was there a specific reason or is it a matter of NCL's executive chef's choice to end the menu item?

 

We're just off the Pearl

I had an egg custard dessert in the MDR - embarkation lunch

Creme Brulee (yes raspberry) in Cagney's

Not offered in LeBistro.

Mudslide drinks were not available - but one bartender in Great Outdoors was able to make a great facsimile 😉

 

We were told back in October when we first cruised after the pandemic - they were having trouble sourcing supplies - many of their distributors were either out of business or couldn't get the supplies/ingredients.

[mjkacmom]

11 minutes ago, Tyskie said:

 

We're just off the Pearl

I had an egg custard dessert in the MDR - embarkation lunch

Creme Brulee (yes raspberry) in Cagney's

Not offered in LeBistro.

Mudslide drinks were not available - but one bartender in Great Outdoors was able to make a great facsimile 😉

 

We were told back in October when we first cruised after the pandemic - they were having trouble sourcing supplies - many of their distributors were either out of business or couldn't get the supplies/ingredients.

A mudslide is an actual drink recipe, what the cruise lines serve is the fake.

[cruiseny4life]

7 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

With the restart of cruising in August 2021, NCL made a concerted effort to "up their game" and increase the quality of foods in restaurants like Le Bistro. Items like creme brulee may have been considered too pedestrian or actually a waste of money if most of them were fed to the fish at the end of each night.

I'll be sailing the Getaway again in a few weeks, so will be sure to admit if the post below is wrong. In April, on the Getaway, we certainly saw no effort on NCL's part to make their food better....to be fair I had never cruised NCL until April, but the specialty restaurants (Cagney's/Teppanyaki) were consistently mediocre. The buffet was gross. Didn't bother with the MDR as we had the Haven Restaurant which was excellent. 

 

We'll be trying Moderno, Le Bistro, and La Cucina in August with hopes of good food. If your statement is true though, NCL food couldn't have been edible pre-shutdown.

 

I do agree with Creme Brulee being just blah in presentation....though yummy! 

 

Don't worry - sometime in September/October I'll have a full review and let you know what I think of the specialty restaurants we try. Each was booked early enough to hit the Haven Restaurant if we feel the food in the specialty restaurants is meh like our last cruise. 

[KarimaJ]

I just had crème brûlée in the main dining room Sunday night on the Gem.

[JeninIndy]

26 minutes ago, KarimaJ said:

I just had crème brûlée in the main dining room Sunday night on the Gem.

Same, came here to say crème brûlée was a dessert option one night in the main dining room on the Encore in July.

[skeeter195]

9 hours ago, BirdTravels said:

In most cases, menu changes are driven by passenger demand. If you make 50 creme brulee a night and throw out 30 every night, it is not an item you want to keep on your menu.

 

With the restart of cruising in August 2021, NCL made a concerted effort to "up their game" and increase the quality of foods in restaurants like Le Bistro. Items like creme brulee may have been considered too pedestrian or actually a waste of money if most of them were fed to the fish at the end of each night. 

 

For us, if we were picking up a dessert at a Vegas buffet, we may pick up a creme brulee. But it would be the last thing that I would order in a specialty restaurant or a upscale land-based restaurant. 

 

I can still remember endless Cruise Critic threads condemning NCL when they removed fish fingers from the lunch menu and replaced it with poached salmon. Or removed chicken soup from the lunch menu and replaced it with Pho. When foods just sit and get thrown out after service, they are quick to leave the menu. 

This response is almost laughable calling it pedestrian.  If you like it or not it is still an upscale dish.  Creme Brulee is a classic french dessert that has stood the test of time.  Most finer dining restaurants on land will have some version of a creme brulee.  

 

It is also a dessert that does not have to made daily and could even be frozen if done correctly then finished for service.  They are not throwing these away nightly.  

 

You cannot compare a buffet(even Caesers or Wyns's) creme brulee to a properly finished one, night and day.  

 

For us and others who we travel with creme brulee was always something that we looked forward to in Le Bistro.  In fact on our last few cruises I have asked the host to have a creme brulee sent from Cagneys(although not as good as le Bistro was) to the haven dining room one or two nights as it is my wifes favorite dessert.  

 

 

[Farmer387]

Creme Brulee, or any "custardy" dessert is my favorite.  I think it was available some nights on my Bliss cruise in November.  I will be on the Joy soon and will be looking for it then.

[trivimp]

On a related note, Onda still has panna cotta on the menu, so you can get your custard fix there.  

[Candy Apple 12]

17 minutes ago, trivimp said:

On a related note, Onda still has panna cotta on the menu, so you can get your custard fix there.  

Panna cotta ≠ crème brûlée 

[trivimp]

7 minutes ago, Candy Apple 12 said:

Panna cotta ≠ crème brûlée 

Duh, of course; I assume you realize they are both sweetened cream-based desserts though.  I mention it for the benefit of cruisers, like @Farmer387, who enjoy custardy things.  I know we had crème brûlée at least one night on the Encore a couple of months ago, as well, but it wasn't in Le Bistro.  Probably the MDR, although the vacation is all blurred together by now. 

[Candy Apple 12]

3 hours ago, trivimp said:

Duh, of course; I assume you realize they are both sweetened cream-based desserts though.  I mention it for the benefit of cruisers, like @Farmer387, who enjoy custardy things.  I know we had crème brûlée at least one night on the Encore a couple of months ago, as well, but it wasn't in Le Bistro.  Probably the MDR, although the vacation is all blurred together by now. 

Yes, but panna cotta uses gelatin as a thickener and crème brûlée uses eggs, so technically panna cotta isn’t a custard dessert because custards are made with eggs. 
 

 

[kitty-sail]

Post-covid  NCL was suppose to be steering towards a more upscale atmosphere. (along with higher prices) Part of that plan was to bring in new menus. On my recent last cruise, some choices were good and some were just so-so. They did have to hire a whole bunch of new people since re-starting so we will probably see swings in food quality and taste. I think in a few more months, things will get better.  That's why NCL is going to one standard menu in each venue which hopefully will help the staff to perfect a few standard dishes rather than tackling a different dish each night.

Also, I like Creme Brulee.

[phoenix1181]

16 hours ago, kjquilts said:

I loved the original Creme Brulee but wasn't a big fan of the raspberry version....even though I love raspberries.

I agree 100%.  Creme Brulee is a favorite of mine and I'm a big reasberry fan but Rasberry Creme Brulee is just bad...

 

[time391]

Thanks everyone for the updates on other cruises. 

 

I was on the Epic in May for their Western Mediterranean Cruise, something I planned pre-Covid. I had a Haven room and I really enjoyed the Haven Restaurant as well. I asked about Creme Brulee and they said they didn't do it (4th night after my meal at Le Bistro). I didn't know Cagney's was serving it, otherwise, I'd have asked them to get that delivered for me. I also love Creme Brulee, I know it's a common dessert by most fine dining standards, but quite honestly, I just enjoy egg custard and it's my vacation, too, so a little gluttony doesn't hurt. 

I'll be on the NCL Pearl for the last Boston to Bermuda cruise in November. I haven't tried cruising in the late fall/early winter before, so it will be an adventure.

[The Shrike]

33 minutes ago, time391 said:

Thanks everyone for the updates on other cruises. 

 

I was on the Epic in May for their Western Mediterranean Cruise, something I planned pre-Covid. I had a Haven room and I really enjoyed the Haven Restaurant as well. I asked about Creme Brulee and they said they didn't do it (4th night after my meal at Le Bistro). I didn't know Cagney's was serving it, otherwise, I'd have asked them to get that delivered for me. I also love Creme Brulee, I know it's a common dessert by most fine dining standards, but quite honestly, I just enjoy egg custard and it's my vacation, too, so a little gluttony doesn't hurt. 

I'll be on the NCL Pearl for the last Boston to Bermuda cruise in November. I haven't tried cruising in the late fall/early winter before, so it will be an adventure.

A tip for that:  If you let the Haven restaurant staff know earlier in the day that you'd like that as your dessert with dinner, it'll save some time as they can have it ready for you.  But if you ask for it after your dinner it'll take more time.

But if time is of no concern, just order it with dinner, sip some wine and wait...  😀

[BirdTravels]

10 hours ago, skeeter195 said:

This response is almost laughable calling it pedestrian.  If you like it or not it is still an upscale dish.  Creme Brulee is a classic french dessert that has stood the test of time.  Most finer dining restaurants on land will have some version of a creme brulee.  

Pretty pedestrian. It's a custard. And like the dinosaurs, its time has come to an end. Like fish fingers. 

 

NCL continues to evolve their menus for the contemporary cruiser. The millennials that make up the next generation of cruisers that will sustain the business into the future. The bowl of flan just doesn't fit the image of "fine dining" any longer

 

 

Le Bistro

Ocean Blue

Cagney's

Onda

Los Lobos 

Edited August 3, 2022 by BirdTravels

[wetcoast]

54 minutes ago, BirdTravels said:

Pretty pedestrian. It's a custard. And like the dinosaurs, its time has come to an end. Like fish fingers. 

 

NCL continues to evolve their menus for the contemporary cruiser. The millennials that make up the next generation of cruisers that will sustain the business into the future. The bowl of flan just doesn't fit the image of "fine dining" any longe

 

 

Los Lobos 

The buñuelos dessert from Los lobos was so disappointing, just tasted like pancakes. The dinner was very good though

[LGW59]

23 hours ago, time391 said:

Hello everyone, 

I just recently came back from a Cruise on the NCL Epic and am planning another trip on NCL Pearl soon. One thing I noticed onboard was the change in food choices and menu variety. It appeared that Creme Brulee at Le Bistro or equivalent egg custard dishes at other restaurants have been removed from their menus. I also check NCL Pearl's current menu offering and discovered the same issue.

 

Does anyone know why egg custard is now forbidden on NCL? Was there a specific reason or is it a matter of NCL's executive chef's choice to end the menu item?

Did you ask while on board?