BLOG: No Surprise: Crystal v 2.0 Delivers Culinary Excellence - With a Few New TwistsBLOG: No Surprise: Crystal v 2.0 Delivers Culinary Excellence - With a Few New Twists
David Yeskel takes a voyage aboard Crystal Serenity which highlighted their culinary program that now reaches heights untouched by the line’s previous iteration.
October 16, 2024
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When Crystal restarted operations in 2023 after being acquired by the well-regarded (and well-capitalized) Abercrombie & Kent Travel Group, the luxury line’s intensely loyal clientele had high hopes that the brand experience would return to its previous lofty standards upon the relaunch of Crystal Symphony and Crystal Serenity. And judging by my recent voyage aboard Crystal Serenity, those hopes - maybe even dreams? - have been richly rewarded by an onboard product that now reaches heights untouched by the line’s previous iteration, writes David Yeskel.
After a $150 million refurbishment that refreshed both classic vessels and reduced guest occupancy from 1040 to 740 on Crystal Serenity and from 960 to 606 on Crystal Symphony - thus resulting in a near 1:1 crew-to-guest ratio - the attention understandably turned to the soft product, notably the culinary program. And the benefit of sailing a pre–pandemic voyage on Serenity enabled me to reliably compare pre- and post-A&K operations.
The good news for guests is two-fold: Nearly 90% of the line’s crew and management have returned; and the quality of the culinary program has been notched up - with some notable enhancements that will appeal to a slightly younger demographic without alienating Crystal’s core clientele, who still make up a fair percentage of the guest list. HIghlights from Crystal Serenity’s culinary outlets follow.
Osteria d’Ovidio
Replacing the line’s much-loved, legacy Italian restaurant, Prego, was always going to be a heavy lift. After all, Prego featured dishes created by legendary restaurateur Piero Selvaggio, owner/operator of Santa Monica, California’s beloved and critically-acclaimed Valentino - often hailed as one of the country’s top Italian restaurants. But with Osteria d’Ovidio (named for another legend, Manfredi Lefebre d’Ovidio, current Crystal co-owner and founder of Silversea Cruises) Crystal’s corporate chefs completely re-imagined the operation as an upscale Italian ristorante featuring delicacies from several regions.
And while Prego’s dishes could be considered comfort food, Osteria’s menu offers incredibly sophisticated and complex cuisine that features twists on traditional dishes along with modern creations that carry significant appeal to gourmands. The Astice starter, featuring lobster medallions with tomato essence and basil olive oil, is an artistic and gustatory delight, while the hand-chopped beef tartare with mustard sauce and truffle hits all the right notes. The six pastas on the menu are all interesting, but the tortello filled with ricotta and pear, then finished with pecorino and pepper, is perfection on a plate. And the experience will be ratcheted up even further when Michelin 3-star chef Massimiliano Alajmo adds his magic touch to the menu at Osteria in a recently-announced collaboration.
Waterside
While some companies have veered away from enhancing main dining room fare in order to shift the focus to specialty restaurants, Crystal has actually leaned into an upgrade at Waterside, with elevated menus showcasing a wide array of gourmet dishes. And with one side of the menu highlighting Contemporary Cuisine, and the opposite page filled with Crystal Classics, the total number of choices (representing only starters and mains) typically hovers around a generous fifteen. These menus also change nightly, with enough unique dishes to rotate through a 30-day menu cycle without any repeats - an impressive accomplishment. Highlights here include Sauteed Seafood Over Black Ink Risotto, Roasted Duck Salad, Wagyu Beef Tenderloin and Homemade Penne Rigate With Fresh Tomato Sauce, Artichoke, and Buffalo Mozzarella. And as a loving ode to the departed - but evidently not forgotten - Prego, several of the former venue’s popular dishes are sprinkled throughout Waterside’s dinner menus, including the Black Angus Beef Carpaccio and Cream of Italian Mushrooms Soup in an Oregano Bread Bowl.
The Bistro Cafe
As the morning’s fairly-standard baked offerings give way to the afternoon’s intricate pastries and tarts, Crystal Serenity’s pastry chef’s work comes into focus with gorgeously-presented sweets that taste as good as they look. A picture-perfect chocolate Madeleine satisfies Francophiles, while authentic Baklava, pistachio eclairs, and a caramel financier are just a few examples of the guilty-pleasure hit parade available until dusk every day. And the once-per-cruise Chocolate Tea Time in the lovely Palm Court features an attractive array of sweets including a sinful ganache tartlet and chocolate whiskey tart.
Marketplace
While the breakfast buffet options in the casual Marketplace venue check off all the required boxes in addition to a daily smoothie and tropical fruit assortment, lunchtime really shines with impressively-provisioned themed buffets. The pan-Asian spread features har gow dim sum and roast duck with perfectly-lacquered, crispy skin, while the Brazilian Churrascaria wowed me with tasty picańa and other skewered meats, along with the requisite accompaniments of farofa (toasted cassava flour) and pao de queijo (cheese bread). The pasta station also excels at turning out made-to-order daily specials that are al dente and sauced authentically.
Tastes
Offering a set of globally-inspired dishes from regions around the world, Tastes’ lunch and dinner menus spotlight ethnic specialties that aren’t typically offered elsewhere aboard. Stir-fry dishes, Cal-Mex options, Mediterranean seafood, salads and dips, Chinese bao and potstickers, pizza and pasta, and a well-dressed Chinois Chicken Salad predominate here, all served on a lovely patio protected by the vessel’s translucent dome. This venue will transition later this year, however, to Beefbar, a Monte Carlo-based concept that promises a global street-food scene, delivering “beef, reef and leaf” with an emphasis on beef, based on recently-released sample menus. Notably, some of Tastes’ most popular dishes will remain after the rebrand.
Umi Uma
With the mantra of “don’t break what isn’t broken,” the menu at Umi Uma is virtually unchanged from its previous incarnation as Silk Road, famed chef Nobu Matsuhisa’s masterpiece of Japanese-Peruvian fusion. Starting with a mixed sushi and sashimi platter is practically de rigeur here, and the chef’s signature Yellowtail Sashimi with Jalapeno, Tuna Tataki with Cilantro Sauce, Salmon Tartare with Caviar and the Soft Shell Crab Roll are surefire choices. Meanwhile, of the hot appetizers, the Rock Shrimp Tempura with Spicy, Creamy Sauce and the Mushroom Soup (served in a Japanese Tea Kettle) will please most palates. The mains are all impressive - especially the Nobu-Style Lobster with Truffle-Yuzu Sauce - but the chef’s signature Nobu-Style Black Cod, often imitated but never duplicated, achieves perfection after a marinade in Saikyo miso and the addition of baby peach and young ginger. Service here - as in all other F&B venues aboard - is efficient, friendly and extremely professional.
Trident Grill and Scoops
Offering more than just burgers, hot dogs, made-to-order sandwiches and wraps, Trident Grill does justice to those aforementioned staples while supplementing with daily specials, steaks and salad. But it’s the nearby Scoops that really stands out with a quality assortment of gelato featuring innovative flavours that surpass the previously-offered Ben & Jerry’s varieties.
Crystal’s overall culinary program is noticeably improved - and modernized - from its pre-bankruptcy iteration, and that is largely due to what certainly appears to be a higher food spend and an increasing willingness to partner with third-party chefs and introduce cutting-edge concepts that have already built a following among sophisticated, upscale travellers.
David Yeskel is a travel journalist with over 20 years experience. David has covered the cruise industry and Las Vegas and is an expert on hospitality, entertainment and dining. You can follow him on X: @cruiseguru or @thevegasguru_
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