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Ever since our first cruise in 1997, we have been hooked on the moving resort also known as a cruise ship. Yes, these behemoths have it all - accommodations, activities, shows, usually great service and of course food. Despite being essentially glorified mass-catered food, there are still decent eats to be found. And not all cruise lines are made equal. Now if one had unlimited funds, there are cruise lines (ie. Crystal and Cunard) that do serve up some impressive cuisine. Yet, most people end up on one of the mainstream lines including Carnival, Celebrity, Holland America, Norwegian, Princess and Royal Caribbean. I'm not going to throw Disney into the mix because it is quite expensive and generally caters to families. Also, I will exclude Costa because sinking ships are not good for business and eating... LOL...
Viv and I were on a pattern of a cruise every 2 years until we had kids. Stubbornly, we were able to do an Alaskan cruise aboard the Celebrity Mercury in 2007 with our then 2-year old son. Fast forward 5 years and we finally got to go cruising again. And yup, we headed to Alaska once again. This time aboard Holland America's Oosterdam. Our first choice was not the land of snow and ice, but since the kiddies and grandparents were all going as well, we needed something more simple and relaxed. We actually embarked in Seattle because the pricing for the kiddies 
was substantially cheaper. Instead of paying full fare, they were only charged $150.00 (+ port charges) as 3rd and 4th passengers in our
stateroom.
As seasoned cruisers, we decided to head to the pier at 11:00am to avoid the rush and of course, take advantage of the welcome aboard buffet. The embarkation process was pretty straightforward, especially with the express boarding pass we printed out the internet. All of our information, including passport numbers and credit card were already entered into the system. So all we needed to do was print out our tags and attach to them to our luggage. When we arrived at the pier, we dropped off our tagged luggage and proceeded to getting our pictures taken for our onboard cruise cards (these would act at both identification and payment for any expenses 
incurred on the boat). We were given a boarding party number, which we waited to be called so we could board.This number also acted as our muster station assignment as well as the lifeboat.
Now onto the food! After we dropped off our carry-ons in our stateroom, we proceeded to the Lido deck for some grub. For the first 48 hours, the food was served by the staff and sanitizing lotion was offered to prevent the likelihood of infection. The buffet consisted of 6 stations including drinks (only some juices, tea, coffee and ice tea), salads, 
entrees (including sandwich bar and soups), desserts, Italian and Asian food. The first meal included salmon, pork, roast beef and fried chicken with sides consisting of roast potatoes, rice, yellow zucchini squash and fries. The soups were chicken barley and cream of broccoli. As expected, the meats were pretty much overcooked, but they didn’t taste bad. The fried chicken was moist except the batter was a bit thick and wet (due to sitting in a warming tray). We ended up trying a plate of 
their made-to-order pasta and it was pretty standard.
The penne was still somewhat chewy while the creamy meat sauce was tasty for what it was. I tried the Lasagna and it was meaty and cheesy (lacking in tomato sauce). As for the Asian station, we didn’t try the sushi because it was the “safe” variety (all cooked), but I did try almost everything else including the Beef Salad, Coconut Pork Red Curry and Pad Thai. As expected, the 
beef in the salad was not exactly authentic being more like strips of roast beef. The curry was actually not bad being very flavourful with nice kick. The pork was a touch dry, but not chewy. Being a ketchup-based Pad Thai with none of the usual ingredients, it was what it was. Onto the desserts, I tried the NY Cheesecake and it had no flavour and the texture was gummy. The Passion Fruit Cake was slightly better with some sweetness, yet it reminded us of cafeteria cake. Then again, what are 
we to expect from a buffet anyways? All-in-all, compared to the other cruises we’ve been on, this was an acceptable buffet meal.
That night, there was a BBQ which included burgers, hot dogs, salmon and ribs which we did not try. However, we did make reservations for their alternative restaurant – Pinnacle (which is a steakhouse). For a $25.00 surcharge per person, we were treated to a meal that would not be available in the main dining room. For some, the thought of “paying” for a meal on a cruise would be sacrilegious, but the cruise industry has shifted to specialty alternative restaurants. We have paid for meals onboard before on our previous cruises and there has never been a time where we thought it wasn’t worth it. This time around, we were treated to some pretty good eats. We began with an
amuse bouche consisting of a Scallop which was done nicely. Everyone started with the Lobster Bisque which was served tableside with cognac and crème fraiche. The bisque was creamy and rich while not being salty. The essence of lobster was definitely there, yet could’ve been stronger. For my second appie, I had the Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail which was very good. The shrimp were gigantic and prepared properly. There was a snap and a crunch as well as lots of shrimp flavour. Not sure why they put so much shredded lettuce beneath the cocktail sauce 
as it was hard to get to. My mom had the Crab Cakes and they were full of fluffy crab. The outer crust was crispy, yet could’ve been a touch more firm. There was a nice spice that accented the crab while not overpowering it. Viv had the Tomato Salad which looked impressive. To me, it was a tomato salad... My dad had the Ocean Platter consisting of smoked salmon and scallops. I’m not sure why they called it a platter because it wasn’t that big. No matter, it was well-prepared and he liked it. 
For our mains, I went for the Porterhouse with peppercorn sauce with sides of creamed spinach, shoestring fries and asparagus (a bit small for a porterhouse though). I asked for my steak to be prepared medium rare and it was more or less so. The filet side of the porterhouse was definitely medium rare while the striploin portion was closer to medium. This is common since both sides of the steak cook differently. The meat was tender and the peppercorn sauce was smooth and peppery. Both my mom and Viv had the Land & Sea which included a 7 oz Filet Mignon and 2 huge prawns. The steaks were prepared a beautiful medium-rare and were super moist. Crunchy with a definite snap and a nice grilled shrimp essence, the jumbo shrimp were a treat. My dad ended up with the Black Cod (I know, in a steakhouse...), but it ended up to be very good. The fish was moist, flaky and fresh-tasting. It came with the same wonderful prawns. For dessert, 
there was no doubt in my mind I was going for the Vanilla Souffle. It was light and only semi-sweet. My mom had the Creme Brulee consisting of 3 ribbons of chocolate, vanilla and coffee. For some reason or another, the chocolate was runny and a bit weak while the other two were not bad and not overly sweet. Viv had the Volcano Cake which was a bit goupy and wet. It was very sweet and chocolaty. In the end, we felt the $25.00 surcharge was justified considering the level of execution and quality of 
ingredients. Sure, not everything was perfect, but nothing ever is. Fortunately the Oosterdam is considered a "smaller" cruise ship, so there were not a lot of alternative dining options. The rest of our dinners were in the main dining room, which ranged from good-to-average. That will be in the next post.
If it seems like I hit up a buffet every so often when I’m in the States, it is by design. Normally, a buffet isn’t exactly the best place to find great food and thus, we try to stay away. However, buffets seem to be bigger and better in the great US of A, so it is of particular interest that we tried out Mizuki Buffet. Something that normally doesn’t succeed in Vancouver is the Asian buffet due to the finicky tastes of the diverse population. That is obviously not true in Washington State as we see many of these establishments including Bluefin, Super Buffet, Royal Star, Haiku, and Mandarin. For me, I found that the 2 in Bellingham (Royal Star and Super Buffet) to be sub par. For obvious reasons (location and population base), that was to be expected. Yet, Haiku in Redmond was pretty underwhelming as well. Bluefin is probably the best of the bunch. However, Mizuki claims to be even better, so we met up with Goose and Mrs. Goose for some overeating.
At $23.99 for adults, the selection of eats for dinner could only be described as substantial and diverse. We were impressed with the Sushi Bar as it included a selection of specialty rolls, oysters on the half shell and a good variety of sashimi and nigiri. Best of all, we felt the seafood was pretty fresh and well-prepared, especially for a serve-yourself buffet. Throughout our dinner, we noticed that the manager watched over the bar like a hawk and ensured that the food was both fresh and plates were never empty. I found the sushi rice to be a touch dry and not really all that flavourful, yet it was more than acceptable given the venue. There were no names given for their Rolls, but there was the usual assortment which included rolls like the dragon, rainbow and Philly.
The Sashimi was a real surprise as it consisted of Red Tuna, Atlantic Salmon, Albacore Tuna, Tuna Tataki, Mackerel, Hotate, Ika, Tako, Tai, Spicy Tuna and Amaebi. The red tuna and hotate were pretty unique additions for a buffet. Included in the Nigiri was Tamago, Salmon, Unari, Tuna, Tai, Ika, Tako and Aburi Salmon. Also in the sushi station was Salmon Skin, Wakame, Spicy Squid and Cucumbers. On the opposite wall of the restaurant, the Hot Food began with Baked Salmon, Shrimp & Scallop Scampi, Skewers (Beef, Chicken and Octopus Cake), Prime Rib and BBQ Ribs. Of course the salmon was overcooked, but the scampi was actually pretty good. The shrimp and scallops were cooked nicely laced with a lot of butter and garlic. I tried a beef skewer and it appeared they used flank steak. It was pretty chewy, but it was flavourful though. As a public service announcement, I will now tell you to STAY AWAY from the Prime Rib. This had to be one of the worst ones we’ve had ever. It was fully cooked and chewy as hell. The ribs were the parboiled then grilled type. They were sufficiently tender with still quite a bit of chew left. They could’ve been seasoned and sauced a bit more.
Moving along, there was a Teppanyaki station with a choice of sauces. The selection of raw ingredients were pretty modest with the meats looking pretty sad (drying out). My mom got a plate and it turned out to be not bad since it was freshly made. Directly beside the teppanyaki, there were 3 Soups including Hot & Sour, Wonton and Wintermelon. I only tried the Hot & Sour and it was pretty weak. As expected, there was no depth and limited ingredients. Then rounding the corner, there was a large selection of dishes which included General Tso's Chicken, Clams, Mussels, Steamed Sole and other various Chinese dishes. However, the main event featured Crab, Lobster and Snow Crab Legs. The crab was terrible being mushy and not fresh while the lobster was surprisingly decent. That was a popular item which was cleaned out as fast as it was refilled. I give them credit for refilling it quickly.
Walking past the salad bar, there was a Chocolate Fountain with a variety of fruit. Right next to it was a display fridge containing various Desserts. And if that wasn't enough, there was a selection of serve-yourself hard ice cream. Although some of the food was laughable, most were acceptable considering it was a buffet. Furthermore, the sushi and sashimi were surprisingly decent. If you factor the price and the clean environment, Mizuki is better than most buffets of this ilk. I'm not saying that I am planning another visit, but if you merely wanted to stuff your face at a reasonable price, then this is for you.
The Good:
- Large selection
- Reasonable price
- Sushi & Sashimi is decent
The Bad:
- As expected, some items were plain terrible (Prime Rib & Crab)
- Service was a little slow in removing the finished plates
- Naturally, much like other buffets, it will never be known for great food
*Restaurant is permanently closed*
"Uh, Dim Sum?", nervously questioned my dad when I suggested we do so while we were in Bellevue. I can't blame him as his only experience with Chinese food down there was back in 1997 at Noble Court. That left a bad taste in his mouth, which he still remembers to this day. I assured him that Chinese food has come a long way since then. Having just recently visited Top Gun and being satisfied with the quality of the eats, I thought we'd try out Joi's out in Downtown Bellevue. Previously Koi's, the 
name change had not been reflected in the menu nor the parking signage as of yet. And about that parking... The onsite parking lot must've been designed to fit only Smart cars or Fiat 500's. My SUV took up 2 spots and I tried my darnedest to make it fit into one. So if you want to avoid this problem, park in their alternative lot instead.
We had arrived pretty early, so it was easy to get a table in the spacious and clean dining room. With push carts patrolling the aisles, 
we were pretty much able to get most of our food immediately. Let's start with the basics shall we? The Haw Gow were a bit on the smallish side, yet were more than acceptable. The dumpling skin was a touch chewy while the shrimp filling had the necessary snap texture. Flavorwise, it was seasoned just enough with a hint of sesame oil. We certainly couldn't have haw gow without Sui Mai (well, at least I can't), so that was a given we'd get an order. These were also quite good with a decent amount of 
snappy shrimp. The pork was slightly bouncy with some moist pieces. A noticeable amount of shiitake mushrooms added to the good balance of sweet and savory.
Moving along to another staple of Dim Sum was the Beef Rice Noodle Roll (and the Shrimp Rice Noodle Roll, not pictured though). The rice noodle itself wasn't too thick, yet was still slightly gummy and chewy. The beef filling was both plentiful and done properly. The texture was smooth and had a 
rebound quality while having just the right amount of green onion. As for the shrimp rice noodle roll, the shrimp filling was a bit meager, but did exhibit a good snap while being mildly seasoned. With a close relation to the beef rice noodle roll, the Beef Meatballs were pretty good as well. The meat was a touch moist, yet still exhibited some chewiness and bounce. Again, there was the right amount of greens mixed into the meat where it added some brightness without being overwhelming.
A little on the sparse side in terms of quantity was the Black Bean Spareribs. Whenever you can see the bottom of the plate before even a single piece is never a good thing. Anyways, as you can clearly see, the dish was rather greasy as evidenced by the pool of oil. Despite the lack of content, most of the pieces were meaty and attached to bone, not cartilage. The meat was on the chewier side, yet not difficult to eat by any stretch of the imagination. In terms of flavour, it could've 
benefited from more black bean and garlic. Onto the Loh Mei Gai (or sticky rice), it was a bit wet. I really didn't mind because I really can't stand dry and hard sticky rice anyways. I guess the overload of ingredients (ground pork, shiitake mushroom, Chinese sausage and chicken) in the middle helped contribute to the moisture.
At this point, we noticed a new push cart being employed on the floor and quickly realized it contained dessert tofu. We flagged 
down the young lady and ordered a bowl. Nothing particularly interesting about the dish (and no picture either), but something bizarre happened at the table next to us. They had also ordered the dessert, but the young lady proceeded to put a heaping spoonful of green onions on it (and without simple sugar either). We believe she mixed up the dessert with the other item on the cart, which was Preserved Egg and Salted Pork Congee. Suffice to say, the people at the table were thoroughly confused and judging by their 
reaction, didn't like the green onion unsweetened tofu dessert! Fortunately, the congee (without green onion) was not bad. It was thick and smooth all the way to the last spoonful. There were some ingredients to be found, but they were in little itty bitty pieces. I liked the pork as it was tender and slightly salty. There was a considerable MSG flavour which I didn't particularly care for.
Dim Sum would not be complete without some offal (it would make Chris Cosentino 
proud...). So we got an order of the Honeycomb Tripe. There was a good amount of tripe crammed onto the small sauce plate in the bamboo steamer. It had a good chewy, but soft texture which was not gamy (which meant they had rinsed it properly). I liked how there was a good balance between salty, sweet and spiciness. Lastly, we got an order of the Egg Tarts which were also pretty good. The tart shell was flaky and buttery while the egg custard was on the sweeter side. At the end of our meal, my parents were pretty impressed with the overall quality of the Dim Sum considering we were not in Vancouver. If I had to chose between Top Gun and Joi's, it would be literally a toss up. The food is pretty comparable as well as the parking.
The Good:
- Decent eats
- Clean and spacious dining room
The Bad:
- Lots of staff, but everyone seemed to busy to help
- Main parking lot is terrible
I believe there are 2 types of fads - general fads and personal fads. A personal fad (could be an obssesion too)? What the heck is that? My recent fascination with boiled seafood dumped on the table seems to have hit a "fad-like" level. Ironically, it started off with a crappy experience at Crawfish King (Richmond location). Undeterred, I went to Crawdaddy in San Jose and more recently, Cray Kitchen in Vancouver. And just prior to our cruise out of Seattle, we headed over to the Crab Pot for more messing eating. Okay, before the haters start leaving rude comments, I realize that this ain't the cheapest way to eat nor am I ranting about Crawfish King... But, this was a good way to compare and we wanted to go for the experience as well.
The adults at the table (yes, that included me despite what Viv thinks!) shared the Westport (for $25.95pp) which included clams, mussels, shrimp, dungeness crab, snow crab, Andouille sausage, corn and potatoes. We got a Sourdough Loaf to start. Although it was served cold, the bread was still quite nice with a chew on the outside. Now I read many complaints about how the food is not enough for the price. Okay, I would beg to differ. C'mon, how much food do 4 people really need? We struggled to finish everything and in fact, left some potatoes and sausage on the table. Sure, the shrimp and mussels were overcooked, but not so much that it was inedible. The crab and clams turned out fine. I guess they might look into staggering their preparation of the variety of seafood. The potatoes were soft while not falling apart. The sausage was in small slices and became hard after the cooking process. It would've been nice for larger, thicker pieces. The corn was slightly past done, but it was still plump and sweet. The spicy seasoning salt on the outside worked well with the sweetness of the seafood.
My daughter had the Fish n' Chips which was a decent portion for $5.00. The batter was crunchy (and I mean crunchy) and stayed that way to the last bite. The fish was firm and flaky while the fries were crisp. My son decided to to be boring and had Chicken Tenders at a seafood joint. They were more like chicken filets more than anything being moist and crispy. Overall, we had a good experience at the Crab Pot. Was the food perfect? Of course not. They do overcook some of the seafood and yes it isn't the cheapest way to eat, but it was fine for what it is. At the very least, we were full and didn't think we were ripped off or anything. One thing they might want to look at is the staffing. Not that they weren't nice and all, but our server was nowhere to be found in stretches.
The Good:
- For those who want a different experience
- Not particularly inexpensive, but we didn't find it outrageous either
The Bad:
- Some of the seafood was overcooked
- Where did our server go?
Normally, whenever we head to the Seattle Premium Outlets, it would not be complete without a visit to Eagles Buffet in the Tulalip Casino Resort. Okay, it isn't amazing food, but for the price (especially for lunch), it does the job. However, this time around (on our way to our Alaskan cruise leaving out of Seattle), we decided to hit up Bob's Burgers and Brew. Yes, it is a chain restaurant, but Viv had tried it out last time and it was acceptable. It was amusing that my dad remarked how there weren't any Asians eating at Bob's. I quickly exclaimed that, "They're all at the buffet!". LOL...
My parents shared a Beef Dip which was split nicely onto 2 plates. Funny how we initially assumed that one plate represented an entire order. That alone was enough food for one person. The roast beef was tender, yet had this "Arby's" thing going on where it looked more like ham. The dip itself was pretty generic. For their side, they had the Clam Chowder which was thick and flavourful. It wasn't creamy per se, but it was fine for what it was. Viv decided on the Fish Burger. When it arrived, we were shocked to see 2 large fried pieces of cod. Look at the picture... There was easily twice the amount of fish one would find at Red Robin. The fish itself was fried up crunchy where there was no softening of the batter up until the last bite. Sufficiently moist and flaky, the large pieces of fish barely stayed within the confines of the soft bun. A chunky tartar sauce was served on the side. She had the Split Pea & Ham Soup as her side and it was thick, salty and full of ham.
For myself, I went for Bob's Bonanza Burger because it was the biggest, baddest option on the menu. When it was placed on the table, a large pool of oil began to form as it dripped from the overhanging bacon. Yah, this was a heart-stopping collection of 2 large beef patties, sauteed mushrooms, bacon, cheese and lots of mayo. This was a messy, run-down-your-arm burger which could've benefited from a bit less grease. It seemed like they poured the butter from the sauteed mushrooms onto the burger as well as the bacon grease from the pan as well. I liked the burger despite this and the beef was slightly dry. My son inexplicably chose the Kraft Mac n' Cheese. Dude, I can make that at home for less than $1.00! Anyways, it was predictable and the fries on the side were actually quite good being crispy and light. My daughter had the chicken strips and they were, well... chicken strips. As you can see, the food ain't fancy here nor is it very imaginative. But Bob's offers up predictable food for a reasonable price. Did the job for us this time.
The Good:
- Large portions
- Predictable food
- Good service
The Bad:
- Predictable food
- Greasy
As much as some parts of Surrey are pretty homogenous in terms of food diversity (see: Scott Road), King George Highway is another story. From one end in South Surrey all the way into Whalley terminating at the Patullo Bridge, almost every cuisine is represented. Mixed amongst every conceivable chain restaurant, one would find Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Greek, Italian, Mexican, Thai, Korean and of course Indian cuisine. However, we can add one more -Spanish. Honestly, I wasn't expecting a 
place such as Pachamami Sabor Latino opening up shop on KGH near 80th Ave. Furthermore, I was taken aback when they were offering a lunch buffet for $7.99.
As always... a buffet would never be the best way to experience the food, but for the price, I was game. As I walked into the brand new restaurant, I noticed it was clean, tastefully appointed and welcoming. Similar to Sunny Noodle House, the chef did the cooking, cleaned the tables, served the customers, made coffee (which is included) 
and tended the till. Maybe it was a good idea to have the buffet after all... The first thing I tried was the Chicken Quinoa Soup. Well, it was basically a chicken soup with lots of celery and chicken. Flavours were mild and slightly sweet. As for the main part of the buffet, it featured items such as Green Salad, Pasta Salad, Onion & Tomato Salad, Picante de Gallina (Spicy Chicken), Saice (Ground Beef), Rice, Majau (Rice with Shredded Beef), Black Beans and Chancho al Horno (Roast Pork).
The one thing that stood out was the Chancho al Horno. It was moist and fatty with a nice bark. There was a mild roasted flavour with only a subtle hint of seasoning. I thought the Picante de Gallina was nothing but. Although the meat was moist and tender (being dark meat), it was pretty bland. The Majau was not mushy nor hard (even sitting in a chaffing tray) and was flavourful due to the meat. The Saice was pretty much seasoned ground beef. It went well with the plain white rice. Lastly, there was some store-bought Coffee Cake for dessert. It was pretty typical. As for the rest of the food, most of it was decent with the roast pork being the highlight. Considering the buffet goes for the low price of $7.99, this is a buffet worth trying.
The Good:
- Inexpensive buffet
- Friendly chef/server/barrista/cashier
- Clean and tidy
The Bad:
- Flavours could be more impactful
- Since there is only one person there (at least when I went), service is sparse
It seems, on the surface, that I don't do a lot of cooking. Au contraire, I actually do love cooking and do so quite often. However, there are times when it just ain't practical to do so. Now, going out to eat is all fine and dandy (since I do a lot of that anyways), but it isn't the healthiest option most of the time. Therefore, I look to Japanese restaurants, Pho joints and sometimes wonton noodles. I know, I know, there are bad things to eat at these places too as well as the sodium content, but they are better choices than fast food. This time around, we thought hot pot would satisfy the somewhat "healthier" criteria. And besides, it's like cooking your own food anyways. Now, not an AYCE place either because that defeats the purpose of eating healthier. So, we ended up at Firepots, which features individual hot pots, much like Gokudo Shabu Shabu in Richmond.
Now, unlike Gokudo Shabu Shabu, Firepots doesn't offer up pork's blood or tripe. Rather, their appeal is to a much broader clientele. Their menu is simple: pick a broth, pick a meat, pick some veggies, pick a noodle and various sauces. Each item is priced a la carte, so if you don't watch it, it can get up there. For myself, I had the Fire-Roasted Meat Broth with Lamb, Shiitake and Oyster Mushrooms, Shanghai Bak Choy, Ramen Noodles (which looked more like Shanghainese thick noodles) and a selection of sauces). Viv had the Satay Broth, Chicken, Sui Choy and Vermicelli. We found the portions to be modest for the
price.
There was nothing amiss with the ingredients as we found them to be fresh and vibrant. The meats were tender as well. My broth was on the saltier side and it wasn't as flavourful as the name would suggest. With all the food you see in the pictures (except for my veggies), the total before tips was more than $31.00. Compare this to Shabu Shabu (which costs around $10.00 and Posh (which costs only $15.88 for AYCE), this was not a good value. Too bad really since the concept is okay and the food and service wasn't bad.
The Good:
- Service is attentive and friendly
- Food quality is decent
- Comfortable surroundings
The Bad:
- The a la carte pricing is too high
- Broth is salty and in need of more distinguishable flavours (considering it does cost $4.00)
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Ever since our first cruise in 1997, we have been hooked on the moving resort also known as a cruise ship. Yes, these behemoths have it all - accommodations, activities, shows, usually great service and of course food. Despite being essentially glorified mass-catered food, there are still decent eats to be found. And not all cruise lines are made equal. Now if one had unlimited funds, there are cruise lines (ie. Crystal and Cunard) that do serve up some impressive cuisine. Yet, most people end up on one of the mainstream lines including Carnival, Celebrity, Holland America, Norwegian, Princess and Royal Caribbean. I'm not going to throw Disney into the mix because it is quite expensive and generally caters to families. Also, I will exclude Costa because sinking ships are not good for business and eating... LOL...
Viv and I were on a pattern of a cruise every 2 years until we had kids. Stubbornly, we were able to do an Alaskan cruise aboard the Celebrity Mercury in 2007 with our then 2-year old son. Fast forward 5 years and we finally got to go cruising again. And yup, we headed to Alaska once again. This time aboard Holland America's Oosterdam. Our first choice was not the land of snow and ice, but since the kiddies and grandparents were all going as well, we needed something more simple and relaxed. We actually embarked in Seattle because the pricing for the kiddies 
was substantially cheaper. Instead of paying full fare, they were only charged $150.00 (+ port charges) as 3rd and 4th passengers in our
stateroom.
incurred on the boat). We were given a boarding party number, which we waited to be called so we could board.This number also acted as our muster station assignment as well as the lifeboat.
entrees (including sandwich bar and soups), desserts, Italian and Asian food. The first meal included salmon, pork, roast beef and fried chicken with sides consisting of roast potatoes, rice, yellow zucchini squash and fries. The soups were chicken barley and cream of broccoli. As expected, the meats were pretty much overcooked, but they didn’t taste bad. The fried chicken was moist except the batter was a bit thick and wet (due to sitting in a warming tray). We ended up trying a plate of 
their made-to-order pasta and it was pretty standard. 
beef in the salad was not exactly authentic being more like strips of roast beef. The curry was actually not bad being very flavourful with nice kick. The pork was a touch dry, but not chewy. Being a ketchup-based Pad Thai with none of the usual ingredients, it was what it was. Onto the desserts, I tried the NY Cheesecake and it had no flavour and the texture was gummy. The Passion Fruit Cake was slightly better with some sweetness, yet it reminded us of cafeteria cake. Then again, what are 
we to expect from a buffet anyways? All-in-all, compared to the other cruises we’ve been on, this was an acceptable buffet meal.
amuse bouche consisting of a Scallop which was done nicely. Everyone started with the Lobster Bisque which was served tableside with cognac and crème fraiche. The bisque was creamy and rich while not being salty. The essence of lobster was definitely there, yet could’ve been stronger. For my second appie, I had the Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail which was very good. The shrimp were gigantic and prepared properly. There was a snap and a crunch as well as lots of shrimp flavour. Not sure why they put so much shredded lettuce beneath the cocktail sauce 
as it was hard to get to. My mom had the Crab Cakes and they were full of fluffy crab. The outer crust was crispy, yet could’ve been a touch more firm. There was a nice spice that accented the crab while not overpowering it. Viv had the Tomato Salad which looked impressive. To me, it was a tomato salad... My dad had the Ocean Platter consisting of smoked salmon and scallops. I’m not sure why they called it a platter because it wasn’t that big. No matter, it was well-prepared and he liked it. 
For our mains, I went for the Porterhouse with peppercorn sauce with sides of creamed spinach, shoestring fries and asparagus (a bit small for a porterhouse though). I asked for my steak to be prepared medium rare and it was more or less so. The filet side of the porterhouse was definitely medium rare while the striploin portion was closer to medium. This is common since both sides of the steak cook differently. The meat was tender and the peppercorn sauce was smooth and peppery. Both my mom and Viv had the Land & Sea which included a 7 oz Filet Mignon and 2 huge prawns. The steaks were prepared a beautiful medium-rare and were super moist. Crunchy with a definite snap and a nice grilled shrimp essence, the jumbo shrimp were a treat. My dad ended up with the Black Cod (I know, in a steakhouse...), but it ended up to be very good. The fish was moist, flaky and fresh-tasting. It came with the same wonderful prawns. For dessert, 
there was no doubt in my mind I was going for the Vanilla Souffle. It was light and only semi-sweet. My mom had the Creme Brulee consisting of 3 ribbons of chocolate, vanilla and coffee. For some reason or another, the chocolate was runny and a bit weak while the other two were not bad and not overly sweet. Viv had the Volcano Cake which was a bit goupy and wet. It was very sweet and chocolaty. In the end, we felt the $25.00 surcharge was justified considering the level of execution and quality of 
ingredients. Sure, not everything was perfect, but nothing ever is. Fortunately the Oosterdam is considered a "smaller" cruise ship, so there were not a lot of alternative dining options. The rest of our dinners were in the main dining room, which ranged from good-to-average. That will be in the next post.
