Extreme Dining On Silversea Silver Spirit

Saturday, November 24, 2012

Remember when going on a cruise meant having dinner each evening at the same table, at the same time, with the same people? Those days are long gone. Cruise lines are now in a battle to see which one can come up with the most interesting and innovative dining options. Multiple dining options expands the pool of potential cruise travelers and makes longer cruises more appealing. Sitting at the same table for a week is one thing, but try to imagine doing that for 20, or 30, or even 90 days!

Alternate dining is nothing new to Silversea. For years, Silversea guests have been able to enjoy Italian Bistro dining in La Terazza and elegant continental/French cuisine in Le Champagne. The introduction of Silver Spirit into the fleet brings with it even more dining options, some of which are quite innovative and creative to say the least.

Stars

Stars is an interesting concept, to say the least. The venue, located on Deck 7 just forward of La Terazza, can accommodate up to 26 guests. Stars is described in the daily Silversea Chronicles as ‘foodatainment’ (whatever that is), and “Funky Food with Jazzy music”. The Chronicles “ad” further describes the offerings as “funky snacks and jazzy music”. I am not sure what “funky” means when referring to food, but when it is used twice in the same descriptive ad, it scares this Texan.

As a journalist, we must try everything, so we made reservations for 8:15, which is when Stars opens for business. Coincidentally, we decided to dine on the same evening as the Venetian Society party, so many guests were eating in The Restaurant at tables hosted by the ship’s staff members. As a result, we were the only two people dining in Stars that evening.

The décor of Stars is non-descript. The brown walls with gold horizontal bars could easily pass for a ship’s library or card room. The “theme “continues to the brown furnishings and tablecloths. As the only diners of the evening, ours was the only table that was setup. The table setup was quite unique with two types of coarse salt, one for seafood and one for meats. In the same rack as the salts are three narrow vials containing Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Rosemary infused Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar. A small plate with chunks of Parmagiano Reggiano cheese is accompanied by five small cups of various dips and olives. There is also a small plate of tostado chips for dipping and a glass with several strands of pastry-like breadsticks. These treats give diners plenty to munch on before the menu items begin to arrive. All were good.

The Stars menu is confusing, at least to a Texan. A different letter of the name “STARS” is used to define each course, meaning that there are five courses. Always trying to find a hidden meaning, I assumed the “S” stood for “Starters”. I then began to struggle with what the “T” could stand for…Tapas perhaps? And what about the “A”, did that stand for Appetizer? If so, why would appetizers be the third course? By the time I got to the “R”, my head was about to explode. I finally gave up and asked the waiter and was told that “S-T-A-R-S” is not an acronym for anything. So, my time was wasted trying to figure that one out.

When our waiter arrived at the table with the menu we were told that they recommend we try every course, so that is what we did. We were also offered a red or white wine from the daily complimentary selection. Each of the five courses served in Stars is a trio of “tapas-style” dishes. In fact, we found each portion to be more than a single “bite” of food, often having to employ the services of our knife to cut portions in half before enjoying. With four different courses, and three dishes to each course, we found ourselves to be quite full before the dessert course was delivered. However, for those with larger appetites, Stars also offers a choice of pasta dishes.

Stars Menu:

First Course: Lobster Avocado – Beetroot Gorgonzola – Duck Foie Gras
Second Course: Mussels – Quail Breast – Duck
Third Course: Red Fish – Cod – Lobster
Fourth Course: Lamb – Tournedos Rossini – Black Pork
Fifth Course: Baby Pear – Cherry Cinnamon Crumble – Chocolate Fondant

Also Available: Penne – Pansotti – Gigli

Now, lets talk about execution. This is where Stars shines, no pun intended. The dishes coming out of the Stars kitchen are excellent. A lot of attention is given to presentation, which would rival any nouvelle cuisine restaurant on land. The waiting time between courses was reasonable and each course was delicious. The service in Stars was up to Silversea standards as well, warm and pleasant without being overly attentive.

The “jazzy music” part of the “foodatainment” starts each evening at 10:00pm. We finished our meal at about 9:45, so we were a little tired before the show began and did not stay for the show. We did hear from several other guests, however, that the show in Stars is very good. For those who like to eat late, say around 9:00 to 9:30pm, the timing of the show is perfect. During the first hour or so of our meal, we did enjoy Lucas on the piano.

Stars delivers a unique dining experience that every Silver Spirit guest should enjoy. The food taste and presentation is excellent; the service attentive and there is even an opportunity to enjoy a great jazz show to boot. Stars suffers from less than ideal marketing and an identity crisis. It is advertised as “funky snacks”, which sounds like something you would enjoy after having eaten a full meal in of Silver Spirit’s other venues. The number of courses and portion sizes can in no way be described as a “snack”, this is an elaborate and well-executed meal

Seishin

Seishin is Silver Spirit’s Asian restaurant. Unlike Stars, when you step into Seishin, you know exactly where you are and what to expect. Seishin feels like an Asian restaurant. The dark woods and backlit panels evoke a Japanese sensation, as does the open presentation Sushi kitchen in the center of the restaurant. Seishin is a concept that works, and works very well. However, there is a degree of confusion over the menu. Unlike Stars, there is a fee associated with dining in Seishin. The fee depends on which menu you choose and any accompanying wine or sake. The prices are not posted anywhere that we could find, but after asking a lot of questions, we were able to come up with the following:

Teaser Menu 1 (4 course seafood): $30
Teaser Menu 2 (4 course chicken and beef): $30
Asian Degustation Menu (9 course): $40
Asian Degustation Menu with Sake pairing: $80
Asian Degustation Menu with Wine pairing: $200

Since Rickee does not care for Sushi or Asian food in general, my dining partner this evening is Linda Garrison, Cruise Guide for the About.com website (cruises.about.com). We each decided to try the Teaser Menu #2.

The dining started with an amuse bouche of caviar sorbet, which was a small greenish-gray dollop with the consistency of butter. Neither Linda nor I care for caviar, so it was not really suited to our tastes.

Each menu begins with the Silversea Sashimi Platter, which Linda and I soon learned can be “customized” to taste with a combination of sushi and sashimi items. We each requested no shellfish items and the addition of a spicy tuna roll. No problem. As the sous chef began to prepare our platters, we had time to take a few photos of him in action. All items are prepared fresh, right in front of you!

Within minutes our Sashimi/Sushi platters arrived and were packed with a variety of delicious and expertly prepared items. The traditional wasabi, fresh ginger and soy sauce were instantly being applied to various bits of fresh tuna, salmon, mackerel, tuna rolls, eel, sweet tofu, and more. We were offered a glass of Argentinean sparkling wine, which was a perfect complement to the raw seafood offerings.

The second course, a teriyaki-flavored chicken thigh was as beautiful as it was delicious. For this course, Linda and I were offered a complimentary Riesling. The final course of Wagyu beef was the highlight of an already excellent meal. Three thin slices of fork-tender Wagyu beef could not have been more flavorful or delicious. The meal ended with a dessert of Green Tea Sorbet that I almost skipped, since I just don’t eat dessert as a rule. However, I decided to take a small taste, and soon I was scooping it up as fast as I could. The blend of savory flavors with a little sweetness was sublime.

Notwithstanding the confusion over menu pricing, Seishin is one of the best alternate dining venues I have experienced on any ship to date. The meal was a bargain at $30. When you combine a great concept with an innovative menu and excellent service and execution, what you end up with is a winner. Seishin is a winner and a “must” for anyone sailing on Silver Spirit.

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3 Comments

CRUISES FAN

It sounds like a great idea, although i do feel the menu is a little limited especially if you would like to go back. Once you have been there isnt any reason to go back really is there.

Tuesday, August 10, 2010 11:33 AM

CAS

I have to disagree with the food write-up of STARS. It's a concept that looks good on paper but fails in its execution. For example, each item is literally one bite yet they make a big production of the seasonings on the table. You can't season something unless you've tasted it but, in STARS once you've tasted it, it's gone. The food itself is average at best and its delivery is disjointed...there's no natural progression to the meal. This is evidenced by the order of the dishes that ends with the pasta. The entertainment in STARS is excellent. Micki and Eric provide a wonderful ambiance. They will be on the Spirit until 05JUN when they'll be replaced by the returning, and equally excellent Alfreda and Volodymyr.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010 10:48 AM

SCOTT LARA

I agree...$30 is a bargain! Scott Lara

Friday, March 19, 2010 6:23 AM

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