What’s a wood ear? You’ll find out as Windstar Cruises whips up new tastes with its new complimentary Asian/Mediterranean specialty restaurant Basil + Bamboo.
The new concept is taking the place of Cuadro 44 restaurant across the line’s fleet in 2025. It’s first on Star Breeze in February 2025, and will debut as the new alternative dining venue aboard Star Seeker, due in December.
“As the official cruise line of the James Beard Foundation, we continue to prioritize bringing exceptional dining experiences to our guests. The introduction of Basil + Bamboo will further enhance and diversify the culinary offerings available aboard,” said Windstar Cruises’ Chief Operations Officer Stijn Creupelandt. With limited seating, the restaurant promises an intimate dining experience where guests can indulge in a harmonious fusion of flavors, he adds.
Guests can expect appetizers such as comforting miso soup, delicate tuna tartare and a refined sampler of sashimi, nigiri and maki. Main entrees highlight bold flavors and premium ingredients such as miso black cod with pea purée, Jamon ibérico de Bellota, and pickled wood ear mushrooms; free-range young chicken served with Jerusalem artichokes and yuzu kosho; and crispy brussels sprouts glazed in Korean honey-soy.
The dessert menu boasts artful creations like Citrus Olive Oil Cake with lemon cream along with Greek yogurt ice cream and Chocolate Caramel Crémeux, paired with ginger-cinnamon hibiscus ice cream and sake caviar.
Basil + Bamboo joins other innovative dining options on Windstar:
Amphora: A reimagined main dining room serving a variety of upscale and inventive dishes, including rotating items from James Beard Foundation–affiliated guest chefs.
The Yacht Club: A casual cafe for breakfast and lunch, offering a blend of traditional and modern flavors along with specialty coffee drinks.
Star Grill: A casual restaurant for lunch and dinner, featuring smoked, grilled, and barbecued meats, seafood, and vegetables.
Star Seeker is the first of two Windstar yachts being built that will feature 112 ssuites, nearly all with a full private veranda or a floor-to-ceiling infinity window. Star Seeker will be sailing to Alaska, the Caribbean, and Japan in 2026.
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