Looks can be deceiving. While Oceania Cruises newest ship Allura is a near twin of fleet-mate Vista, she’s got a personality of her own. That’s especially evident in the innovative cuisine on board.
From the new Creperie serving sinful ice cream waffles, to a six-course lunch option with wine pairings and from a new Jacques Pepin restaurant, to a spicy set of Asian dishes at Red Ginger, the new ship is a test kitchen for dining options that are destined to influence the rest of the fleet in the months to come.
With Oceania’s penchant for innovations in cuisine, food has always been a highlight of Oceania Cruises ships, but Allura takes dining to a new level.
Here’s a look at the tastes that give a special allure to Allura:
Jacques is back
Oceania’s long-time food adviser, French chef Jacques Pepin. was notably absent in the dining lineup on Vista. But he’s back on Allura in an unpretentious open kitchen restaurant that more suits the traditional family-style French cuisine the longtime associate Julia Child is known for. The restaurant is in a space on Allura that on Vista is the California-style eatery Ember, (but is being renovated into a Jacques as well). On Allura, the room has a French bistro feel with lots of mirrors and crisp tablecloths.
As you might expect, Jacques’ menu is heavy with come-hungry crowd pleasers like escargot, onion soup and beef tartare to lead into entrees like Parmentier de Canard au Jus d’Orange, beef filet with seared fois gras, bouillabaisse or lobster Thermador. I ordered an excellent Dover sole that in showy restaurant style is boned at the table and served with crispy croutons and lemon-caper butter.
And then there’s a Chariot de Desserts, which is a textbook of classic French sweet treats. How do you choose between flan Parisien, millefeuille, mousse au chocolate, crème caramel, profiteroles al la crème or crepes suzettes? I chose the crepes and the only disappointment was that they aren’t flamed at the table. Fire regulations, you know.
While guests are limited to only one visit to Jacques in a week on board, there are daily Jacques Pepin dishes on the evening menus in the Grand Dining Room as well, so you can get your fix of classic French cuisine.
Extra snap at Red Ginger
The same restriction of one dinner per cruise goes for Red Ginger as well, and for good reason. It’s arguably the best and most exclusive Asian restaurant at sea. Allura is the first to highlight a new line of Nikkei dishes created by Chef Gustavo Sugay that add a Peruvian twist to its got to try pan-Asian favorites.
A ceviche of marinated tuna, leche de Tigre, cilantro and sesame oil was a wonder with every bite. But be warned, there’s a hidden dragon, a super-hot piece of red chili you’ll be wise to avoid biting into. Other Nikkei specialties include an exquisite Peruvian style beef short rib with lomo saltado (a Peruvian green sauce), that comes with sweet potato mousseline and Miso-glazed scallops atop bomba rice. Desserts include a not-to-be-missed yuzu cheesecake paired with mango and passion fruit coulis.
Who can resist Red Ginger’s watermelon duck salad that may be copied but never surpassed? The miso-glazed sea bass and the lobster pad Thai are also always yummy. What’s a fan to do? Fortunately, the Grand Dining Room features some of the Nikkei specialties on a revolving basis so you don’t have to try them all here.
But I do love Red Ginger for its attention to every detail. They bring a selection of different chopsticks in colors and styles to match your mood and your outfit. And the service includes fun little things, like hand towels that come looking like white buttons but expand to warm wipes when water is poured on them.
Can you please make that crepe?
The deck 15 Baristas coffee shop with its all day coffee bar and a bakery that shifts from fresh croissants and pastries in the morning to quiches and sandwiches in the afternoon now features a n additional new room. The Creperie features not only classic French crepes suzette but Belgian waffles with berries and whipped cream, bananas or Nutella and add-ons that range from strawberry jam to candied pecans.
Most elaborate of all are the bubble wraps with a choice of eight flavors of soft-serve gelato, including pistachio and mango. You get a hefty swirl of the cream with the waffles or you can just enjoy it straight in a cone or cup. It’s strictly indulgence and frankly, it’s a little over the top because everything on the menu is so sweet you can feel an all-day sugar rush. For the future, can I suggest they add cheese and savory options?
So much more to explore
Other nights bring other options like Polo Grill a fresh interpretation of the classic steak house and Toscana, the Italian eatery that serves comfort food with ait own accent. A dinner in each of the specialty restaurants is included in fares on Allura.
But then there are splurges. Chief among them is a new lunch option that seemed too indulgent to try. A six-course lunch in Jacques on sea days pairs dishes with premium wines from the Gérard Bertrand winery in the south of France. The curated menu invites guests to explore regional varieties and pairings that bring food and wine together in extraordinary ways. But would I even be hungry for a dinner after all that excess? It’s available for up to 40 guests, for $175 per person (plus gratuities).
Debuting aboard Allura, the six-course experience will also launch on Oceania Vista and will be available aboard Oceania’s Marina and Oceania Riviera in 2026. Ember restaurant on Vista is becoming a Jacques as well, and Jacques is also on the Marina and Riviera.
Story by Wallace Immen, The Cruisington Times
