No. 34: East (Ventura at Sea)
Three generations were off on a three night P&O cruise and life could hardly feel better. A short drive to Southampton, and then straight through the port gates to the drop off area. A quick check in, and our cases were taken from the boot next to be seen in our cabins, as our car keys were handed over for valet parking. The welcome from everyone was friendly and smiling, and these seemed people who actually enjoyed their job and were genuinely happy to help. A simple 20 yard walk into the terminal, up the escalator, through security and we were onboard Ventura. This is how simple cruising from Southampton is.
First stop, of course, was The Beach House Restaurant, - and the holiday had started!
My Wife, my Mum, my Son Matthew, and his lovely fiancée, Kayleigh, were soon surveying the tempting delights on offer, as we watched the tiny outlines of people below boarding and preparing the ship for our voyage.
As Matt & Kayleigh were tucking into lunch, they were still trying to comprehend the size and grandeur of the ship. Mum has cruised before, so she was concentrating on her prawns.
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Over the next 3 days we would explore a number of the various restaurants for breakfast, mid-morning snacks, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner and even a midnight buffet. (But not all, as we ran out of time and stomach capacity!) Room service was also available, but we never got that peckish!
My wife even seemed to like me, with no imminent threat of her wanting to push me overboard, so things were going pretty well.
I could write about so much; the great live entertainment, the quaint beauty of Bruges, the pleasure of sitting around the pool drinking Pina Colada’s in the sunshine overlooking St Peters Port Guernsey, the efficient and friendly crew, the fabulous food that is available 24 hours a day, the swanky bars, the laughter and great moments, and the warm glow of spending relaxed quality time with people you love. However, I am going to stick to one special meal that stood out amongst all others.
Throughout the ship, the quality of dining and snacks were of a high order everywhere, and a highlight were the curries served in the self-service restaurants. They had a real authentic feel, which was likely to be a reflection of the Indian members of the kitchen team. My wife could not comprehend how I could eat a curry, then pickings of various other personal favourites, and then finally a treacle sponge. But I guess she is the one missing out on the celestial delight of culinary grazing.
The ship had two fine dining restaurants for a small supplement; The White Room with a menu by Marco Pierre White, and East with the dishes created by Atul Kochhar.
Atul was the first Indian chef to be awarded a coveted Michelin star in Britain. He made his name, and was awarded his first Michelin star, in 2001 at London's acclaimed Tamarind restaurant. In 2007 he founded Benares, where he earned his second Michelin star in his own flagship fine dining Indian restaurant in Mayfair, London.
The White Room menu did not really excite us, but the menu at East certainly did. So, on the formal black tie evening, we booked a table and were greeted by a charming waitress with a warm personality and great sense of service and fun.
Some dishes on the menu looked familiar, but we were to discover that each had a twist and flavours that delighted the taste buds and mind. Top chef’s that put their names to restaurants are often a disappointment, this was not one of those occasions.
East is an Asian Fusion restaurant that features various dishes with Chinese, Japanese and Thai influences, and all recipes are created by master chef Atul Kochhar. The deep red and dark wood interior give it a distinctive Oriental feel and an intimate atmosphere. Quite an experience to feel like you are in Mayfair, yet actually cruising in the middle of the English Channel.
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Our meal started with an unexpected complimentary Prawn Spring Roll, as we enjoyed explosive Singapore Sling and Rose Petal Martini cocktails.
The price of all drinks onboard was very reasonable, with cocktails at around £5 and a bottle of decent wine from about £15.
As you may expect, we were more than happy, so we ordered a bottle of light and cheeky Beaujolais wine to go with our starter course of Chiang Mai Pork (Braised Ribs marinated in Candied Ginger, Garlic and Chilli) and Thai Fish Cakes. The ribs simply jumped from the bone as the fork approached, and the tender meat was infused with a myriad of exotic spices.
For our main courses we had chosen the 24 Hour Slow Cooked Lamb Rendang, and Atul’s Signature Plate (Khmer King Prawns, Thai Green Chicken Curry & Lamb Korma), - nothing was as expected, as an explosion of contrasting flavours just kept revealing themselves, - pure delight!
To complete our meal we had the guilty pleasure of Deep Fried Banana with Vanilla Ice Cream and Warm Chocolate Fondue, and Sweet Rice Pudding with Mango. The meal and experience was a triumph at every level.
Our adventure on the seven seas was over far to quickly, and you know you have had a great holiday when you are a little sad to leave the place and people you have been spending precious time with.
We were a little sad, but extremely happy to have shared great memories on a wonderful cruise.
About Ventura
Ventura was launched in 2007 and is one of the largest cruise ships in the P&O Cruises fleet. It features 14 passenger decks, carries up to 3574 Passengers and has 1220 Crew.
She has a large choice of facilities with 7 bars, 11 restaurants/diners, casino, 4 swimming pools, a sports court, spa and theatre. For entertainment the ship has a theatre with full production shows, a cinema, two lounges for cabaret, comedy and dancing and even Metropolis, an atmospheric bar with a panoramic video wall brought to life by a different city skyline each evening.
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P&O Ventura
East - Atul Kochhar Restaurant
www.pocruises.com/cruise-ships/ventura/ship-overview
Benares
12a Berkeley Square House, Berkeley Square, Mayfair, London, W1J 6BS
www.benaresrestaurant.com
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