Cuisine
Tamarind and the
Silk Den
right side up and upside down. After
sharing a glass of Champagne and
picking out the skyline buildings, it is
easy to imagine you are walking into
New York City, when you start your
evening at Le Cirque in the Pinnacle
Grill. We have been fortunate to
experience this on other HAL ships
and you still feel the transformation.
I just happen to love the chandelier on
the ms Nieuw Amsterdam and feel it
adds just a little more glamor.
At least one night per sailing on all
15 ships, Pinnacle Grill transforms
to create a legendary Le Cirque-like
atmosphere. Since we’ve dined at Le
Cirque, we can appreciate the care
that has been taken to recreate the
experience. Menu offerings, wine
selections, table decorations and
restaurant setting are tailored to
create an authentic Le Cirque
dining experience, featuring French
Continental Cuisine. Dinner is ($49
p.p.). I’m quite partial to the china
and wall coverings, which do so
much in the transformation.
This Pan-Asian restaurant features
reservations-only lunch and dinner.
Its complimentary lunch menu is dim
sum (Asian dumplings) soup, salad
and dessert.
Dinner is Asian-inspired cuisine from
menu or Rijsttafel, a Dutch adaptation
of the traditional Indonesia dinner of
rice, and more than a dozen intriguing
side dishes ($20 p.p.). Since I am quite
partial to Rijsttafel, I thoroughly
enjoy this experience and wish it was
on all the ships. However, it is only on
Signature-class ms Eurodam and ms
Nieuw Amsterdam.
The Silk Den is an adjacent lounge
offering signature Asian-themed
specialty cocktails and Sakétinis.
When you visit Tamarind or the Silk Den,
you feel as if you have been transported
to Asia. Every aspect of service
matches its environment and theme.
Another Reason Why
for Alternatives?
Inquisitive as I am, I dug below the
surface to discover that contract
between HAL and the restaurant took
several years to iron out and is quite
lengthy. In addition to purchasing Le
Cirque china and décor, the staff had
to go through Le Cirque training and
Le Cirque gets a percentage of the
additional charge. I think it is 50%,
but that I do not have confirmed.
HAL has a large percentage of repeat
passengers on every cruise. Many are
booking suites which give them access
to the Neptune lounge. For repeat
passengers and new, HAL continues to
raise the bar of service to exceed
expectations.
In the beginning, we wouldn’t consider
alternative dining. Now, neither of us
would want to miss out on the
enhancement it adds to our cruises.
Why would HAL bother? To provide
its guests a unique and outstanding
experience they may otherwise be
unable to enjoy. Many do not have
the opportunity to visit New York, let
alone get reservations at Le Cirque.
HAL is comm