A little over four
months after Seabourn’s partnership with Michelin-starred chef Thomas Keller was announced, his dishes have made an appearance on one Seabourn ship to an
“incredible” response, said John Delaney, Seabourn’s senior vice president of
global marketing and sales.
Keller’s dishes were first offered on the ship last Friday.
Delaney declined naming the ship as Seabourn is attempting to gauge diners’
responses without letting them know the food is Keller’s. He said that response
has been good, though, with some of Keller’s menu items selling out each night.
Signature dishes by Keller are on track to be featured on
the Odyssey, Sojourn and Quest ships later this fall, as well as on the Encore,
a ship scheduled to enter service next year, and the Ovation, due to launch in 2018.
Keller is collaborating with Seabourn on a restaurant to
debut on the Quest next year, and then be expanded to the rest of the fleet.
“What’s unique about it and differentiating is that this is
three-star Michelin food brought to sea,” Delaney said.
Seabourn executive chef Tony Egger and other members of his
culinary team have been working closely with Keller.
Some examples Delaney provided were an appetizer of
California white sturgeon caviar with sunchoke pudding, meiwa kumquat puree and
sunflower seed crumble; an entrée of grilled calotte of prime beef, a braised
short rib pierogi, savoy cabbage, horseradish crème fraiche and sauce borscht;
and a dessert called a creamsicle, which includes orange and Tahitian vanilla
sherbet, “magic crack” toasted pistachios and extra virgin olive oil.
Delaney made the Keller announcement during Signature Travel
Network’s 2015 Owners’ Meeting in Boston.