Stellar Dining on the South Seas
ABOVE: In the evening La Veranda transforms into a candle-lit French bistro. LEFT: Dinner at Le Grill is in an al fresco setting, and is marked by its Asian-Pacific fare. BOTTOM LEFT: L’Etoile offers a variety of seating— from an intimate table for two to a dinner party of ten.
Tese three restaurants were more than sufficient to satisfy our gastronomical cravings, but the cruise had much more in store for the palate. Te 24-hour room service quickly fulfilled our pangs for stateroom breakfasts and an occasional lunch of sandwiches, grilled items, and salads. Had we for some reason been unable to attend a restaurant dinner, the room service menu also included selections straight off that night’s L’Etoile menu during dinner hours.
As for lunch, we seldom missed the buffets at Le Grill or La Veranda, always worth a nibble or even a gobble. Each lunch had a presiding theme. One afternoon, there was a notable French flare; on another, Italian favorites (a carbo-loader’s delight); and these were followed by buffets dominated by the cuisine of the day, from Greek, Spanish, South American, Asian, Pacific, or Tahitian to Commonwealth or downright American.
While it was nearly impossible to bypass the themed luncheons, sometimes we were forced to—in order to save room to indulge in Afternoon Tea (Ti No Avatea) in Le Grill. In addition to the usual pastries, petit fours, scones with clotted cream, and biscuits, each day’s Tea featured an irresistible specialty, ranging from crêpes suzette and pineapple flambé to caramelized pear and a selection of ice creams.
Finally, there were the special meals. While en route to Aitutaki in the Cook Islands, the
26 2024 Paul Gauguin Cruises | Stellar Dining on the South Seas
Executive Chef served the Chef Dinner in L’Etoile, as is the custom of Paul Gauguin Cruises. Te Chef Dinner follows the formula of most repasts in the main dining room, including two very good wines to enhance the courses, but the Chef Dinner menu reflects the Executive Chef’s very top choices of the time. In our case, this meant we started with a lively shrimp cocktail, a celeriac bisque in black truffle cream, and escargot flamed in Pernod. A ginger mint sorbet served as our refresher. We were then confronted with a choice of succulent entrées—roast rack of lamb, fresh catch of the day, broiled lobster tail, or roasted tofu glazed with soy and honey. Tis was capped by either a chocolate paradise cake or Tahitian vanilla blancmange with honey glacéed figs.
Other special treats included the barbecue luncheon prepared for us on Paul Gauguin Cruises’ private island, Motu Mahana, where the signature floating bar invited us to wade into the warm waters; the onboard cooking and fruit carving demonstrations; and Polynesian Night, when all three restaurants decked themselves out like supper clubs to celebrate the cultures and cuisines of the South Seas.
For many guests, Polynesia is Earth’s last paradise. Paul Gauguin Cruises provides the dining to match.
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