As Executive Chef for Scenic Eclipse, Tom Goetter has set himself the challenge to reinvent dining on the high seas, and that means ensuring his guests enjoy an ever-changing selection of flavours throughout their cruise.
“We have a total of 2,500 recipes across our eight restaurants,” Goetter says. “You would need to be on board for one and a half months to eat every dish.”
Dining on board Scenic Eclipse is a global culinary journey with 14 different nations represented in the kitchens and 10 unique dining experiences ranging from causal to fine dining and inspired by all corners of the globe. From contemporary French fine dining at Lumiere to top grade fillets of steak cooked to perfection in the elegant Elements restaurant, a casual meal in the Azure Bar and Café, or modern Asian fusion at Koko’s, there is never a shortage of choice. And Scenic’s truly all-inclusive structure means all of the dining experiences are included, no exceptions.
On joining Scenic Eclipse, Goetter was given the mandate to break the typical cruise ship scenario of weekly repetitive menus by developing his own ever-changing menus and creating all-inclusive dining experiences that would set the highest possible standard for ultra-luxury cruising.
“We want to create a dining experience where guests feel like they cannot decide where to go for a meal,” said Goetter. “What I don’t want is that one of our restaurants is called the main restaurant, or our best restaurant. It’s a Discovery Yacht, and we have created a discovery menu.”
The attention and detail that has gone into the design and fit out of Scenic Eclipse is reflected in the passion for food coming from Tom and his team. For the sushi bar, he doesn’t just airfreight in the freshest fish; his rice, his vinegar, his soy sauce all come direct from Japan.
“You can get dashi vinegar and soy sauce anywhere, but they are different in Japan,” he says. “We have 24-month aged Parmesan from Italy that is outstanding. Other cruise ships don’t offer it because it’s 10 times the price, but if you ever have pasta with this Parmesan you don’t want anything else.”
“We have lots of toys in the kitchen which I believe other cruise ship companies are not using yet,” Goetter added. “We have dehydrators for dehydrating our own foods for breakfast and making our own spice mixes on board. We are using oven circulators for unique smoking methods and have an onboard Urban Cultivator herb garden to ensure we have constant access to fresh herbs and greens.”
Scenic Eclipse offers a choice of all-inclusive dining experiences: Elements – The main restaurant featuring Italian, steak and seafood; Yacht Club – Poolside grill, buffet and bar; Koko’s – Asian Fusion restaurant and Sake bar; Sushi @ Koko’s – A wonderfully authentic Japanese experience; Teppanyaki @ Koko’s – Private dining with an open Teppanyaki grill; Lumière – Contemporary French fine dining and Champagne bar; Azure Bar & Café – Relaxed all-day grazing; Epicure – Learn from the best in our dedicated cooking school; In-Suite Dining – A 24-hour comprehensive menu; Chef’s Table @ Elements – An exclusive invitation only degustation dining.
To complement the dining experience, Scenic Eclipse features eight spacious bars and lounges.
