Royal Caribbean has plenty of awesome food on board. When sailing on Quantum of the Seas in December last year, I counted a total of 14 dining options!
You’ll see specialty restaurants like Jamie's’ Italian, Wonderland, Izumi and Chops’ Grille, serving a range of cuisine from Japanese to Italian and good o’l steak.
Of course, these all come at an additional cost, with cover charges of around 35 to 50 USD per dining outlet. Even if you get dining packages, these can still be costly for the average cruise-goer. Bear in mind that prices are all in USD too.
Besides, the all-inclusive food will satisfy you plenty! Ala-carte buffet Windjammer Marketplace includes a generous variety of international cuisine, and Café Promenade is open till 3am for yummy desserts and snacks.
But for me, I got my money’s worth at the Main Dining Room, Royal’s complimentary full-service restaurant where you can order starters, main courses and desserts as many times as you want. You’re only limited by your stomach capacity!
Do note that the Main Dining Room is actually split into four smaller dining rooms on Quantum - American Icon Grill, Chic, Silk Restaurant and The Grande Restaurant. But the menu served is the same at each room, with new items on a daily basis for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
Even on a 3 or 4-night sailing, you won’t be able to try every dish unless you come in a group and share everything. But I’ve done the legwork and rounded up the best ones to choose.
Bon Appetit!
For Starters
Escargots a la bouguignonne (baked escargots)
One of Royal Caribbean’s staple starters! This was a favourite of most of my friends, and was also available when I sailed on Spectrum of the Seas in 2019. Even if you’re not a fan of eating snails, this may well change your mind! The baked snails didn’t have a raw or slimy taste at all, and they came drenched in a very delicious garlic-parsley butter sauce. My table loved this so much that we ordered seconds and thirds of this starter each day.
Mozzarella sticks
I love melted cheese in general, and these mozzarella sticks were so addictive. They came coated in a crispy garlic-seasoned panko breading, with stretchy melted cheese on the inside. The marinara dipping sauce that accompanied the sticks was flavourful as well. Plus it made for a pretty epic cheese pull!
Salmon tartare
Definitely ate more than one of these! The bite-sized portion of raw salmon was well-seasoned and not too fishy. The accompanying diced cucumber enhanced the flavour of the dish as well. I liked that it doesn’t fill you up too much, leaving you plenty of room for main courses and dessert.
Shrimp risotto
We had this for lunch on the second day of our sailing, and some of my friends loved it so much that they kept ordering more. We loved the richness and creaminess of the risotto stock, which went well with the supple al-dente rice grains, tomato salsa and tasty shrimp. A definite must-try if you see it on the menu!
Egg drop soup
Don’t be fooled by this simple-looking, Chinese-style bowl of soup - it packs quite a punch! A raw, lightly-beaten egg is dropped into hot broth, resulting in a thick and flavourful taste. In fact, we loved most of the soup starters we tried, the roasted tomato soup being another favourite.
Main courses
Steak Diane
This was offered on the final evening of our cruise - I’m guessing they were saving the best for last. I had this steak the only way I know how: medium rare. The cut was extremely juicy and tender, accompanied with a mouth-watering serving of mashed potatoes. I liked that they were very generous with the steak as well.
Roasted beef tenderloin
This was on par with Steak Diane. The tenderloin was indeed tender and melt-in-your-mouth, accompanied with delicious steak sauce. Sadly, this wasn’t available after the first day as they rotate menu items, but when I get back on another Royal Caribbean sailing it’ll be the first thing I look out for.
Pulled pork BBQ sandwich
I’m honestly not that into pulled pork because I’ve found it to be dry when served at many cafes or restaurants. But the one I had on board was expertly-executed. Smoked low and slow, the pork was really tender and moist. The brioche bun was accompanied by a hearty serving of fries and fresh coleslaw.
Alfredo pasta
This seafood cream pasta was absolutely delightful. Well-seasoned (not overly salty), and filled with mussels and shrimp that had a really nice bite to them. The linguine was well-cooked too.
Mediterranean lamb pita
I love myself some Mediterranean cuisine, so I was glad to see such offerings on board the ship. The pita bread was delicious and freshly-baked, with flavourful grilled lamb on the inside. The combination of olives, feta cheese, garlic and tomatoes was perfect as well.
Desserts
Key lime pie
Make space for desserts, because most of the selection here is worth the added calories. The key lime pie was a highlight for me. I loved the tastiness and tanginess of the custard, as well as the addictive brown butter graham cracker crust.
Coconut layer cake
Coconut lovers will be happy with this one. The sponged cake comes with a generous serving of whipped cream and coconut flakes on top, paired with raspberries and sauce. Presentation and taste-wise - it’s a 10/10!
Bananas foster
I’m a little embarrassed to admit this, but I’ve never heard of or tried bananas foster before. So imagine my pleasant surprise when I had it for the first time on board Quantum. The sweet caramel sauce that the bananas came soaked in was absolutely delicious, and the vanilla ice cream made for a perfect pairing.
English Trifle
This is multiple layers of sugary goodness in a cup! I devoured the sweet vanilla custard and jelly fruit cocktail, topped off with lip-smacking whipped cream and blueberries. Yummy all the way through!
Apple blossom a la mode
One of Royal Caribbean’s signature desserts that is found on most of their ships. The scrumptious apple tart is served warm, and comes oozing with caramel sauce. Accompanied by vanilla ice cream, it’s the perfect end to any meal and was consistently good when I tried it on both Spectrum and Quantum of the Seas.
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