Alaskan Cruise - Day 6: Ketchikan ~ Photo-log

Happy Birthday to me~! Our port-of-call on day 6 was Ketchikan, Alaska's first city, and (apparently) the salmon capital of the world!

We weren't due to arrive until after lunch, so we all headed over to The Grand for a casual sit-down meal. I'm gonna miss the royalty-like service when we go back home...

Southern Fried Chicken and Johnny cakes - with cole slaw, fries, honey syrup

The fried chicken was W's choice. I didn't sample any though because my own lunch was pretty filling. The Johnny cake was actually like a cornmeal cake or cornbread. 

Pad Thai - rice noodles with stir-fried shrimp, veggies, peanuts, basil, and Nam Pla

I had the Pad Thai noodles and I thought it was pretty good for a non-Thai restaurant. I opted for mild so it wasn't spicy. All the ingredients were nicely infused with the sweet and tangy sauce.

Grilled Veal Liver - with apples, bacon, crisp-fried onions and rosti potato

My dad had the most unique lunch entree! He was very interested in the veal liver, but then again, he loves all kinds of offal =P

After lunch, W and I disembarked quickly as we had made arrangements to have the zip-line company pick us up to the zip-line destination. 

W is very afraid of heights but since it was my special day, he relunctantly joined me in my zip-lining excursion LOL... At the end though, he said he had lots of fun and it was a great experience. I had a great time zooming through the treetops, listening to the instructors/guides' corny jokes, and just enjoying the view all around me. Kudos to Alaska Canopy Adventures for the awesome experience!!

After being driven back to the dock, W and I got ready for fine dining at Murano! The table set-up was pretty~

Chilled pea soup

As an amuse-bouche, we were presented with a tiny cup (and I mean tiny...it was like a shooter glass size) of chilled pea soup. There was a little bite-sized crouton in the middle too. The soup was surprisingly savoury without the "grassy" taste of peas.

Creamy Maine lobster bisque - leek and shallot flan, cognac cream, crispy sweet yellow corn beignet

We each got to order 2 appetizers to start. W and I decided to order 4 different items and share them together so that we can try a wide range of dishes. First was the lobster bisque. It came with a flaky pastry to dip in the soup. Rich in lobster flavour, the bisque was creamy and very yummy. 

Smoked Salmon and Peekytoe Crab Parfait - layered with avocado, salmon caviar, crème fraiche, petite greens

The second starter was the parfait tower. I really liked this one, not only because it was visually very pretty, but because the layers of soft crab, creamy avocado, and salty salmon roe worked in harmony and was very delicious. On the other hand, I thought the smoked salmon on the side was kind of the odd man out. The salty, smokey fish kind of overpowered the delicate parfait so I thought it wasn't needed in this dish. 

Pork Belly - parsnip puree, caramelized apples, Calvados jus

Ohhh this appy was really good too. If you gave me a couple more pieces of the pork belly, this could have been a great dinner entree! The savoury pork belly was cooked to just the right chewiness, and went well with the sweet parsnip and apples. Yum!!

Diver Scallop Wellington Style - baked in puff pastry, black truffle emulsion, spinach fondue

Our fourth appy was the Scallop Wellington. This was my least favourite starter. I found the scallop cooked too dry with the pastry wrapped around it. Still, it was plated very beautifully.

Porcini and Morel Risotto - vegetable paysanne, truffle foam, chervil, garlic chip

My sis had the risotto as one of her starters. With the truffle foam on top, it looked like a cup of cappucino! I tried a little bit and thought the rice could have been cooked further more as it was still a little hard in the middle.

Then came the fun part! All the ladies at the table ordered the Murano Lobster which was cooked table-side so we were treated to a dinner and a show!

Our entrees came with a domed lid and was dramatically revealed with a flourish in front of us when they all arrived at the table. It was a unique experience for sure! We won't see this kind of table-side service very often!

Murano Lobster - cognac flambéed warm water lobster tail, fresh basil, Applewood smoked bacon, Dijon-cream

Unfortunately, our lobster was overcooked and we found the sauce too buttery. With mashed potatoes on the side, everything was too rich for our liking. The broiled lobster we had the night before was actually much better.

Five-spice crusted Cervena venison loin - celery root fondant, wilted spinach, red cabbage marmalade, lingonberry sauce

W had a hard time choosing between the duck breast, lamb rack, or the venison loin. After much hemming and hawing, he finally settled on the venision because he's never tried this game meat before. I tried a small piece and thought the sauce was delicious; sweet and savoury at the same time. The venision was not gamey at all either.

Dark Chocolate Souffle - with mocha cream sauce

I didn't have a hard time choosing my dessert when the time came! When I saw that they had souffle on the menu, I immediately had my heart set on that! It was soft and airy, with just the right chocolately sweetness! I was actually kind of sad when the mocha cream sauce deflated my souffle haha... 

Valrhona Cocoa Cake - with salted caramel and white coffee ice cream

W went with the Valrhona Cocoa Cake and after trying a bite, I really liked his dessert too. It was dense and rich with a slight bitterness from the chocolate. Beautiful presentation too.

Caffe Latte Bar Croquant - with apricot and fig compote

My aunt was the one who had a hard time deciding on her dessert this time! She asked our waiter if we could sample an extra dessert and they kindly obliged! She chose the Caffe Latte Bar for all of us to try. Although not as good as the souffle and cocoa cake, I did like the apricot and fig compote because the light fruity sweetness was a nice difference to the rich chocolatiness of our own desserts.

After dessert, I was presented with a chocolate birthday cake courtesy of Murano!! My lovely family told the restaurant of our special occasion so we had a third dessert! After so much wine and sugar, I think we were the loudest table in the restaurant! Oops!!

It was a great day and I especially loved that I was able to spend such an experience (both the zip-lining and fine dining on a cruise ship!) with all my loved ones!

Alaskan Cruise - Day 5: Juneau ~ Photo-log

On day 6, we have arrived at Juneau. The sky wasn't cooperating well for us. The rain was on and off but by the afternoon, the sun came out! How do I dress for this kind of weather?! 

Mendenhall Glacier and Nugget Falls

We docked at Juneau around mid-morning and all of us boarded a tour bus to check out Mendenhall Glacier. It wasn't far away, maybe about 30 minutes away from the dock? Although not as grand and large as Hubbard Glacier (at least the portion where the glacier meets the water), we got to hike near the water, view the glacier, as well as Nugget Falls, from a different angle. 

All that hiking sure did build up an appetite (and I suppose not eating much the night before also contributed to my hunger =P). By the time the tour bus dropped us off in downtown Juneau, I was getting hangry. Poor W had to endure the wrath of my hangriness so he quickly scooted me off in search of lunch. 

Seafood chowder - in sourdough bread bowl

We came upon a small restaurant by the water called Flight Deck. They had a nice patio beside the seaplane dock (I guess that's why they're called Flight Deck?? haha...) so we decided to eat here. 

We ordered two items to share: the seafood chowder, which was a creamy red chowder in a sourdough bread bowl, and the crab cakes. The flavour profile was dominated by the smoked salmon, but the smokiness paired well with the chunks of potatoes and sourdough bread.

Crab cakes

The three crabcakes had real crab meat with not much gooey binder so they were nice and fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside. It made for a nice snack but definitely not as filling as the chowder.

After lunch, W and I went souvenir shopping along the touristy South Franklin Street, and then headed back on the ship to rest, wash up, and get dressed for the second formal night of the cruise.

Scallops Rockefeller - parmesan gratineed with spinach and hollandaise sauce

Tonight's formal night was a seafood feast and I was glad my nausea drifted away so that I could fully enjoy this night's meal! I started with the scallops rockefeller. Sitting atop half of a scallop shell, the scallops were nicely broiled with a thin layer of sauce.

Creamy smoked tomato bisque - with basil pesto and herbed croutons

For my second appetizer, I had the tomato bique. I really liked this soup because 1) I like tomato soup, period. 2) the smokiness of the tomatoes and the basil helped bring out another depth of flavour aside from the slight tanginess of the fruit. Nicely whetted my appetite!

Baby mustard greens salad - with roasted squash, dried cherries, caramelized pecans and lemon vinaigrette

I actually had a third appetizer because I was initially debating on whether to have the scallop or the soup but then our awesome waiter, Roy, told me to just get all three LOL! Since everyone was having the scallop, he didn't want me to miss out on it. I ended up with a triple S (scallop, soup and salad)!! The mustard greens in this salad were actually kale. The salad wasn't exactly mind blowing but it fulfilled the veggie food group for my dinner.

Broiled Caribbean lobster tail - served with rice pilaf, steamed broccoli and drawn butter

The main attraction of the night! I think everyone opted for the broiled lobster as the entree. Beautifully fluffed up and served on top of the lobster tail shell, it had a light dusting of spice and drizzle of melted butter. Delicious!

Creamy Wild mushroom risotto - with black truffle and parmesan

The only one who didn't have the lobster was my little niece. She was in a mushroom-loving phase at the time so my sis ordered the mushroom risotto for her. Perfectly creamy and full of earthy, mushroom flavour, this definitely appeased the little mushroom monster!

Celebrity Signature Baked Alaska - Neapolitan ice cream covered with vanilla sponge and soft meringue

Roy (our waiter) highly recommended the Baked Alaska for dessert. Of course, what better dessert to define our cruise to Alaska than a dessert named after the state? Everyone commented that the sponge cake was not too sweet with a nice soft texture while the meringue was also equally soft and light. This one had rave reviews all around!

Raspberry sorbet

Following my kiwi sorbet from the night before, I wanted to try another sorbet to see if it was just as amazing haha... The raspberry sorbet was also pretty good but not as great as the kiwi. It was on the sweeter side but still very refreshing!

The next day would be a very busy day, a day I was looking forward to the whole trip! It was our port-of-call to Ketchikan, with our very first zip-lining experience arranged for W and I! Afterwards would be fine dining at Murano, the specialty restaurant on Century! Why all the special things on this day?? Well.....*ahem* there's a certain gal having her birthday the next day~ :D 

Alaskan Cruise - Day 4: Hubbard Glacier ~ Photo-log

Here we are, at the middle of our Alaskan cruise! The itinerary of day 4 consisted of a close-up visit to Hubbard Glacier and the rest of the day was just at sea with the ship heading towards our next port-of-call.

When we woke up in the morning, the ship was already at Yakutat Bay and cruising inside to Disenchantment Bay. The weather was gorgeous so we ate breakfast at the Island Buffet again to take in the stunning views. By early afternoon, we had arrived at the end of Hubbard Glacier where it meets the water. The ship did a couple 360's so that everyone on all sides could see the glacier! That was pretty cool! We even saw a small chunk of the glacier calving! 

After viewing the glacier, we had another late lunch at the buffet. I don't know if it was the 360 spinning that the ship did or if the sea sickness finally kicked in but I felt quite queasy after lunch. I ended up having to take a nap and woke up in time to get ready for dinner at The Grand.

Caprese - vine ripe tomatoes layered with Buffalo mozzarella, basil and arugula, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinaigrette

I started off with a light appetizer since I was still not feelin' it. Two thick slices of beefsteak tomatoes sandwiched chunks of mozzarella. The portion was just right for me and I liked that the vinaigrette was on the side so I could determine how much I wanted to wipe on my forkful of tomato and cheese. Simple but delicious.

Braised Beef Cheeks - celery root puree, roasted parsnips, broccoli rabe

There weren't any "light" options that appealed to me for my entree. I decided on the braised beef cheeks because it sounded quite home-style and easy to eat. Unfortunately, my stomach still disagreed with me and wouldn't let me enjoy this flavourful and tender cut of meat :( I wish I could have packed it up because it was such a waste to see such yummy food partially left untouched on the plate...

Braised Lamb Shank - wrapped in phyllo, potato puree, roasted root vegetables

W had the other braised meat option which was the lamb shank. W said it was great (although too little veggies for me) but with my queasy state, just looking at it made me feel full and nauseaus. 

Tiramisu

W chose the tiramisu thinking that it would arrive like a slice of cake but instead it came in a small ramekin. It ate like a mousse rather than a light airy cake. He said it still tasted good but the texture and appearance wasn't what he expected.

Kiwi sorbet

I still had to end the meal with dessert (I can't resist!) but when I read the menu, the only one that didn't make me feel sick was the kiwi sorbet. I was sooooooo glad I ordered the sorbet!!! The kiwi sorbet was surprisingly refreshing, sweet and just little tart. Just what the doctor ordered for my upset stomach!

Pear Yogurt Clafoutis

My sis stepped away from the ordinary and tried the clafoutis. I didn't try it but it looked like a mix between a custard and a cake. 

I think this meal was the least enjoyable one on the trip; not because the food was bad but because my nausea made it unbearable to enjoy the food and the evening with my family :(

Alaskan Cruise - Day 3: Icy Strait Point ~ Photo-log

On day 3 we arrived at our first port of call: Icy Strait Point! Our estimated time of arrival was 2:00PM so we had lunch at The Grand before disembarking onto to dry land.

We got seated right by the window so we had a really great view! From far, we saw another Celebrity cruise ship already docked at Icy Strait Point too.

Mesclun greens - with cucumber, tomato, carrots and balsamic vinaigrette

Trying to keep my diet somewhat healthy during the vacation, I opted for the salad on the lunch menu. Simple veggies and tomatoes with a light dressing helped alleviate my guilt for having so many desserts the night before LOL...

Satay beef and chicken skewers - with sweet chili sauce

My sis chose the beef and chicken skewers. I found this appy quite ordinary. There wasn't enough char on the meats and the beef was a bit on the dry and chewy side.

Creamy mushroom soup

W and the rest of my family had the mushroom soup and they were really really happy with their choice! The soup was aromatic, earthy, thick and creamy, full of pureed mushrooms! I had a taste of W's bowl and I kind of didn't want to give it back!

Barbecue chicken - with buttermilk grits and wilted chard

The barbecue chicken sounded nice on the menu so I had that as my entree. Although a simple, homey kind of dish, it was surprisingly done well. The chicken was juicy and well seasoned, while the tangy sauce helped bring the grits and chard to another level. 

Brik-Tunisian Fried Crisp Turnover - filled with seafood, egg, and Harissa

Not knowing what this turnover was going to look or taste like, W took a risk and ordered it for this lunch. I didn't try it but W said it was interesting and pretty good.

Chocolate Mousse - with balsamic, black pepper and strawberry

During the cruise ship kitchen tour in the morning, I saw the kitchen staff prepare and chill the mousse for lunch time dessert! I didn't order it though because I actually wanted to have the pear tart. Sweet W ordered it so I could try it too. The mousse was rich and creamy and the strawberries gave it a fresh and tart aspect. Couldn't detect the balsamic or black pepper notes though.

Pear tart a la mode

Even with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side, the pear tart was a bit dry. If they had warmed the tart it would have been better.

After lunch, we board the tender boats and rode to the shores of Icy Strait Point. There wasn't a large enough dock for the cruise ship to pull up so that's why we had to ride on the small tenders. The tiny town was calm and relaxed (for a port-of-call destination) and the views were beautiful. There wasn't much to do since we didn't want to partake in the paid activities so we just took a short stroll on one of the trails along the beach.

After riding the tender back to the ship, we rested and waited for another dinner at The Grand.

Prosciutto di Parma - served with melon salad, arugula and shaved parmesan

I had the classic melon with proscuitto. What could go wrong with this sweet and salty combination?

I forgot what this is... some sort of Eggplant dip (similar to Baba Ganoush?)

This time it was my mom who was the adventurous diner! She remarked that it was interesting and would have liked more toast to pair with the dip.

Spinach Turnover - ricotta and spinach stuffed puff pastry with creamy emmental cheese sauce, black olives and minced Italian parsley

My dad tried the spinach turnover. It looked pretty filling for an appy.

Spiced Louisiana Gumbo - with Andouille sausage, rice, and okra

There were 2 soups on the menu that night. W had the gumbo. I found it too spicy for my liking but W said it was just fine =P

Tuscan vegetable minestrone

The veggie filled minestrone suited my tastes better.

Steak - with green beans, carrots and potato quenelle

W went with the meat and potatoes yet again! I guess guys tend to gravitate towards hearty, rib-sticking food.

Veal Cordon Bleu - layered with ham, melted provolone cheese, served with baby vegetables, mushroom ragout and marsala sauce

But I shouldn't be one to talk, eh? Look at the size of that veal chop! It was so thick and meaty, and with the gooey cheese, I was immediately full after a few bites.

Oven Roasted Turkey - with traditional trimmings including sage stuffing, string bean gratin, candied sweet potatoes, giblet gravy and cranberry relish

My mom went for the traditional turkey with all the fixins'. I think I would have enjoyed this dish too. Very homey and comforting.

Passion Fruit Curd

After a hearty meal, the passion fruit curd sounded like the perfect dessert to help offset the salty, gooey, rib-sticking veal cordon bleu. The curd was very tart but sweet. It would have been nice to have another textural contrast aside from the chunks of fruit. Maybe like a biscotti or a tuille?

Sacher Torte  - classic Austrian chocolate cake, glazed with ganache and served with apricot compote

W chose the safe and classic chocolate cake. Nothing amiss with this one, just a good, rich chocolate cake.

After 3 straight days of eating hearty Western cuisine, I think I was getting a bit tired and jaded with the food. I wanted authentic Chinese food! I wanted Vietnamese noodles! Real Asian food! Yikes! 4 more days to go!