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!
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