Nov 29

Nov 29 "A Taste of De Librije" on Nieuw Statendam

Modern, innovative dishes and reinvented gastronomic classics inspired by Jonnie Boer's 3-Michelin-star restaurant

To even get a reservation at De Librije on a Holland America ship requires timing and a little luck. That is because this special dining event only occurs once per cruise. "A Taste of De Librije" features the cuisine of Culinary Council member, Jonnie Boer. Named after Boer's three-Michelin-star restaurant, De Librije, in the Netherlands, the menu showcases a selection of starters, soups, entrees and desserts featured at his land-based eatery. Only once per cruise, the Pinnacle Grill is transformed into De Librije with service staff wearing the livery uniform, the tables replicated and the wine list highlighting a selection of labels from the Lady De Librije collection.

Upon my early arrival at 5:30pm (the only reservation I could get) , I was greeted by the Pinnacle Grill Restaurant Manager and my waiter. A wine stewardess offered me the optional wine pairing which, in retrospect, I should have ordered. A different wine is paired with each course, and the half-glass pairing is only $20 ($40 for full glass).

The four-course menu offers two choices for each of the four courses. The first course is a starter course, so I chose the King Fish. For my second “soup course”, I selected the Pork Belly. The Lamb Neck Confit was destined to be my main course and, for dessert, I just had to try the Deconstructed Apple Pie. You can enlarge the menu on the right by clicking on it.

Soon after I was seated, my waiter offered a choice of breads from a basket, which were delicious. Soon an amuse bouche arrived and included three different tastings.

I started with the salmon ball with Mozzarella cheese (center) which was light and tasty. The duck liver foie gras lollipop with beet glaze (left) was a rich, fatty bite that was decadent. The egg shell on the right was filled with a foam (can’t remember what kind) and topped with caviar. I am not a caviar fan at all, but this combination was delicious.

My starter course, the King Fish with avocado, watermelon, sesame crisps and radish was a light and flavorful tartare that reminded me of a very light Poke you might enjoy in Hawaii. I cannot recall the name of the liquid which was poured around the dish tableside, but the entire presentation and flavor was near perfection.

*King Fish with Watermelon, Sesame and Radish*

My next course was the Pork Belly with Madras curry, green pea, caviar and goat cheese. I never really noticed the Madras curry flavor, but every other flavor jumped off of the plate. The pork belly was perfectly cooked with a super-crunchy Chicharrón-like skin on top. Each of the four bite-sized chunks left me wanting more. The pea foam and crispy cucumber strip salad was the perfect accompaniment to cut through the fatty pork belly. The four little crunchy croutons atop goat cheese foam were also delicious. I asked the waiter to leave off the caviar, which he did. But now I wonder, could the dish have been even better? It’s hard to imagine that it could.

*Pork Belly with Pea, Goat Cheese, caviar and Madras curry*

Each of the courses seemed to magically build upon the ones before. with each one a little more substantial than the previous. When my main course arrived, I was excited to see what else could come out of a cruise ship galley. The Lamb Neck Confit with curry, cabbage and couscous was swimming in a pool of beurre blanc sauce. There were little bits of crunchy rice on top of the perfectly braised lamb neck. I am not sure if the “confit” indicates a duck fat bath, but it was the most tender and flavorful piece of meat I can recall ever eating. The beurre blanc was the perfect sauce to balance the richness of the lamb, which was extremely mild on its own. The couscous was wrapped in a steamed cabbage leaf and topped with more of the crunchy rice bits.

For dessert, the deconstructed apple pie was the perfect ending to an already amazing meal.

The apple pie dish was an exercise in taste and deception. What looks like a vanilla bean is actually an edible paste, and the same for the cinnamon stick. The panko crumble and chantilly cream, combined with the caramelized apple chunks, did bring back memories of apple pie. It was the perfect light dessert to end the meal.

“A Taste of De Librije” is a memorable dining experience, on land or sea. It pushes the limits of what is possible in cruise ship dining and takes the oceangoing culinary art form to a new level. If you are a foodie, the first thing you should do when you book your Holland America cruise is reserve a table at De Librije.