#main dining room

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Next up, the Desserts. The husband and wife shared these two sweet treats. Crème Brûlée consisting of a rich custard base topped with a layer of hardened caramelized sugar which you crack in to access the vanilla custard layer below. They recommended me to try the Tres Leches which was a soft sponge cake soaked in sweet cream and dulce de leche, also known as caramelized milk and blow-torched striped meringue on top.

My roommate had the Cherries Jubilee which had dark cherries cooked in a wine-cinnamon sauce over whipped cream and topped with vanilla ice cream. I got to try one of the pitted cherry and it was perfumed with the alcohol and cinnamon infusion.

Ok, I was eager to try the Tiramisu with the menu indicating that it contained mascarpone cheese, ladyfingers, expresso and a hint of Kahlúa coffee liqueur. Tiramisu in Italian is “pick me up” or “cheer me up” but tonight’s interpretation of the classic Italian dessert had let me down. :( It was basically all cream with a few miserable tiny pieces of savoiardi soaked expresso/Kahlúa liqueur throw into the mix and a dusting of cocoa powder. This wasn’t the rich coffee flavoured dessert I had anticipated as echoed by my dining companions.

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I should have gone with the Apple Blossom à la Mode my colleague’s wife was having. At the very least, I know that it was a good treat. Luckily, I had the Royal Chocolate Cake with its sinful layers of rich dark chocolate and decadent chocolate mousse to comfort me.

To end the meal, my trio of Chocolate, Strawberry and Vanilla Ice Cream . There was also no-sugar added ice cream if you are worried about the blood sugar spiking after the heavy meal. Colleague went with his usual choice of off-the-menu Raspberry Sherbet . The service was impeccable and we expected nothing less from Andrew who was ever so polite and attentive. Other than the slight hiccup in one of the desserts, we had an enjoyable feast and get together.

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My creative juice ran low and just nice a power lunch at the Main Dining Room to recharge the battery. Colleague declined the appetizer so I took the Mozzarella Sticks with a zesty marinara dipping sauce. Three sticks of warm, crispy panko coated mozzarella cheese seasoned with garlic barely gave me the energy boost. I need more food…

The two of us decided on the same Royal Burger with a quarter pound patty served on a brioche bun with lettuce, tomato, pickles, fried onions, bacon, cheddar cheese, special sauce and a side of fries. Burger was fast food joints standard, decent flavours minus the wow factor. Fries was cold and limp, but I still finished them anyway, because I was hungry.

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The one starter dish that everyone had on the table was this Escargots à la Bourguignonne. Although it came with only six small snails, the herby butter sauce more than made up for the portion as we used the bread to mop it up.

Andrew seeing that I am eyeing my dining partner’s Shrimp Cocktail, suggested that I should also get some for myself. I am glad that he ordered double portions for me as the crunchy succulent shrimps with garlicy sauce were just so delish and the cherry tomatoes were so sweet.

The other two men had Steak Diane which was beautifully seared on the grill. The beefsteak came with a woody mushroom-Cognac sauce, served with a baked jacket potato and grilled vegetables. My colleague said that it was delectable and he enjoyed it.

My medium rare and bone-in Grilled Lamb Chops was tender and flavourful, not gamey at all. It was served with roasted squash, carrot and thin asparagus with a creamy parsnip and potato mash. Too bad my colleague’s wife found it too raw for her liking.

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Maybe some sugary food to fast charge me. For his dessert, my roommate chose the Chocolate Pot de Crème. I was invited to try a spoonful and it was just like what my dining companion described - Like eating liquid chocolate.

Floating Island featured a silky meringue floating on vanilla cream sauce topped with spun caramelized sugar. Not a fan of it as it felt like eating an airy sugar laden puff of cloud. Every components of this dessert was sweet so I ended up quite surfeit after just a few mouthfuls. The Carrot Cake with cream cheese frosting and toasted walnuts fared much better.

Went up to Windjammer Marketplace as the earlier desserts did not meet my expectation. This cold bitter sweet Chocolate Soft Serve Ice Cream with chocolate toppings and crispy rice puffs managed to ease my urge and calm me down as we have three hands-on workshops side by side coming up.

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Made it back to deck 15 to observe a glorious Sunset. As the orange sun sank into the horizon, several members of a family rushed next to us and lamented that the sun had set too fast, thus missing it. Since this was my first time on a Royal Caribbean ship, I am still trying to get used to the ship’s layout so the directory listing placed in each lift lobby was a big help in pointing where I should go next.

The Main Dining Room on deck 3 was huge and while there was also a smaller 4th floor dining room, we never got to eat there. A rotating drill bit installation hanged from the 5th floor ceiling near the table we were sitting. Our tables and a few more around us were managed by a Mr Andrew from Myanmar.

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And then we were off to the Main Dining Room to rendezvous with my other colleague and his wife. As with the previous day, we were assigned to a table serviced by Andrew who recommended some of the best dishes on the dinner menu. We asked for lemonade and colleague ordered the Clos du Bois red wine for all of us.

The couple had the Salmon Tartare and the Roasted Tomato Soup. The tangy raw salmon dish which I also had was marinated in lemon juice with fennel, chives, capers and flying fish roe, not trout caviar as printed in the menu. Accompanying the seafood, a crusty toasted baguette to give the crunch factor.

When I saw the Asian-Style Pork Taco on the menu, I had envisioned that of a piece of pork wrapped in tortilla. But alas, it turned out to be our clam shell bun or kong bak bao with pulled pork in sweet chilli & soy sauce and sauteed vegetables. Don’t mean to be rude but I think the Chinese makes the best Pork Belly Buns (扣肉包).

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Andrew unfolded the napkin and placed it on our lap before presenting the Dinner Menu. At the same time, a basket of bread rolls was deposited on the table. My colleague who is their Diamond member was entitled to four glasses of drinks (cocktails, wines, juices and beverages included) a day, so he picked the pink Rose Ipsmiller. This fruity wine with mature berry flavours carries hints of wild strawberry, raspberry and redcurrant is lightly acidic.

Colleague said he always order the Escargots à la Bourguignonne for every dinner and so here are half a dozen baked snails smothered in bubbly garlic & parsley butter and a piece of olive bread to mop up the sauce.

I came to dinner feeling hungry and the Crispy Calamari with fennel salad and chipotle-lime aioli was just enough to whet my appetite. Next up, Shrimp Cocktail with three chilled succulent and crunchy shrimps on a bed of salad drizzled with horseradish cocktail sauce and a bowl of sweet & sour chilli dipping sauce.