BEHIND THE SHIELD
TASTEFUL TRADITION IN A STYLISH, SEAGOING SETTING
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One of the most striking and innovative features of Seabourn Encore is the new alternative dining venue Sushi. Designed and decorated by hospitality icon Adam D. Tihany, the airy, intimate room located just off the Atrium on Deck 8 provides a delightful change of pace for guests in the mood for something different for lunches and dinners during their voyages. The concept and execution of a sushi restaurant on board is the brainchild of Seabourn Culinary Consultant Chef Anton “Tony” Egger, who is responsible for everything from the recipes, menus and service style to the choice of uniforms, china and tableware.
“I was an executive chef on Seabourn ships and also corporate executive chef for a while, so I’m familiar with the taste and expectations of Seabourn’s guests,” says Tony. “I love really good sushi myself, so I was committed to giving them the best sushi dining experience, not only with impeccably fresh ingredients and expert preparation, but also with the cultural aspects of the Japanese sushi tradition.”
Working with Japanese chef friends, Tony spent months developing a network of suppliers to ensure that top-quality ingredients, including fresh Japanese seafood and crucial elements such as the special Japanese sushi rice, differently flavored vinegars and a variety of fresh Japanese produce, can be supplied to the ship as it cruises the world. His menus are ingredient-specific, with no substitutions permitted. If an ingredient is unavailable, the chefs
will not serve the dish. This rigid attitude does not extend to the hospitality, however. The Japanese sushi tradition is exemplified by small, family-run restaurants, and that is the fun, friendly atmosphere that guests will enjoy at Sushi on Seabourn Encore.
“The staff in Sushi, from the three specialized sushi chefs to the waitstaff, all interact as one team, focused on the guests,” says Tony. “You’ll see the sommelier delivering food plates, the waiters fetching drinks — it feels like a family operation. But like in a family, when it comes to the preparation, there are specialists,” he continued. “Properly cooked and vinegared rice is the heart of sushi, so one person is the rice master, for every meal, every day.”
Lunches at Sushi are designed around the Japanese bento-box tradition, which offers a nutritious, tasty meal in a quick and casual style. Sushi will offer three options daily, with main courses of meat or poultry, seafood and vegetarian. Each box is accompanied by hot miso soup, a Japanese-style salad and a simple dessert. Dinners offer an à la carte menu, including edamame and miso soup, an array of salads and small plates of various sashimis and tatakis, as well as a variety of sashimi, nigiri and maki sushi, and signature rolls exploiting the best ingredients selected by the chefs. All selections can be ordered either as individual servings or to share, as the guests prefer. Unlike the sequence of courses in a Western meal, sushi is served continuously as it is prepared by the chefs. Desserts are simple but delicious, consisting of Japanese ice creams, sorbets and puddings.
Seabourn’s master mixologist, Brian van Flandern, has created two special cocktails for Sushi: a craft drink called the Sushi Verde, and a unique Yamazaki Whiskey
Tea Ceremony for couples or quartets. The venue also offers a variety of hot or cold Japanese sakes, beers and a selection of wines to complement the menus. And in another bow to tradition, a selection of five distinctive Japanese teas are available, brewed in artisanal cast iron pots.
Sushi is open for lunch and dinner daily. In keeping with
Japanese tradition, reservations are not required. If a seat is open, you are welcome.