Hard to believe a steak house turned out to be my favourite restaurant on Explora I but almost everything was perfect and the tuna “au poivre” was truly memorable.

Crab salad was excellent. Mixed with pomelo, avocado, roasted peanuts and miang sauce. Loved it.

At the last minute David and I decided to share the potatoes and caviar and we were really glad. It was a winner.

The lobster bisque was very good but it was meant to be topped with whiskey and 2 of us didn’t get the whiskey. Four of us ordered the bisque but the server disappeared after pouring whiskey half way around the table. We thought he’d run out and would be right back but no such luck.

The tuna steak was my favourite dish of the trip, served with passion fruit hollandaise, red onion compote & mango salad.

Sakura is one of the most popular restaurant onboard Explora but you can make a reservation or try your luck for a seat at the sushi bar.

It was also our first real disappointment. We are lucky to live in Vancouver, Canada, one of the best cities in the world for Asian food so are maybe a bit too picky.

The tempura shrimp roll was the best dish of the meal. Four of us had a piece and looked forward to the rest.

The crispy langoustine roll was also a hit and the pomelo salad a perfect bright addition.

We all liked the soft shell crab and again the accompanying salad was excellent but it wasn’t really a tempura batter. I don’t think it was rice flour.

The quality of the sushi was good. We had a double order so there would be a piece for everyone. The ahuri was a bit of a disappointment. Not like anything I’ve had in Vancouver or Japan.

The Pad Thai was the big disappointment though. There were few or no bean sprouts, no crispy bits of tofu and the overall flavour was sweet, missing the savoury, sour balance.

The service needs work too. First we were told it would be served family style but then we were told to order individually and other than the sushi were served individually. I was surprised that the sushi for 4 didn’t come on one platter and had we ordered and been served family style we would have had a more interesting and better meal.

One of our party had the Black Angus Steak Teriyaki. It came quite cold and didn’t benefit from being reheated. The spinach that came with it got a thumbs up though.

Fil Rouge was definitely worth another visit. I’d missed the crab cake the first night.

Not much in the way of Cajun spice but the crab meat was excellent.

Soupe de poisson was a bit too rich and heavy for me.

The lobster was a special feature and delicious. A side of French green beans was a perfect accompaniment.

Another night and another restaurant onboard Explora I. The Med Yacht Club serves all things Mediterranean, food I love.

Thank goodness for sharing plates, we get to try so much more.

The patatas bravas weren’t a huge hit but the shrimps were amazing and the potatoes mopped up the last of the tomato feta sauce beautifully.

The seabass was fabulous and I love fennel. This was probably the best I’ve ever had.

I was looking forward to the strawberry tomato caprese but it was sweeter than I’d imagined. I’ll try it at home though.

David tried the Dover sole and it got another Yums up.

A full day at sea sailing from Copenhagen to Lerwick, Shetland meant we had more time to eat and drink.

Breakfast and we were back at Fils Rouge starting with excellent croissants. I also had a poached egg on toasted brioche with spinach, caviar and yuzu hollandaise with a side rösti potatoes. I’m sure I’ll be back for that again.

For dinner we booked Anthology where Explora hosts Michelin chefs starting with Chef Mauro Uliassi. Reservations are a must and a fee applies. There were 10 courses and although I didn’t love them all, several were amazing. I was especially grateful we chose to include the wine pairing because that took things to another level.

The tagliatelle was strips of cuttlefish. The chef recommended mixing in the caviar before tasting.

Not one of my favourites but you can bet I’ll be putting some sage flowers in my cooking next spring.

I liked the squid a lot but loved the little bowl of ginger mango gazpacho with cucumber and pineapple.

The tuna was beautifully complimented with tomatoes, anchovies, basil & capers. A real winner.

We judged the pasta slightly on the raw side of al dente.

Wow!

I’d never heard of a pre dessert but this was an amazing explosion of strawberries with mascarpone and cardamom mini meringues.

Unlike any tiramisu I’ve ever had and the chocolate was frozen dust. Incredible!

These bright little bites were the perfect end to the meal. The chocolates had pop rockets that crackled and popped chocolatey deliciousness right to your brain.

And so ended the big bang dinner. I’m not a fan of tasting menus but it was fun and interesting. For me the wine pairings were magic. I couldn’t begin to describe them all but each wine came from the area of Italy near Chef Uliassi’s restaurant and truly showed how wine enhances food. I nearly didn’t choose the wine pairing option. I’m sure glad I did.