Cuba
EXPERIENCE
Aboard
The
Adonia
EMIL VEGA & THE OCEAN GRILL
When award-winning chef Emil
Vega was hired as a consultant by
Fathom Travel to design menus
featuring Dominican cuisine for the
Ocean Grill, the specialty restaurant
aboard the Adonia, he was thrilled
to share the flavors of his homeland
with American diners, but he wondered, would they go for stewed
goat and spiced oxtail?
Yes, they would, as it turns out.
Vega was pleased at the adventurousness of the American palate, but
every day presented a new challenge as he launched the menu that
he describes as “fresh, seasonal
and delicious.”
He was assigned a talented and productive kitchen staff, but they were
not accustomed to cooking Dominican food or serving Americans, so
there was a lot of training.
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FoodTraveler l Winter 2016
Before the Adonia became the
flagship for Fathom Travel, it was
operated by Britain’s P&O cruises,
which catered to an elderly British
passenger whose idea of culinary
excitement was adding a dash of
pepper to their bangers and mash
(sausages and mashed potatoes).
Suddenly, the kitchen was expected
to turn out exotic cuisine heavy on
sweet cubanelle peppers, plantains,
cilantro and oregano.
Service was another issue.
“Americans are way more demanding when it comes to service,” Vega
said. I’m not saying this in a bad way.
Americans set the standard, really.”
Those bumps in the road have been
smoothed out, and the restaurant
has been booked with passengers
eager to try this unique island cuisine that is an eclectic mix of Span-
ish, Taino Indian and African influences.
Pescado con coco, fish in coconut
sauce, is a favorite. Vega’s version
of this dish starts with the traditional filet of red snapper, but he adds
another flavor dimension with briny
clams and plump prawns – more of
a seafood extravaganza than a humble fish dish.
It took a lot of trial and error to adapt
his recipes to cruise ship dining,
and the process could be frustrating
at times. Vega was accustomed to
specific cooking utensils and ingredients that weren’t always available
on the ship, but it all came together
in the end, and he said the experience was rewarding.
“It’s an honor to have people try
Dominican gastronomy, and I’m so
pleased to have this opportunity,”
Vega said.