The new Menu Nordic invites on a journey of flavours, inspired by the islands of Estonia, in particular, the island of Saaremaa. The biggest island of Estonia, Saaremaa is rich in traditions and history, also called the Island of the Vikings. In addition to attracting many tourists keen on wellness, music festivals and serene island nature with vast juniper fields covering most of the coastline, Saaremaa offers exquisite gourmet experiences as a foodie destination.

Commenting on the new Menu Nordic, Chef de Cuisine, of the company’s vessel BALTIC QUEEN, Maarjo Rang said:

”Both of our roots are from the island of Saaremaa, so it’s not hard to guess, why we chose to highlight the island’s rugged and wonderful flavours to be the stars of the menu. To characterise the menu in a nutshell, I would say it is local, sustainable and surprising. Our inspiration lies in the culinary traditions we both grew up with and the islanders sustainable way of life.  When creating the menu, we wanted to highlight the local small producers of Saaremaa who provide, for example, the Viking salt and juniper mustard used in the menu, to name a few. Pähkla trout, which comes from my native village, is raised in natural spring water, and I definitely recommend it to all seafood lovers.“

Commenting on the new Menu Nordic, Chef de Cuisine, of the company’s vessel BALTIC QUEEN, Merike Kald said:

„Growing up amongst many fishermen, dishes with seafood are always a stand-out for me, evoking fond memories of childhood and eating delicacies like crayfish, which at that time, was an expensive and most exclusive ingredient.“

„We wanted particularly to highlight also traditional seasonal ingredients. As for many of us over the autumn-winter period, the pantry is usually filled with all kinds of delicious jams, compotes, mushrooms, pickles, marinated onion, hazelnutsand other preserved goods form our garden and forest used in the dishes to add more flavour. And this is exactly how we use them in the menu as well.“

“Seasonal ingredients are also the stars in the vegan version of the Menu Nordic tasting menu. The 5-course vegan menu offers, for example, a flavourful combination of Jerusalem artichoke with black salsify and, for a vegan cheese course, homemade almond cheese with a flowering quince jam. For dessert course, the vegan tasting menu presents a tasty rice pudding with gooseberry jam and filo pastry mille-feuille.”

The five-course fine dining tasting menu Menu Nordic “Inspired by Estonian Islands”, available onboard the company’s cruise vessels SILJA SERENADE and SILJA SYMPHONY in the Bon Vivant restaurant and onboard the company’s vessel BALTIC QUEEN in the Gourmet restaurant, is renewed thrice a year and is also available in vegan version.  

Menu Nordic “Inspired by Estonian Islands”

• Crayfish & Lobster – crayfish tail, lobster mayonnaise, tapioca pearls cooked in crayfish broth, deep fried wakame
• Pähkla Trout & Jerusalem Artichoke – trout, Jerusalem artichoke puree, smoked whey sauce, baked leek
• Beef & Plum – beef tenderloin with Viking salt, beetroot, turnip, carrot, wine-plum sauce, potato cake
• Estonian Cheese & Flowering Quince – three Estonian cheeses, Flowering Quince’s jam and chips
• Hazelnut & Chocolate - hazelnut truffle and chocolate crumble

Menu Nordic Vegan

• Jerusalem Artichoke & Black Salsify – Jerusalem artichoke and black salsify terrine, watercress-horseradish emulsion, marinated onion and mustard seeds, fresh cucumber, nettle pesto, chickpea dip
• Potato & Oyster Mushroom – potatoes, leek, oyster mushrooms, wild garlic oil, seeds
• Beetroot & Onion – beetroot baked in salt, grilled leek, pine nuts, rapeseed mayonnaise, marinated onion, mustard seeds
• Vegan Cheese – homemade almond cheese with flowering quince jam
• Rice & Gooseberry – rice pudding, gooseberry compote, chocolate sauce, filo pastry mille-feuille

To accompany the menu, a set of sommelier choice of premium wines and non-alcoholic wines and cocktails paired with the menu are also available.

© Shippax