We recently sailed with the Celebrity Equinox from Southampton, United Kingdom to Civitavecchia, Italy and whilst on board, we dined at the Murano specialty restaurant.
Murano specializes in high quality French and continental cuisine and offers a five course food and wine degustation.
Our first evening (of two) at Murano, we opted for the degustation menu.
The setting was quite intimate and the staff were excellent and ensured that we had the most perfect dining experience. To be honest, we didn’t realise just how tasty or filling the degustation was going to be!
First, let us take a look at the “Five Sense” Gastronomic and Vineyard Tour (USD $89 per person for the wine, after the initial booking fee) and well worth it, by the way.. This is what I chose for each course:
Course One
Pan Seared ‘Palmex’ Foie Gras
(Heirloom Tomato Confiture, Duck Rillettes in Feuille de Brick, Roasted Ginger Sauce & Toasted Hazelnuts)
with Chateau Coulet 1er, Cru Barsac (Bordeaux Dessert Wine)
Course Two
Young Spinach & Frisee Salad
(Shallot-Truffle Vinaigrette, Sunnyside Egg, Pork Rillettes & Brioche Croutons)
with Chateau Smith-Haut Laffite, Pessac Leognan (Bordeaux)
Course Three
Lobster Tail “Your Way” (Thermidor Style)
(Delicate Warm Rock Lobster Tail, Crispy Potato Basket, Glazed Asparagus & Clarified Butter)
with Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir, Napa Valley
Course Four
Mushroom Crusted Rack of Colorado Lamb
(Sweet Peas & Roasted Lamb Jus)
with Lagier Meredith, Syrah, Mount Veeder
Course Five (Dessert)
Les VI Etoiles du Murano for Two (dessert platter for two)
with Royal Tokaji, Aszu, 5 Puttonyos, Hungary (Premium Tokaji Dessert Wine)
For the third course, I deviated from the set menu and added the Lobster which was superb. The dish which really impressed me the most was the initial first course, the Foie Gras which was a flavour and taste sensation – possibly one of
the best meals I’ve ever had.
The wine pairing was very well done, although I would have selected either a so called “Super Tuscan” or an Australian Shiraz to compliment the Colorado Lamb, but that is purely a personal preference.
If you are keen to sample a wide variety of international wines, this has to be one of the most ideal ways to do so. The meal was superlative and the service first rate. We enjoyed every minute (and we sat from 7:30 pm until 11 pm).
To say we highly recommend this experience is an understatement.
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