As the Majestic Princess sails into Sydney Harbour tomorrow to a jamboree reception, with breakfast TV on board and a super-secret event planned for the harbour in the early hours, you can be sure of one thing: the guests will be royally fed.

Sydney’s newest and biggest ship will feature not one but two Michelin-starred chefs: Chinese chef Richard Chen at Harmony and three-hatted, French chef Emmanuel Renaut at La Mer.

Cruise Passenger was aboard Majestic Princess’ inaugural voyage, and has eaten at both restaurants.

If you like your food, Australia, you’re in for a multi-cultural team.

The Duck Master

Taiwan-born chef Chen was executive chef at Wynn Las Vegas’ Wing Lei when the restaurant became the first in North America to be awarded a Michelin star.

Chen is known as the “duck master” for his modern take on duck and other traditional Cantonese dishes using innovative Western ingredients and techniques.

He says his favourite dish is wok-fried lobster with XO sauce. We’d agree with that.
Diners can choose up to five courses for lunch or dinner. Starters include chilled abalone with green papaya salad, steamed pork spare ribs with squash and fermented black bean or Peking duck salad. There’s also a choice of two soups (herbal or shredded roasted duck with dried scallop) and the main specialties include sizzling chicken casserole with Sichuan sun-dried pepper, steamed sea bass or diced sausage with calamari, pickled daikon and chilli.

You can also order fried rice, noodles or vegetables on the side.

Desserts include red bean crème brulee; green tea cheesecake and sake-marinated melon with coconut pineapple ice cream; mango sago soup and pistachio gelato.

Chen dishes are beautifully crafted with a masterful balance of flavours and are super delicious. Diners have to pay $29 per person to dine at Harmony, but it’s worth it!

You can find the full menu here.

Over at the speciality La Mer restaurant, chef Renaut is working wonders with his seafood and meat dishes.

Diners are welcomed with two unusual tasters – crust-less sardine sandwiches and crispy chips of ox tongue. Very adventurous.

For hors d’oeuvres include regulars escargot, pate in dough or ahi tuna tartare and crunchy-coated egg with creamy yolk served with wild mushroom and wine sauce.
Sound good so far. It is!

For mains, there’s duck (magret de canard), tender roast pork tenderloin (filet de porc roti) and an equally impressive red snapper with scallop mousseline on a thin toasted bread slice served with lemongrass lobster sauce.

Desserts are a selection of floating island praline, chocolate and Chartreuse parfait, chocolate-mint tart or spice-roasted pineapple.

Renaut has created a tantalizing menu, showcasing authentic French dishes with his signature flair. Diners have to pay $35pp for dinner.

Cruisers on Majestic will be spoilt for choice when it comes to dining as the ship also has a Crown Grill – the ultimate steakhouse at sea, a lobster and dim sum bar on deck 16, a chopsticks noodle bar, Alfredo’s Pizzeria and Allegro Dining Room for traditional breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Read his menu here.