Malaysia
Singapore
Thailand
I’m on a boat, everybody look at me cause I’m sailing on a boat – that’s literally the first lyric that came to my mind when I boarded the Superstar Gemini Cruise. Never mind that, I was more interested in what the cruise’s restaurant had to offer me.
Blue Lagoon restaurant serves a variety of dishes ranging from all time favourite Hainanese Chicken Rice ($12.50) to American Breakfast ($9). While this isn’t the only restaurant onboard, it certainly is the only one that operates 24 hours for anyone feeling peckish at any point of the day, or night. I was informed that every traveller onboard has 6 meals provided so…. go figure.
Right next to the restaurant is the deck complete with a bar. Imagine perching yourself in a corner with a pina colada, how perfect. The thought of being in a pool in the middle of the sea is rather amusing though.
After exploring the deck for a bit, we headed into the restaurant and was greeted by humble interiors with windows overlooking the sea that I imagined to be pretty serene while sailing.
Power Sipzz ($9). A new range of healthy juice drinks that the restaurant came up with, served in a extremely generous portion that promises no added ice, sugar or water. From the range, there are different drinks targeted at different benefits. There are drinks for energy booster, losing weight, cooling down and so on. I chose vegetamin that consists of carrots, tomatoes and cucumbers; Yum! How refreshing sounding already.
I was genuinely surprised by the portion and yes it was freshening due to the very distinct cucumber taste amidst the other vegetables. Both the carrots and tomatoes contribute to the creamy yet light texture without making it too sweet. Thought I wouldn’t be able to finish the whole glass of it but of course I was wrong.
Let’s find out what they serve aboard the seas.
Cantonese Style Ee Mee ($11). The crispy noodles with sauce poured over without cooking it in was crunchy, served with a good amount of seafood. The gravy is slightly bland for me, but this dish will make for a better choice if you are looking for something lighter.
Kampung Fried Rice ($13). Rice is served with little dishes of ikan bilis and cuttlefish in sambal chilli, preserved vegetables, fried egg and keropok. There is a good mix of flavours when I tried the preserved vegetables and spicy ikan bilis, the former sort of neutralises the spiciness of the latter and gives another layer to the flavour. The cuttlefish is not too tough but it is bathing in a slightly too oily a bowl of chilli for my liking.
The rice is mildly hot and when mixed with the ikan billis, adds an extra crunch. Definitely a spicy dish, it’s a bit on the greasy side.
Satay Burger ($10.50). I was pretty excited to try the satay burger. It is served with a portion of fried beancurd, fries and peanut sauce for dipping. The patty does capture the essence of satay while remaining soft and minced. Since it is in a burger form, the patty would have to include the sweet and nutty taste that usually comes from the dipping sauce, making the patty slightly sweet.
The buns of this burger are made from pumpkin, hence the slight orange tinge. I would recommend sharing the burger as the patty might get too sweet and gelat midway. If you fancy a good old traditional satay, they do serve Chicken Satay Skewers ($15).
Crispy Fish Skin with Salted Egg ($12). Definitely the star of the meal for me, this simple dish packed all the salted goodness with fragrant crisply fried fish skin, ah the thought of it. I could even hear the table next to ours crunching on fish skin, making my mouth water as I wait for my dish to arrive. Both my dining partner and I could not keep our hands off it. Rich in taste, this dish can definitely qualify to be your go-to-snack.
Deep Fried Prawn Wonton ($7). Not the usual wanton shape you would get, this UFO sure enwraps some flavourful fillings. The prawns were juicy and succulent, the skin was fried to a golden brown. The dipping sauce could have been less sweet and tangier, which would make for an otherwise great snack.
The Superstar Gemini Cruise is equipped with gym and entertainment facilities onboard and she travels to different parts of Malaysia, including Redang, Langkawi, Malacca and Kuala Lumpur. Whilest the food is not amazing and pretty much what you would expect on a cruise, if you are onboard with 6 meals a day to enjoy, why not drop by Blue Lagoon to have a bite.
Expected Damage: $10 – $20/pax
