On a Viking cruise you not only savour delectable cuisine and premium wines from all over the world, but you also get the chance to see how the experts prepare and make some of the tasty dishes.
On Viking Orion‘s 15-day Sydney to Auckland cruise, guests packed the ship’s Star Theatre for a ‘Demonstration from the Kitchen Table’ in which Executive Chef Martin Kusin shared his secrets to the art of Italian cooking. His two dishes: Filet De Boeuf Rossini and Fresche All’ Arrabbiata.
It took place while crossing the Tasman Sea from Hobart to Dunedin, a two-day journey and the perfect opportunity to while away the sea days and learn something new.
LATTE noticed many of the guests taking notes as Martin showed how to make sauces, pasta and cook meat to perfection.
As he chopped and stirred the ingredients, a huge screen displayed images up close making it easy for everyone to follow the recipe.
The Austrian-born chef honed his kitchen skills in Vienna but moved on to top London dining establishments eventually moving to Australia and gaining more experience at Sydney’s famous Bennelong Restaurant at the Opera House.
He told LATTE that he loves his job at Viking because of the company’s commitment to the product.
“They deliver what they promise,” he said.
Martin heads a team of 101 in the kitchen including 80 cooks, as well as patisserie and bread-making specialists all dedicated to serving only the finest cuisine at Orion’s eight dining options.
“The meals are always something our guests look forward to, not only in the morning, but in the afternoon and especially in the evening at The Chef’s Table and Manfredi’s for classic Italian fare,” he added.
He said one of Viking’s main advantages is that it sources ingredients from around the world, so guests can experiment and taste some really interesting international dishes from the extensive menus.
Martin loves spicy food from Asia, but does he have a favourite dish?
“Yes, probably the most popular one is our Prime Filet in Manfredi’s. Marinated for 48 hours, it’s utterly delicious”
“It’s a busy life in Orion‘s kitchen, but it never gets boring and I get lots of personal satisfaction when I hear how much our guests love our cuisine,” added Martin.
LATTE travelled as a guest of Viking aboard Viking Orion.