Princess Cruises has unveiled a new specialty seafood restaurant, The Catch by Rudi, a joint partnership with culinary personality Chef Rudi Sodamin, head of culinary arts for Princess. Chef Rudi, as he is known, already has a signature restaurant aboard some of sister Holland America Line's ships.
Debuting on Enchanted Princess as she emerges from dry dock on 15APR and coming soon to three more of the line’s newest ships, The Catch by Rudi is the first Princess restaurant primarily devoted to seafood and offers a completely fresh take on seafood with the chef’s contemporary interpretations of classic dishes, international fusion influences, highly-creative presentations and an engaging dining experience.
“Chef Rudi is the foremost cruise culinary artist in the world with more than four decades of experience spanning the world’s best cruise lines – Princess Cruises, Cunard Line, Holland America Line and Carnival Cruise Line, as well as Royal Caribbean and Norwegian American Cruise Line,” said John Padgett, president of Princess Cruises. “Chef Rudi’s creativity, passion and leadership in delivering exceptional experiences down to the finest details that consider guests preferences and tastes will surely make The Catch another “must do.”
The Catch by Rudi replaces Bistro Sur la Mer with a menu that is expected to appeal to both seafood aficionados and guests who simply prefer “surf and turf.”
The creative menu includes headings like “Beauty on the Plate” and “Tower of Taste.” The place settings are equally distinctive. Guests are greeted at their table by a special cocktail created by mixologist Rob Floyd.
With a specialty dining surcharge of USD $39 per person and available as a specialty dining option within the Princess Premier premium add-on package, the restaurant’s menu features The Daily Catch—the freshest, sustainably sourced seafood from local ports of call.
The new specialty dining location also includes playful takes on seafood go-to dishes like Asian-fried calamari; modern twists on comforting seafood classics such as lobsters with garlic butter crust; and stunningly presented signature seafood inventions from the chef’s personal repertoire including a Towering Trio and Whole Dover Sole.
The Seafood Trolly is a feast for the eyes with fresh lobster tail, shrimp, oysters, mussels, piled high along with other gifts from the sea.
“The Catch by Rudi is my way of combining my love of food, seafood and people with my incredible culinary journey at sea and my lifelong history of cooking seafood across the globe to delight Princess guests,” said Sodamin. “I want to deliver a new way to enjoy seafood and a fresh perspective on something they thought they knew. Everything we are doing with The Catch is about ‘catching’ that precious moment we call ‘now’—and doing it in such a memorable and unexpected way that makes you say ‘wow!’”
While the menu is focused primarily on seafood dishes, The Catch by Rudi also features offerings for every taste and appetite, along with vegetarian dishes, and signature beef classics like steak frites.
Sami Kohen, vice president of food and beverage for Princess Cruises also revealed that, “The meal will offer a number of surprises—from before the meal starts, through the unparalleled desserts that are as fanciful as they are delicious and come with a special gift at the end of the meal.”
Aboard Enchanted Princess The Catch by Rudi is located across from the guest services desk on Deck 5, as Sabatini’s moves to Deck 7 in the piazza, where Bistro Sur la Mer was previously located.
The new restaurant concept will be added aboard several other Princess ships including Majestic Princess (05MAY) in time for its Alaska Season, Sky Princess (07MAY) sailing from Southampton on Scandinavian and Baltic itineraries this summer and in the fall aboard Discovery Princess.
