Jul 20, 2020
Be immersed in a gastronomic world of flavour and colour, as Scenic Eclipse Executive Chef shares his culinary inspirations.
Across each of the ten truly all-inclusive dining experiences on board Scenic Eclipse, our chefs are committed to bringing you the finest cuisine, reflecting the world’s most-loved culinary delights and promising a multicultural dining adventure.
The head of our expert culinary team is Executive Chef, Tom Götter, responsible for the menu development and inspiration across all of Scenic Eclipse’s luxury dining spaces.
Chef Tom has brought his own culinary imagination to the table – developing a collection of beautifully curated dishes, which promise palate-pleasing flavour and
authentic local tastes.
In this exclusive Q&A, Chef Tom shares his own culinary passions, favourite dishes, and the destinations he draws inspiration from around the world.
Firstly, what are your personal favourite dishes from around the world?
Asking me for my favourite dish is like asking a mother for their favourite child – impossible to decide! I love all foods and my favourite dishes change almost every
day. My favourites (at the moment) are: Scandinavian Beer Prawns, Mushroom Ceviche and Flamed Miso Cod.
When curating the menus on Scenic Eclipse, I take inspiration from the countries and regions we sail through; this often leads me to discover flavours and dishes I
have never tried before. When we launched Scenic Eclipse last year, one of the first regions we visited was the Nordics and it reminded me of a very special dish I had made years ago. You cook seafood in beer, fennel and caraway seeds, which may sound crazy because you lightly ferment the stock, but the outcome of the flavours is amazing!
From a culinary point of view – which region is your ultimate food destinationto visit with Scenic Eclipse?
If I had to select one region it would have to be Europe, purely because the culinary styles, techniques and flavours here change almost every 50 miles. It is impossible to become tired of continental cuisine, with so many different options to source inspiration from – be it Scandinavia, Eastern Europe, the Mediterranean or the shores of the Middle East. Shopping in Europe’s markets for me as a chef is like being a kid in a toy store – I want everything!
If guests could only eat one dish on board Scenic Eclipse, which one wouldyou recommend?
This is a hard one, as every individual has different preferences. I like to surprise my guests with dishes, and I do this by speaking with them and listening to what they enjoy and deciding what to serve them based on that. I love serving vegetarian dishes to self-proclaimed ‘meat-lovers’ and watching their minds be blown by the flavours, or serving the Scandinavian Beer Prawns to guests that have seafood-heavy diets.
Which Scenic Eclipse dish seems to be the favourite among guests?
A true stand-out on board is our Burrito Cigar – this dish is truly something else! It is a combination of several kinds of beans and ground wagyu beef, rolled up in a very special way. We combine it with avocado and lightly smoke it on the table in front of the guests. We then serve it with vegetable ash in an ashtray, so it looks like a cigar. Not only is it delicious but it creates a fun, immersive dining experience for our guests.
Which dish is the most complex and rewarding to make?
Many of our dishes rely on complex preparation techniques and cooking processes. After all, this is what makes for a luxury dining experience, as we offer our guests dishes they would not necessarily prepare for themselves. The most complex is probably the smoked BBQ ribs – they are marinated, smoked, steamed and roasted for 24 hours. While a long and complex process, they are totally worth the wait as the flavours we get as a result are incredible.
Learn More about Chef Tom Götter
“We want to make something you know already but make you feel, ‘Oh, that’s special. Why does that taste so different?’”
The explosion of flavours in each revolutionary recipe reflects the imagination of Scenic Eclipse Executive Chef Tom Götter. The clockwork precision of Chef Tom’s German heritage is evident in the meticulous attention to detail he invests into designing each recipe. From soy sauce for sushi flown in especially from Japan, to the 24-hour brining and air-drying of the traditional roast chicken, no meal is taken for granted.
Götter is all about reinventing time-tested recipes and giving them his own unique spin. From foie gras lollipops to smoked blue candy floss on caviar, Götter knows how to keep things enchanting, especially at Chef’s Table, the exclusive, ‘by invitation only’, degustation dining experience.
