I was welcomed onto the Ambassador's second lady of the sea, Ambition. Luckily, I was able to embark a little earlier, so missed the lunchtime rush that I anticipated to hit. I took this opportunity to visit Borough Market, located on deck 11 and to have a good look around at what was on offer!
Well, I was very happily surprised. I personally have no dietary requirements, but this buffet catered for all requirements and advised of all possible allergens. Dairy, Gluten, Nuts, Soya, Sulphites, Shellfish, the list really goes on. They were very catering to ensure ALL clients could enjoy the food that they had on offer. So, I sat down and enjoyed some great salad options. It was nice to see a thorough salad section including a mixture of beans, lentils, avocados, a mixture of cheeses etc. Great start to a buffet meal.
They had on offer a normal range of options available for a 'fuller' meal such as pizza, toasties and wedges. I personally opted for a freshly made omelette that you had available from the egg stand. A member of the kitchen staff is constantly there, with a range of omelette-inspired extras to make your omelette fresh for you. If you had room left and wanted to finish your meal with something sweet, the fruit selection was vibrant and so fresh. The perfect way to enjoy the sail away.
The first evening I had the pleasure of eating in the Speciality Restaurant, Saffron deck 5. WOW is what comes to mind. Saffron takes you on a South Asian journey where you will experience a great introduction to their cuisine. Here you are given a starter, a choice of mains and a dessert. We began with a Mix Kebab which contained naan bread, samosas, kofta's, mint & yoghurt sauce and a range of chutneys. And not forgetting poppadoms. It was a perfect start.
For the main act, you had a choice of 5 options. I went for the Royal Indian Maharaja Thali. Thali is an Indian-style meal, made up of a selection of various dishes, served on a platter. Rice, Dal, Aloo Gobi, Palak Paneer, Chicken Masala, Indian Breads, Raita is what this Thali consists of. We also added a sneaky Lamb Rogan Josh on the side, with some extra spice of course. Every mouthful was gorgeous. I am an avid fan of South Asian cuisine, and this was flawless. The small dishes were a perfect taster size but when you combine it with a selection of other taster dishes, it leaves you feeling satisfied.
The end of the journey was a Delhi Darbar Sweet Indulgence, which contained Gulab Jamun Saffron Shrikand Roasted Nuts, Chocolate Kulfi and Chai (Nice and light fried dumplings). I’m not a great lover of sweets, give me a cheese platter any day of the week, but this desert was lovely. A perfect way to end the meal.
Day 2 - Let's start the day with a good breakfast in the Buckingham Restaurant, deck 5 . Perfect way to set you up for the day. I am a fan of salmon and scrambled eggs with some capers from a breakfast buffet and to my joy, they had it here. You have your normal selection of English breakfast items as well as, cereals, fruits, nuts, omelette station, pastries and fresh porridge. Something for everyone.
After a jam-packed morning enjoying the entertainment on offer onboard the Ambition, I headed for lunch in the Holyrood Restaurant located on deck 6. Here you have a lunch menu with a range of starters, soups, main course, sandwiches, pub grub, and dessert options. This menu will change. I opted for a scotch egg. Sound pretty bland? Well, I can assure you it was not! It comes with a gorgeous beetroot puree, curry mayo and mashed potatoes. For the main, I picked the Paella Valenciana, seafood and meat. It was lovely and paired well with a nice glass of white wine. Now I must say, I was reaching my food limit but I squeezed in a cheese board with fig chutney and crackers to desert. The cheese selection was basic but there were some nice hard cheese options.
Now it is a good job that I am a bit of a foodie, because I was very much looking forward to the evening meal, which was part of the Gala Evening, even after consuming all other foods available.
What can I say, from being welcomed into the Buckingham Restaurant for the evening meal, you were greeted with happy faces from serving staff onboard. They knew what we were about to experience! Once again, you have a choice per appetiser, soup, salad, main and dessert. I began the meal with a delicate duck pate that was served with a raspberry coulis and gherkins. They went together perfectly.
I did skip the soup option and instead enjoyed a chickpea and halloumi salad. This was very fresh and palate-cleansing almost after the starter and before my main. Now the main...oh my! I opted for the steak with a mushroom sauce, seasonal veg and roast potatoes. I have my steak medium rare, and this steak was cooked to perfection. I have no words! It was perfect.
To finish this amazing meal, it was the speciality dish of the baked Alaska. To top this speciality dessert off, halfway through the meal, the crew working in the Buckingham Restaurant come out in a conga-type line, with sparklers, clapping, and carrying the baked Alaska. It was great fun for guests and staff. The baked Alaska come with a cheery coulis on the side, and once again, they paired together perfectly. The whole experience exceeded my expectations and I can highly recommend the food onboard Ambition.
