Pan-Asian Restaurant to Debut On Seven Seas Explorer

Regent Seven Seas Cruises has revealed that a new Pan-Asian specialty restaurant, Pacific Rim, will join an array of dining options aboard the Seven Seas Explorer. As the third specialty restaurant revealed for the new ship, Pacific Rim will feature a diverse array of Pan-Asian dishes to be savored in an elegantly appointed dining room for an enjoyable culinary experience.

“We are setting new luxury standards across the board with Seven Seas Explorer, and with our sights set on building the most luxurious ship ever, we had to create an unrivaled collection of specialty restaurants for our guests,” said Jason Montague, president and chief operating officer for Regent Seven Seas Cruises. “The elegant Asian architectural elements found in Pacific Rim perfectly complement an exquisite menu, for a gourmet dining experience that brings to life the rich culinary traditions of Asia unlike any other at sea.”

Explore the Flavors of Asia while at Sea
The architectural and interior design for Pacific Rim is a perfect example of Asian fusion. The design takes inspirational cues from a variety of Asian cultures and melds them harmoniously together into a singular concept ideal for the restaurant’s Pan-Asian fare.

A modern interpretation of a Tibetan prayer wheel in the restaurant lobby sets the mood for the visual and culinary feast to come. The large cylindrical sculpture spans from floor to ceiling with decorative panels embossed with wishes for good fortune. The prayer wheel gives way to a dramatic entry flanked by doors reminiscent of an Asian temple. Upon entering the dining room, a rich dark color palette dominates the scene with black midcentury metal and wood tables surrounded by banquette seating upholstered in leather. A fashionable sideboard topped with a richly veined marble surface backs each banquette and adds to the overall ambiance of the room. Each seating alcove features an ornate brass lamp with a decorative brown and white chinoiserie toile fabric shade to provide soft lighting throughout the restaurant.

Wall coverings, such as slightly iridescent crystalline matrix stones and Thai wood carvings, add texture and tactile warmth throughout the space. Interior floors are dark wood surrounded by muted carpet. Along the ceiling, brushed brass cubes with an antiqued patina form a latticework design that simultaneously reflects and diffuses light cast by interspersed recessed ceiling lamps. Diners are treated to ocean views through windows designed in an abstract lotus shape, a universal Asian motif. Smoky mirrors between the windows add volume to the room by reflecting muted light throughout the space and illuminating intricate architectural details. Airy floor-to-ceiling partitions formed from a combination of traditional Japanese rain chains suspended from frames and customary Chinese screens help convey a sense of intimacy. The design and décor artfully complements the inventive menu inspired by the diverse cuisine available throughout Asia.

The menu offers artfully plated Pan-Asian creations with first courses highlighted by a tempura encrusted crispy soft shell crab with a touch of heat from a green chili aioli, and a succulently caramelized cassia-braised pork belly topped with perfectly grilled diver scallops; a seaweed and wakame salad drizzled with a black pepper soy and onion dressing. On the menu, guests will find entrées such as tempura battered Canadian lobster with shiso leaf finished with an orange ponzu sauce and spicy mayo, a miso-spiced black cod wrapped in hoba leaf accompanied by pickled daikon and spicy den miso, and grilled Korean barbecue lamb chops, wok-fried beans, eryngii mushroom and gochujang dressing. For dessert there are delicacies such as a banana and green tea cake served with coconut ice cream and matcha ganache.

Image Courtesy Regent Seven Seas Cruises