#BeyondNormTravels: Dinner Cruise on Saigon Princess @ Ho Chi Minh City

Docked at the Nha Rong Harbour, the Saigon Princess, although smaller in size, stands out from the rest of the cruise ships. But good things come in small packages as due to her low height, it can pass the bridge that runs across the Saigon River, allowing the Saigon Princess to go further down the river than the other ships. The Saigon Princess travels all the way down to what would be the tallest building in Saigon. From the exterior, one of her obvious features is the top deck, which enables you to get a better view as you cruise along the River. The interior is both classic and regal.

When in full service, the Saigon Princess can hold up to 250 guests, 67 waiters and 11 chefs. They’re differentiated from the other businesses along the harbour as they specialise in fine dining. The meal sets comes in 5 different options – the Western, Asian Seafood, Asian, Fusion and Vegetarian.

We selected one Western, one Asian Seafood and two Fusion sets, so that we had a good taste of what she has to offer. Personally, we felt that the Fusion menu would be the hardest to execute but the chefs on-board did not disappoint!

Highlights of the Fusion set:

Green Tea Creme Brûlée with Vanilla Ice Cream

The prawn although pretty in presentation was a bit of a challenge to consume. It had a light and sweet flavour from the pineapple plum sauce which we quite enjoyed. The lamb was cooked to the right doneness and went very well with the coriander fried rice and honey rosemary sauce. Do be warned that lamb does have a game-y flavour and if you’re not prepared for it, it may take you by surprise. Moving on to the dessert, the green tea creme brûlée had a very interesting and unique flavour. Overall it was very smooth and balanced.

Highlights of the Asian seafood set:

Grilled Butter King Prawns in Coconut Curry Gravy with Scallop Fried Rice

The squid was well marinated and cooked to perfection. It comes with a refreshing cucumber and tomato salad with a side of oranges. It is a lovely medley of fresh flavours to whet your appetite for the meal ahead. The scallop fried rice had a lot of interesting textures and flavours from the lotus seeds, dried shrimp and spring onions. It also has a tinge of spice to it. The spiciness of the coconut curry gravy greets you the moment it touches your mouth. So if you’re not good with spicy food (like I am), you might want to consider a different menu.

Highlights of the Western set:

Grilled Australian Beef Tenderloin & Prawn

Dark Chocolate Mousse, Coconut Ice Cream

The beef was nicely cooked and the flavours between the honey mustard sauce, cheese and the bacon was well balanced. My favourite part of this set was the dessert of course!! The chocolate mousse was rich but not too overpowering. It has a very soft and creamy texture which complemented the coconut ice cream very well.

On the day that we dined, we were fortunate to have a wonderful windy winter night in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). The view and the weather further heightened the experience.

Each aspect of the menu was carefully orchestrated by the menu director, Dirk Schroeter, from the appetisers to the desserts. The seafood was a quality grade and very fresh. The dessert had very balanced flavours and was definitely a great end to a wonderful meal. Overall, it was a wonderful experience from start to finish!