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Hawaii’s Back yard  Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi
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Star of Honolulu’s Five Star
dining cruise is pure luxury
Pssssst, guys, here's a tip: The next time your sweetheart expects to be wined and dined, don't sweat. The Star of Honolulu's Five Star Sunset Dining cruise pulls out all the stops for a truly romantic evening at sea.
Five Star Sunset DiningAboard the Star of Honolulu, berthed at Pier 8, Aloha Tower Marketplace:Dinner is served: 5:30 to 8 p.m. nightly Cost: $199 per person (not recommended for children under 12), including limousine service from Waikiki, welcome reception, seven-course dinner, drinks, live jazz and dancing. (Kamaaina rate is $100.25, excluding transportation) Dress code: Jackets or long-sleeve shirts recommended for men Call: 983-7827 or 800-334-6191 from neighbor islands E-mail: info@paradisecruises.com Web site: www.starofhonolulu.com
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Exchange sweet nothings with your amour freely; you're seated at your own table, which is beautifully set with Villeroy and Boch china, silver cutlery, crystal stemware, crisp white linens and a fresh rose. Servers are nattily dressed in nautical uniforms and white gloves, and there's live jazz music and dancing.
But this is merely the backdrop for seven divine courses that change quarterly to reflect the flavors and colors of the season. Executive Chef Eric Omick -- recently named one of the state's Top Ten Young Chefs by Hawaii Hospitality magazine -- recently introduced Five Star's Fall Menu, available through Dec. 31.
The meal actually begins prior to sailing with non-alcoholic champagne and dainty hors d'oeuvres of Smoked Salmon, Spanakopita and Hazelnut Foie Gras-Stuffed Mushrooms served alfresco on Five Star's private lanai. The Star's captain will be there to welcome you aboard.
Once you're settled in Super Nova, the courses continue, every one pleasing to both eye and palate. The rich Pumpkin Bisque is presented in a miniature sweet dumpling squash that rests on real maple leaves. Next comes Roasted Peking Duck Salad, a vibrant montage of tender duck slices, gold and purple beets, burgundy wine vinaigrette, and baby greens sprinkled with petite orange flower petals and arranged in a basket made of sweet purple Okinawan and Yukon potato gaufrettes (wafers).
Live Maine Lobster is poached in a butter broth and accompanied by Osetra caviar and seafood sausage made with scallops, salmon, lobster, snapper and fresh herbs. That is followed by a second entrŽe -- herb-seared beef tenderloin surrounded by swirls of sweet potato and fresh morels, chanterelles and shimeji mushrooms sautŽed in a black-truffle demi-glace.
The grand finale is an array of sweets that includes hazelnut-spiced cake with gold leaf garnish, a chocolate maple leaf cradling roasted fig ice cream, a praline cookie cornucopia filled with vanilla cream and a marron glace (a chestnut preserved in sweet syrup).
"We're always researching the market for new ideas, and changing the Five Star menu quarterly gives us a chance to introduce new concepts and stay in front of the industry," says Mitzi Hirasawa, vice president of sales and marketing for Paradise Cruise, which operates the Star of Honolulu.
Hirasawa says the company works as much as possible with local producers. "Some local vendors customize ingredients and products for us; for example, the baby romaine greens and edible flowers in the Fall Menu's salad are grown especially for us by Local Island Edibles in Kula on Maui. We also research markets throughout Europe, Asia and the continental U.S. for exotic ingredients. We're constantly on the lookout for unique products."
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"Some local vendors customize ingredients and products for us. ... We also research markets throughout Europe, Asia and the continental U.S. for exotic ingredients. We're constantly on the lookout for unique products."
--Mitzi Hirasawa Vice president of sales and marketing for Paradise Cruise
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"Five Star alone has a select team that's supervised by an onboard chef," Hirasawa notes. "They keep a watchful eye on everything to make sure it's exactly as it should be when it's served."
Indeed, attention to detail does show. The salad and intermezzo sorbet are served with a chilled fork and spoon, and the Maine lobster arrives on a warmed plate. Drink orders are taken, crumbs are cleared, water glasses are refilled, and plates and cutlery are removed in the attentive, unobtrusive manner expected of a fine-dining establishment.
Guests observing birthdays receive desserts topped with a candle, and couples celebrating weddings, honeymoons or anniversaries are acknowledged with a dedicatory song. Before they disembark, every lady receives a long-stemmed rose.
"We've also had quite a few marriage proposals on Five Star cruises," says Hirasawa. "I've witnessed honeymooners who are so enraptured with each other that they barely notice anyone else in the room. It's also nice to see couples who rarely have a night out get up for a slow dance together for the first time in years."
The Five Star concept debuted in 1992 with the launch of the Star of Honolulu. "It was created as an 'image product' to differentiate Paradise Cruise from other local cruise operations," explains Hirasawa. "We also wanted to set a high standard. Before 1990, dinner sails in Hawaii had the poor reputation of being raucous 'booze cruises.' Five Star was the first luxury dinner cruise in the islands. There's something exciting and romantic about the concept of dressing up for a captain-hosted dinner on a cruise ship."
Although Hirasawa acknowledges that many restaurants on Oahu offer gourmet dining, she asserts none can match the views guests witness aboard the Star. "There's nothing quite like the ever-changing backdrop of the ocean, sunset, glittering Waikiki coastline and a sky lit by the moon and stars," she says. "You can enjoy the sights from your table or on the ship's 60-foot-high observation deck. Unlike a restaurant, you're free to move about as you please."
She also notes, "It's a departure from the ordinary to go on a cruise, even for just a few hours. It's an opportunity for local residents to take a mini-vacation and re-experience what makes Hawaii so special. Many people think dinner cruises are just for tourists, but I think that's a myth. ... Five Star really delivers on the 'wow' factor!"