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It is impossible to imagine a more romantic setting. Sitting at the dining table on the aft deck of a superyacht, looking at the person you love. It’s Valentine’s Day, and a fiery orange sun is sinking into the sea, the first stars faintly visible in the pink and purple sky. The jacuzzi is bubbling, waiting for you after dinner with vintage champagne and fine-quality bathrobes, and the music sets the tone.
The stewardess approaches the table with a silver tray, and you can’t help but sit higher in your chair, trying to see what’s on it. You know the yacht’s private chef has worked hard to create an exceptional menu for tonight, a romantic degustation of aphrodisiac foods and wine pairings, but the exact menu is a secret — a culinary journey that will surprise and delight.
If your idea of luxury is fine food, and if your idea of romance involves the gourmet, then spending Valentine’s Day on a superyacht is heaven on earth.
Food is the heart of the yachting experience, a culinary performance that plays out for you at every meal. The show begins in the galley, (the heart of the boat) before emerging ‘on stage’, delivered to your beautifully dressed table in a series of exquisite courses. The ‘set’ for this gourmet performance is one of the great yachting backdrops of the world — perhaps an anchorage under the Pitons in St Lucia, a blue lagoon in French Polynesia, or a perfect, tiny atoll in the Maldives. The crew are the supporting actors, making sure that everything is perfect and the stars of the show can shine.
The genius of a great chef is to create a menu that brings you closer, as a couple, marking a shared experience in time that you’ll remember.
Food that stops your conversation on the first bite, as you look at each other, eyes wide.
And then you talk about it. What is it, how have they done this? What is that flavour?
That is the joy of great food, shared, on a special night, in a special place.
And on Valentine’s Day, the sense of romance is elevated by the knowledge that when you finish up at the dinner table, you can have a nightcap in the Jacuzzi, dance on the sundeck under the moon, or dive off the swim platform into the starlit sea. And finally, when it’s time to go to bed, you’ll walk into the low-lit master cabin to a perfectly turned-down bed, chocolates on the pillows, and the heady fragrance of roses filling the room.
So what could you expect from a superyacht Valentine’s Day menu?
On a superyacht for Valentine’s Day, you can expect to see some classic aphrodisiacs on the menu, such as oysters, asparagus, chilli, and rich, decadent chocolate. But the genius in a yacht chef’s arsenal is in the way their menus weave these ingredients together with dazzling refinement, adding touches of culinary brilliance that elevate everyday ingredients to something sublime.
A Valentine’s Day menu must be decadent and indulgent, and even reading it should make you want to savour every mouthful.
We’re delighted to share an example of a Valentine’s Day Menu from superyacht head chef Daniel Isberg, (85m BOLD, currently available for charter in SE Asia)
Amuse-Bouche
Velvet Creamy Lobster Cappuccino Soup with a dash of Vanilla, served with Fresh Oyster topped with Raspberry Mignonette & Chives.
Appetizer
Pan Seared Scallop with Cauliflower Cream, Cherry Tomato Confit, Baby Spinach, Herb Oil & Oscietra Caviar - Served in the Shell.
Main Course
Black Pepper Grilled Filet Steak with Potato / Truffle Cigar, Balsamic Sauce & Butter Poached Asparagus.
Dessert
Dark Chocolate Fondant with a dash of Chilli, Served with Cherry Compote & White Espresso Foam
Great food has the power to take your breath away. And when combined with a superyacht setting — the exceptional service, the spectacular backdrop, and the person you love, you know that you’ll both remember this Valentine’s Day above all others.
