Each evening on board Queen Mary 2 a section of the Kings Court is transformed into one of four alternating themed  dining venues –  varying between, Italian, Asian, Indian and Traditional British.

During my recent trans Atlantic crossing I took the opportunity to try Queen Mary 2’s Speciality Dining facility the evening it was Lotus…

Capturing the spirit of Asia, Lotus offers Pan-Asian cuisine drawing on the influences of Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand and China…

Interestingly a  selection of Asian and Indian wines are available…

… while wines from around the world could also be ordered as well as a selection of other drinks.

The menu on the evening was a ‘tasting menu’…

For my evening at Lotus I had invited Girlie Muega,  the Purser Guest Relations, to join me and was delighted that she accepted….

The ‘Green Tea’ that is seen being served in the above picture is a running feature throughout the meal while, on this occasion we opted for a bottle of Pinot Grigio to accompany our food.

The first course was the  Scallop Spring Roll, Tuna Tataki and Thai Style Prawn Cake…

Excellent flavours, particularly the Tuna Tataki with the spiced garnish and coriander.

Next up was an absolutely delightful Creamy Coconut,  Lemon Grass Soup with Crab…

The great joy of eating in the Lotus was the relaxed atmosphere,  unrushed service and the wide diversity in tastes and textures of the food served.

The next dish came with a ‘heat’ warning, The Crispy Beef Futomaki with the Moromi Miso Sauce…

The Chicken Yakitori shared the platter.

A nice touch was the addition of the Yoghurt Mango Lasse,  a palate cleanser in perfect harmony with the regional dishes…

China and Japan featured in the next dish, Peking-Style Crispy Duck Pancakes and Shrimp Katsu…

What I particularly loved was the small accompanying string  vegetables and noodles, all perfectly al dente and rich with the flavours of the Orient

The final dish of the tasting menu was a trio of deserts, Watalpan with Cardamom, cashew nuts and Cinnamon Cream;  Green Tea Cheese Cake with Lemon Grass and White Chocolate and Date Samosa with Coconut and Rose water Sauce…

In summary,  an altogether different experience and most enjoyable meal with particularly attractive company. I can certainly highly recommend Lotus which was a great success. The food was both authentic and  flavoursome while  holding good texture. The Taste of the Orient carried a $10.00 surcharge and the Pinot Grigio $50.60 which included the Auto Service Charge.