April 19, 2024 • 9 mins
We have Christian Pratsch, Vice President, Food & Beverage Operations, stop by as we test the new Thai options coming soon to NCL ships!
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
Today's Daily Highlight from Elvis Duran in the Morning Show.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Yeah, we flew all the.
Speaker 3 (00:06):
Way to Miami so we could hang out a Norwegian
Cruise Lines innovation lounge where they put everything together before
the ship is ever born, and it turns it into
this magical floating paradise, right, including the food, including the
dining experiences. And so Christian proch is here. Approach.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
How do you say your name, Christian? It's not easy
to approach.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Approach Christian approach the vice president of Food and Beverage Operations.
You know, I will say, back in the old days
of cruising, it was like Las Vegas, people would just
go for the buffet and there was just long lines
of just you know, food that all look brown and gross.
And those days are done. Those days are done. Now
you can actually travel around the world through what you
(00:50):
eat on any cruise that Norwegian gives you.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
And so they just announced yesterday and this is all
you're doing, right, Christian, that is correct.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
The new first upsot scale ti restaurant called Suka Tai,
and we're about to sample some sugatai in a second right.
And also you have this dedicated plant based venue called
Plantery or plantis if you're French. And then the new
wine bar concept called swirl. Let's talk about question. Growing
up in Germany in a little town that's probably smaller
(01:21):
than a lot of the ships the Norwegian sales, right.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Correct, how did you?
Speaker 4 (01:26):
How did you fall into your passion for what you're
doing today? I you know, I like to say it's
half luck, half brains. I found a passion by my
parents actually introducing me to a lot of ingredients amongst
other also green curry. It's one one of the experiences
where they found out how spicy food could be right,
and I just built onto that experience and or exploration
(01:49):
and building a real passion for it.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Well, all the different food venues that you have on
Norwegian Cruise Line ships, it is a truly global experience.
I cannot give me a list of some of the countries,
some of some of the cultures that we're eating when
we go in Norwegion.
Speaker 5 (02:04):
We we I mean we we cater to to the
entire world, you know, with our itineries and all the
destinations that we going to by by default and you know,
due to our great company, we also employ a lot
of crew that comes from those various countries, so we
do lean into the experiences that they can bring to
us and use and or entertain any ideas that we
(02:29):
can put on the plate. One of them has become Thai,
and let me just say suker Thai means dawn of happiness,
and that is something that I'm really excited about because
we're bringing new flavors to to our offering that has
not been in that capacity on our fleet. So it's
it's a really great endeavor.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
So Thailand, India, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Italy, name another letter.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Exactly.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
My point is this Christian you can't be crazy about
all these cuisines.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
I mean, there's some of them have to be like,
oh okay.
Speaker 5 (03:08):
No, but I am and this is obviously what I represent.
You know, I was fortunate and really privileged to travel
the world and experience the ingredients in season, in region
and also share that knowledge with some of the locals
when you dive and or delve into that passion, and
you can bring that also to the guests that are traveling.
(03:29):
Might not be able to go around the world in
the same capacity, but we bring that flavor to them
on our destination as a cruise experience.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Last night we were talking and I was telling him
that Teppanyaki is my favorite out of all the restaurants
Japan and yeah, so I said to him, what's your
favorite and he said, well, that's like asking me to
name my favorite child. He's like, I cannot do it
because they're all so important to me.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
There is a favorite Christian, I heard people have favorite
children too. You'd be quiet on the name my favorite
co hosts. No, no, really, Christian.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
If you were not on your ship, you were just
out and about, just enjoying a meal somewhere on earth.
You know what I really want tonight? I want boom Is.
It's your typical, typical go to cuisine. There.
Speaker 5 (04:17):
There is something that we cannot replicate on board, and
that is open flames. So I tend to go for
grilled wood fire grilled items. That that is something that
that I cannot replicate on board unfortunately. Although we use
in the cacney steakhous for example, a seedar plank where
we cook our ocean trout on and some other you know,
tricks of the trade that we can replicate some of
(04:37):
the flavors, but that true, the heat and that flavor
coming from a wood fire.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
It's true, I forgot about I didn't think of that.
Another another reason you love sailing with Norwegian. No open flames.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Thank god, that's good. That's good safety to say.
Speaker 5 (04:52):
Okay, what do we keep the fire to ourselves?
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Okay? So what are we eating here?
Speaker 5 (04:57):
So in front of you you have a a thaie
green papaya salad. It's it's one of the staples that
we we dare to you know, serve because replicating the
flavors really comes also with someone experiencing it coming from
either Bangkok or wherever they have visited in Thailand, and
(05:18):
the flavors do differ. That the lime dost taste different,
the papaya has a different texture. So we have to
take that into consideration and replicate it as close as
we can. So here we have our version that has
carrots and peppers and the green papaya that is shaved
and it's mixed with fish sauce.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
You didn't tell it. You didn't tell me that before.
Speaker 5 (05:40):
Lime juices cilantroal, you have some chopped peanuts and it
just arries beautifully to you.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
By the way, Dean, there there are peanuts here.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Yeah, that's why she's on the other side of the room.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Okay, so this I smell some green curry here. What
is this?
Speaker 5 (05:53):
So this is actually a coconut chicken soup. Tom Kaw guy,
that Tom not in their room. It's it's it's it's
literally translated coconut chickens perfect. So the name, the name
derives from that and the flavors that come through. There
is galangal, which is the brother or the sister of ginger, lemon, grass, coconut.
(06:16):
And then you know your favorite cilantro.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
That's delicious.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
I overlooked the cilantro and this is good, courage scary.
I'll give us your review. All the salad bursting with
so many flavors. I could taste it all this and
I'm a cilantro guy.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
I love it. And the peanuts, the medley. They mixed
together like a symphony.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
We were at the table last night, I said the Christian,
I said, your job is scary. Dream Really, this would
be what you would want to do.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
Get fined from this show. I would want to taste
food and let's do it. Let's make your dreams come true.
Oh wow, you have a new assistant coming and the
super is outragou now too in that great it's amazing
and so Chef Mike, thank you as well for helping
out with this is incredible and so but you do
more than just a food I mean, aren't you into
the design features of these incredible restaurants. When I walk
(07:11):
into Suker taipe Emma, just walking to a table and eating,
there's there's all sorts of things around me.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
There's a lot of innovation. Yeah, it was all innovated
right in this room.
Speaker 5 (07:20):
Correct, obviously it's it's it's also collaboration, you know from
from the design team how they use elements from Thailand
to building the restaurant scenery, I would say, uh, and
and us coming in building a food and beverage program
around it. So we we do obviously decide long term
what what is our idea, where do we want to land,
(07:41):
who who do we cater to? And then we we
we travel and experience the various restaurants that we can see,
we identify with and and what we can replicate. We
have a great team that works diligently on ideation as
well as in our test kits and as well or
a bar. So there's a lot of eating and drinking involved.
(08:04):
Somebody's got to do it.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Sounds awful. What a pathetic life you guys are living here.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
But and it goes back to something a little reach
around here is something you said earlier. You look at
the family people who work on Norwegian Cruise Line ships,
and they're from all around the world. So if ever
someone from Thailand's walking by, you can say, hey, come here,
taste this is this something your grandmother used to make
for you.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
I mean they can test it live on a cruise.
That is correct. We do have to be a little
bit careful.
Speaker 5 (08:30):
For the lack of a better term, you know, our
spice level would not be aChn to what you would experience.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
Oh no, no, then we innovate new sewage systemslie holy ship.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Yeah, I know, absolutely well.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
Look, Christian, thank you so much for being here, and
you and chef Mike, thank you.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
This is such a treat.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Scary is about to explode because I made him stop
eating in the middle and we.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Take a break. My soup is getting caught. I know,
I'm sorry.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
My apologies to you and everyone listening, But so I mean,
thank you for sharing your passion because that's obviously obviously
a major part of what drives this successful relationship you
have with Norwegian and the great team.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Come on there, Gandhi. What Tai food is my favorite food?
Speaker 3 (09:17):
I've been texting Andrew to come over here and have
a bite of it because we go get Tai food
all the time.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
No, he's in the Biscuit Innovation Lounge.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
I know.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Soup is his favorite, so I'm trying to have him
have afo and this soup is.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Very touching mine.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
All right, Christian, thank you so much for be Thank you,
thank you absolutely FROMENTCL, vice President of Queen and Beverage Operations.
We're back from the NCL Innovation Lounge after this
Today's Daily Highlight from Elvis Duran in the Morning Show.
Speaker 2 (00:05):
Yeah, we flew all the.
Speaker 3 (00:06):
Way to Miami so we could hang out a Norwegian
Cruise Lines innovation lounge where they put everything together before
the ship is ever born, and it turns it into
this magical floating paradise, right, including the food, including the
dining experiences. And so Christian proch is here. Approach.
Speaker 2 (00:24):
How do you say your name, Christian? It's not easy
to approach.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
Approach Christian approach the vice president of Food and Beverage Operations.
You know, I will say, back in the old days
of cruising, it was like Las Vegas, people would just
go for the buffet and there was just long lines
of just you know, food that all look brown and gross.
And those days are done. Those days are done. Now
you can actually travel around the world through what you
(00:50):
eat on any cruise that Norwegian gives you.
Speaker 2 (00:53):
And so they just announced yesterday and this is all
you're doing, right, Christian, that is correct.
Speaker 3 (00:58):
The new first upsot scale ti restaurant called Suka Tai,
and we're about to sample some sugatai in a second right.
And also you have this dedicated plant based venue called
Plantery or plantis if you're French. And then the new
wine bar concept called swirl. Let's talk about question. Growing
up in Germany in a little town that's probably smaller
(01:21):
than a lot of the ships the Norwegian sales, right.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Correct, how did you?
Speaker 4 (01:26):
How did you fall into your passion for what you're
doing today? I you know, I like to say it's
half luck, half brains. I found a passion by my
parents actually introducing me to a lot of ingredients amongst
other also green curry. It's one one of the experiences
where they found out how spicy food could be right,
and I just built onto that experience and or exploration
(01:49):
and building a real passion for it.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
Well, all the different food venues that you have on
Norwegian Cruise Line ships, it is a truly global experience.
I cannot give me a list of some of the countries,
some of some of the cultures that we're eating when
we go in Norwegion.
Speaker 5 (02:04):
We we I mean we we cater to to the
entire world, you know, with our itineries and all the
destinations that we going to by by default and you know,
due to our great company, we also employ a lot
of crew that comes from those various countries, so we
do lean into the experiences that they can bring to
us and use and or entertain any ideas that we
(02:29):
can put on the plate. One of them has become Thai,
and let me just say suker Thai means dawn of happiness,
and that is something that I'm really excited about because
we're bringing new flavors to to our offering that has
not been in that capacity on our fleet. So it's
it's a really great endeavor.
Speaker 3 (02:50):
So Thailand, India, Mexico, Spain, Italy, Italy, name another letter.
Speaker 2 (02:59):
Exactly.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
My point is this Christian you can't be crazy about
all these cuisines.
Speaker 2 (03:04):
I mean, there's some of them have to be like,
oh okay.
Speaker 5 (03:08):
No, but I am and this is obviously what I represent.
You know, I was fortunate and really privileged to travel
the world and experience the ingredients in season, in region
and also share that knowledge with some of the locals
when you dive and or delve into that passion, and
you can bring that also to the guests that are traveling.
(03:29):
Might not be able to go around the world in
the same capacity, but we bring that flavor to them
on our destination as a cruise experience.
Speaker 1 (03:38):
Last night we were talking and I was telling him
that Teppanyaki is my favorite out of all the restaurants
Japan and yeah, so I said to him, what's your
favorite and he said, well, that's like asking me to
name my favorite child. He's like, I cannot do it
because they're all so important to me.
Speaker 2 (03:55):
There is a favorite Christian, I heard people have favorite
children too. You'd be quiet on the name my favorite
co hosts. No, no, really, Christian.
Speaker 3 (04:05):
If you were not on your ship, you were just
out and about, just enjoying a meal somewhere on earth.
You know what I really want tonight? I want boom Is.
It's your typical, typical go to cuisine. There.
Speaker 5 (04:17):
There is something that we cannot replicate on board, and
that is open flames. So I tend to go for
grilled wood fire grilled items. That that is something that
that I cannot replicate on board unfortunately. Although we use
in the cacney steakhous for example, a seedar plank where
we cook our ocean trout on and some other you know,
tricks of the trade that we can replicate some of
(04:37):
the flavors, but that true, the heat and that flavor
coming from a wood fire.
Speaker 3 (04:41):
It's true, I forgot about I didn't think of that.
Another another reason you love sailing with Norwegian. No open flames.
Speaker 2 (04:49):
Thank god, that's good. That's good safety to say.
Speaker 5 (04:52):
Okay, what do we keep the fire to ourselves?
Speaker 2 (04:56):
Okay? So what are we eating here?
Speaker 5 (04:57):
So in front of you you have a a thaie
green papaya salad. It's it's one of the staples that
we we dare to you know, serve because replicating the
flavors really comes also with someone experiencing it coming from
either Bangkok or wherever they have visited in Thailand, and
(05:18):
the flavors do differ. That the lime dost taste different,
the papaya has a different texture. So we have to
take that into consideration and replicate it as close as
we can. So here we have our version that has
carrots and peppers and the green papaya that is shaved
and it's mixed with fish sauce.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
You didn't tell it. You didn't tell me that before.
Speaker 5 (05:40):
Lime juices cilantroal, you have some chopped peanuts and it
just arries beautifully to you.
Speaker 2 (05:46):
By the way, Dean, there there are peanuts here.
Speaker 1 (05:48):
Yeah, that's why she's on the other side of the room.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Okay, so this I smell some green curry here. What
is this?
Speaker 5 (05:53):
So this is actually a coconut chicken soup. Tom Kaw guy,
that Tom not in their room. It's it's it's it's
literally translated coconut chickens perfect. So the name, the name
derives from that and the flavors that come through. There
is galangal, which is the brother or the sister of ginger, lemon, grass, coconut.
(06:16):
And then you know your favorite cilantro.
Speaker 1 (06:19):
That's delicious.
Speaker 3 (06:20):
I overlooked the cilantro and this is good, courage scary.
I'll give us your review. All the salad bursting with
so many flavors. I could taste it all this and
I'm a cilantro guy.
Speaker 2 (06:34):
I love it. And the peanuts, the medley. They mixed
together like a symphony.
Speaker 1 (06:40):
We were at the table last night, I said the Christian,
I said, your job is scary. Dream Really, this would
be what you would want to do.
Speaker 3 (06:48):
Get fined from this show. I would want to taste
food and let's do it. Let's make your dreams come true.
Oh wow, you have a new assistant coming and the
super is outragou now too in that great it's amazing
and so Chef Mike, thank you as well for helping
out with this is incredible and so but you do
more than just a food I mean, aren't you into
the design features of these incredible restaurants. When I walk
(07:11):
into Suker taipe Emma, just walking to a table and eating,
there's there's all sorts of things around me.
Speaker 2 (07:16):
There's a lot of innovation. Yeah, it was all innovated
right in this room.
Speaker 5 (07:20):
Correct, obviously it's it's it's also collaboration, you know from
from the design team how they use elements from Thailand
to building the restaurant scenery, I would say, uh, and
and us coming in building a food and beverage program
around it. So we we do obviously decide long term
what what is our idea, where do we want to land,
(07:41):
who who do we cater to? And then we we
we travel and experience the various restaurants that we can see,
we identify with and and what we can replicate. We
have a great team that works diligently on ideation as
well as in our test kits and as well or
a bar. So there's a lot of eating and drinking involved.
(08:04):
Somebody's got to do it.
Speaker 2 (08:05):
Sounds awful. What a pathetic life you guys are living here.
Speaker 3 (08:08):
But and it goes back to something a little reach
around here is something you said earlier. You look at
the family people who work on Norwegian Cruise Line ships,
and they're from all around the world. So if ever
someone from Thailand's walking by, you can say, hey, come here,
taste this is this something your grandmother used to make
for you.
Speaker 2 (08:25):
I mean they can test it live on a cruise.
That is correct. We do have to be a little
bit careful.
Speaker 5 (08:30):
For the lack of a better term, you know, our
spice level would not be aChn to what you would experience.
Speaker 3 (08:35):
Oh no, no, then we innovate new sewage systemslie holy ship.
Speaker 2 (08:44):
Yeah, I know, absolutely well.
Speaker 3 (08:48):
Look, Christian, thank you so much for being here, and
you and chef Mike, thank you.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
This is such a treat.
Speaker 3 (08:53):
Scary is about to explode because I made him stop
eating in the middle and we.
Speaker 2 (08:57):
Take a break. My soup is getting caught. I know,
I'm sorry.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
My apologies to you and everyone listening, But so I mean,
thank you for sharing your passion because that's obviously obviously
a major part of what drives this successful relationship you
have with Norwegian and the great team.
Speaker 2 (09:15):
Come on there, Gandhi. What Tai food is my favorite food?
Speaker 3 (09:17):
I've been texting Andrew to come over here and have
a bite of it because we go get Tai food
all the time.
Speaker 2 (09:22):
No, he's in the Biscuit Innovation Lounge.
Speaker 3 (09:25):
I know.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Soup is his favorite, so I'm trying to have him
have afo and this soup is.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
Very touching mine.
Speaker 3 (09:34):
All right, Christian, thank you so much for be Thank you,
thank you absolutely FROMENTCL, vice President of Queen and Beverage Operations.
We're back from the NCL Innovation Lounge after this
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