industry interview
Street food spice and all things nice
O
PAX International’s Maryann Simson talks trends with Vice President, Food & Beverage Operations for Princess Cruises and active MHA Board Member, Peter Tobler
ne of the most efficient ways to gain Peabody Hotel in Orlando. We caught up with Tobler recently, as insight into any field of commerce is to speak with one of its veterans. he settled in after a well-deserved holiday. Swiss native Peter Tobler has been Though he may have been back in the office with Princess Cruises for the past for mere few days, he was well-prepared eight years and has worked with the cruise for our interview, highlighting a number of line sector for more than 30. He presided prevalent food movements that will shape over the Marine Hotel Association’s (MHA) the way cruise line passengers dine onboard Board of Directors for two years in 2010 and today and in the future. 2011 during a busy time when the Association celebrated its 25th anniversary and held Following the spice route its first ever European event in Barcelona “With the ongoing diversification of culture – a great success. As of press time, Tobler is here in North America, comes a diverChairman of the MHA and Vice President, sification in food and the integration of Food and Beverage Operations at Princess global flavors into North American cuisines,” Cruises. His successor will be announced says Tobler. “This can be seen radiating out at the MHA’s 2013 event April 21-23 at the from some of the more cosmopolitan cities like Miami, Los Angeles, New York and Vancouver – which are prime examples of places where Latin, Mediterranean and Asian cultures have influenced cuisines. These new flavor profiles have blended with the traditional, creating new hybrid styles of food preparation.” According to Tobler, more and more Americans are becoming attracted to the adventure of experiencing bold and sophisticated flavors that were at one time reserved for an adventurous few. He points to history and as parallel to this current-day phenomenon. Interestingly, it is the countries along the “spice routes” of antiquity (maritime spice trading routes throughout the Indian Ocean, Peter Tobler, MHA Chair and Vice President, Food and Beverage stretching east as far as Vietnam and Japan, Operations at Princess Cruises and reaching west to the Mediterranean 16 | PAX INTERNATIONAL | APRIL/MAY 2013
through Persia, Arabia and the Red Sea) that are leading the charge in this awakening of the North American palate. From the Mediterranean, he says, we have learned to enjoy wheat-based cuisines and use olive oils in place of lard. The Asian subcontinent sends rice and fresh, fragrant spices like curry and tandoori - adding depth and color to our table - while China and Southeast Asia contribute traditions of coconut, tamarind and many more aromatic herbs and peppers. In a recent report by CruiseCritic.com featuring the top nine alternative restaurants in the onboard the world’s cruise ships, three feature cuisines of ‘spice route’ descent. Azamara’s Aqualina restaurant, led by Executive Chef Robert van Rijsbergen, has a menu inspired by the coastal cuisines of Italy, Greece, France, Spain and northern Africa. At Oceania Cruises’ Red Ginger restaurant, Master Chef Jacques Pepin offers contemporary interpretations of Asian classics, such as claypot caramelized chicken or miso-glazed seabass. Also making the exclusive list were Crystal Cruises’ two culinary attractions, Silk Road and The Sushi Bar. Here Nobu Matsuhisa, creator of the world-renowned Matsuhisa restaurant in Los Angeles and many other fine dining establishments, presents guests his signature Japanese cuisine with an international flair. This directional shift towards Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Asian cooking styles, says Tobler, has expanded outward