Every delicious bite aboard Disney's 'Star Wars': Galactic Starcruiser
The two-night voyage aboard the Halcyon for Walt Disney World's "Star Wars" Galactic Starcruiser experience is a first-of-its-kind, fully immersive adventure which transports passengers into space. You get in on the action first-hand navigating the trip alongside new and legacy characters from the iconic "Star Wars" films.
The food and beverage menu aboard the Halcyon Starcruiser gives passengers a taste of space with delicacies and inspiration from around the galaxy all while staying within the "Star Wars" storyline.
Much like a cruise ship that sails the ocean on Earth, dishes for the all-you-can-eat buffet are available to take to any table in the Crown of Corellia dining room for breakfast and lunch. Dinner had multiple seating times to accommodate guests according to their predetermined itinerary.
Pressing a red button at the starboard entrance to the dining hall, opens an automatic door on the spacecraft to reveal a grand seating area with brightly colored glass chandeliers, and a mix of blue and space-grey booths that accommodate larger groups, plus smaller tables for intimate parties of two.
One of the most impressive aspects of both the buffet and seated dinner service menus was the variety of options from healthy choices to kid-friendly and dietary accommodations such as plant-based and gluten-free.
Here is a sample of the galactic menu below:
Sunflower Butter and Jelly with a Glass of Green Milk
The lunch buffet included the following delicious dishes: Nori-crusted red fish, aka salmon, with mushrooms and red cabbage; fire-melted cheese with red fruit dipper -- a grilled cheese-like sandwich with spherical bubble indentations in lieu of grill marks, and a small ramekin of creamy tomato soup on the side; sunflower butter and jelly -- imagine the size of a small dinner roll, but more airy and filled with nut butter and grape jelly -- kid-friendly but adult approved and loved; Chandrilian salad made of mushrooms, kale, squash and Israeli couscous; roasted flora with tubers and red cabbage -- these roasted veggies and potatoes were both perfectly cooked and seasoned; and a glass of green milk -- the ship’s buzzed about lime-green, creamy yet non-dairy, citrus drink.
Bantha Beef Tenderloin and Moon-Rock Potatoes
For my second meal I got to sit in the center of the action at the table of Captain Keevan, the vessel's commander. On Earth I would equate this experience to sitting at a chef’s table, where an intimate group of diners receive additional touches to the table, a curated menu with extra bites, like a red fruit toast amuse bouche to begin the meal. The dinner also included a cocktail and wine pairings with a level of service and attention to detail from the crew that was out of this world.
Here's everything I ate: Soy-ginger cured tomato with avocado and wasabi crema; pan-seared spiral dumplings; miso soup shooter with crispy tofu; Bantha beef tenderloin with tamarind glaze, crushed moon-rock potatoes (Yukon gold mash); stewed shrimp with lemongrass, lobster cream and coconut-lime foam; bourbon-glazed tip-yip crispy chicken with red peppers and sesame seeds; green herbed fluffy rice; seared scallop with creamy sauce and sesame seeds; Jogan fruit and caramel whip with yuzu, passionfruit, and cardellia jelly.
Fiery Mustafarian with Lava Extract at the Sublight Lounge
The cocktail and game lounge off the main atrium offers a variety of specialty beverages. I opted for the spicy riff on a margarita made with añejo tequila, mezcal, stone fruit, lime, chili, black salt and a vile of lava extract, which I was advised is spicy (but you can specify your level of desired heat.) The sweet, smoky and salty notes were perfectly balanced and served in a gorgeous, spherical commemorative glass and accompanying brass holder.
Kale Porridge and 'Worms'
After a late evening training to defend the ship on the operations bridge and wielding lightsabers, I was eager to try my first sip of space coffee. My first breakfast aboard the Halcyon was everything I needed to fuel up for an excursion to the galaxy's outer rim at Batuu's Black Spire Outpost.
The full buffet ranged from space waffles, crispy tubers (potatoes) and blue palm fruit (coconut) yogurt parfaits to my personal favorite, kale porridge with worms.
The vibrant green kale polenta cake base is topped with sausage gravy, maitaki mushrooms and strips of scrambled eggs cut to resemble aforementioned worms (and was the best dish I ate). The savory, peppery gravy with perfectly salted polenta and a mix of textures was exactly what I crave when I think of breakfast. If biscuits and gravy had a space cousin, this dish would be it.
I also enjoyed a stunning plate of pastries and despite the captivating sugar-dusted donut and adorable mini-muffin with blue butter, it was the berry-filled croissant morning bun that stole the sweet option show.
Blue Focaccia and Sausage Sandwich
I stopped at Docking Bay 7 for some spicy fried chicken breast over rice while roaming the outpost and had some dangerously delicious drinks at Oga's Cantina, but I still had to check out the ship’s lunch offerings and get a taste of what was new.
What I ate: Chili-spiced cucumber salad; red fruit (tomato) with burrata, purple bread and balsamic pearls; blue focaccia and sausage with aji aioli (think a gourmet sausage sandwich or hot dog in two bites).
Chandrilan Air Cake with Cream of Jogan Fruit
The Taste Around the Galaxy dinner on the second evening began with an assortment of breads, butters, spreads and dips then continued with a space crustacean -- Felucian blue shrimp.
Brian Piasecki, culinary director of concept development said they use butterfly pea powder to give the seafood its bright blue hue instead of the typical pink. Served in a billow of dry ice smoke, the dish offered an alluring presentation.
The rest of the meal consisted of surf-and-turf main dishes including seared Kashyyyk whitefish (sea bass) with corn relish and creamy puree over a bed of grains as well as the braised Bantha beef short rib with fig demi-glace, roasted squash and potato puree.
The chocolate sponge cake with tropical fruit mousse is a can't-miss dessert. The stunning presentation of the pastry course was amplified by the delicious balance between sweet and tart from the rich cocoa to bright passionfruit flavors.
Spiced Bobotie with Red Fruit Jam
The breakfast dish made without meat, dairy, eggs or honey was completely plant-based.
A plant-based scrambled egg sat atop a grain base and inside the "egg" was a cream sauce, much like hollandaise, which oozed over the dish. The savory bite was topped with a tomato chutney and some crispy vegetable strings for garnish.
Final thoughts
Overall, the meals were intriguing, tasty and plated beautifully. Enhancing the experience was the wait staff crew, who all stayed perfectly in character to relay the information of new-found ingredients for us Earthlings.
You can read our full travel log and more highlights here.
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