In a press release issued on December 6th, Seabourn announced that it is counting down to the debut of its new fine dining restaurant Solis, that celebrates Mediterranean cuisine inspired by the places visited by the line’s ultra-luxury ships. Scheduled to launch in January 2024 on board Seabourn Quest, the new fine dining experience will show off the one-of-a-kind culinary talent of Franck Salein, Seabourn’s senior corporate chef.
With a history working at Michelin-starred restaurants, as well as success at developing new dining experiences for Seabourn, Chef Salein has keen insight into the culinary preferences of the line’s well-traveled guests. Together with Master Chef and Culinary Partner Anton “Tony” Egger, they are shaping Solis into an exceptional fine dining experience for Seabourn guests to savor cuisine from countries along the sun-splashed edges of the Mediterranean. The chefs share their inspirations for new dishes that will be included on the Solis menu:
- Sea Scallops Escabeche – Caviar and Clementine dressing, green peas, fresh thyme. “The freshness of sea scallops combined with the sweetness and acidity of Clementines and the richness and delicacy of caviar work in harmony on the flavor palate.”
- Homemade Lobster Ravioli – Roasted lobster, lobster emulsion, capers. “Pasta is a staple on tables in Italy, and adding lobster is a fine touch of redefinition. The simplicity and combination of high-end and comfort ingredients make this dish amazing.”
Solis was inspired by Seabourn guests who, when surveyed, ranked Mediterranean as their cuisine of choice for a new restaurant and “fresh and healthy” as their preferred attributes.
“Solis is really about the natural beauty that produces such wonderful ingredients, and the cultures that nurture them, along the coasts of the Mediterranean,” said Chef Salein. “The dishes we are creating are as enlightening to us and our Seabourn kitchens as they are for our guests. Every time we discover a new fruit or fish or cheese and decide to feature it as part of the Solis dining experience is essentially another story for our guests to explore and enjoy.”
Born and raised in Normandy on the northwest coast of France, Chef Salein was introduced to food and cooking by his grandmother “like many other of the best chefs in the world,” he said. He credits her for teaching him the foundation of the culinary world.
Chef Salein sharpened his culinary skills and techniques while working alongside many other top chefs. He apprenticed in Provence and worked with Michel Guérard at his namesake three-Michelin-star restaurant in Eugénie-les-Bains. He went on to work at dining spots in England and Switzerland before becoming a consulting chef for various luxury brands in Japan and then joining Seabourn in 1997. After relocating to Bordeaux to become the executive chef de cuisine of Les Sources de Caudalie in 1999, he was asked to lead the kitchen following the departure of the property’s longtime husband-and-wife culinary team. His first move was to make the spa’s menu “healthier” and more in line with his own refined expertise. In 2006, he worked on a TV cooking program in France, “Bon Appétit Bien Sûr with Chef Joel Robuchon,” and has also authored two cookbooks, “L’art de Vigne” and “Carnet des Saveurs en Bordeaux.”
In 2010, Chef Salein rejoined Seabourn for the launch of Seabourn Odyssey and also went back to Michel Guérard as the executive chef at Eugénie-les-Bains. In 2014, he returned to Seabourn to stay as senior corporate executive chef. Not long after, he teamed with Chef Egger to expand the onboard cuisine by developing popular venues such as Sushi, offering authentic Japanese sushi on Encore-class vessels, and the popular Earth & Ocean dining concept with daily menus highlighting sophisticated flavors inspired by the fleet’s travels around the globe.
“Chef Franck is a creative force in the kitchen for Seabourn, always thinking a few moves ahead to what our guests desire and how to satisfy their cravings. The dishes he is helping to shape for Solis show his incredible, one-of-a-kind talent and expertise in understanding the refined tastes of our guests,” said Natalya Leahy, president of Seabourn. “With his culinary expertise shaped around the world, as well as years of experience developing menus for Seabourn, we know that his dishes will exceed our guests’ expectations for Solis.”
