Freedom of the Seas - November 2022

Since we had a group of 7 on our last cruise and we were on a larger ship, we decided it would be the perfect time to try the Hibachi portion of Izumi. Smaller Royal ships only have Izumi Sushi, but when you get to the larger classes the ships offer Hibachi as well which offers teppanyaki style dining.

On the last few cruises, we have noticed that the specialty dining restaurants were fairly booked, so we decided to pre-purchase the reservation through the Cruise Planner. Royal sometimes offers sales on cruise planner purchases, so it is worth checking out ahead of your cruise.

For our evening, we paid $54.99 per person which if booked on board would give you one choice of protein between chicken, beef, or shrimp. When we arrived we were told we all had the premier combo which includes a choice of two but adds scallops, lobster, and NY strip to your list of choices. Normally this option costs $59.99 per person. I am not sure if it was because we booked ahead or they made a mistake, but if you can I would recommend booking ahead.

Upon arrival, we were seated at one of the high top stations. The table was set for 9, but we ended up having a table to ourselves. We were met by our server who gave us a brief overview of the appetizers and took our drink orders.

Having been to Izumi before, I went to my go-to “She’s a Geisha” ($14) which is a combination of berries, cranberry & lime juice, and junmai grade sake. It would be a good choice for those that don’t like the taste of alcohol. For my second drink, I opted for the Japanese Strawberry ($14) described as a “crisp, fruity sake cocktail with a hint of lime”. There was even less of an alcohol taste and it was fairly sweet.

While they also have a collection of sake, if beer is more your taste they also have a menu of Japanese beer ($7.99), wine, and champagne. Since it was right next to Schooner bar on this ship, the server also offered us anything from their menu.

After our drinks arrives, we were served steamed edamame to eat while we awaited our appetizers. For the prix fixe hibachi, you get to select either miso soup or a salad. While vegetable fried rice is also listed as an appetizer it is automatically served to everyone as the first course of the meal. They also have a selection of sushi that you can add on to your meal at a la carte pricing.

Having had the miso soup in the past, I opted for the green mix salad which was served with a ginger dressing.

While the salad was good it was pretty basic and with the amount and quality of the food that was yet to come, I almost wish that I had skipped it to save room (though it probably saved me from eating more fried rice!).

As we ate our appetizers, our chef joined us. He prepped the grill and took our orders. The menu states pre-selected combinations, but he told us that we could make our own by selecting any two proteins. I opted for the beef tenderloin and the scallops and my husband chose the shrimp and tenderloin.

Our chef put on quite the performance cracking jokes, singing songs, and making it a truly enjoyable experience while we watched him cook. The fried rice was delicious and plentiful. Even after each getting a full bowl, we were offered more before the evening was over though we were all too full to partake.

After the rice, we were served our proteins and vegetables and then said good bye to our chef. While the scallops were good, the beef tenderloin was delicious and I wish I had gotten two servings of that instead of the scallops. The beef was juicy, tender, and not even slightly chewy. My husband also got the beef and agreed it was his favorite ahead of the shrimp.

Despite being stuffed after our main course, dessert was included and we couldn’t turn it down. I had the selection of mochi the last time I was at Izumi so decided to opt for something a bit different and ordered the Crispy Sesame Balls while my husband chose a chocolate lava cake.

The Sesame balls were not quite like anything I had before. I am not typically a fan of strong sesame flavors, but this had a mild flavor and was not overly sweet or rich. The center is filled with a red bean paste almost giving the texture of biting into a chocolate truffle (without the flavor of course) filled doughnut. The chocolate lava cake was extremely rich and delicious, but to be honest I was glad I ordered the sesame dessert as the dense and sweet cake was a bit too much after a full meal. My husband preferred the cake, but if you are open to trying different things and prefer desserts that aren’t as sweet I would recommend giving it a taste. Those that like heavy, sweet, decadent desserts, probably won’t list this as one of their favorites, but if you go in with an open mind you might be pleasantly surprised.

Overall, Izumi Hibachi was a great experience especially with a group of friends. As with all specialty dining, I don’t think it is absolutely necessary to save up for the experience. You can certainly enjoy your cruise food without splurging on the hibachi, and to be quite honest, it isn’t something I would do again unless I were with a group that really wanted to try it. If you wanted a taste of Izumi, I would recommend a lunch reservation at Izumi Sushi as they have an a la carte menu where you can order a roll or two and save some cash.

Rachael Ratings:

Atmosphere/Setting - 8/10

Vegetable Fried Rice - 9/10

Beef Tenderloin - 10/10 Tender, juicy, perfectly cooked

Scallops - 6/10. Slightly over-cooked and just not overall the best preparation for such a delicious food.

Salad - 7/10 - Basic salad. Not bad, but nothing overly exciting or unique.

Crispy Sesame Balls - 8/10 - Delightfully surprising. Perfect for someone that doesn’t like a lot of sweetness.