Dieter Mueller became the first award winning chef to open his own gourmet restaurant onboard the EUROPA. After a redesign, while docked in a Hamburg shipyard, the former euro-asian Oriental Restaurant, onboard the 5-star-plus* EUROPA was transformed into the “Restaurant Dieter Mueller.” Dieter Mueller will work along side MS EUROPA‘s head chef, former Wohlfahrt-student Stefan Wilke, who will continue to run the other three restaurants onboard. Dieter Mueller will be in charge of his new restaurant, and be onboard 70-days a year. There will be no surcharge for dining in the 26-seat “Restaurant Dieter Mueller,” which will serve dinner daily.
Whether it’s an ice cream parfait combining chocolate and tonka beans, a wild prawn in curry and lemongrass cappuccino, or a quail breast in a pastry leaf — the guest’s of the EUROPA can now enjoy Mueller’s favorite classic dishes, as well as his new culinary compositions. The cuisine of EUROPA’s “Restaurant Dieter Mueller” offers a contemporary menu, with a combination of French, Asian and Mediterranean influences. The gourmet flavors of Dieter Mueller’s hometown of Baden, on the east bank of the Rhine River in the southwest of Germany, will not be lost on the high seas, with recipes incorporating ingredients from this region in Germany as well. Menus will change for each cruise. “Uncompromising quality for the guests on the world’s best cruise ship — that’s what we’re aiming for,” said Mueller
From February 1992 – February 2008, Dieter Mueller was head chef and owner of the gourmet restaurant “Dieter Mueller“ in Schlosshotel Lerbach (Castle Hotel) in Bergisch, Gladbach. In February 2008 Mueller handed over the position as head chef to Nils Henkel to pursue other opportunities. Mueller is without a doubt one of the best chefs in the German speaking countries, awarded the 5-star Diamond Award by The American Academy of Hospitality Sciences. His restaurant received three Michelin stars from the Michelin Guide, and 19.5 points out of a possible 20 points from the Gault-Millau (one of the most influential French restaurant guide books in the world). No chef has ever received 20 points from the Gault-Millau, and he is the only German chef with
19.5 points. The Gault Millau called him “One of the 16 Best Head Chefs in the World” and the German gourmet magazine “Der Feinschmecker” called his restaurant: “perfect in all aspects.”
“Since its commissioning, the EUROPA has progressed from a traditional cruise ship to a modern day vessel competing with today’s new ships in all areas including superior cuisine,” said Sebastian Ahrens, Managing Director of Hapag-Lloyd Cruises.
Dieter Mueller’s will be onboard the international cruise (Germany/English) from Darwin/Australia to Sydney/Australia, making stops in Papua New Guinea, from January 28-February 17, 2011.
