When you hear about a restaurant called Raw on 5, it's natural to think that it's going to be all sushi. Don't be fooled by the name of this specialty restaurant found onboard Celebrity Edge, Celebrity Beyond, Celebrity Apex, and Celebrity Ascent. While the menu heavily features seafood based dishes, there are options for those of you who prefer to pick your food choices from the land dwelling creatures of the world. We both dined here once for dinner and I returned once on my own for lunch. Dad was very satisfied by the meat options he tried and I enjoyed most everything I chose from the seafood dishes.
I confirmed with our server before we ordered at dinner that for those of us staying in the upper suites (Royal Suite, Edge Villa, Penthouse, and Iconic on Celebrity Beyond), everything on the menu including the pricey seafood towers was included. Unlike the other specialty restaurants where the price is based on a cover charge, this restaurant is priced a la carte. Each item on the menu has a cost and you will be charged for each of those items you order. Up to you how much you want to eat and want to spend. If you purchase a multi meal dining plan and choose to use it at an a la carte restaurant, it's usually a set amount to spend that's covered by your plan. Be sure to check with your server at the start of the meal.
Alaskan California Sushi Roll - Snow Crab, Avocado, Cucumber, and Roasted Sesame Seed. I joke that the California Sushi Roll is like the starter sushi roll. Nothing spicy and all flavors you might find in other dishes. I guess the Alaskan part refers to the use of snow crab versus imitation crab. Good mix of flavors and held together well while dipping into the provided soy sauce left on each table.
Shrimp Spring Rolls (listed only on this secondary menu from Celebrity's website) - Ginger-Lime Dipping Sauce, Marinated Rice Noodles, Basil, and Mint. This was probably my least favorite dish I tried. The taste was good but it was tough to dip and eat with the differing textures and the amount of stuffing inside the clear edible wrap. If you try this dish I suggest cutting it up into pieces before dipping.
Chicken Ginger Gyoza - Pan Seared Dumpling, Sesame, Yuzu, and Scallion. We both ended up ordering this dish between the two visits and it was great both times. This non seafood dish was right up Dad's alley and tasted similar to what you might get from local Chinese take out. This is a great option to share or to start with if you're traveling with someone who refuses to eat seafood.
Fried Calamari - Ponzu Aioli and Lemon. Now you know I can't see calamari on a menu and not try it. However, I wasn't expecting to be brought a plate that was fried calamari shish kabob style! The presentation made me think a golden colored tarantula had crawled onto my plate. It made the dish a bit awkward to eat with some pieces coming off the stick as large sections and others as chunks that would have disappeared in the dip bowl. The pieces were very lightly breaded and often slipped right out of the coating when released from the skewer. This, like the shrimp roll, was a dish I couldn't bring myself to finish.
Chicken Teriyaki - Marinated Chicken, Broccoli, and Toasted Sesame Seeds. This was Dad's choice for an entree. Reminded me more of the sesame chicken I enjoy from our local Chinese take out. Dad enjoyed the flavor and the tenderness of the meat but he wished there was more meat to it. Frankly, I think you could serve him the brontosaurus sized steak Fred Flintstone brought home and he'd still say he wished there was more meat. And of course he left that broccoli behind on the plate.
The Beyond Roll - Shrimp Tempura, Spicy Tuna, Cucumber, Eel Sauce, and Spicy Mayo. As they say, "When in Rome," so I had to try the Beyond Roll while we were sailing on the Celebrity Beyond. Normally I'm not a fan of a sushi roll that says spicy once, much less twice but this one had a good balance. A little bit of a kick in the taste buds at first but the rest of the ingredients mellow it out.
Shrimp Tempura Roll - Avocado, Cucumber, Pickled Burdock, Tempura, Spicy Mayo, and Sweet Soy. Somewhat similar to the Beyond Roll but with more crunch than spice. Between the two, I liked the Beyond Roll better.
When it came to dessert, I went for what was described as a strawberry shortcake style mousse dish. The little cup was layered like a parfait with cut up strawberry and pieces of shortcake surrounding a creamy vanilla flavored mousse. The top is adorned with a sprinkle of green tea powder and a halved strawberry. While more for presentation factor than substance as this dish was barely half the size of my soda can, I found it surprisingly filling and a wonderful balance of creamy and light sweetness that was the perfect end to a meal of spicy and savory flavors.
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