Sea Cloud Cruises has announced that Chef Michael Collantes will serve as a guest chef onboard Sea Cloud Spirit. Chef Collantes is the head chef and owner of Soseki, a one-Michelin Star omakase restaurant located in his hometown of Winter Park, FL. He is also chef and owner of Sushi Saint, Central Florida’s first handroll bar experience, which will soon open a New York outpost. Chef Collantes will share his skilled culinary craft and storytelling on the fleet’s newest and largest sailing yacht, during its Nice to Barcelona itinerary October 5-12, 2024.
The seven-night voyage exploring boutique ports of the Mediterranean will visit Nice; Calvi and Bastia in Corsica; Sanremo, Italy; Marseille, France; and Palamos and Barcelona, Spain. The voyage will have no more than 136 guests onboard and include lively cooking demonstrations, curated menus and storytelling underneath the Sea Cloud Spirit’s 28 hand-hoisted sails.
Chef Collantes is a Filipino-American chef and an Orlando native who is driven by the local ingredients of Central Florida and influenced by his repertoire of culinary experiences. Throughout his decades-long career, he has worked under the tutelage of some of the country’s most celebrated chefs, including Wolfgang Puck, Joel Robuchon, Eric Ripert, Masa Takayama and Jen Carroll. In addition to his Central Florida restaurants Soseki and Sushi Saint, Chef Collantes also serves as the culinary director for the MM Members Club at Ava Winter Park and Mila Miami and is a chef ambassador for the Edible Education Experience.
Sommelier Benjamin Coutts, a celebrated figure in the wine and hospitality industry, will be joining Chef Collantes on the sailing. In 2023, Benjamin was awarded Florida's "Sommelier of the Year" by the Michelin Guide. He was also part of the opening team at Soseki Modern Omakase and has over 25 years of experience in beverage and hospitality. His contribution and dedication helped Soseki earn their first Michelin star in 2022. He draws from his studies with The Court Masters of Sommeliers and Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), along with his leadership roles at Augustan Wine Imports, Progress Wine Group and Team Management Group.
For more information, visit www.seacloud.com.
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