Sail with Chef Benjamin Cross

Chef Benjamin Cross presents an ingredient-driven approach, championing local produce, woodfire cooking, and simple, confident flavors.

A region’s soul is captured not only in its landscapes and waterways but its cuisine as well. In the nutmeg- and pandan-infused dishes designed by Chef Benjamin Cross for Aqua Blu, we find stories of ancient spice routes across the islands of Indonesia – over which wars were fought and kingdoms rose and fell.

Chef Cross has built an illustrious career over two decades, starting off at the award-winning Byron Bay boutique hotel and restaurant Raes on Wategos. He has honed his craft under some of the top icons of Australian cuisine: Janni Kyritsis from the former MG Garage, and Neil Perry’s Rockpool Group.

Consulting chef for Aqua Blu since 2019, Cross now joins us in Cambodia & Vietnam, overseeing the evolution of the dining experience on board Aqua Mekong. 

Join Chef Benjamin Cross for exclusive chef-hosted departures aboard Aqua Blu from June 12 – 19, 2027 and aboard Aqua Mekong from August 27 – 31, 2027 and from August 31 – September 3, 2027.

Today, Australian Chef Benjamin Cross has become one of Indonesia’s most prominent culinary professionals and restaurateurs. His Bali restaurants – Masonry Canggu, Masonry Uluwatu and Bar Vera – rank among the island’s best. He has also brought Masonry to Niseko, in Japan’s Hokkaido region, with an alpine interpretation of the restaurant. Across his venues, Cross follows a simple, unpretentious food ethos: using top-quality produce and letting the ingredients speak for themselves.
 

With over 160 recipes crafted exclusively for Aqua Blu’s East Indonesia expeditions, Chef Cross presents highlights including the 48-hour beef short rib rendang, Balinese suckling pig with bumbu Bali (Balinese spices), organic Javanese prawns marinated in fragrant oil and lime, and his personal favorite, freshly handline-caught fish grilled with Balinese sambal. Incorporating a variety of the region’s signature spices and flavors, the onboard menu allows explorers to embark on a multi-sensory journey of this incredible archipelago.


On board Aqua Mekong, Chef Cross is now working with the on board team to further refine the exceptional dining experience, ensuring that the ship retains its destination-inspired culinary identity, inspired by the flavors of Cambodia & Vietnam.