Best First Class Food?

[TheRealTMA]

My experience of EK wines is that cost is more important than flavour; it’s like they’re chosen by someone who doesn’t drink wine, and to impress F passengers they just get the one with the highest RRP instead.
QF wines seem like they’re chosen by someone with a budget but a great knowledge of wine.

Not at all. EK have wines that reward the F experience. Qantas F wines are rubbish. I drink better at home. Last EK flight had these. Expensive and very drinkable. Not to mention Henassay Paradis, Dom P2 etc, JW blue,etc?

The Margaux is close to A$1000 a bottle and highly regarded.

 

[SOPOOR]

Not at all. EK have wines that reward the F experience. Qantas F wines are rubbish. I drink better at home. Last EK flight had these. Expensive and very drinkable. Not to mention Henassay Paradis, Dom P2 etc, JW blue,etc?

The Margaux is close to A$1000 a bottle and highly regarded.

View attachment 129443 View attachment 129444 View attachment 129445 View attachment 129446

Wow. That's some top shelf wines

I do look forward to my experience when 7 travel F Emirates

 

[Forg]

Not at all. EK have wines that reward the F experience. Qantas F wines are rubbish. I drink better at home. Last EK flight had these. Expensive and very drinkable. Not to mention Henassay Paradis, Dom P2 etc, JW blue, etc?

Maybe they were only using the expensive-but-not-actually-all-that-great plonk on the Tasman service?
I tried a glass of most of what was on offer; the reds weren’t as good as the Henschke GSM that was in the “house wine” carafe in the Sydney F lounge, despite the high RRP I mentioned on the previous page (yet the Henschke stuff ... can’t recall the product right now, but it’s ~$50/bottle).
Johnny Walker Blue is also expensive & while it’s OK it’s not particularly great; if you don’t mind a Scotch every now & again, give a few of the Tassie products a try, half the price of JW Blue is still expensive but the taste is sublime by comparison!

 

[SOPOOR]

Maybe they were only using the expensive-but-not-actually-all-that-great plonk on the Tasman service?
I tried a glass of most of what was on offer; the reds weren’t as good as the Henschke GSM that was in the “house wine” carafe in the Sydney F lounge, despite the high RRP I mentioned on the previous page (yet the Henschke stuff ... can’t recall the product right now, but it’s ~$50/bottle).
Johnny Walker Blue is also expensive & while it’s OK it’s not particularly great; if you don’t mind a Scotch every now & again, give a few of the Tassie products a try, half the price of JW Blue is still expensive but the taste is sublime by comparison!

If you are a true scotch appreciator, then johnny blue is terrible for its price.
It is very clever of johnny walker marketing.
I love good scotch and am not.a snob and try not to be swayed by price or marketing, but blue is very average for its reputation and price. I. Find green to be fantastic and for good value. Still. Undecided about gold and platinum

 

[SOPOOR]

Not at all. EK have wines that reward the F experience. Qantas F wines are rubbish. I drink better at home. Last EK flight had these. Expensive and very drinkable. Not to mention Henassay Paradis, Dom P2 etc, JW blue,etc?

The Margaux is close to A$1000 a bottle and highly regarded.

View attachment 129443 View attachment 129444 View attachment 129445 View attachment 129446

It does all really depend on your tastes.
Myself I love the Japanese Kaiseki meals on ANA and JAL in F.
In recent times Thai has really upped the quality of their Thai dishes in F and J.That however is not going to satisfy many as to being the best whereas I really love Thai food.
SQ does have good meals with caviar and lobster.
Have never been on the ME airlines F cabin and probably never will.

I do love Asian food Especially Japanese, Thai, Korean. But personally I wouldn't consider Thai to be upper class food. The best pad Thais are the ones on the street stalls that you literally pay $2 for

If I'm paying 5 times as much as economy I would expect the lobsters and caviars etc.

So for it seems only ek, ey and sq only offer them unless I'm mistaken

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I do love Asian food Especially Japanese, Thai, Korean. But personally I wouldn't consider Thai to be upper class food. The best pad Thais are the ones on the street stalls that you literally pay $2 for

If I'm paying 5 times as much as economy I would expect the lobsters and caviars etc.

So for it seems only ek, ey and sq only offer them unless I'm mistaken

Others also offer caviar. But if you think you get the best pad thai at a street stall, doesn't same hold for lobster? You get the best at a place where it's been brought in that day and cooked fresh. Something cooked 24 hours in advance, chilled, then reheated isn't going to be the best you can get.

I think if you can't compete on freshness and quality, the next best things are either comfort food, or presenting something a bit 'different'. Veal simmer in hay, and some of the other (wacky) dishes LH comes up with are an example.

 

[SOPOOR]

Others also offer caviar. But if you think you get the best pad thai at a street stall, doesn't same hold for lobster? You get the best at a place where it's been brought in that day and cooked fresh. Something cooked 24 hours in advance, chilled, then reheated isn't going to be the best you can get.

I think if you can't compete on freshness and quality, the next best things are either comfort food, or presenting something a bit 'different'. Veal simmer in hay, and some of the other (wacky) dishes LH comes up with are an example.

Yes true truet.
However for me a 24 hr advance prepared lobster is still pretty darn good! And to be honestly I love caviar but it's too expensive and my opportunities to eat them are limited and I haven't found a street side stall that serves it

I guess for me it's about having stuff that I cant/don't have easily accessible

 

[boomy]

Others also offer caviar. But if you think you get the best pad thai at a street stall, doesn't same hold for lobster? You get the best at a place where it's been brought in that day and cooked fresh. Something cooked 24 hours in advance, chilled, then reheated isn't going to be the best you can get.

Agree that airline food will (almost) never compete with freshly made on the ground. The fine lobster at TPR is good example. After eating that, having lobster in the air will be a guaranteed disappointment. However, going back to your example, most of us can afford to eat Pad Thai anytime even in Australia but lobster is still luxury for most so having one in the air, even if not the best, is a special experience.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

And to be honestly I love caviar but it's too expensive ...

Not necessarily You can buy Gourmet House caviar (a variety of which is served on Emirates) for USD45 for 50g. EK serves 25g portions... not necessarily in the 'luxury' category these days (the EK version is farmed in China, but that's not unusual with several airlines sourcing their caviar from China these days).

 

[boomy]

I was most impressed by JAL F menu. Both Japanese and Western options are superb, especially the steak ex-Japan that melts in your mouth. Their wine list is impressive too (even without Salon) but I must say EK are the clear winners in that department. Best F lounge food and alcohol medal goes to LH but I haven’t been to AF and LX flagship lounges which also look impressive.

 

[SOPOOR]

Not necessarily You can buy Gourmet House caviar (a variety of which is served on Emirates) for USD45 for 50g. EK serves 25g portions... not necessarily in the 'luxury' category these days (the EK version is farmed in China, but that's not unusual with several airlines sourcing their caviar from China these days).

Damn. I better have a look at that.

Thanks a million

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Damn. I better have a look at that.

Thanks a million

Gourmet House Malossol Caviar 50g

 

[TheRealTMA]

If you are a true scotch appreciator, then johnny blue is terrible for its price.
It is very clever of johnny walker marketing.
I love good scotch and am not.a snob and try not to be swayed by price or marketing, but blue is very average for its reputation and price. I. Find green to be fantastic and for good value. Still. Undecided about gold and platinum

EK F spirits include

Spirits Chivas Regal Royal Salute 21 year old Scotch whisky

Launched to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, this rare and aged whisky is blended to be gentle and harmonious ​

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Scotch whisky

This rich and smoky whisky is hand-picked, just one from 10,000 casks​

The Dalmore King Alexander III single malt Scotch whisky

A robust and formidable whisky, this unique six-cask finish showcases the result of extended maturation in an artful combination of woods​

Woodford Reserve bourbon whiskey

This smooth small-batch super premium bourbon is handcrafted in the heart of Kentucky​

Hennessy Paradis

Refined, elegant and unique, Paradis is an extremely rare blend of over 100 eaux-de-vies, and a graceful and precious premium cognac ​

Tesseron Cognac Lot 29 XO Exception

This unique blend of legendary Grande Champagne cognacs has been lovingly aged for at least three generations ​

Bacardi Superior rum

The original silver rum has been one of the world’s most popular spirits for decades​

Belvedere vodka

Belvedere is quadruple distilled using only the finest Polish Dankowskie rye​

Sipsmith gin

Bold, complex and aromatic, this super small-batch, artisanal gin has a dry and fresh finish​

So forget the Scotch, drink this..



Or a nice red if you prefer.



More info here - First Class dining | Dining | The Emirates Experience | Emirates

 

[SOPOOR]

EK F spirits include

Spirits Chivas Regal Royal Salute 21 year old Scotch whisky

Launched to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, this rare and aged whisky is blended to be gentle and harmonious ​

Johnnie Walker Blue Label Scotch whisky

This rich and smoky whisky is hand-picked, just one from 10,000 casks​

The Dalmore King Alexander III single malt Scotch whisky

A robust and formidable whisky, this unique six-cask finish showcases the result of extended maturation in an artful combination of woods​

Woodford Reserve bourbon whiskey

This smooth small-batch super premium bourbon is handcrafted in the heart of Kentucky​

Hennessy Paradis

Refined, elegant and unique, Paradis is an extremely rare blend of over 100 eaux-de-vies, and a graceful and precious premium cognac ​

Tesseron Cognac Lot 29 XO Exception

This unique blend of legendary Grande Champagne cognacs has been lovingly aged for at least three generations ​

Bacardi Superior rum

The original silver rum has been one of the world’s most popular spirits for decades​

Belvedere vodka

Belvedere is quadruple distilled using only the finest Polish Dankowskie rye​

Sipsmith gin

Bold, complex and aromatic, this super small-batch, artisanal gin has a dry and fresh finish​

So forget the Scotch, drink this..
View attachment 129487
View attachment 129490

Or a nice red if you prefer.

View attachment 129489

More info here - First Class dining | Dining | The Emirates Experience | Emirates

You know. That reminds me.. I actually don't like cognac at all.
In fact 8 couldn't drink hennesy xo. I also tried Louis 13 and hated it.

But when I went to a posh bar and my friend bought a Hennessey paradis oh God it was fantastic.
Wasn't it Singapore that removed it off its list recently?

 

[TheRealTMA]

You know. That reminds me.. I actually don't like cognac at all.
In fact 8 couldn't drink hennesy xo. I also tried Louis 13 and hated it.

But when I went to a posh bar and my friend bought a Hennessey paradis oh God it was fantastic.
Wasn't it Singapore that removed it off its list recently?

I'm not a great cognac fan but Paradis is in a completely different league.

Emirates removed it temporarily a about 2 years ago but after complaints brought it back. They apparently also have the Imperial on some flights.

 

[SOPOOR]

I'm not a great cognac fan but Paradis is in a completely different league.

Emirates removed it temporarily a about 2 years ago but after complaints brought it back. They apparently also have the Imperial on some flights.

Given I'm not a cognac expert I was expecting Louis 13 to be like liquid gold.... Given its 3 times paraedis price
I was shocked I almost had to pinch my nose and drink it.

But yes paradise was a clear winner for mebut at 900 per bottle, I certainly won't be paying for it

Ek here I come

 

[drron]

Believe me $2 Pad Thai is not what they serve in F and J on TG.Thai cuisine is not just typical dishes and chilli.There are a lot of Thai dishes you will never see on the street or your usual Thai restaurant.
The dishes I have had have been exquisite blends of herbs and spices that really are better than other Thai food I have eaten.But like anything to do with our senses it is always an individual thing.

 

[SOPOOR]

Believe me $2 Pad Thai is not what they serve in F and J on TG.Thai cuisine is not just typical dishes and chilli.There are a lot of Thai dishes you will never see on the street or your usual Thai restaurant.
The dishes I have had have been exquisite blends of herbs and spices that really are better than other Thai food I have eaten.But like anything to do with our senses it is always an individual thing.

Yeah fair enough. Totally agree.
Although I'm sounding like one, I don't like people who automatically equate quality and class with price.

Frankly I can't stand truffles, most horrible thing on earth, but I do love foie gras
In fact the Marriott hotel in bkk has a foie gras buffet ...... Well it did 2 years ago

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Believe me $2 Pad Thai is not what they serve in F and J on TG.

No. But sometimes I wish they would! The TG F catering of Thai dishes out of SYD can be woeful. HKG is similar. Out of Bangkok better. But after being in Bangkok for a week or two sometimes you want something different for a change. That's not particularly good on TG (my bad for choosing those dishes but they should still be good)

 

[SOPOOR]

Man you guys are making me hungry...

The closest pad Thai street stall to me is like 7000km away