Since I was leaving Korea and this is probably my last flight with Asiana until some time in the future, I indulged in more Bibimbap. I asked politely to keep the menus for reference with the intention to look at what they had to offer in terms of beverages while asking for more Ginseng tea in the meantime. There wasn't the Pol Roger Winston Churchill which I liked, and instead on this short flight, Taittinger 2002 and De Venoge 2004 was served. There was also a different variety of red and white wines offered, though they still did have Jackson Triggs Icewine as dessert wine, and this was my choice for the early morning flight.
First Class Menu
As I waited for the meal, I fiddled with the entertainment system and browsed though the selection. As far as I can remember, the selection was more or less similar to the Suites Class, though the screen size was definitely smaller and not very useful for watching inflight movies, especially with the bright cabin in this morning flight. Before I had the time to firm up my selection of movie to accompany my meal, the stewardess came back and set the table, laying out the table cloth and a stalk of rose on the top. I also ordered the icewine after she finished laying the table set-up. She came back shortly with my appetizer of poached Dropwort with Abalone or 'Minari Jeonbok Ganghoe' which looked like some shellfish covered in beancurd skin, topped with radish and tied together with seaweed. The overall presentation of this dish is visually appetizing, though it tasted bland and was best eaten with the sauce that accompanied it. A glass of water that was frequently refilled and my Ginseng tea was also served at the start of the meal.
Poached Dropwort with Abalone
Beverage Service
Bibimbap in First Class
Just as I finished the chewy appetizer, the stewardess came back with the glass of icewine. I indulged in my seat and was really enjoying the whole First Class experience even on this short flight! Before long, the stewardess returned with a huge tray filled with a huge bowl of Bibimbap ingredients, a separate bowl of rice and all the side dishes. The major difference between this and the one I had on the ORD-ICN flight was the lack of beef short rib. The side dishes and soup was also different. In today's flight, the side dishes and soup were less spectacular but still tasty. However, with the ramen and snacks I had in the lounge I barely finished half of the meal and the meal service ended with a plate of freshly cut fruits comprising of Korean pear which is one of my favourite fruit.
Freshly-cut Fruits
With the conclusion of the meal, it was time to try sit back and watch a movie. However the morning sunshine resulted in glare on the screen which made it difficult to watch a proper movie or anything. In the end, I decided to just convert the seat into the full lie-flat bed and get a short nap. It was still comfortable in the bed mode and should provide adequate space for sleeping on transpacific routes. Though I have to say it won't beat Cathay's First Class. This is because there was just too much wasted space around the cabin that could have been better utilized.
Seat in Lounge Mode
Seat in Bed Mode
I managed to have a short nap of around half an hour before the pilot announced the plane's descent into Narita Airport. With my immigration card filled, the stewardess made sure I was the first one off the plane and amazingly there was another escort holding a plaque with my name as I exited the jetbridge. This was a bit unexpected and thus I had only some time to take a shot of the plane before the escort walked with me to the immigration counter, and onwards to the baggage claim. Even with the short wait in the immigration as I had to rummage through my bag for my passport, my bags and all were already waiting for me in a trolley ready to be whisked away. The efficacy of the whole process was just incredible! And 20 minutes after disembarking, I was out with all my luggage into Japan where I waited in a nearly empty Arrival hall to wait for the next limousine bus to bring me to my hotel.
Descent into Narita
Asiana Boeing 747 in Narita
I was totally impressed with all my 4 flights on Asiana, comprising of 1 long haul First, 1 short haul First and 2 domestic Economy segments. I believe they truly deserve their 5 star airline rating (personally I would even give them a perfect 10) and I would not hesitate to fly with them again in the future!