Dag

Again, a picture-report from me. This took place June 2011, when I attended a course in Kuala Lumpur. Did quite a detour, but it was well worth it.

Scandinavian lounge, an average lounge


LH2451
OSL-MUC 11:50-14:05

After take off. There was a flood in Norway at the time, so the lakes and river were brown.





Lufthansa A319 legroom from 01A. Not a big fan of NEK, the seat is way to hard



Crappy food and some sparking wine.




Senator Lounge in München



Quite nice lounge, and empty since it was a Sunday. Anyway, it is not a first class lounge, and there is no first class service on the ground.






Some food and beer in the lounge. Did not drink so much, since I wanted to enjoy the inflight service. Weissbier is good though



Munchen-Tokyo NH208 20:55 15:50 +1
All Nippoon Airways JA783A

The plane



Boarding was a mess. They tried to have a priority boarding, but it was a lousy try.

Onboard


Airy cabin, not cramped suites



My seat, 02A. Only 02A and 02K was taken on this flight



Decent room from the seat to the wall.


The PJ looked like this:

Dag

The menu:
• DINING MENU
Choose freely what you fancy when you feel like it from our fine selection of Japanese Kappo cuisine or from our Western course menu serving a pleasing array of fine dishes available in half-portion sizes.

• KAISEKI o Poached chicken skin dressed with chili ponzu citron soy sauce
o Simmered prawn in ginger flavored soy sauce, Grilled duck with soy sauce Egg omelet with various vegetables, Dried date roll around butter Preserved salmon roe in petit pot, Boiled asparagus soaked in
o Smelt-whiting fish rolled with bean curd crepe Japanese plum flavored wheat vermicelli
o Quick seared beef with garlic flavored soy sauce
o Braised conger eel and daikon radish roulade in special seafood broth
o Grilled freshwater eel with bonito flavored vinegar soy sauce
o Grilled sablefish marinated in aromatic sweet miso

• APPETIZER
o Caviar with traditional garnish
o Nice style salad
o Cod brandade and crab meat salad with orange-accented oil
o Baked phyllo pastry filled with cepe mushroom and pork
o Fresh garden salad, choose from three kinds of dressings

• MAIN PLATE
o Pan-fried beef tenderloin with eggplant puree anchovy and coppa ham sauce
o Sauteed turbot and steamed mussel, saffron sauce
o Sauteed lamb chops persillade with tapenade

• BREAD OR RICE
o Freshly-steamed Hokkaido yumepirika rice, miso soup and assorted Japanese pickles
o Selection of bread rolls with a choice of flavorful dairy butter or extra-virgin olive oil

• CHEESE PLATE
o Cheese plate (Cambozola, German Camembert, Emmental)

• DESSERT
o Selection of fresh seasonal fruit
o Assorted ice cream and sorbet
o Orange and champagne mousse cake with mango sauce
o Warm lavender and peach cake with vanilla ice cream
o Three varieties of amanatto (sugar-glazed chestnuts, toroku beans and sweet potatoes)
o Three kinds of petits fours

• POST-MEAL SIP
o Smoked flying fish
o Three kinds of deep-fried fishcakes
o Simmered giblets with teriyaki sauce

• LIGHT DISHES
o Hot Japanese udon noodles with grated daikon radish and tiny smooth mushroom
o Cold miso soup over steamed rice and barley
o Simmered raw wheat gluten with soy sauce over steamed rice
o Ramen noodles in miso soup with welsh onions
o Cold tomato potage
o Pork cutlet sandwich
o Fried jhon dory in Chinese black pepper sauce
o Chicken and mushroom curry

• POST-NAP MEAL
o Stir-fried bok choy and scallops with lightly soy-based sauce
o Deep-fried flat fish with sweet sour sauce
o Steamed rice, miso soup and assorted Japanese pickles or creamy rice porridge
o Accompaniment for steamed rice (Choose from four condiments)

• POST-NAP MEAL
o Two kinds selection of ham and cheese
o Bread roll accompanied with flavorful dairy butter and a choice of three kinds of sweet spreads
o Selection of fresh seasonal fruit
o Plain yoghurt with green lemon confiture
o Crisp brown rice flakes with milk

Drinks:
As you can see, excellent selection of wine.
Champagne

KRUG GRANDE CUVÉE
Krug has earned its unrivaled reputation as maker of the world's finest champagne. Its GRANDE CUVEE-a blend of various wines from different years-is perfectly balanced, with notes of green apple providing a profound nuance. The effervescence spreads slowly in the mouth,revealing the wine's graceful acidity. The long finish highlights the ever-so-slight bitterness of fresh citrus. ANA First Class has offered this supreme champagne since its first international flight,.in 1986.


pinot Noir / pinot　meunier / chardonnay

White wine

Chablis Premier Cru Vaillons 2008 Domaine Long-Depaquit
Chablis Bourgogne France
A marvelous chardonnay made with contemporary winemaking techniques at a prestigious property dating back to 1128, the original producer of chablis. A tingling acidity combines with refreshing lemon peel and grapefruit aromas for a peerlessly juicy flavor. Fruity nuances linger in the finish.


chardonnay



Chasagne Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chenevottes 2008 Domaine Chanson Pere et Fils
Côte-de-Beaune Burgundy France
A cave-aged chardonnay from a 16th century fortress on a property founded in 1750. The aromas conjure up images of yellow fruits and white flowers; think hawthorn and white peach melding with ruby grapefruit. A sweet, subdued acidity complements a soft alcohol for a supple texture.


chardonnay



Rüdesheimer Berg Rottland Riesling Spätlese 2008 Johannishof
Rheingau Germany
From an estate established in 1685, the owner of many renowned vineyards in Rheingau, home to the world’s best riesling. Acacia blossom nuances with clover honey notes for the dignified aroma of pure riesling. Fresh and fruity, with a crisp acidity complementing a fluffy cotton-candy sweetness.


riesling



Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Marlborough New-Zealand
From the renowned, pioneering winery that put New Zealand’s sauvignon blanc on the global wine map. Nuances of hazelnut and marmalade waft alongside lime aromas. Fresh, subdued acidity resonates gently with alcohol, forming perfect-pitch floral notes that give way to a lingering, delicate finish.


sauvignon blanc


Red wine

Château Léoville Poyférre 2007　
Saint-Julien Bordeaux France
From a château known for its unwavering quality, among Médoc second-growth châteaux renowned for winemaking finesse. Vanilla fragrance follows notes of blackberry and black currant for heady voluminous aromas. An excellent tannin-alcohol balance. The mouthfeel challenges for an instant, but pure elegance ensues.


cabernet sauvignon / merlot / petit verdot / cabernet franc



Charmes Chambertin 2007 Labouré-Roi

Côte-de-Nuits Burgundy France

From Labouré-Roi, a négociant with a stellar reputation for quality in Burgundy. The vineyards take in ample sunshine and produce wines with long finishes. A pinot noir with aromas of freshly picked raspberry and dark cherry. A soft acidity wraps around the alcohol for a smoky, smooth finish.


pinot noir



Siepi 2005

Tuscany Italy

From a famed winery run for 24 generations over six centuries in Chianti. The superb winemaking methods of Siepi are revered throughout Italy. Berry aromas fill the nose, with hints of violet and cocoa mixed in. A fine consonance of solid tannins and soft acidity. The smooth alcohol accentuates well-balanced flavors.


sangiovese / merlot



Suntory Japan Premium Shiojiri Melot 2007　

Nagano Japan

From a winery highly acclaimed for using fruit from dedicated vine growers in Shiojiri. This is Japan’s most favored region for merlot cultivation, thanks to its wide daily temperature variations. Brilliant aromas of blueberry, plum, and rose. A coupling of smooth tannins and alcohol form the elegant, powerful finish.


merlot


Dessert wine

Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey 2005

Sauternes Bordeaux

From a château with a distinct history of premier cru wines in Sauternes, the Mecca of sophisticated sweet white wines. Has a sweet, voluptuous perfume redolent of acacia nectar and mango. An ideal and harmonic blend of sweetness and alcohol. Its intense, full-bodied taste goes well with dessert and marries nicely with cheeses and richly flavored dishes.


sémillon / sauvignon blanc / muscadelle

Japanese sake

Nagasakibijin Daiginjo

Daiginjo Nagasaki

From a western Kyushu brewery established in 1688. Special rice grown by contracted farmers is hand-brewed with utmost care using spring water from virgin forests. Brilliant, fruity flavors play wonderfully with the sweetness of the rice.


AKATSUKI Junmai Daiginjo Enshin-Shibori, KATSUYAMA

Junmai Daiginjo Enshin-Shibori KATSUYAMA

Shibori, the process of extracting unprocessed sake determines the sake’s purity and is performed by a centrifugal separator to ensure that any odd taste is completely eliminated. This is a crystal-clear sake of the highest quality.


Shochu

Murao Shuzo MURAO

Sweet-potato Shochu Kagoshima

Unrivaled sweet-potato shochu made by Toshihiko Murao, a renowned distilling master. Traditional black yeast and fine sweet potatoes are distilled in large ceramic pots in the classic, time-tested manner. Its ellegant, soft flavors give way to a lovely, round finish.
Accompaniment eep-fried fishcakes trio with wasabi soy dipping sauce


Satoh Shuzo SATOH MUGI

Barley Shochu

A shochu made from choice barley, from Japan’s most prestigious distiller, an artisanal perfectionist for more than 100 years. A deep, sweet flavor in a league of its own, with thick aromas redolent of slowly roasted barley.
Accompaniment eep-fried fishcakes trio with wasabi soy dipping sauce


Asahi Shuzo HINORYU ASAHI

Brown sugar Shochu

A shochu specially made from unrefined, estate-grown brown sugar, distilled on the island of Kikaijima in southernmost Kyushu. A pleasing taste with a gentle sweetness and full body well suited to the tranquil coral island whence it comes.
Accompaniment eep-fried fishcakes trio with wasabi soy dipping sauce


Plum wine

KAKUTAMA Plum Wine

Kagoshima

First-rate plum wine brewed from the finest Japanese plums. Plums are steeped in 3-year-old genuine rice-shochu, where they mature for one year. This plum wine is barely filtered, giving it a lovely and full body and texture, and allowing the pure flavor of plum to shine through.

Dag

Other drinks:

Aperitifts & Cocktails
・Dry Sherry ・Dry Vermouth ・Campari Soda ・Campari Orange ・Spumoni ・Kir ・Kir Royal ・Mimoza ・Martini ・Bloody Mary ・Screwdriver

Whisky
・Ballantine's Limited ・SUNTORY Whisky HIBIKI 21 Years Old ・Jack Daniel's Black Tennessee Whisky

Spirits
・Gin ・Vodka

Brandy & Liqueurs
・Hennessy XO ・Baileys Original Irish Cream

Beer
・ASAHI Super Dry ・KIRIN Ichiban Shibori ・SAPPORO Black Label ・SUNTORY
Non-alcoholic drinks

Soft drinks
・ANA Original Drink ｢Aromatic KABOSU｣ ・Orange juice ・Apple Juice ・Grapefruit Juice ・Tomato Juice ・Coca-Cola ・Coca-Cola zero ・Sprite ・Ginger ale ・Sparkling mineral water ・Still Mineral Water ・Iced Green tea ・Milk

COFFEE SELECTION
・ANA　Specialty Coffee ・Espresso ・Cappuccino ・Caffelatte ・Caffe macchiato ・Café au lait ・ANA Specialty Blend　Iced coffee ・Iced Caffelatte ・Decaffeinated

JAPANESE TEA
・Green Tea ・Roasted Green Tea

TEA SELECTION
・Assam [Silonibali] ・Darjeeling [Darjeeling The First Frush ] ・Earl Gray [Breakfast Earl Gray]　　 ・ANA Original Flavored Tea [Sunny Spot] ・ANA Original Flavored Tea　[Soyokaze] ・Relax Tea（Deepspeep Blend） ・Refresh Tea（Awakening Blend）
Krug and sunset, a good match


Amuse Bouche


Very nice sunset, the flight headed north past Berlin to Finland and the sun did not really go down at all.


Preparing for the starter


Caviar and Krug, can’t go wrong with that


More starters. It was ok, but not impressive
Cod brandade and crab meat salad with orange-accented oil to the left, and Baked phyllo pastry filled with cepe mushroom and pork to the right.


Salad

Dag

Ready for the main. Very good meat, maybe a little overdone. Had the Bordeaux with it, a very nice wine.



Cheese plate, still had the Bordeaux


Dessert with Krug and Sauternes


Port, coffee and chocolate




Land of the thousand lakes





Then the FA made up the bed in 02D




Slept for a few hours, and then had another meal. Tried the Asian option this time:


Overall, an excellent flight. The FAs were extremely polite and provided superb service. The food was good, but not excellent. The wine list was very, very good. The ground service was nothing, both at Munich and Tokyo, just like business class or economy class with a *A gold card.

Dag

Stayed at the Conrad, which was excellent. Actually, we are going back to Conrad Tokyo in August this year. Room was nice, with a view of the bay.











Mini bar




Decent selection



View





A short walk to Ginza



At Narita, first stop was the United First Lounge:


Sushi, champagne and view


Not the best sushi I’ve had



View, the well known green Narita-sign


ANA Suite lounge, did not even have champagne, only cava.


The 77W is amazingly long



View, my next flight


 

Dag

Tokyo Narita-Bangkok TG677 16:55-21:25
Thai Airways HS-TKH, on lease from Jet Airways

An assistant came and picked me up and escorted me past the boarding lane and all the way to my seat. Good service by thai.

Cabin is totally opposite of ANA, not airy and spacious at all. Privacy is a lot better though.


Probably great on a night flight



Dom in a remarkable bad champagne glass, and a nice amenity kit by rimowa.


The seat





The ottoman in Thai first suite


Not much room for storage next to the seat


Remote and control center. Seat adjustments are done on the touch screen

Dag

Satay


Large table has room for a bunch of glasses



Starter. Not a very good lobster.



An excellent soup, the best of all the courses. The ride was a little bumpy, so the picture is blurry


Main course. Turbulence made my tablecloth red of wine, but the FA quickly removed all the tableware and set the table with a clean tablecloth. Had Bordeaux with the main.



Fruit


More dessert, pancake and ice cream. Declined the cheese plate, it came with plastic foil. No no no!


Doors closed, pretty private


Large screen on the IFE, I watched a movie on my laptop instead.


Sunset, somewhere northeast of Hong Kong. Rounded off with a nice Otard 1795 and coffee.


The amenity kit, photo taken later


I also got this one


Picked up by a golf cart, and assisted through immigration and baggage pickup. Great service on the ground by Thai, but not very impressive in the air. The suites were dirty, the food was not good and the service was really not sophisticated (more like clumsy)

roadwarriorafrica

Great report. I really think the ANA F menu is excellent. Not enough airlines in F have so much choice and on demand. I know EK does, and I think QF.

blackmamba

You lucky, lucky man!

onefasteuro

seems like a nice trip, thanks for the salivating images

aks120

Great report - can you tell me what you got in that Rimowa amenity kit?
I like the bag a lot. Think I may look for one on ebay

I must admit that this report has given me the nudge to look at ANA, an airline I would not have considered before.

Regards
aks120

Dag

Stayed at the Tower club at Lebua. I was not very impressed by the hotel, but I was chosen due to the restaurant that was open long enough so I could have dinner after the late night arrival.
Kind of a suite, some 66 sqm. Looked pretty old actually.
Not classy and not modern.



Kitchen, did not use that.










View from the balcony at the 59th floor







Daytime view from the balcony, not so charming


Grabbed these which fit fine in the rimowa bag


Really not my kind of hotel, and I will never go back. I guess I didn’t do my research properly.

Dag

Checkin at Bangkok was a breeze, so was the immigration. Since my flight was not with Thai, there was no escort. I still managed to find the lounge.
First lounge was empty




Lunch in the lounge, which is ordered ala carte from a menu. I had the duck with noodles with some Bordeaux and Champagne. The lounge itself was nice, but to much noise from the terminal below.



 
Bangkok – Kuala Lumpur LH782 15:15 – 18:15'

My next flight, Lufthansa 747-400 “Bremen”





“Retro” first class cabin


At that time, not many retro-fits were done, but first were down to 8 bookable seats


The famous “D”


Starter, chicken with asparagus and smoked salmon






Main, some spicy beef, with Bordeaux



Good looking (and tasty) dessert. No Johnny blue, so I was stuck with Bushmill 10YO (with ice, really??)


Hard to get a proper wing view from 82C


Immigration at KUL was a mess, priority did not work at all. I guess it took almost an hour.

joy16

I think the main course for LH flight is beef green curry (Geang Kiew Waan Neu)

Dag

A few pictures from Kuala Lumpur:

The couse was at Crowne Plaza, so we stayed there too.


Hotel entrance at night


Inside



The room was ok, nothing fancy





Elevated monorail


Went to the KL tower for the buffet dinner, but mostly for the view. The view was great, we arrived in daylight and left when it was dark. The food was ok, not like a fancy restaurant. Well worth a visit anyway.



View straight down



Petronas towers, a KL landmark


Downtown KL, hotels all around


A fire somewhere outside the city


Sun going down




Nice to have a cold beer with this view






Then we had rotated 360’


The tower at night



Another night, we went to the mall Suria KLCC. A nice park outside


I really like those buildings


Later at night