Easter in Asia CX F & JL F
Mar 31, 2013, 2:42 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: London, UK
Programs: AA 2MM - PLT, BA GGL, SPG Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,221
Easter in Asia CX F & JL F
It has been some time since I put fingers to keyboard and described some of my flying adventures. That is not to say I haven’t been flying but more a case of taking a break, or giving you a break, depending on how you feel about my TRs.
This report will be short and sweet consisting of 2 CX F flights and a JL F that I have been looking forward to for some time. The occasion? Who needs one?
Well it was Easter and I wanted to get away from the mania that is work, although I didn’t know it would be as manic as it was when I booked this trip.
So you see it was quite fortuitous for me to do so. I spent the whole of the weekend before last putting in a large software upgrade to the system I have been working on over the last 3 years and then dealing with the inevitable bugs and glitches that come with such software releases. Thus it was with great relief that I departed work on the Thursday before Easter and made my way out to Heathrow.
I had originally booked a BA F flight to ICN and connection on CX down to HKG.
I had eagerly, nay obsessively, been keeping an eye on CX availability for the flight out to HKG and sure enough around 10 days out I was able to nab a direct flight on CX. Now the difficult decision was the day flight or one of the evening flights? I had options, as 3 of the 4 flights were available for award bookings.
In the end I decided for the day flight rather than sitting around the whole of Good Friday waiting.
Where were we? Ah yes I left work Thursday evening and caught the gouge train, I mean Heathrow Express, to LHR and then the free local bus to the Sheraton Skyline for the night. I understand the meaning of irony.
I must say the canapés at the Sheraton lounge are getting more dire every time I go there. The wine was acceptable for a couple of glasses, but no more. The main purpose of the stay was a good nights sleep and that was had; no noisy functions on this evening at the Skyline.
I checked out in the morning after a wee sleep in and made my way to the airport on the free local bus that leaves from across the road, a short walk away from the hotel.
Once at the airport I made my down to the CX F check-in and waited behind a couple that were being dealt with. The J agent soon called me over and proceeded to check my one bag to HKG. She printed my BP and lounge invite and enquired if I knew were the lounge was. She then said I could use the fast track lane upstairs for security.
I walked upstairs and passed the slow track that had signs indicating a 10 minute wait time. I then approached fast track and the queue was snaking outside. Now one of life’s biggest dilemmas, does one go with a 10 minute posted wait time in non fast track or queue for fast track? I decided to queue and the line seemed to move fairly quickly. Inside they had 3 WMD for fast track and they were pushed to get people through quickly enough. It seems too many people are eligible for this facility at T3. In the end I think it took around 10 minutes to get through. I required no prodding or poking and no swabbing today so I was quickly on my way through the heaving terminal 3 shopping mall.
I made my way down to the CX lounge lobby and said hello to the cardboard CX lady before taking the lift up to the first floor. Here a real CX lady took my lounge invite and invited me into the F section of the lounge.
Once inside I dropped my things in my usual corner and made my way over to the food area to see what was on offer.
On offer was pork congee, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, tomato, baked beans & mushrooms along with the usual continental goodies and some cereals. In the drinks department I had the choice of Veuve Clicquot or Perrier Jouet.
I proceeded back to my corner with a bowl of cereal and an apple juice.
Once this was dealt with I went back and braved my first glass of bubbly for the day. I asked the agent if they were doing the noodles from the J side. She said they wouldn’t start until 09:30, which was in 15 minutes. She took my order for dan dan noodles and came back around 10 minutes later with the lovely bowl of dan dan yum yum.
I contemplated a visit to the BA F lounge, but decided against it as I was in no need of more food and the PJ bubbles were perfectly acceptable to sip on.
The flight posted on the screens as leaving from gate 18, which was a fair hike from the lounge. Gone are the days when the CX flights left from a short walk along the terminal. Those gates now seem to be the domain of the 380 brigades.
The lounge agent announced that boarding would not start for a while and to stay seated in the lounge until an announcement was made.
At around 10:55 the agent announced boarding so I collected my things and made my way down to the gate. At the gate they had two lines for BP / PP checks, one for First and Business and one for other travellers.
There was a short queue at the F/J line and after I was swiped in I was asked to go straight on board through door B.
Flight CX0252 LHR-HKG Seat 2A
Aircraft: 747-400
Departure time: 11:35
I was escorted to my seat by the F purser and offered a drink. Of course you all know I asked for a glass of champagne. Another crew member offered to get a set of PJs for me and I asked for medium as the large ones I had last time were way too big.
A glass was delivered to my seat and then the bottle of Krug was presented before pouring me a glass. Hmm I had forgotten how fruity and yeasty the Krug NV champagne was. I think my favourite is still the QF Taittinger Comtes de Champagne. Hopefully on this trip I will be able to sample some new bubbles. But more on that later.
As I settled in I noted that there were 3 other occupants of the first cabin. It seems two last minute upgraders or op-ups joined myself and 2K who had been the only two occupants of the cabin up until around 1 hour out (according to the seat map on EF).
The first of many hot towels on this flight arrived at my seat.
The captain announced a 10 hour and 59 minute flight time and indicated we would be pushing back soon. At 11:25 the captain announced that a passenger needed to be offloaded and they had to remove their bags and we would be delayed 10 to 15 minutes. Another glass of champagne was offered and accepted. The menu and wine list were handed out and orders for post take off drinks and the meal were taken a few minutes later.
Lunch
Caviar and Balik
Caviar and Balik salmon “Tsar Nocolaj”
International Favourites
Spicy lentil soup
Mixed salad with seared scallops, chorizo sausage, white balsamic and herb dressing
Seared cod fillet drizzled with lemon oil, creamy mashed potatoes and trio of broad beans, green beans and garden peas and a provencale sauce
Or
Seared boursin chicken with butternut risotto and baby beetroot
Or
Saffron gnocchi with roasted artichoke cream sauce, cherry tomato relish and rocket
Chinese Favourites
Chicken with wolfberries and lotus seed
Cold plate – shimizi mushroom salad
Beef fillet with chilli and black pepper, steamed rice and stir-fried kailan
Cheese and Dessert:
Tornegus, Cropwell Bishop Stilton, Butler’s Secret, Camembert
Fresh berries with cream
Warm apple and thyme tart tartin with vanilla ice cream
Black sesame dessert
Tea and Coffee
Pralines
Snacks
Assorted finger sandwiches
Roasted duck in noodle soup
Ice cream
Champagne:
Krug Grande Cuvee Champagne
Founded in Reims in 1843, the House of Krug is now managed by the 5th and 6th generations of the Krug Family. Rigorous selection and care go into every detail of the multi-vintage Grande Cuvee, which offers a magical combination of aromatic complexity, power and finesse with a long, lingering finish. Krug is the ultimate experience in champagne.
White Wines:
Vincent Girardin Puligny-MontrachetVieilles Vignes 2008
Puligny Montrachet is a well-known appellation of Burgundy wine, containing some of the most famous vineyards in the world. The nose of this powerful wine is elegantly fruited with rich perfume. The palate is rounded, almost plump with lush, rich flavours balanced by a well-integrated acidity and a sustained finish.
Spy Valley Envoy Sauvignon Blanc 2010
The fruit of this Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc was handpicked from the oldest wines in the Johnson Estate. The juice was fermented in French oak barrels and remained on lees for 12 months before blending and bottling, which gives the complexity and structure to this special wine. The palate is round with firm acidity and delicious flavours of dried herbs and rich tropical fruits.
Red Wines:
1855 Bordeaux Classification Wine Promotion
We have carefully chosen 6 Classified Growths from the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 to complement our First Class wine selection. Please refer to the wine booklet for the promotion and check with our Cabin Crew which of the wines is on offer on this flight.
Today’s flight had:
Chateau Lynch Bages Pauillac 2004
A fully-saturated inky ruby color, the nose offers aromas of blackcurrant and cherry. Sweet, lush and ripe, with pure blackberry, cocoa and coffee flavours, its full-bodied texture, very good balance and sound acidity keeps this light on its feet. Fully mature with a smooth voluptuous finish, it is very enjoyable to drink now.
Castello di Gabbiano Alleanza IGT Toscana 2008
The word Alleanza means alliance. It signifies the combined efforts of two very talented winemakers from different parts of the world. This wine is produced with the best assortment of Merlot, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grown on the Castello di Gabbiano estate. It offers aromas of ripe berries which lead to a full body, with soft, silky tannins and a long finish. Enjoy this enticing wine with braised meats and aged cheese.
Wooing Treet Pinot Noir 2009
Wooing Tree is a family owned single vineyard site, situated in the heart of Central Otago, New Zealand’s coolest wine region. This award winning wine is complex and powerful, with aromas of ripe cherries, plums and a hint of spiciness. On the palate, it has supple tannins with good weight and persistence. It is a perfect example of an outstanding Central Otago Pinot Noir
Port:
Ramos Pinto Quinta de Ervamoira 10 Year Old Tawny Port
Produced from grapes grown in the vineyard Quinta da Ervamoira, this tawny offers all the maturity of an aged wine while still displaying the vigour of youth. It is smooth and full bodied, with aromas and flavours of apricot and plum balanced with vanilla scents from the aged casks.
Aperitifs and Cocktails:
Campari, Martini Rosso, Martini Extra Dry, Tio Pepe Sherry, Harveys Bristol Cream Sweet Sherry, Tanqueray Ten Gin, Bacardi Rum, Belvedere Vodka, Bloody Mary, Screwdriver
Whiskies:
Chivas Regal 12 Years Old, Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Canadian Club, Gentleman Jack Bourbon, MaCallan 17 Fine Oak Single Malt Whisky
Cognac:
Tesseron Lot 76 XO Tradition
Liqueurs:
Cointreau, Drambuie, Kahlua, Bailey’s Irish Cream
Beer:
International Selection
CX Signature Drinks:
Oriental Breeze
A sour-plum tea and cranberry juice based non-alcoholic drink with honey and fresh lemon juice and a hint of rose water.
Cloud Nine
A refreshing combination of Vodka, Cointreau and Sprite with a refreshing touch of lemon flavour.
Juices:
orange, apple, tomato
Soft Drinks:
Coke Zero, Coke, Coke Light, Sprite, Perrier water, tonic water, soda water and ginger ale
Coffees:
freshly brewed coffee, espresso, cappuccino and caffe latte regular or decaffeinated
Teas:
Fuding jasmine silver fur, Anqi supreme Ti Guan Yin, Ceylon, Japanese, Hong Kong style milk tea
organic selection: camomile, earl grey and peppermint
Hot Chocolate
We pushed back at 11:45 only 10 minutes late and taxied down to the T5 end of the runway and joined the queue when we were still alongside T5B. Finally we were ready for take off and left solid ground at 12:15.
As we took off sweeping right over London I noticed Wembley stadium below us. I could almost see the corporate box where I spent last Sunday eating a roast dinner and watching the FA Trophy football final. There are some perks to working for a large corporate and that particular jolly was a thank you for spending the previous weekend working on the upgrade.
Right we are supposed to be talking about flying CX F not bragging rights over a jolly to Wembley.
Now, where were we, ah yes the seat belt sign was soon off and the crew dropped by with my glass of bubbly and some almonds. Amenity kits were handed out and I went to change into my PJs before the meal started. I would rather have CX food on their PJs rather than my clothes.
After the nuts were consumed the crew came back to set up the table for lunch.
A hot towel was delivered before the meal service began.
I of course started with the Balik salmon and caviar that I washed down with more of the lovely Krug champagne.
After pondering the menu for a while I had decided I would go with the Chinese option; first up was the soup and mushroom salad. The soup was very nice as usual. The mushroom salad was quite odd to look at with the snow-white mushrooms looking very bizarre. They were dressed in a quite vinegary dressing.
The ISM visited for the briefest of chats and dropped off the HKG immigrations form.
I switched over to the Sauvignon Blanc with the rest of the meal. The beef and rice with pak choi came out next, I had contemplated switching over to a red wine but decided against it. The beef was a little dry and left me wishing I had tried the international menu instead.
After the main I was asked if I would like some cheese and tea or coffee. I decided on a cheese plate a cappuccino and a glass of the Macallan single malt.
Before the meal started I had put together an 8 hour playlist of albums from the extensive collection on their IFE. I listened to this throughout the meal whilst watching the world go by below. I had a reverse deja vu moment whilst flying over ST Petersburg. It seems I am forever flying over ST Petersburg; I recall taking a photo of it at night on my last flight in from SIN in January.
After the meal another hot towel was produced. I listened to music for a while before the crew offered to make up my bed. I eventually succumbed to sleep and hunkered down for a few hours. About 3 hours out of Hong Kong I awoke and decided to watch a film on the IFE. The crew dropped by and asked if I would like some breakfast I said I would wait a while before eating. I had finished my water and the crew gave me a new bottle and some juice to drink whilst watching the film.
When my movie was over it was time for breakfast. A hot towel once again visited my seat and my table was set for breakfast.
Breakfast
Starters:
Orange or grapefruit juice
Lime, mango, pineapple, yoghurt and ginger energiser
Fresh seasonal fruit
Natural or fruit yoghurt
Assorted cereals
Main Courses
Free range eggs~freshly scrambled, fried or boiled served with Cumberland pork sausage, back bacon, white pudding, grilled Roma tomato, flat mushrooms, roasted potatoes and red onion
Chicken congee
Kippers
Bread Basket
Assorted breakfast bread and fresh toast
served with Mrs. Bridges Scottish preserves, Tasmanian meadow honey and butter
I started with some yoghurt and followed this up with the full English deal. The energiser drink was lovely and had that delightful kick of ginger. The breakfast was nice and it was particularly good to be able to choose eggs, fried, boiled or scrambled. I didn’t finish it as I was still full from lunch earlier in the flight.
After breakfast I changed back into my civvies and waited the time out until landing.
Another hot towel was delivered to my seat before landing.
We dropped down out of the sunny sky into the misty cloud shrouded land below. We touched down at 07:01 and taxied up to the gate. It was a short walk from the gate to immigrations and the queues were negligible at the time of the morning.
I enquired about registering for e-Channel but the office didn’t open for another 20 minutes and I didn’t want my bag circling the carousel for that long so I decided not to wait.
Outside at the carousel I waited for a while and then an announcement was made that there would be a delay to our bags. Just my dumb luck. My bag did come out around 07:25 only 5 minutes before the e-Channel office was due to open!
I didn’t want to rock up too early to my hotel so I decided to take a wander down to the CX arrivals lounge for a shower. The lounge is down one level from where you exit customs, back under where the airport express train travels. The lounge is quite small and was crowded when I arrived but a shower was available. It was in the style of most other CX operated facilities with Murad products inside.
After a refreshing shower and change of clothes I made my way out and up to the train station to catch the train into Kowloon and the Sheraton hotel, my home for the next two nights.
The crew on this flight were great and very attentive. The seat as ever was fabulous and I love being able to curl up on it like on a sofa. The food left me wanting and I still think CX meals have deteriorated over the last few years.
Next up another short hop on CX in F.
A few more photos can be found here
This report will be short and sweet consisting of 2 CX F flights and a JL F that I have been looking forward to for some time. The occasion? Who needs one?
Well it was Easter and I wanted to get away from the mania that is work, although I didn’t know it would be as manic as it was when I booked this trip.
So you see it was quite fortuitous for me to do so. I spent the whole of the weekend before last putting in a large software upgrade to the system I have been working on over the last 3 years and then dealing with the inevitable bugs and glitches that come with such software releases. Thus it was with great relief that I departed work on the Thursday before Easter and made my way out to Heathrow.
I had originally booked a BA F flight to ICN and connection on CX down to HKG.
I had eagerly, nay obsessively, been keeping an eye on CX availability for the flight out to HKG and sure enough around 10 days out I was able to nab a direct flight on CX. Now the difficult decision was the day flight or one of the evening flights? I had options, as 3 of the 4 flights were available for award bookings.
In the end I decided for the day flight rather than sitting around the whole of Good Friday waiting.
Where were we? Ah yes I left work Thursday evening and caught the gouge train, I mean Heathrow Express, to LHR and then the free local bus to the Sheraton Skyline for the night. I understand the meaning of irony.
I must say the canapés at the Sheraton lounge are getting more dire every time I go there. The wine was acceptable for a couple of glasses, but no more. The main purpose of the stay was a good nights sleep and that was had; no noisy functions on this evening at the Skyline.
I checked out in the morning after a wee sleep in and made my way to the airport on the free local bus that leaves from across the road, a short walk away from the hotel.
Once at the airport I made my down to the CX F check-in and waited behind a couple that were being dealt with. The J agent soon called me over and proceeded to check my one bag to HKG. She printed my BP and lounge invite and enquired if I knew were the lounge was. She then said I could use the fast track lane upstairs for security.
I walked upstairs and passed the slow track that had signs indicating a 10 minute wait time. I then approached fast track and the queue was snaking outside. Now one of life’s biggest dilemmas, does one go with a 10 minute posted wait time in non fast track or queue for fast track? I decided to queue and the line seemed to move fairly quickly. Inside they had 3 WMD for fast track and they were pushed to get people through quickly enough. It seems too many people are eligible for this facility at T3. In the end I think it took around 10 minutes to get through. I required no prodding or poking and no swabbing today so I was quickly on my way through the heaving terminal 3 shopping mall.
I made my way down to the CX lounge lobby and said hello to the cardboard CX lady before taking the lift up to the first floor. Here a real CX lady took my lounge invite and invited me into the F section of the lounge.
Once inside I dropped my things in my usual corner and made my way over to the food area to see what was on offer.
On offer was pork congee, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausages, tomato, baked beans & mushrooms along with the usual continental goodies and some cereals. In the drinks department I had the choice of Veuve Clicquot or Perrier Jouet.
I proceeded back to my corner with a bowl of cereal and an apple juice.
Once this was dealt with I went back and braved my first glass of bubbly for the day. I asked the agent if they were doing the noodles from the J side. She said they wouldn’t start until 09:30, which was in 15 minutes. She took my order for dan dan noodles and came back around 10 minutes later with the lovely bowl of dan dan yum yum.
I contemplated a visit to the BA F lounge, but decided against it as I was in no need of more food and the PJ bubbles were perfectly acceptable to sip on.
The flight posted on the screens as leaving from gate 18, which was a fair hike from the lounge. Gone are the days when the CX flights left from a short walk along the terminal. Those gates now seem to be the domain of the 380 brigades.
The lounge agent announced that boarding would not start for a while and to stay seated in the lounge until an announcement was made.
At around 10:55 the agent announced boarding so I collected my things and made my way down to the gate. At the gate they had two lines for BP / PP checks, one for First and Business and one for other travellers.
There was a short queue at the F/J line and after I was swiped in I was asked to go straight on board through door B.
Flight CX0252 LHR-HKG Seat 2A
Aircraft: 747-400
Departure time: 11:35
I was escorted to my seat by the F purser and offered a drink. Of course you all know I asked for a glass of champagne. Another crew member offered to get a set of PJs for me and I asked for medium as the large ones I had last time were way too big.
A glass was delivered to my seat and then the bottle of Krug was presented before pouring me a glass. Hmm I had forgotten how fruity and yeasty the Krug NV champagne was. I think my favourite is still the QF Taittinger Comtes de Champagne. Hopefully on this trip I will be able to sample some new bubbles. But more on that later.
As I settled in I noted that there were 3 other occupants of the first cabin. It seems two last minute upgraders or op-ups joined myself and 2K who had been the only two occupants of the cabin up until around 1 hour out (according to the seat map on EF).
The first of many hot towels on this flight arrived at my seat.
The captain announced a 10 hour and 59 minute flight time and indicated we would be pushing back soon. At 11:25 the captain announced that a passenger needed to be offloaded and they had to remove their bags and we would be delayed 10 to 15 minutes. Another glass of champagne was offered and accepted. The menu and wine list were handed out and orders for post take off drinks and the meal were taken a few minutes later.
Lunch
Caviar and Balik
Caviar and Balik salmon “Tsar Nocolaj”
International Favourites
Spicy lentil soup
Mixed salad with seared scallops, chorizo sausage, white balsamic and herb dressing
Seared cod fillet drizzled with lemon oil, creamy mashed potatoes and trio of broad beans, green beans and garden peas and a provencale sauce
Or
Seared boursin chicken with butternut risotto and baby beetroot
Or
Saffron gnocchi with roasted artichoke cream sauce, cherry tomato relish and rocket
Chinese Favourites
Chicken with wolfberries and lotus seed
Cold plate – shimizi mushroom salad
Beef fillet with chilli and black pepper, steamed rice and stir-fried kailan
Cheese and Dessert:
Tornegus, Cropwell Bishop Stilton, Butler’s Secret, Camembert
Fresh berries with cream
Warm apple and thyme tart tartin with vanilla ice cream
Black sesame dessert
Tea and Coffee
Pralines
Snacks
Assorted finger sandwiches
Roasted duck in noodle soup
Ice cream
Champagne:
Krug Grande Cuvee Champagne
Founded in Reims in 1843, the House of Krug is now managed by the 5th and 6th generations of the Krug Family. Rigorous selection and care go into every detail of the multi-vintage Grande Cuvee, which offers a magical combination of aromatic complexity, power and finesse with a long, lingering finish. Krug is the ultimate experience in champagne.
White Wines:
Vincent Girardin Puligny-MontrachetVieilles Vignes 2008
Puligny Montrachet is a well-known appellation of Burgundy wine, containing some of the most famous vineyards in the world. The nose of this powerful wine is elegantly fruited with rich perfume. The palate is rounded, almost plump with lush, rich flavours balanced by a well-integrated acidity and a sustained finish.
Spy Valley Envoy Sauvignon Blanc 2010
The fruit of this Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc was handpicked from the oldest wines in the Johnson Estate. The juice was fermented in French oak barrels and remained on lees for 12 months before blending and bottling, which gives the complexity and structure to this special wine. The palate is round with firm acidity and delicious flavours of dried herbs and rich tropical fruits.
Red Wines:
1855 Bordeaux Classification Wine Promotion
We have carefully chosen 6 Classified Growths from the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 to complement our First Class wine selection. Please refer to the wine booklet for the promotion and check with our Cabin Crew which of the wines is on offer on this flight.
Today’s flight had:
Chateau Lynch Bages Pauillac 2004
A fully-saturated inky ruby color, the nose offers aromas of blackcurrant and cherry. Sweet, lush and ripe, with pure blackberry, cocoa and coffee flavours, its full-bodied texture, very good balance and sound acidity keeps this light on its feet. Fully mature with a smooth voluptuous finish, it is very enjoyable to drink now.
Castello di Gabbiano Alleanza IGT Toscana 2008
The word Alleanza means alliance. It signifies the combined efforts of two very talented winemakers from different parts of the world. This wine is produced with the best assortment of Merlot, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grown on the Castello di Gabbiano estate. It offers aromas of ripe berries which lead to a full body, with soft, silky tannins and a long finish. Enjoy this enticing wine with braised meats and aged cheese.
Wooing Treet Pinot Noir 2009
Wooing Tree is a family owned single vineyard site, situated in the heart of Central Otago, New Zealand’s coolest wine region. This award winning wine is complex and powerful, with aromas of ripe cherries, plums and a hint of spiciness. On the palate, it has supple tannins with good weight and persistence. It is a perfect example of an outstanding Central Otago Pinot Noir
Port:
Ramos Pinto Quinta de Ervamoira 10 Year Old Tawny Port
Produced from grapes grown in the vineyard Quinta da Ervamoira, this tawny offers all the maturity of an aged wine while still displaying the vigour of youth. It is smooth and full bodied, with aromas and flavours of apricot and plum balanced with vanilla scents from the aged casks.
Aperitifs and Cocktails:
Campari, Martini Rosso, Martini Extra Dry, Tio Pepe Sherry, Harveys Bristol Cream Sweet Sherry, Tanqueray Ten Gin, Bacardi Rum, Belvedere Vodka, Bloody Mary, Screwdriver
Whiskies:
Chivas Regal 12 Years Old, Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Canadian Club, Gentleman Jack Bourbon, MaCallan 17 Fine Oak Single Malt Whisky
Cognac:
Tesseron Lot 76 XO Tradition
Liqueurs:
Cointreau, Drambuie, Kahlua, Bailey’s Irish Cream
Beer:
International Selection
CX Signature Drinks:
Oriental Breeze
A sour-plum tea and cranberry juice based non-alcoholic drink with honey and fresh lemon juice and a hint of rose water.
Cloud Nine
A refreshing combination of Vodka, Cointreau and Sprite with a refreshing touch of lemon flavour.
Juices:
orange, apple, tomato
Soft Drinks:
Coke Zero, Coke, Coke Light, Sprite, Perrier water, tonic water, soda water and ginger ale
Coffees:
freshly brewed coffee, espresso, cappuccino and caffe latte regular or decaffeinated
Teas:
Fuding jasmine silver fur, Anqi supreme Ti Guan Yin, Ceylon, Japanese, Hong Kong style milk tea
organic selection: camomile, earl grey and peppermint
Hot Chocolate
We pushed back at 11:45 only 10 minutes late and taxied down to the T5 end of the runway and joined the queue when we were still alongside T5B. Finally we were ready for take off and left solid ground at 12:15.
As we took off sweeping right over London I noticed Wembley stadium below us. I could almost see the corporate box where I spent last Sunday eating a roast dinner and watching the FA Trophy football final. There are some perks to working for a large corporate and that particular jolly was a thank you for spending the previous weekend working on the upgrade.
Right we are supposed to be talking about flying CX F not bragging rights over a jolly to Wembley.
Now, where were we, ah yes the seat belt sign was soon off and the crew dropped by with my glass of bubbly and some almonds. Amenity kits were handed out and I went to change into my PJs before the meal started. I would rather have CX food on their PJs rather than my clothes.
After the nuts were consumed the crew came back to set up the table for lunch.
A hot towel was delivered before the meal service began.
I of course started with the Balik salmon and caviar that I washed down with more of the lovely Krug champagne.
After pondering the menu for a while I had decided I would go with the Chinese option; first up was the soup and mushroom salad. The soup was very nice as usual. The mushroom salad was quite odd to look at with the snow-white mushrooms looking very bizarre. They were dressed in a quite vinegary dressing.
The ISM visited for the briefest of chats and dropped off the HKG immigrations form.
I switched over to the Sauvignon Blanc with the rest of the meal. The beef and rice with pak choi came out next, I had contemplated switching over to a red wine but decided against it. The beef was a little dry and left me wishing I had tried the international menu instead.
After the main I was asked if I would like some cheese and tea or coffee. I decided on a cheese plate a cappuccino and a glass of the Macallan single malt.
Before the meal started I had put together an 8 hour playlist of albums from the extensive collection on their IFE. I listened to this throughout the meal whilst watching the world go by below. I had a reverse deja vu moment whilst flying over ST Petersburg. It seems I am forever flying over ST Petersburg; I recall taking a photo of it at night on my last flight in from SIN in January.
After the meal another hot towel was produced. I listened to music for a while before the crew offered to make up my bed. I eventually succumbed to sleep and hunkered down for a few hours. About 3 hours out of Hong Kong I awoke and decided to watch a film on the IFE. The crew dropped by and asked if I would like some breakfast I said I would wait a while before eating. I had finished my water and the crew gave me a new bottle and some juice to drink whilst watching the film.
When my movie was over it was time for breakfast. A hot towel once again visited my seat and my table was set for breakfast.
Breakfast
Starters:
Orange or grapefruit juice
Lime, mango, pineapple, yoghurt and ginger energiser
Fresh seasonal fruit
Natural or fruit yoghurt
Assorted cereals
Main Courses
Free range eggs~freshly scrambled, fried or boiled served with Cumberland pork sausage, back bacon, white pudding, grilled Roma tomato, flat mushrooms, roasted potatoes and red onion
Chicken congee
Kippers
Bread Basket
Assorted breakfast bread and fresh toast
served with Mrs. Bridges Scottish preserves, Tasmanian meadow honey and butter
I started with some yoghurt and followed this up with the full English deal. The energiser drink was lovely and had that delightful kick of ginger. The breakfast was nice and it was particularly good to be able to choose eggs, fried, boiled or scrambled. I didn’t finish it as I was still full from lunch earlier in the flight.
After breakfast I changed back into my civvies and waited the time out until landing.
Another hot towel was delivered to my seat before landing.
We dropped down out of the sunny sky into the misty cloud shrouded land below. We touched down at 07:01 and taxied up to the gate. It was a short walk from the gate to immigrations and the queues were negligible at the time of the morning.
I enquired about registering for e-Channel but the office didn’t open for another 20 minutes and I didn’t want my bag circling the carousel for that long so I decided not to wait.
Outside at the carousel I waited for a while and then an announcement was made that there would be a delay to our bags. Just my dumb luck. My bag did come out around 07:25 only 5 minutes before the e-Channel office was due to open!
I didn’t want to rock up too early to my hotel so I decided to take a wander down to the CX arrivals lounge for a shower. The lounge is down one level from where you exit customs, back under where the airport express train travels. The lounge is quite small and was crowded when I arrived but a shower was available. It was in the style of most other CX operated facilities with Murad products inside.
After a refreshing shower and change of clothes I made my way out and up to the train station to catch the train into Kowloon and the Sheraton hotel, my home for the next two nights.
The crew on this flight were great and very attentive. The seat as ever was fabulous and I love being able to curl up on it like on a sofa. The food left me wanting and I still think CX meals have deteriorated over the last few years.
Next up another short hop on CX in F.
A few more photos can be found here
Last edited by Moomba; Apr 2, 2013 at 6:50 pm
Mar 31, 2013, 2:52 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: DAY
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Nice start to the report.
I am starting to wonder what the deal is with airlines serving food out of plastic containers (yoghourt in your case). Seems to be happening quite a bit, on airlines that I wouldn't expect.
I haven't experienced CX F yet, so maybe this is standard for them....?
Looking forward to the rest of your report.
I am starting to wonder what the deal is with airlines serving food out of plastic containers (yoghourt in your case). Seems to be happening quite a bit, on airlines that I wouldn't expect.
I haven't experienced CX F yet, so maybe this is standard for them....?
Looking forward to the rest of your report.
Mar 31, 2013, 3:52 am
#4
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Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver • DEN-APA
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Excellent report and pics Moomba.
I usually enjoy the Chinese menu but your lunch didn't look as appetizing as what I have experienced.
But the yogurt container?? Yikes, not a very F way to serve it. Looking forward to the rest of the report.
I usually enjoy the Chinese menu but your lunch didn't look as appetizing as what I have experienced.
But the yogurt container?? Yikes, not a very F way to serve it. Looking forward to the rest of the report.
Mar 31, 2013, 6:14 am
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: UK
Posts: 10,709
Another excellent report.
I always wonder how CX manage to get things right, yet others don't like the effort. I appreciate that some shares of CX are on the stock market, but the majority is with the Swire family through well Swire. Is this the help that CX has?
Its something I ponder of Champagne.
I always wonder how CX manage to get things right, yet others don't like the effort. I appreciate that some shares of CX are on the stock market, but the majority is with the Swire family through well Swire. Is this the help that CX has?
Its something I ponder of Champagne.
Mar 31, 2013, 6:39 am
#6
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: London, UK
Programs: AA 2MM - PLT, BA GGL, SPG Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,221
Thanks 
I can't remember which airline it was but in the not too distant past I have had yoghurt served in a small bowl rather than the plastic container. It was a bit of shock to see the plastic container served up to me.
Yes I was really disappointed with the Chinese meal on this flight. Now I ponder the decision Kaiseki or international on my flight tomorrow.
Thanks Origin.
Nice start to the report.
I am starting to wonder what the deal is with airlines serving food out of plastic containers (yoghourt in your case). Seems to be happening quite a bit, on airlines that I wouldn't expect.
I haven't experienced CX F yet, so maybe this is standard for them....?
Looking forward to the rest of your report.
I am starting to wonder what the deal is with airlines serving food out of plastic containers (yoghourt in your case). Seems to be happening quite a bit, on airlines that I wouldn't expect.
I haven't experienced CX F yet, so maybe this is standard for them....?
Looking forward to the rest of your report.
Another excellent report.
I always wonder how CX manage to get things right, yet others don't like the effort. I appreciate that some shares of CX are on the stock market, but the majority is with the Swire family through well Swire. Is this the help that CX has?
Its something I ponder of Champagne.
I always wonder how CX manage to get things right, yet others don't like the effort. I appreciate that some shares of CX are on the stock market, but the majority is with the Swire family through well Swire. Is this the help that CX has?
Its something I ponder of Champagne.
Mar 31, 2013, 6:46 am
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: London, UK
Programs: AA 2MM - PLT, BA GGL, SPG Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,221
A picture interlude whilst awaiting the main course - another F flight
I thought you might like to see some pictures I took from my hotel room by day and some during the light show at night. Enjoy.
Mar 31, 2013, 8:39 am
#8
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: BTR/MSY
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Posts: 1,258
Another great start to a great report, Moomba. It has indeed been awhile. I am especially looking forward to your JL F flight(s), as I will be flying them a little later this year.
Mar 31, 2013, 2:15 pm
#9
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Posts: 12,148
Nice to see you back in the air again, Moomba. Thanks for taking the time to transcribe that menu and wine list but what's with those photos of yet to be eaten food?! Not that I'm complaining, mind you. Happy contrails and I look forward to the rest of your trip.
Mar 31, 2013, 9:01 pm
#11
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: ANC
Programs: AS; Hyatt; Bonvoy
Posts: 1,718
Glad you decided to again hit the keyboard and share your long holiday weekend with us. Your report is a good read, making it lovely to vicariously fly - and dine - alongside you during the journey. I'm looking forward to the next installment!
Apr 1, 2013, 6:51 pm
#13
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: London, UK
Programs: AA 2MM - PLT, BA GGL, SPG Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,221
Of course I will still ensure the unblemished food pics are up on Flickr.Nope the Sheraton next door.
Apr 1, 2013, 7:06 pm
#14
Original Poster
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: London, UK
Programs: AA 2MM - PLT, BA GGL, SPG Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,221
Off to Japan CX F
After a rainy couple of days in Hong Kong it was time to fly to Tokyo to spend a rainy couple of days there.
I checked out around midday and instead of catching the airport express bus from the Sheraton, which stops at five more hotels before getting to Kowloon station, I walked across the street and caught another airport express bus from behind the Peninsula hotel. The bus was there waiting for me and after two more stops I was inside Kowloon station. I jumped the AEX that left within a minute of my making the platform and 20 minutes later I was making my way up to the CX F check-in podiums.
I was quickly check-in and my bag whisked away. Next up was security and immigrations, both of which were a breeze.
I took a hard left and walked down the alley to get my first glimpse of the new CX Wing F lounge. First impressions? Black. Black, black and more black, although it is shiny black it is still black.
My lounge invite was taken and I walked on in. Immediately to your right is the champagne bar serving Moet, Moet Pink and VC bubbles.
Further down was a small library with some solo chairs.
Next a larger seating area with lounge chairs and single seaters.
There were some areas with desks and computers off to the side.
A manned bar was at the far end. On the left were the entrances to the bathrooms and the cabana and shower suites. I didn’t venture into these.
Right at the far end was the restaurant. This is where I headed first to get some lunch. Again the theme here was black, black and more black.
I was seated at a table and asked for a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. I don’t now if they have a wine menu or not, one was not offered. Neither was an a la carte menu for food offered, a criticism I have read about on the CX forum. I checked out the buffet items and was happy to nibble on a few of these for lunch. The had soya chicken, spring rolls, dim sum, sushi, chicken with olives, a pork dish, duck fried rice and various other salad and cold items.
The food was OK but nothing really outstanding. After my meal I made my way back up to the champagne bar area as it was less crowded there. I grabbed a glass of VC and fired up my laptop. The wifi was of good strength and there was no need to enter passwords or the like, it just worked.
I surfed for a while and read some of my book before venturing down to the bar to see what was on offer. I decided to go with a Cranbetini, which is a Gin, Cassis and Cranberry juice cocktail. It was quite nice. I was also able to grab a small bowl of nuts from the bar staff to take back to my seat.
As usual I headed down to the gate way too early and as it turns out boarding was delayed and we didn’t start to board until almost 16:00 for a 16:15 flight. As usual in HKG they processed the long J/F queue using both doors before taking any Y passengers on. Not that I saw that of course.
Flight CX0542 HKG-HND Seat 1A
Aircraft: 747-400
Departure time: 16:15
I was about the 5th on board and was escorted to my seat 1A. I noticed that 1K and 2K were travelling together and asked if 2K wanted to swap with me, he declined making some joke about always having to be behind his wife.
Another crew member came back and welcomed me on board and asked if I would like something to drink. Champagne if you please. A hot towel was also delivered to my seat.
At 16:35 the captain finally spoke up and told us the delay was due to an internal comms problem but they had sorted it out enough for us to get going. He said we had a fast flight time of 3 hours and 25 minutes and we should make up lost time in the air. My glass was refilled twice whilst on the ground and third offered. One of the crew dropped by with the paperwork for Japanese immigration and customs.
We pushed back at 16:41 and taxied down to the end of the runway. Then finally at 17:00 we started the roll. My HKG airport runway is bumpy with some shocking thuds coming from under me as we rolled on out. We were soon in the air and into the clouds as the cloud cover around HKG hadn’t really lifted much the whole time I was there. No views of Hong Kong this trip.
After the belt signs were off the crew came around with menus and then took orders for dinner. A bowl of almonds and a glass of bubbly also appeared along with a hot towel.
After I had supped on my champagne and it was re-filled and more nuts offered it was time to set the table for dinner.
Dinner
Starters
Duck and herb terrine with kipfler potato and tomato
White bean garlic and herb soup
Main Courses
Roasted lamb rack with jus, pencil potatoes and ratatouille
Braised prawns in bean curd skin with Chinese ham and bamboo shoot, steamed jasmine rice and stir-fried broccoli
Wild mushrooms and ricotta cheese agnolotti with wild mushroom sauce and chopped parsley
Cheese and Dessert
Fourme d’Ambert, Manchego, Arenberger, French Brie
Fresh seasonal fruit
Chocolate charlotte with raspberry coulis
Tea and Coffee
Pralines
Japanese Meal
Canapes
Fish cake with seaweed and sea urchin, braised lightning baby squid, soaked live shrimp, sea eel roll
Appetiser
Sliced salmon belly, mackerel tataki style, sillago fillet skinless served with Choya Plum liqueur
Braised Dish with Clear Soup
Braised bamboo shoot, boiled sea bream roe
Clear soup with egg curd and kinome
Main Course
Side Dish
Japanese glass shrimp, ark shell meat and boiled Japanese cockle
Noodle
Cherry blooms noodle and white buckwheat noodle
Hot Dish
Steamed sea bass with sake, pan-fried and broiled shrimp with salt
Rice served with assorted pickles and miso soup
Fruit
Fresh seasonal fruit
Champagne:
Amour De Deutz Blanc de Blancs 2005
The Amour de Deutz 2005 exudes richness and yet maintains an elegant poise throughout. Brightly perfumed on the nose, it presents a lovely balance of well-rounded, rich fruit and a clean crisp vivacity, with a touch of minerals and a lingering finish. It is a great aperitif and will marry well with delicate food or dishes with well flavoured light sauces.
White Wines:
Vincent Girardin Puligny-MontrachetVieilles Vignes 2008
Puligny Montrachet is a well-known appellation of Burgundy wine, containing some of the most famous vineyards in the world. The nose of this powerful wine is elegantly fruited with rich perfume. The palate is rounded, almost plump with lush, rich flavours balanced by a well-integrated acidity and a sustained finish.
Spy Valley Envoy Sauvignon Blanc 2010
The fruit of this Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc was handpicked from the oldest wines in the Johnson Estate. The juice was fermented in French oak barrels and remained on lees for 12 months before blending and bottling, which gives the complexity and structure to this special wine. The palate is round with firm acidity and delicious flavours of dried herbs and rich tropical fruits.
Red Wines:
1855 Bordeaux Classification Wine Promotion
We have carefully chosen 6 Classified Growths from the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 to complement our First Class wine selection. Please refer to the wine booklet for the promotion and check with our Cabin Crew which of the wines is on offer on this flight.
I wasn’t told what they had on this flight.
Shingleback McLaren Vale Shiraz 2009
McLaren Vale, South Australia is a premium wine region which produces high quality, richly flavoured wines. This award winning wine is deeply coloured with an intense, dark fruited nose and an earthy mineral character. The rich dark cherry and blackberry mid-palate is tightly defined by the silky tannins and a fresh acidity. It is nicely weighted with a long expressive finish.
Castello di Gabbiano Alleanza IGT Toscana 2008
The word Alleanza means alliance. It signifies the combined efforts of two very talented winemakers from different parts of the world. This wine is produced with the best assortment of Merlot, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grown on the Castello di Gabbiano estate. It offers aromas of ripe berries which lead to a full body, with soft, silky tannins and a long finish. Enjoy this enticing wine with braised meats and aged cheese.
Port:
Ramos Pinto Quinta de Ervamoira 10 Year Old Tawny Port
Produced from grapes grown in the vineyard Quinta da Ervamoira, this tawny offers all the maturity of an aged wine while still displaying the vigour of youth. It is smooth and full bodied, with aromas and flavours of apricot and plum balanced with vanilla scents from the aged casks.
Aperitifs and Cocktails:
Campari, Martini Rosso, Martini Extra Dry, Tio Pepe Sherry, Harveys Bristol Cream Sweet Sherry, Tanqueray Ten Gin, Bacardi Rum, Belvedere Vodka, Bloody Mary, Screwdriver
Whiskies:
Chivas Regal 12 Years Old, Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Canadian Club, Gentleman Jack Bourbon, MaCallan 17 Fine Oak Single Malt Whisky
Cognac:
Tesseron Lot 76 XO Tradition
Liqueurs:
Cointreau, Drambuie, Kahlua, Bailey’s Irish Cream
Beer:
International Selection
CX Signature Drinks:
Cathay Delight
A kiwifruit based non-alcoholic drink with coconut juice and a touch of fresh mint.
Pacific Sunrise
A refreshing combination of champagne and Drambuie with the zest of orange and lemon.
Juices:
orange, apple, tomato
Soft Drinks:
Coke Zero, Coke, Coke Light, Sprite, Perrier water, tonic water, soda water and ginger ale
Coffees:
freshly brewed coffee, espresso, cappuccino and caffe latte regular or decaffeinated
Teas:
Fuding jasmine silver fur, Anqi supreme Ti Guan Yin, Ceylon, Japanese, Hong Kong style milk tea
organic selection: camomile, earl grey and peppermint
Hot Chocolate
Before the meal started the ISM dropped by to welcome me on board.
As I am not a huge seafood fan I decided to forgo the visual splendour that would be the Kaiseki meal and went with the Western option.
First up was the duck terrine that was fairly bland but edible.
The breadbasket had arrived with the starter also and included some lovely garlic bread. I switched over to the Sauvignon Blanc for this and the soup course. The soup was next and the crew doused it with a sprinkling of black pepper. Hmm, soup nice.
The main course was up next after declining my third glass of Sauvignon Blanc. However I did switch over to the Shiraz which paired with my lamb rack quite nicely.
The lamb was tasty as ever and the accompanying ratatouille was almost as good as mine!
My glass never managed to get anywhere near empty during the meal and the crew were out and about the cabin quite a lot. Once my main was consumed I was asked if I would like cheese or dessert. I said I would wait a while before deciding. The crew member cleared away my table and left the water and red wine and produced a small plate of pralines and another hot towel. The F purser dropped by and asked if I wouldn’t mind filling in a survey. I must have well over a dozen CX pens in my collection now.
I sat and supped red wine whilst listening to my music playlist and filled in the forms.
After a several refills of wine and top ups of water I asked if I could have some cheese. The crew member was back shortly with a platter showing these cheeses on offer and I selected 3 of the four to partake in.
A moment later my table was once again set with a tablecloth and a platter with crackers, bread, fruit, grapes and cheese arrived and my glass was filled again with more of the luscious red wine. I was asked if I wanted to try some port but declined opting to keep drinking the red.
After finishing off the plate I was well and truly full up to pussies bow. I declined any further wine but did ask for some more water. A bottle soon appeared at my seat and I supped on that for the remainder of the quick flight.
And quick it was, the IFE was showing a 140 km tail wind and ground speeds in excess of 1000 km/hour. It was no wonder we were making up the lost time.
The captain announced our imminent arrival and the crew set about putting things in order for landing. We touched down at 21:21 and the bridge was attached quite quickly. I thanked the crew and walked off the plane first and hiked up to immigrations.
There was no queue at all and I was dealt with quickly by an agent. The bags started to appear around 10 minutes later and mine was about the 4th off. I then made my way out via customs with no further screening required.
I had done my research and had decided the monorail to Hammatsucho and then the Yamanote Line to Ebisu was the way to go to get to the Westin. I purchased a Suica card from the vending machines. This card is a pre-pay card that works on almost all public transport in the Tokyo area and saves fiddling around with change and purchasing tickets constantly. The monorail train approached within a minute of my getting to the platform and 20 minutes later I was changing to the Yamanote line where a train was along within two minutes. I couldn’t believe how many business-suited men were on the train at 22:00 at night. I have recently been reading a book on Japan, the people, culture, what makes them tick type of book. It describes how on busy trains people will back themselves into the carriage in order to squeeze on. This way they avoid eye contact when shoving themselves onto a busy train. This is perfectly acceptable behaviour to the Japanese. I got to experience this behaviour on tonight's journey and knowing smile emerged on my face as it happened.
Sixteen minutes later I was at Ebisu station and a short walk later entered the Westin Hotel, 1 hour and 10 minutes after touchdown. Try that flying into Narita!!
Here I will leave you until my flight back to the UK on Thursday.
As usual some more photos here including plates of pristine food
I checked out around midday and instead of catching the airport express bus from the Sheraton, which stops at five more hotels before getting to Kowloon station, I walked across the street and caught another airport express bus from behind the Peninsula hotel. The bus was there waiting for me and after two more stops I was inside Kowloon station. I jumped the AEX that left within a minute of my making the platform and 20 minutes later I was making my way up to the CX F check-in podiums.
I was quickly check-in and my bag whisked away. Next up was security and immigrations, both of which were a breeze.
I took a hard left and walked down the alley to get my first glimpse of the new CX Wing F lounge. First impressions? Black. Black, black and more black, although it is shiny black it is still black.
My lounge invite was taken and I walked on in. Immediately to your right is the champagne bar serving Moet, Moet Pink and VC bubbles.
Further down was a small library with some solo chairs.
Next a larger seating area with lounge chairs and single seaters.
There were some areas with desks and computers off to the side.
A manned bar was at the far end. On the left were the entrances to the bathrooms and the cabana and shower suites. I didn’t venture into these.
Right at the far end was the restaurant. This is where I headed first to get some lunch. Again the theme here was black, black and more black.
I was seated at a table and asked for a glass of Sauvignon Blanc. I don’t now if they have a wine menu or not, one was not offered. Neither was an a la carte menu for food offered, a criticism I have read about on the CX forum. I checked out the buffet items and was happy to nibble on a few of these for lunch. The had soya chicken, spring rolls, dim sum, sushi, chicken with olives, a pork dish, duck fried rice and various other salad and cold items.
The food was OK but nothing really outstanding. After my meal I made my way back up to the champagne bar area as it was less crowded there. I grabbed a glass of VC and fired up my laptop. The wifi was of good strength and there was no need to enter passwords or the like, it just worked.
I surfed for a while and read some of my book before venturing down to the bar to see what was on offer. I decided to go with a Cranbetini, which is a Gin, Cassis and Cranberry juice cocktail. It was quite nice. I was also able to grab a small bowl of nuts from the bar staff to take back to my seat.
As usual I headed down to the gate way too early and as it turns out boarding was delayed and we didn’t start to board until almost 16:00 for a 16:15 flight. As usual in HKG they processed the long J/F queue using both doors before taking any Y passengers on. Not that I saw that of course.
Flight CX0542 HKG-HND Seat 1A
Aircraft: 747-400
Departure time: 16:15
I was about the 5th on board and was escorted to my seat 1A. I noticed that 1K and 2K were travelling together and asked if 2K wanted to swap with me, he declined making some joke about always having to be behind his wife.
Another crew member came back and welcomed me on board and asked if I would like something to drink. Champagne if you please. A hot towel was also delivered to my seat.
At 16:35 the captain finally spoke up and told us the delay was due to an internal comms problem but they had sorted it out enough for us to get going. He said we had a fast flight time of 3 hours and 25 minutes and we should make up lost time in the air. My glass was refilled twice whilst on the ground and third offered. One of the crew dropped by with the paperwork for Japanese immigration and customs.
We pushed back at 16:41 and taxied down to the end of the runway. Then finally at 17:00 we started the roll. My HKG airport runway is bumpy with some shocking thuds coming from under me as we rolled on out. We were soon in the air and into the clouds as the cloud cover around HKG hadn’t really lifted much the whole time I was there. No views of Hong Kong this trip.
After the belt signs were off the crew came around with menus and then took orders for dinner. A bowl of almonds and a glass of bubbly also appeared along with a hot towel.
After I had supped on my champagne and it was re-filled and more nuts offered it was time to set the table for dinner.
Dinner
Starters
Duck and herb terrine with kipfler potato and tomato
White bean garlic and herb soup
Main Courses
Roasted lamb rack with jus, pencil potatoes and ratatouille
Braised prawns in bean curd skin with Chinese ham and bamboo shoot, steamed jasmine rice and stir-fried broccoli
Wild mushrooms and ricotta cheese agnolotti with wild mushroom sauce and chopped parsley
Cheese and Dessert
Fourme d’Ambert, Manchego, Arenberger, French Brie
Fresh seasonal fruit
Chocolate charlotte with raspberry coulis
Tea and Coffee
Pralines
Japanese Meal
Canapes
Fish cake with seaweed and sea urchin, braised lightning baby squid, soaked live shrimp, sea eel roll
Appetiser
Sliced salmon belly, mackerel tataki style, sillago fillet skinless served with Choya Plum liqueur
Braised Dish with Clear Soup
Braised bamboo shoot, boiled sea bream roe
Clear soup with egg curd and kinome
Main Course
Side Dish
Japanese glass shrimp, ark shell meat and boiled Japanese cockle
Noodle
Cherry blooms noodle and white buckwheat noodle
Hot Dish
Steamed sea bass with sake, pan-fried and broiled shrimp with salt
Rice served with assorted pickles and miso soup
Fruit
Fresh seasonal fruit
Champagne:
Amour De Deutz Blanc de Blancs 2005
The Amour de Deutz 2005 exudes richness and yet maintains an elegant poise throughout. Brightly perfumed on the nose, it presents a lovely balance of well-rounded, rich fruit and a clean crisp vivacity, with a touch of minerals and a lingering finish. It is a great aperitif and will marry well with delicate food or dishes with well flavoured light sauces.
White Wines:
Vincent Girardin Puligny-MontrachetVieilles Vignes 2008
Puligny Montrachet is a well-known appellation of Burgundy wine, containing some of the most famous vineyards in the world. The nose of this powerful wine is elegantly fruited with rich perfume. The palate is rounded, almost plump with lush, rich flavours balanced by a well-integrated acidity and a sustained finish.
Spy Valley Envoy Sauvignon Blanc 2010
The fruit of this Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc was handpicked from the oldest wines in the Johnson Estate. The juice was fermented in French oak barrels and remained on lees for 12 months before blending and bottling, which gives the complexity and structure to this special wine. The palate is round with firm acidity and delicious flavours of dried herbs and rich tropical fruits.
Red Wines:
1855 Bordeaux Classification Wine Promotion
We have carefully chosen 6 Classified Growths from the Bordeaux Wine Official Classification of 1855 to complement our First Class wine selection. Please refer to the wine booklet for the promotion and check with our Cabin Crew which of the wines is on offer on this flight.
I wasn’t told what they had on this flight.
Shingleback McLaren Vale Shiraz 2009
McLaren Vale, South Australia is a premium wine region which produces high quality, richly flavoured wines. This award winning wine is deeply coloured with an intense, dark fruited nose and an earthy mineral character. The rich dark cherry and blackberry mid-palate is tightly defined by the silky tannins and a fresh acidity. It is nicely weighted with a long expressive finish.
Castello di Gabbiano Alleanza IGT Toscana 2008
The word Alleanza means alliance. It signifies the combined efforts of two very talented winemakers from different parts of the world. This wine is produced with the best assortment of Merlot, Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes grown on the Castello di Gabbiano estate. It offers aromas of ripe berries which lead to a full body, with soft, silky tannins and a long finish. Enjoy this enticing wine with braised meats and aged cheese.
Port:
Ramos Pinto Quinta de Ervamoira 10 Year Old Tawny Port
Produced from grapes grown in the vineyard Quinta da Ervamoira, this tawny offers all the maturity of an aged wine while still displaying the vigour of youth. It is smooth and full bodied, with aromas and flavours of apricot and plum balanced with vanilla scents from the aged casks.
Aperitifs and Cocktails:
Campari, Martini Rosso, Martini Extra Dry, Tio Pepe Sherry, Harveys Bristol Cream Sweet Sherry, Tanqueray Ten Gin, Bacardi Rum, Belvedere Vodka, Bloody Mary, Screwdriver
Whiskies:
Chivas Regal 12 Years Old, Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Canadian Club, Gentleman Jack Bourbon, MaCallan 17 Fine Oak Single Malt Whisky
Cognac:
Tesseron Lot 76 XO Tradition
Liqueurs:
Cointreau, Drambuie, Kahlua, Bailey’s Irish Cream
Beer:
International Selection
CX Signature Drinks:
Cathay Delight
A kiwifruit based non-alcoholic drink with coconut juice and a touch of fresh mint.
Pacific Sunrise
A refreshing combination of champagne and Drambuie with the zest of orange and lemon.
Juices:
orange, apple, tomato
Soft Drinks:
Coke Zero, Coke, Coke Light, Sprite, Perrier water, tonic water, soda water and ginger ale
Coffees:
freshly brewed coffee, espresso, cappuccino and caffe latte regular or decaffeinated
Teas:
Fuding jasmine silver fur, Anqi supreme Ti Guan Yin, Ceylon, Japanese, Hong Kong style milk tea
organic selection: camomile, earl grey and peppermint
Hot Chocolate
Before the meal started the ISM dropped by to welcome me on board.
As I am not a huge seafood fan I decided to forgo the visual splendour that would be the Kaiseki meal and went with the Western option.
First up was the duck terrine that was fairly bland but edible.
The breadbasket had arrived with the starter also and included some lovely garlic bread. I switched over to the Sauvignon Blanc for this and the soup course. The soup was next and the crew doused it with a sprinkling of black pepper. Hmm, soup nice.
The main course was up next after declining my third glass of Sauvignon Blanc. However I did switch over to the Shiraz which paired with my lamb rack quite nicely.
The lamb was tasty as ever and the accompanying ratatouille was almost as good as mine!
My glass never managed to get anywhere near empty during the meal and the crew were out and about the cabin quite a lot. Once my main was consumed I was asked if I would like cheese or dessert. I said I would wait a while before deciding. The crew member cleared away my table and left the water and red wine and produced a small plate of pralines and another hot towel. The F purser dropped by and asked if I wouldn’t mind filling in a survey. I must have well over a dozen CX pens in my collection now.
I sat and supped red wine whilst listening to my music playlist and filled in the forms.
After a several refills of wine and top ups of water I asked if I could have some cheese. The crew member was back shortly with a platter showing these cheeses on offer and I selected 3 of the four to partake in.
A moment later my table was once again set with a tablecloth and a platter with crackers, bread, fruit, grapes and cheese arrived and my glass was filled again with more of the luscious red wine. I was asked if I wanted to try some port but declined opting to keep drinking the red.
After finishing off the plate I was well and truly full up to pussies bow. I declined any further wine but did ask for some more water. A bottle soon appeared at my seat and I supped on that for the remainder of the quick flight.
And quick it was, the IFE was showing a 140 km tail wind and ground speeds in excess of 1000 km/hour. It was no wonder we were making up the lost time.
The captain announced our imminent arrival and the crew set about putting things in order for landing. We touched down at 21:21 and the bridge was attached quite quickly. I thanked the crew and walked off the plane first and hiked up to immigrations.
There was no queue at all and I was dealt with quickly by an agent. The bags started to appear around 10 minutes later and mine was about the 4th off. I then made my way out via customs with no further screening required.
I had done my research and had decided the monorail to Hammatsucho and then the Yamanote Line to Ebisu was the way to go to get to the Westin. I purchased a Suica card from the vending machines. This card is a pre-pay card that works on almost all public transport in the Tokyo area and saves fiddling around with change and purchasing tickets constantly. The monorail train approached within a minute of my getting to the platform and 20 minutes later I was changing to the Yamanote line where a train was along within two minutes. I couldn’t believe how many business-suited men were on the train at 22:00 at night. I have recently been reading a book on Japan, the people, culture, what makes them tick type of book. It describes how on busy trains people will back themselves into the carriage in order to squeeze on. This way they avoid eye contact when shoving themselves onto a busy train. This is perfectly acceptable behaviour to the Japanese. I got to experience this behaviour on tonight's journey and knowing smile emerged on my face as it happened.
Sixteen minutes later I was at Ebisu station and a short walk later entered the Westin Hotel, 1 hour and 10 minutes after touchdown. Try that flying into Narita!!
Here I will leave you until my flight back to the UK on Thursday.
As usual some more photos here including plates of pristine food
Last edited by Moomba; Apr 2, 2013 at 7:11 pm