CDG-SIN-CDG, Air France New First Class and New Business Class
Jan 21, 2006, 3:10 am
#17
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23:45 What do we have for dinner, er, supper?
Well, they've changed the design of the l'Espace menus. No more large booklet with cream-coloured thick pages. The new menu is about half the size of the former one (which they still had 6 months ago) and has 8 pages instead of 12. French and English only, no Mandarin Chinese.
Le goűt du voyage, by Guy Martin
Souper ŕ la carte
Choix de hors-d’oeuvre (Choice of hors d’oeuvre)
Ravioles de légumes parfumées au sésame et ŕ la crčme d’Abondance
Vegetable ravioli with sesame and Abondance cheese sauce
Foie gras de canard en terrine aux herbes, compotée de fruits toute-épice
Duck foie gras terrine with herbs, allspice fruit compote
* * *
Choix de plats chauds (Choice of main courses)
Filet de boeuf, jus de persil, patate douce acidulée et foie gras
Filet of beef with light parsley sauce accompanied by sweet potato and foie gras
Filet de dorade grillé ŕ l’huile d’olive
Grilled fillet of sea bream with a olive oil
* * *
La sélection du maître fromager
Our special selection of cheese
La corbeille du boulanger
Fresh bakery selection
* * *
Dessert
Dacquoise noisette et chocolat au lait
Hazelnut milk chocolate dacquoise
Sorbet et petits fours secs
Sherbet with cookies
Assortiment de fruits frais
Assortment of fresh fruit
Carte des vins
Wine list
Champagne Jacquesson Avize Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs 1996
Sauternes Château Suduiraut 1997 Premier Cru
Meursault Les Grands Charrons 2001 Vincent Girardin
Pommard 2002 Bouchard aîné et fils
Saint Estčphe Château les Ormes de Pez 2001 Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel JM. Cazes
Blended Scotch Whisky 12 years old
Pure Malt Whisky 15 years old
Bourbon 8 years old
Apéritif anisé, Gin, Vodka, Vermouth
Porto Late Bottled Vintage 1998
Fruit Brandy
Bas Armagnac 1991
Cognac XO
Calvados hors d’âge
Whisky Liqueur
Beer
Soft drinks and juices
Coffee and tea accompanied by a Lenôtre Napolitan chocolate
Teas and herbal teas from Le Palais des Thés
Mineral water
Evian, Badoit, Perrier
Well, they've changed the design of the l'Espace menus. No more large booklet with cream-coloured thick pages. The new menu is about half the size of the former one (which they still had 6 months ago) and has 8 pages instead of 12. French and English only, no Mandarin Chinese.
Le goűt du voyage, by Guy Martin
Souper ŕ la carte
Choix de hors-d’oeuvre (Choice of hors d’oeuvre)
Ravioles de légumes parfumées au sésame et ŕ la crčme d’Abondance
Vegetable ravioli with sesame and Abondance cheese sauce
Foie gras de canard en terrine aux herbes, compotée de fruits toute-épice
Duck foie gras terrine with herbs, allspice fruit compote
* * *
Choix de plats chauds (Choice of main courses)
Filet de boeuf, jus de persil, patate douce acidulée et foie gras
Filet of beef with light parsley sauce accompanied by sweet potato and foie gras
Filet de dorade grillé ŕ l’huile d’olive
Grilled fillet of sea bream with a olive oil
* * *
La sélection du maître fromager
Our special selection of cheese
La corbeille du boulanger
Fresh bakery selection
* * *
Dessert
Dacquoise noisette et chocolat au lait
Hazelnut milk chocolate dacquoise
Sorbet et petits fours secs
Sherbet with cookies
Assortiment de fruits frais
Assortment of fresh fruit
Carte des vins
Wine list
Champagne Jacquesson Avize Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs 1996
Sauternes Château Suduiraut 1997 Premier Cru
Meursault Les Grands Charrons 2001 Vincent Girardin
Pommard 2002 Bouchard aîné et fils
Saint Estčphe Château les Ormes de Pez 2001 Cru Bourgeois Exceptionnel JM. Cazes
Blended Scotch Whisky 12 years old
Pure Malt Whisky 15 years old
Bourbon 8 years old
Apéritif anisé, Gin, Vodka, Vermouth
Porto Late Bottled Vintage 1998
Fruit Brandy
Bas Armagnac 1991
Cognac XO
Calvados hors d’âge
Whisky Liqueur
Beer
Soft drinks and juices
Coffee and tea accompanied by a Lenôtre Napolitan chocolate
Teas and herbal teas from Le Palais des Thés
Mineral water
Evian, Badoit, Perrier
Jan 21, 2006, 3:23 am
#18
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I skipped the apéritif and ordered the vegetable ravioli and the filet of beef. I asked S., my "personal" FA, for wine recommendations and he suggested the Meursault (just fine with the Abondance sauce of the ravioli) and the Saint-Estčphe to go with the beef (with an implicit comment on the Pommard which he said was less mature). Same sensible menu suggestions from Olivier Poussier, AF's official sommelier (awarded the lifetime title of "World's Best Sommelier" in 2000 by the Association de la Sommellerie Internationale, held every three years), so a no brainer for everybody.
The food was served in the new l'Espace china (I was later to discover that they use the same china in business class, entirely white with two red and black undulating thin lines) that S. directly brought from the F galley.
The small portion of creamy vegetable ravioli although slightly overcooked was delicious. The winner of the "Cheese sauce vs. sesame seeds" match was the cheese sauce hands down. The filet of beef was medium rare and the parsley sauce gave a nice fresh green touch. Probably the best beef I've ever tasted in a plane. The sweet potato could not decently compete with the beef and parsley flavours, especially since I added some moutarde ŕ l'ancienne Fallot (mustard with grains) from a selection of 4 different flavours served in individual jars. Something Guy Martin would never have forgiven me so please, don't tell him if you happen to have dinner at Le Grand Véfour one of these days.
Again, like for the beef, the cheese selection was of higher quality standards than the business class's one: Camembert, Rocamadour, (flying) Bleu. What a pity that they serve it on this ridiculous fake vine leaf…
The food was served in the new l'Espace china (I was later to discover that they use the same china in business class, entirely white with two red and black undulating thin lines) that S. directly brought from the F galley.
The small portion of creamy vegetable ravioli although slightly overcooked was delicious. The winner of the "Cheese sauce vs. sesame seeds" match was the cheese sauce hands down. The filet of beef was medium rare and the parsley sauce gave a nice fresh green touch. Probably the best beef I've ever tasted in a plane. The sweet potato could not decently compete with the beef and parsley flavours, especially since I added some moutarde ŕ l'ancienne Fallot (mustard with grains) from a selection of 4 different flavours served in individual jars. Something Guy Martin would never have forgiven me so please, don't tell him if you happen to have dinner at Le Grand Véfour one of these days.
Again, like for the beef, the cheese selection was of higher quality standards than the business class's one: Camembert, Rocamadour, (flying) Bleu. What a pity that they serve it on this ridiculous fake vine leaf…
Last edited by Falco Peregrinus; Jan 22, 2006 at 12:33 pm Reason: Changed the link to a better pic of Le Grand Véfour
Jan 21, 2006, 7:58 am
#19
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Location: JNB
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Excellent food and so obviously superior to l'Espace Affaires food, as the SIN-CDG flight was bound to prove it later. Well, even though I enjoyed the meal, I was mildly disappointed to find out that the choice of courses was fairly limited, especially after reading this month's copy of Air France's in flight magazine, featuring a comprehensive article on AF's cuisine and their partnership with Guy Martin:
Sorry but not exactly. I got a choice of two main dishes and not four, no green salad with the cheese and no petits fours frais (miniature pastries) with the coffee. I was not in the mood (and did not want) to challenge the crew about this, since it was not their fault at all and since I got what was in the menu. I find the above article a bit misleading. I have no particular objection to a “shorter meal concept” for late flights as long as the level of choice remains the same. Wouldn’t it be more informative and honest to detail in which way the service is supposed to be “adapted” to the length of the flight and departure/arrival times? Number of courses? Number of choices? Does it also affect First Class? And why did I get a breakfast at 17:00?
On a side note, Guy Martin's cuisine seems a little less innovative than what it used to be a few months ago. Mixed reactions from passengers to the much more original menus of last year?
I asked for a regular cup of coffee (not an espresso). Sudden doubts, just looking at the beverage, without even tasting it: Nescafe? Yes, pretty sure. The pseudo foam was a clue. And the small "Nescafe" sugar sachet on the saucer was sending some subliminal messages too. Bring back sugar lumps, please.
Originally Posted by Air France Magazine, January 2006
Custom service
The services offered on board depend on the length of the flight; the meals are determined according to departure and arrival times. On long-haul flights, at least two services are offered: the first meal corresponds to the departure time; the second is meant to help passengers adapt to the arrival time.
Air France offers an exceptional service in the l’Espace Premičre cabin: a menu consisting of two appetizers, four main dishes, a cheese tray with a green salad, a selection of desserts and small pastries, sorbet, fruit and petits-fours, served with coffee and tea.
The services offered on board depend on the length of the flight; the meals are determined according to departure and arrival times. On long-haul flights, at least two services are offered: the first meal corresponds to the departure time; the second is meant to help passengers adapt to the arrival time.
Air France offers an exceptional service in the l’Espace Premičre cabin: a menu consisting of two appetizers, four main dishes, a cheese tray with a green salad, a selection of desserts and small pastries, sorbet, fruit and petits-fours, served with coffee and tea.
On a side note, Guy Martin's cuisine seems a little less innovative than what it used to be a few months ago. Mixed reactions from passengers to the much more original menus of last year?
I asked for a regular cup of coffee (not an espresso). Sudden doubts, just looking at the beverage, without even tasting it: Nescafe? Yes, pretty sure. The pseudo foam was a clue. And the small "Nescafe" sugar sachet on the saucer was sending some subliminal messages too. Bring back sugar lumps, please.
Jan 22, 2006, 5:35 am
#20
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It was 02:00 when I finished the box of 4 Michel Cluizel chocolates. The whole meal lasted about 1 hour and I took my time. It would have probably lasted longer if I hadn't skipped the apéritif and if they had served salad with the cheese.
Jan 22, 2006, 5:41 am
#21
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02:30 (09:30 SIN time), time to go to bed
How many times have you been able to say during a flight "it's time to go to bed" instead of "it's time to sleep"? Well, I was. Literally. "I will convert seat 2L into a bed while you can relax in 1L and read or watch a movie" said S., the FC flight attendant. Yes, that's two FC seats (one seat + one bed) for the price of one. The 2 m pitch (79 inches) makes it possible to convert the seat into a fully flat bed with a massage function. The pure wool (merino) blanket, the mattress, the duvet, the dark red cushion and a big feather pillow in a cotton pillow case highly contributed to my almost uninterrupted 7 hours of sleep.
As I quickly ran out of Evian water (these 50 cl bottles are really too small for a 12-hour flight) I did a quick visit to the l'Espace Premičre bar just behind the cockpit during the night but it hadn't been fully prepared (there were only water, fruit and a few sorbets and cookies). The l'Espace Affaires bar appeared to be much more attractive as I was to find out on my way back. IFE was perfectly working though I didn't make much use of it. And despite the presence of a crew rest area in the roof (?) of the F cabin, traffic in the F cabin remained almost unnoticeable.
How many times have you been able to say during a flight "it's time to go to bed" instead of "it's time to sleep"? Well, I was. Literally. "I will convert seat 2L into a bed while you can relax in 1L and read or watch a movie" said S., the FC flight attendant. Yes, that's two FC seats (one seat + one bed) for the price of one. The 2 m pitch (79 inches) makes it possible to convert the seat into a fully flat bed with a massage function. The pure wool (merino) blanket, the mattress, the duvet, the dark red cushion and a big feather pillow in a cotton pillow case highly contributed to my almost uninterrupted 7 hours of sleep.
As I quickly ran out of Evian water (these 50 cl bottles are really too small for a 12-hour flight) I did a quick visit to the l'Espace Premičre bar just behind the cockpit during the night but it hadn't been fully prepared (there were only water, fruit and a few sorbets and cookies). The l'Espace Affaires bar appeared to be much more attractive as I was to find out on my way back. IFE was perfectly working though I didn't make much use of it. And despite the presence of a crew rest area in the roof (?) of the F cabin, traffic in the F cabin remained almost unnoticeable.
Jan 22, 2006, 5:47 am
#22
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17:00 (SIN time) Breakfast
I woke up about 2 hours before landing and studied again Guy Martin's proposal for breakfast:
Petit déjeuner
Breakfast
Fresh fruit juice, coffee, tea, hot chocolate
Cereal yogurt
Salade de fruit frais
Fresh fruit salad
* * *
Choix de plats chauds
Oeufs brouillés aux asperges et canard poęlé, caramel au poivre du Sichuan
Scrambled eggs with asparagus and sautéed duck, caramelized Szechuan pepper sauce
Brioche style "pain perdu", compote de pommes, fraises ŕ la verveine
Brioche French toast, apple compote, strawberries with verbena
* * *
Choix de viennoiseries, petits pains, beurre, confiture et miel
Fresh bakery selection, breakfast pastries, butter, preserves and honey
I ordered the brioche French toast with an espresso AND tea (some "Tea of the Lords" from a huge selection of Le Palais des Thés, more appropriate than the espresso to match the subtle verbena flavours of the strawberry compote). The espresso was perfect (served in a specific small espresso cup) and the tea turned up in a nice steel tableware with a secondary tea pot of hot water for refills). No trace of the legendary Espace Premičre flying toaster unfortunately. I wonder if they used it in the galley for my brioche toasts...
I woke up about 2 hours before landing and studied again Guy Martin's proposal for breakfast:
Petit déjeuner
Breakfast
Fresh fruit juice, coffee, tea, hot chocolate
Cereal yogurt
Salade de fruit frais
Fresh fruit salad
* * *
Choix de plats chauds
Oeufs brouillés aux asperges et canard poęlé, caramel au poivre du Sichuan
Scrambled eggs with asparagus and sautéed duck, caramelized Szechuan pepper sauce
Brioche style "pain perdu", compote de pommes, fraises ŕ la verveine
Brioche French toast, apple compote, strawberries with verbena
* * *
Choix de viennoiseries, petits pains, beurre, confiture et miel
Fresh bakery selection, breakfast pastries, butter, preserves and honey
I ordered the brioche French toast with an espresso AND tea (some "Tea of the Lords" from a huge selection of Le Palais des Thés, more appropriate than the espresso to match the subtle verbena flavours of the strawberry compote). The espresso was perfect (served in a specific small espresso cup) and the tea turned up in a nice steel tableware with a secondary tea pot of hot water for refills). No trace of the legendary Espace Premičre flying toaster unfortunately. I wonder if they used it in the galley for my brioche toasts...
Last edited by Falco Peregrinus; Jan 22, 2006 at 5:51 am
Jan 22, 2006, 10:01 am
#24
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18:00 Arrival
Well, the fascinating 12 hr 25 experience had to come to an end. S. quickly tidied up my room (2L) while I was taking care of my office (1L) myself and tried to pack all my now useless winter clothes into my hand luggage (in addition to one l'Espace Premičre merino blanket and one full tea service tea set, sorry, just kidding). Guy B., the purser made a last appearance and asked me, in English this time, to fill a, er, 108-question satisfaction survey.
We landed at 18:28, 12 minutes ahead of schedule and taxied for less than 5 minutes. It was time to say good bye. I expressed my personal gratitude towards S. for his attentive service and went out of the aircraft a few minutes later. I don't even remember the high-speed arrival process except that I was the first PAX of AF256 to show up at the not very busy immigration desks and that I reached the taxi line at 18:45.
Well, the fascinating 12 hr 25 experience had to come to an end. S. quickly tidied up my room (2L) while I was taking care of my office (1L) myself and tried to pack all my now useless winter clothes into my hand luggage (in addition to one l'Espace Premičre merino blanket and one full tea service tea set, sorry, just kidding). Guy B., the purser made a last appearance and asked me, in English this time, to fill a, er, 108-question satisfaction survey.
We landed at 18:28, 12 minutes ahead of schedule and taxied for less than 5 minutes. It was time to say good bye. I expressed my personal gratitude towards S. for his attentive service and went out of the aircraft a few minutes later. I don't even remember the high-speed arrival process except that I was the first PAX of AF256 to show up at the not very busy immigration desks and that I reached the taxi line at 18:45.
Jan 22, 2006, 10:05 am
#25
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Well, that's it for now.
What happened between that time and the inbound segment belongs to the best kept secrets of the 2006 SIN Run (dim sum orgy, complimentary noon wake up calls from fellow FTers, magic beer refills at No Sign Board, Australian Shiraz, Swissôtel happy hour…), only shared by monitor, franny, dedehans, Moomba, violist, belle3388, mjm and a few others...
But wait, there's more to come! Stay tuned, the SIN-CDG trip report in C is in the pipe…
What happened between that time and the inbound segment belongs to the best kept secrets of the 2006 SIN Run (dim sum orgy, complimentary noon wake up calls from fellow FTers, magic beer refills at No Sign Board, Australian Shiraz, Swissôtel happy hour…), only shared by monitor, franny, dedehans, Moomba, violist, belle3388, mjm and a few others...
But wait, there's more to come! Stay tuned, the SIN-CDG trip report in C is in the pipe…
Jan 22, 2006, 10:10 am
#26
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Originally Posted by Falco Peregrinus
the SIN-CDG trip report in C is in the pipe…
, it is indeed a great report ! Thanks for sharing ^
Jan 24, 2006, 6:04 am
#29
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Excellent report! Regarding the two meal entrees as opposed to four, I can only imagine that it's because you were served a "supper" as opposed to a full dinner. As a long time collector of First Class menus, I've seen more than a few airlines offer an abbreviated main meal on the late night departures. One cabin crew member of a major international airline told me that alot of the First Class food on late night departures (after 10:00pm) goes uneaten. Most passengers have already had dinner earlier and probably snacked in the lounge before the flight. As such, a lighter menu offering would make sense. Even so, given the length of the flight and the cost of a First Class ticket, I'd rather have the option to enjoy the full service as well.
Jan 25, 2006, 4:08 am
#30
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Mumbai, India
Posts: 12
Supper v/s Dinner
I completely agree ! I honestly believe, a major part of In-flight service is food and beverage. As I am based in India, as far as "supper" goes, BA is a good example of the Supper v/s Dinner ...
BA, served a complete DINNER on their Bombay - London Night flight (0245-0830 btw 9-10 hrs flying time) including a "CAVIAR SERVICE", till the late 1999. 2000 onwards, it became DINNER, sans the Caviar, and in 2003, "supper" was a soup / salad / pasta option. in 2005, the pasta was dropped ... and repleaced by Biryani! And trust me, that is not a great option for being happy at 35,000 feet !
On the other hand, on the Premium JFK - LHR flight (7 hours (?)) we get pre-boading Caviar and Dinner in the lounge, and the full dinner and American Breakfast options on-board.
The lounges in Mumbai, are so bad and deplorable, where you get cold sandwiches and assored indian savories (which have seen better days) you won't even feed like eating before a flight... so i guess breakfast is the only viable option ... at London Airport, or on a connecting flight. The eggs, are not all they are cracked up to be, even if they are made in the galley! The catering from India, is well ... less said the better ... but atleast they still offer the fabulous Austrian dessert wine ...
Redemption ?
BA, served a complete DINNER on their Bombay - London Night flight (0245-0830 btw 9-10 hrs flying time) including a "CAVIAR SERVICE", till the late 1999. 2000 onwards, it became DINNER, sans the Caviar, and in 2003, "supper" was a soup / salad / pasta option. in 2005, the pasta was dropped ... and repleaced by Biryani! And trust me, that is not a great option for being happy at 35,000 feet !
On the other hand, on the Premium JFK - LHR flight (7 hours (?)) we get pre-boading Caviar and Dinner in the lounge, and the full dinner and American Breakfast options on-board.
The lounges in Mumbai, are so bad and deplorable, where you get cold sandwiches and assored indian savories (which have seen better days) you won't even feed like eating before a flight... so i guess breakfast is the only viable option ... at London Airport, or on a connecting flight. The eggs, are not all they are cracked up to be, even if they are made in the galley! The catering from India, is well ... less said the better ... but atleast they still offer the fabulous Austrian dessert wine ...
Redemption ?