Short hair Francis

Can you eat two mains plus all appetizers, soups, and desserts?

At least you sounded like a very happy man after today's lunch!
Glad I didn't disappointed.

Enjoy the HKG lounges and all of Asia-Pacific adventures!
Catch you at SFO sometime again

marcuslai

Oh this I can't wait to see. If I had to pick I am not sure whether I'd want them to improve on the food or the wine but apparently they did both !?!?

JALPak

I doubt the food has improved.

CMK10

Your reports are always instant subscriptions. This one is as usual, amazing and I cannot wait for more!

halfcape

As usual a very interesting tr and great photos. Looking forward to the rest.

SFO777

Once in the air, it didn't take long for our Esther, Jodi and Pam to spring into action, and deliver almost 15 hours of near flawless service.



The menu has a been nicely redesigned with more contemporary feel.



LUNCH

Caviar and Fine Smoked Salmon

International Favourites
Fennel and apple soup
Mesclun salad with king crab, tear drop tomatoes, cranberry and balsamic vinaigrette
Grilled U.S. Wagyu beef tenderloin with red wine sauce, parsley potatoes, asparagus and baby carrots
Lobster and crab ravioli with roasted red pepper coulis and grilled baby zuchini

Chinese Favourites
Double boiled conch and mushroom soup
Cold plate - marinated gluten with cucumber
Kung Po chicken
or
Pan-fried sea bass with sweet wine sauce
served with steamed jasmine rice and stir-fried mixed vegetables

Cheese and Dessert
Camembert, Yellow Cheddar, Danish Blue, Herb Goat Cheese
Seasonal fresh berries with cream
Bread and butter pudding with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce
Black sesame sweet soup

Tea and Coffee
Pralines

SNACKS
Grilled saffron marinated prawn skewer with cucumber raita
Grilled chicken breast with Brie, chipotle mayonnaise and pesto on sour dough bread with mesclun salad
Wontons in noodle soup
Hot pot rice with minced pork patty, water chestnut and mushroom, served with chicken broth
Ice cream

DINNER
Starter
Fresh seasonal fruit

Main Courses
Pan-fried kurobuta pork chop with porcini mushroom sauce, mashed potatoes, roasted heirloom carrots, baby zucchini and caramelized honey shallots
Stir-fried beef with mixed peppers, steamed jasmine rice pak choy, mushrooms and carrots
Dungeness crab cannelloni with white wine cream sauce and sauteed Swiss chard

Dessert
Raspberry mousse cake with chocolate whipped cream

Tea and Coffee
Pralines

Interesting that the menu was specifically printed for this flight/route.



Any ideas about what this entire string of numbers mean?



The wine list was a major improvement over a year ago.



Champagne
Krug Grande Cuvee Champagne

White
2007 Estancia Reserve Monterey Chardonnay
2008 Vincent Girardin Puligny-Montrachet Vieilles Vignes

Red
2010 Sauvion Deliction Chinon
2009 Finca Origen Gran Reserva Malbec
2004 Chateau Lynch Bages Grand Cru Classe Pauillac

Port
Ramos Pinto Quinta da Ervamoira 10 Year Tawny

The 2008 Girardin Puligny-Montrachet Vieilles Vignes ($45 retail, Cellar Tracker 91 rating) was outstanding, but they can do a lot better than Estancia Reserve for the same $20. The Lynch-Bages continues to be a staple while the 2010 cab franc Semillon Dilection was excellent.

Showtime as our meal service begins with the item by item elegant table setting.



The caviar and salmon were outstanding especially with another glass of Krug.



And the personalized note is always a nice touch.



Next, I decided to go with the double boiled conch and mushroom soup and moved on to the Girardin Puligny. Not a 1er cru, but still a lovely addition to the list.



Kung Po chicken was very good, even better with a little chili sauce and another glass of Puligny.





Look at all the pretty glasses all in a row. The red is the 2010 Dilection which was really enjoyable.



Next up, I decided to pull a Short hair Francis and have a 2nd main, the grilled U.S. Wagyu beef tenderloin with red wine sauce, parsley potatoes, asparagus and baby carrots. It was excellent.





A wonderful selection of delicious cheeses and, naturally, a glass of the very nice Ramos Pinto Quinta da Ervamoira 10 Year Tawny.





Dessert? Why not. The bread and butter pudding with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce was sensational.



And pralines to end this afternoon's culinary orgy.

SFO777

Thanks PresRDC, although that engine info is way TMI for me.

Thank matt. We arrived in MEL this AM, SYD on Friday. Will PM you about drinks.

Thanks ZFW-ATC. I know what you mean. One trip on QF and I miss CX already. Oops, did I give it away?

Yes I can! Thanks so much again for yesterday. Was good to see you and meet your folks. And the goose!!! OMG.



I think they did.

Looked and tasted pretty good to me.

Thanks very much CMK10. Will try to make it worthwhile.

Thanks halfcape. I appreciate it.

hamburglar

Thanks! Always a good read.

blackmamba

The food looks scrumptious! I loved how you had 3 glasses of wine + champagne in one sitting.

SFO777

After a movie and little iphoto work, I happened to look out the window. Wow, the polar route today and some incredible views of Siberia...













One of the two F lavs on the 744...











Another movie and I'm ready for a snack, the always great wontons in noodle soup...





More sightseeing, somewhere over China...







And later between Beijing and Shanghai...

Moomba

Excellent report so far SFO777.

The string of numbers in part at least contains the flight number and class of service. Not sure about the rest.

I notice the products in the bathroom seem to be different from my last trip also. Have the amenity kits changed also?

Top of climb

879 is the flight number. F-A/12 inside the < > means it's the menu for the cycle February-April 2012. 1138F has me stumped, though I suspect the F is for First and the 1138 is a unique menu code assigned to this menu.

SFO777

About 90 minutes out but not particularly hungry, I decided to take one for the team and have "Dinner". The refreshing fruit salad starter.





And the stir-fried beef with mixed peppers, steamed jasmine rice pak choy, mushrooms and carrots. Delicious!







Now one benefit of Mrs. SFO's torn ACL was the amazing reception at HKG and breeze through the terminal, customs and Immigration in HKG. At HKG, the 1L door was reserved strictly for F pax with the cabin divider curtain shut tight. J exits 2L with the back of the bus. Our wheel chair was waiting at 1L and we bid a fond farewell the Esther, Joni and Pamela. Just inside the terminal at the bottom of the jet bridge, we were met by our Mandarin Oriental rep with a golf cart. We zipped past the rest of our pax and pax from other arriving planes for what seemed like at least a mile drive to C&I, beep beeping most of the way.



While hundreds of pax did the perp walk maze, we drove far right where our "driver" took our passports into an unmarked office and returned 30 seconds later with stamped passports. Another 30 seconds, we exited C&I. What amazing service, and totally coordinated as a 2nd MO staffer met us outside the B exit and escorted us to our MO S-class for the 30 minute drive to the MO. Wow, simply wow.

milesaddict

Once Again MrSFO strikes with an outstanding report ! ^^:-:

I concur the CX F is something to try once in your life.

I'm still unable to choose who wins btw CX and SQ... Let's say it's a tie !

Looking forward reading up the remaining parts !

cheers !

SFO777

Thanks Moomba. As best I can recall, the amenity kit contents are the same and have not changed. Thought of you today in MEL when we saw this.



Look closely at the banner...



Thanks Top of climb. That helps but the 1138 is a stumper.

Thank you milesaddict for your kind comments. Have to agree... tough choice. between CX and SQ. I still give a slight edge to SQ. But Mrs. SFO, now hip to the program, asked me how I rated our QF flight vs. CX and SQ. Brutally honest, I told her my rankings were...
SQ a 10
CX and LH a 9
QF a 3.5
Yep, 3.5. Coming soon.