The first item I tried was the pike-perch terrine, which had a thoroughly enjoyable clean, subtle flavour. The scallop on polenta was also very good, although the olive and plum tapenade was perhaps too strongly flavoured for the delicate flavours of the scallops. Then I tried the cream cheese crepe roulade which was wonderfully creamy as it should be - very nice indeed. Meanwhile, the Loch Fyne salmon was also great - the chunky thick-sliced pieces had a great texture and a nice flavour. I could happily have finished all the salmon in the photo of the trolley above, but there were many more courses coming so I contented myself without any seconds. The mosaic of beef was interesting, but I preferred the other items more.
Plate of the appetisers - one of each!
After the empty plate was cleared away, the FA brought out the salad trolley containing a large bowl with mixed leaves, several small bowls each with different toppings and two different dressings (A choice of French dressing or olive oil/balsamic). I asked for some croutons, pine nuts and bacon bits on top, with the French dressing. Needless to say, it tasted great - although I suspect the combination of croutons, pine nuts, bacon bits
and the French dressing stripped any pretense of healthy eating. Maybe that's why it tasted so good?
The not-so-healthy salad
The next course brought by the FA was the tomato consommé with the grissini and basil ice cream. While the tomato consommé was not bad by any means, it was the only item in the whole meal service that was not quite to my taste. I generally prefer smooth tasting soups and this consommé tasted rather too sharp. Other people all seemed to enjoy theirs so it would appear that it was just me.
On the other hand, the basil ice cream was spectacular - I had not tried it before, but if I see it available anywhere in the future I will definitely go for it. Not the most immediately obvious combination of flavours, but it just worked. When the FA came back to collect the empty plate and asked whether I enjoyed it, I told her how much I loved the basil ice cream - and I barely missed a beat when she offered a second bowl, which was then brought with a bright smile.
Tomato consommé and the amazing basil ice cream
She also asked for my preference for the main course. In order to avoid the post-meal "pregnant with twins" feeling that seems to happen to me often often when flying F, I decided to resist the temptation to ask for two main courses.
I settled on the Special of the Day after being told that it pan-fried John Dory; I was tempted by the fillet of beef, but decided that the fish would feel lighter in the stomach afterwards.
Soon, the plate of John Dory appeared in front of me, simply presented but looking stunningly delicious. The vegetable accompaniments were buttered spinach, baton carrots and cabbage, while a side dish of mashed potato was also provided separately.
It was with the John Dory that Swiss F catering really established itself in my mind as the joint best (with NH) amongst the various airlines I have tried in F. Compared even to SQ, there was a clearly noticeable uplift in the quality of each course, as well as the aforementioned coherence in the overall meal concept. On both NH and LX, the two airlines have a western menu unswayed by any international influence (except for one Thai green curry on today's menu) which means that when you start with the amuse bouche and finish with the coffee and pralines, all the different courses in between actually make sense together rather than being a "food court-esque" mixture of the world cuisine.
Back to the plate in front of me, then - the John Dory was very fresh, still moist and perfectly cooked. The vegetables were all flavoursome and also well cooked. The mash potato was also very good, although by this point I was starting to feel a little full so I had to slow down and leave room for dessert.
Thoroughly enjoyable John Dory
I might have hinted that I was beginning to feel full, but with two more courses to go I dutifully soldiered on.
The cheese cart was brought once the plates from the previous course was cleared away. The tray of cheese was presented really well, and you could tell the FA which ones you wanted and how much of each. Personally, I only like cheese that are relatively mild (and definitely nothing with even a hint of blue) so I asked for three of the five types listed on the menu. The following were available:
- Muota Valley Alpine Cheese - Oskar Pfyl
- Goats' Cheese - Oskal Pfyl
- Steinberger Mutschli
- Reblochon
- Emmental
Not being a huge expert on cheese, I couldn't really comment much on the finer differences in taste and so on. However, I rather enjoyed them all, especially good together with the dried fruit and nuts.
Cheese
Next up was the final course in this epic culinary journey at 39,000ft. A glass of Sauternes seemed to be a nice way to finish the meal on an indulgent note so I took up the smiling FA's suggestion of doing so - she returned with a generous glass of the sweet wine that had an enticing, almost golden shade of yellow. I had chosen the cream cake with kirsch for dessert, which was delicately flavoured and went very well together with the accompanying fruit and strawberry coulis. I suppose it could have done with tasting slightly stronger overall, but it's entirely possible (and even likely) that feeling distinctly full by that point diminished the perceived taste of the cake.
Cake and Sauternes. And I didn't think of the gym even once...
There were now no more courses left, and neither did I have the space for any. While still nursing the Sauternes that I was thoroughly enjoying sipping slowly, the FA (I was convinced by this point that she was trying to fatten me up like a turkey for Christmas, but in the nicest possible way) brought a box of the Sprüngli pralines for me to choose from. I picked up just one piece which I kept behind for the coffee.
Table now cleared and still enjoying the Sauternes
The ever-charming FA came round to ask whether I enjoyed the meal (reply: "It was amazing!") and whether I wanted a coffee. I knew that there was a Nespresso machine onboard so, feeling reasonably sure of a good cup of coffee, I asked for a cafe au lait to mark the end of this breathtaking 2hr (!!) meal (and hopefully counter the inevitable post-prandial tiredness as well). I guess there was also the not-yet-devoured praline as well.
Coffee came, accompanied by wafts of great aroma. Now, airline coffee is often a mediocre exercise at best, with a disappointing taste and barely packing a half-hearted punch. But not today. It was thick, creamy, and had a most wonderfully intense taste that woke me up from the haze of post-lunch fullness even though all the window shades had been lowered by now, the lights were mostly dimmed, and many of the fellow passengers were sleeping. An unexpected pleasure for sure.
Not your usual airline coffee!
I would be doing the same, if it wasn't for the coffee
Since it is a daytime flight, I wondered beforehand whether the window shades will be kept up or down during the flight - after all, one should stay awake for a reasonable period in order to be tired enough to sleep upon reaching LA. However, after that meal, it was fast becoming merely an academic discussion as my eyelids began to droop despite the supply of caffeine earlier. After managing to stay awake for a further hour while watching "He's Just Not That Into You" (a rather enjoyable light film), I drifted off...