NH7 San Francisco SFO – Tokyo Narita NRT
Codeshare: UA9689
STD-STA: 12:25 – 15:25 (+1)
Actual: 13:07 – 15:02 (+1)
B777-300ER JA789A
Seat 2K

Yes, I am really excited to be back onboard ANA’s First Class, as I am a fan of ANA and their First Class offering. So that means I was early to arrive at the gate as they have not even commenced boarding. As usual, those with special needs were allowed to board first, and next comes the First Class passengers. There was 2 Asian businessman standing in front of me who would also be seated in First Class. If I remember correctly there would be another passenger in First but that’s about it.


All Nippon Airways first class cabin

As I boarded the plane, I received a pleasant welcome and was directed to my seat. Since it is summer time and I had no jacket or outerwear, there was no attendant who came with clothes hangers. They did offer to help with the luggage but it was a simple task to place it on the overhead compartments, or in my case I could just slide it under the seat. That’s the whole part of being seated in First, no lack of space for baggage!


First Square seat

When I got settled down on my seat, the chief purser Y. Wakaki welcomed me and enquired for my drink choices. And ANA has now provided even champagne as a pre-departure beverage. On my previous flight into USA with ANA First, they did offer drinks but not any alcoholic beverages. A glass of Krug with the latest Rimowa-branded amenity kit was a fitting photo to represent ANA’s First Class I guess! The lead attendant serving the First Class cabin with the purser H. Okada was the one serving the champagne.


Rimowa amenity kit & champagne

As an added bonus all the other 3 passengers were seated at the other half-section of the First Class cabin, as I was the only one seated in the ‘starboard’ side of the plane. And the First Class seats here are a reason for the title, as I did not really get a ‘suite’, not even in the hotels I stayed at in Japan, but as I mentioned before I liked the comfort of the seat and it was all that matters in the end.


Side compartments on the seat that blocks out 2 windows

The lead attendant then returned again with a tray full of amenities and it included oddities such as the ‘sleep support system’, ‘face mask’, ‘face and body sheet’ and ‘leg refreshing sheet’. While unique, these items are supposed to add to passenger’s wellbeing during the flight. The sleep support system is actually a small card with a square that could be pinched to emit the scent of lavender that should enable passengers for a better sleep. The tray also includes useful stuff like customs and immigration forms for Japan-bound passengers. It is all these little details that I actually like ANA as an airline, and while she was here, I took the chance to ask for playing cards and postcards. When she returned it was with 2 postcards in hand, depicting ANA’s new 787 and a gold-liveried 737.


Customs form and postcards

In between the attendant also returned with a selection of newspapers and magazines, along with a hot towel. After filling out the immigration form on the wonderful pull-out table, I took more photos around the cabin and checked out the rest of the stuff on the seat including the blanket, a pair of slippers, Sony noise-cancelling headphones and pyjamas. The purser came back to enquire if I would like to change to my pyjamas before take-off. Since I wanted to have a meal, I would just change into the pyjamas when I wanted to take a rest.


View from seat 2K

The taxi to the runway was short compared to waiting times at LAX. Along the ride to the runway, I managed to do more plane-spotting. This was when I was wishing that the First Square actually has all 3 windows accessible to passengers! Shortly after, we were airborne with fantastic views of San Francisco. With it being a clear day, I was also able to spot the Golden Gate Bridge and the Bay Bridge. Though once again, I had to stretch out my hands and be a contortionist to take photos out of the windows, all because of the compartments on the right side blocking the window views. But at least I was on the ‘right’ side indeed since the views out of SF was spectacular on that day!


Lufthansa A380 at SFO


United jumbos at SFO


Take-off views from SF


San Francisco coastline


Aerial view of city by the bay – San Francisco

There was some passenger announcement from the Captain who apologized for the delay though he indicated we are still scheduled to arrive in Tokyo on time. While most airlines might just ignore the delay at pullback since it is an international long-haul flight on a widebody jet, ANA follows the Japanese culture at apologizing for even the slightest delay. And seated up front, I do not mind the delay at all! With all that being said, the flight attendant appeared again serving another hot towel, presented me with the menu and asked me for my beverage choice. I ordered the aromatic kabosu drink and with an orange juice, expecting the special Satsuma mandarin juice. She then came back with 2 glasses of beverage and the amuse bouche.

The menu for today’s flight were:

Kaiseki Cuisine

Inventive, gracious, haute cuisine with a hyperfocus on seasonal eating.
The finest ingredients are carefully selected from the fare of the day.
Enjoy flavor highlights from a medley of seasonal delicacies.

Sakizuke
Boiled bok choy and quick-seared scallop soaked in seafood broth

Zensai
Grilled squid with egg yolk and pickled red turnip
Simmered ivory shell in soy-based sauce
Fishcake with sweet corn
Smoked duck
Asparagus and bacon roll
Preserved firefly squid in soy sauce

Nimonowan
Ice fish wrapped in bean curd crepe
Japanese vermicelli with plum flavor

Otsukuri
Quick-seared albacore
Quick-poached jumbo shrimp
Quick-seared sea bream

Kobachi
Deep-fried shrimp fishcake with grated daikon radish

Sunomono
Quick-seared beef with sesame and ponzu citron soy sauce

Shusai
Grilled pomfret with saikyo miso taste [220 kcal]

Steamed rice
Onboard-steamed rice (Toyama Yumegokochi), miso soup and assorted Japanese pickles

Wagashi
Three varieties of amanatto—Sugar-glazed chestnuts, toroku beans and sweet potatoes

Modern European

Refined, contemporary European cuisine. Specialties from our chef,
prepared with seasonal ingredients handpicked at the peak of freshness.

Appetizer plate
Caviar with traditional garnish
Crabmeat and apple salad with cocktail sauce
Roasted duck with orange dressing
Salad Nicoise

Garden salad
Served with a choice of dressings—Japanese yuzu citron, tomato or creamy black pepper

Main plate
Fillet of beef steak with Provence-style [394 kcal]
Sauteed Chilean seabass with basil clam sauce [423 kcal]
Veal cutlet with mustard sauce [453 kcal]

Selection of breads Please choose from four kinds of breads to suit your taste.
Served with flavorful premium Isigny butter or extra-virgin olive oil

Cheese plate
Camembert Maytag blue Comté

Dessert
Assorted ice cream and sherbet
Chocolate mousse cake with raspberry sauce
Warm apple tart tatin with vanilla ice cream
Selection of fresh seasonal fruit

Petits fours

Sake Accompaniment

Please be sure to taste our carefully prepared cocktail snacks —
perfect for accompanying your choice of alcoholic beverage.

Fishcake with kombu kelp
Mullet roe cured with soy-based sauce
Three kinds of deep-fried fishcakes
Grilled chicken teriyaki

Light Dishes

We invite you to enjoy light dishes whenever you wish.
You’ll find these dishes are a delicious follow-up to alcoholic beverages.

Hot Japanese udon noodles garnished with chikuwa fishcake tempura and wakame seaweed
Quik-seared salmon and salmon roe served over steamed rice
Tea-and-rice with salt-pickled takana green
IPPUDO “FURUSATO” (soy sauce) ramen
Potato and leek potage
Bagel sandwich—Grilled chicken, bacon, tomato, lettuce and tartar sauce
Summer vegetable keema curry

Refreshing Fare

A light menu for your refreshment before arrival.
Choose either Japanese or European.

Petite Japanese course

Kobachi Simmered semi-dried daikon radish in soy-based sauce

Shusai Salt-grilled Spanish mackerel [150 kcal]

Steamed rice, miso soup and assorted Japanese pickles or rice porridge

Accompaniment for steamed rice Choose from three condiments.
Dried seaweed
Natto (fermented soybeans)
Dried bonito flakes with ginger flavor

Petite European course

Main dish Seafood paella [585 kcal]

Bread roll
Accompanied with flavorful premium Isigny butter and
a choice of strawberry confiture, marmalade or honey

Selection of fresh seasonal fruit

■

Crisp brown rice flakes with milk

Take care not to swallow fish bones found in the dishes above.


Hot towel before the meal


Amuse bouche of salmon layered with cream cheese, seared mushrooms, pork liver with jalapeño, and yuzu cheese breadsticks.

Today’s amuse bouche comprises of salmon layered with cream cheese, seared mushrooms, pork liver with jalapeño, and yuzu cheese breadsticks. I did not like the pate of pork liver at all but loved the breadsticks which was crunchy and full of flavour. The breadsticks are a common feature in all of the amuse bouche, though fortunately the pate isn’t. While the kabosu tasted fantastic, the orange juice turns out to be like any other orange juice in any other airline. Thus I enquired if this was the special orange juice from Japan. As it turns out it wasn’t but having rectified that, the attendant ensured I would get the special orange juice during the meal which actually was sweeter and a delight to have. Definitely beats the crap out of Tropicana orange juices!

The beverage menu is as follow:

Champagne

Krug Grande Cuvée
pinot noir / pinot meunier / chardonnay

White

Clos Pegase Mitsuko’s Vineyard Chardonnay 2010
Carneros/Napa Valley, California, U.S.A.
chardonnay

Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Milieu 2010 Maison Pierre Ponnelle
Chablis, Burgundy, France
chardonnay

Rüdesheimer Berg Roseneck Spätlese 2008 Weingut August Kesseler
Rheingau, Germany
riesling

Avondale Anima 2010
Paarl, South Africa
chenin blanc

Red

Stonestreet Monument Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon 2008
Alexander Valley, California, U.S.A.
cabernet sauvignon

La Follette Sangiacomo Vineyard Pinot Noir 2010
Sonoma Coast, California, U.S.A.
pinot noir

Justin Reserve Tempranillo 2010
Paso Robles, California, U.S.A.
tempranillo

Bramasole Cortona 2008 La Braccesca
Cortona, Tuscany, Italy
syrah

Port

Graham’s 30 Years Old Tawny
Douro, Portugal

Prestige Sake and Shochu

Rokkasen Junmai Hitotoki
Rokkasen (Yamagata)

Tohokuizumi Junmaiginjo Yamadanishikijunmai
Takahashi Shuzoten (Yamagata)

Iwakikotobuki Junmai
Suzuki Shuzoten Nagaigura (Yamagata)

Kakutama Plum Wine
Satasouji Shouten (Kagoshima)

Murao
Murao Shuzo (Kagoshima)

Satoh Mugi
Satoh Shuzo (Kagoshima)

Hinoryu Asahi
Asahi Shuzo (Kagoshima)

Beverages

Seasonal Offer
Mikan Fruit Juice: “Satsuma Mandarin Juice”

There was a whole lot coffee and tea varieties to choose from that seems to be standard on ANA’s menu so I would not list the whole menu but they were one of the most drink list I have ever seen on any airline.


Inflight meal and entertainment, best way to spend time in First!