Qatar Airways Business Class Flight 83 Doha-New York – Review

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IN-FLIGHT DINING

Given that we were departing mid-morning, I decided to continue with a bit more breakfast once we were aloft.

A raspberry and lime smoothie or orange juice were offered but I opted for another lime-and-mint cocktail instead.  For a starter, I had the toasted muesli and fresh fruit with honey yoghurt.  This was followed by a salad with an excellent smoked trout and dill dressing.  But that was only the beginning as an omelette with smoked salmon and nori followed.  The bakery basket had croissants which were nowhere near as good and crisp as the ones I had had on the flight to Doha but a tasty walnut muffin made up for thr disappointment.

Qatar Airways has worked very hard to create as much of a fine-dining experience in the air as one can reasonably expect and they do an excellent job of fulfilling expectations.  Just as not every person in a restaurant is eating the exact same thing at the exact same moment, Qatar Airways doesn’t serve meals at a specific point during the flight.  The cabin crew will check with passengers after takeoff to find out when they wish to dine and schedule things accordingly.  In addition to the dining-by-request system, the airline offers an “indulgence” menu for customers to order from as well.

After a few hours of work  it was time to sample the indulgence menu.  I tried the vegetable Moroccan harira soup that I had enjoyed so much on the flight over that the memory of it stayed with me.  A warm beef steak sandwich on toasted ciabatta with sautéed mushrooms and swiss cheese was delectable.  Other choices invluded a platter with Arabic mezze, hummus, tabouleh, moutabel and tahim bill agine served with Arabic bread and a cheese platter.

After this indulgence, it was time for some rest. When the flight attendant noticed I was starting to make the bed myself, she immediately jumped in and finished the job.

The bed was quite comfortable but since I still had five hours left in the flight when I woke up, I returned to work.  Lunch, however, would soon follow and it started with honey-roasted parsnip soup.  This came out cold and needed to be warmed in the galley, but it was very rich and filling once hot.  I liked the next course too, a plate of smoked salmon, beetroot salmon, and gravlax with toasted brioche.

I was admittedly quite full by then but I did try the sautéed monkfish with nutmeg cream sauce.  Other choices included grilled chicken breast with citrus tomato chutney and seared smoked scallops.

Dessert was felightful although I only tasted the plum and almond cake with vanilla sauce.

Throughout my meal, I enjoyed a refreshing 2007 Dr. Loosen Spätlese from the Mosel Valley in Germany.  The Dr. Loosen is a medium bodied wine and its acidity balanced out any tendency to be overly sweet.

ARRIVAL

Our arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport’s Temrinal 8, almost an hour behind schedule was due to our delayed departure but since I only had my carry-on bags, thanks to Global Entry I went from aircraft to curbside in a matter of minutes.

BOTTOM LINE

My first flight on Qatar Airways set a very high bar and I was a bit apprehensive about how well the airline would perform on the second flight.  I needn’t have fretted.  Service was excellent, once again comparable to what I find in the world’s best hotels.  The in-flight dining options were excellent and the Premium Lounge was simply the icing on the cake.

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