Last week I attended a luncheon highlighting the cuisine in Qantas Airways’ first-class cabin and lounges. Held at award-winning bar and restaurant Dante NYC, we sampled menus crafted by Chef Neil Perry, director of food, service and beverage, Qantas.

Chef Perry’s relationship with Qantas goes back an impressive 22 years — the longest of its kind in aviation history. He and his staff develop all of the dishes for the airline. In 2018 they introduced a jetlag-reducing menu for long-haul routes. The airline offers coconut water, shots of green juice and tea to begin the hydration process. In Qantas lounges around the world, passengers enjoy a buffet-style menu. The items in the lounges and on board promote hydration and sleep.

Upon arrival at the luncheon, we were treated to two different canapés: a crab tartlet and an anchovy and smoked tomato toast. Both were flavorful and a great preview of the rest of our meal. We enjoyed seared tuna with avocado, green beans and soy sauce for an appetizer. The combination of protein and greens is a great source of tryptophan, which promotes sleep. While the menus change seasonally, this is a typical first-class appetizer. For our entrée, we sampled halibut poached in garam masala and coconut milk with snow peas and semolina noodles. The light dish is a classic of the dining group. Last but not least, our dessert was a whimsical pavlova with passion fruit. The dessert is popular in the first-class lounge. To accompany the meal, I sampled a glass of Riesling and a glass of Shiraz from the first-class menu.

Qantas celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2020. Stay tuned for exciting menu opportunities to commemorate the special event!

— Katie Skrzek, vice president/digital director