13 Best Airlines for First Class Food in 2013

Joel Robuchon, Heston Blumenthal, Gordon Ramsay, and Neil Perry are only some of the famous names that work alongside airline kitchens these days.

1. Etihad Airways

From the anytime snack-and-sandwich kitchen to the chef’s signature dishes on the Taste of Arabia menu and the extensive tea selection (rose with French vanilla or Arabian mint and honey), Etihad's first-class offerings cater to all of your culinary whims. But it's the ability for passengers to customize meals from The Grille menu with sides like mixed garden vegetables and Mediterranean ratatouille and sauces including veal jus, herb cream, and Café de Paris butter that remind you just how one-of-a-kind Etihad's in-flight dining experience really is. If that’s not enough, they also have a chef on board whose job it is to explain menus and make sure that each guest has the best dining experience possible.

2. Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines is known for immersing first-class passengers in the traditions and tastes of Asian cuisines; take their baked Chilean bass in Oriental XO sauce with mixed vegetables and fried rice as well as braised beef short ribs in Chinese wine and five-spice with mixed vegetables and egg noodles as examples. Thepecan-crusted veal with red onion marmalade and candied sweet potatoes paired with vintage Dom Perignon is a nontraditional delight, however, for those who may want something a little more familiar. But whatever your entrée selection (passengers can select their meals ahead of time if they wish), it’s Singapore Airlines desserts, like raspberry tiramisu, that bring the travel experience to heavenly heights.

3. Emirates

The essence of the United Arab Emirates cuisine is evident in the regional and seasonal ingredients used in the seven-course first-class lunches and dinners. The meals include the passengers' choice of three hors d’oeuvres; soup; salad; at least four entrée options; two desserts along with five types of cheese, served with port; fresh seasonal fruit; and freshly brewed coffee, a selection of teas and liqueurs, and friandises/sweets. It's appetizers like thin-sliced tangerine-marinated smoked chicken breast, served on lentil salad with za'atar dressing and a glass of Dow’s Vintage Port 1985 that transport you. Guests are also provided with bone china tableware, fine linens, and flowers.

4.Thai Airways

Timeless traditions are at the core of Thai Airways' Royal First Class menu, which is evident in dishes like Prawn Chu-Chee, a traditional Thai dish made with prawns, chiles, coconut milk, fish sauce, and Kaffir limes. With almost 40 dishes on their menu, Thai Airway's advanced-order service caters to even the most innovative individual preferences. Not to mention that Royal First Class passengers are welcomed on board with a glass of Dom Perignon or Bollinger champagne, served in crystal glasses of course. In addition, the premium bar service includes aged whiskies, Napoleon brandies, and a full range of ports and liqueurs.

5. Swiss Airlines

Swiss Airlines' Taste of Switzerland program was designed to highlight different regions of the country on flights throughout the year. Until September 2013, first-class passengers will enjoy meals inspired by the cuisine of Canton Nidwalden, featuring dishes such as beef tenderloin with ofetori, Nidwalden-style mashed potatoes made with veal bacon and cheese. First-class meals are also complemented by regional wines, and of course, no Swiss meal would be complete without a selection of local cheese.

6. Cathay Pacific (pictured above)

While Cathay Pacific's Asian menu selections are breathtaking (such as their wonton soup and seafood stir-fry), the ricotta ravioli with cherry tomato ragù and arugula is an unexpected masterpiece. Because all dishes are made to order, passengers can choose what they'd like to eat from an array of Asian and international selections, all freshly prepared in a state-of-the-art galley boasting rice cookers, toasters, and steam ovens.

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