British Airways First Class (JFK to LHR)

I race from the Concorde Room (you can check out my review here) and head over the boarding gate and finally arrive at my seat for the overnight flight to London.

The Suite

I settle in with a beautiful glass of Laurent Perrier Grand Siecle, Champagne, France and settle into my PJs for the flight back to London. The champagne is a classic, I just couldn’t imagine a better way to start the flight. It’s a beautiful vibrant and sensuous drinking experience with wonderful aromas of honey, hints of almond and brioche which flow with equal strength onto the palate. Some very nice minerality and citrus sparkle are evident too… the perfect tonic for a hectic day.

Dinner 

Amuse Bouche 

A light slice of rare beef with some marmalade assists in opening the palate for the evening.

The entrée is next:

Seared Tuna with Tabbouleh, Tonnato Sauce and Olive Tapenade

The soft jelly-like tuna texture with the smoky notes of the charred outer skin displays its natural flavour so exquisitely. The crunch and grainy texture of the sesame seed which gives way to the smoothness of the tonnato sauce which is super creamy with a residual hint of the tuna flavour embedded. The tabbouleh and the tapenade introduce a lovely Mediterranean rustic streak with a touch of tang to battle the tuna’s strong flavours. A true delight!

We then move onto the main course:

Rack of Lamb with Homemade Gnocchi, Ratatouille, Slow-roasted Tomatoes and Herb Jus

This dish is a star from an aesthetics point of view. How amazing is the plating (much like the earlier dish). The lamb cutlets are sweet, juicy and full of flavour with the gentle aid of the herbs in the ladled jus. The juicy tomato, rich and tangy in flavour, is intermingled with the soft fluffy pillowy gnocchi to make for a beautiful side for the lamb. The ratatouille is placed in flakey pastry basked in the centre on a bed of leafy greens. The fall apart mess of the pastry basket and light crunch of the ratatouille is a delightful contrast of textures that all form a great accompaniment to the lamb which is the true star of this dish.

This was paired with a glass of Chateau Lagrange, 3eme Grand Cru Classe (2007), Saint-Julien, Bordeaux, France

This was the same wine I had on the flight over from London (see my review here), so here my thoughts on the drop:

“The blend consists of 68% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Merlot and 7% Petit Verdot. The wine has an excellent nose with hints of plum and cherries mingled with spots of spice notes and an alluring floral bouquet. On the plate, there is the wonderful concentration of the red fruit flavours paired with vanilla and toasted spice notes with gradual emergence of tobacco hints. The wine is supported with beautiful velvety tannins which flow into a long finish. The tannins work perfectly to infuse themselves with the lamb for a signature taste sensation.”

For dessert I settle for the comfort of some warm chocolate cookies with a hot chocolate (it is Winter after all).

Hot Chocolate with Warm Artisan Dark Chocolate and Apricot Cookies

The cookies are placed in front of me and exude a welcoming warmth. As I peer out the window, I cannot see a thing in the pitch black, but we are sailing over clouds, storms while being suspended over the depths of the expansive and majestic Atlantic ocean. You feel so small and oh so alone in the middle of nowhere.

In the midst of the feeling of disconnection, the dish brings back the recollections of hot chocolate and cookies at home before bed… it is a childhood memory that I think everyone can relate to. Even when you’re all grown-up, the comforting moments of home carries a level fondness which cannot be taken from you.

With a feeling of nostalgia I take a bite of the cookie and the little bits of soft gooey melted chocolate drizzle out on the tongue and together with the deep rich chocolatey crumbly texture of cookie it proves to be an insatiable delight. The sensuous hit of cocoa all but overpowers the apricot in the cookie. The warm hot chocolate reinforces the sugar hit to leave with a sense of being completely lost in time and space.

Sleep

Soon it’s time to sleep so I can be all fresh for ole’ London town. I have the bed made and I fall into a deep sleep over the Atlantic as we sail onwards to London.

I decide to skip breakfast and sleep in just for landing as I would have the chance for a freshly cooked breakfast at the arrivals lounge!

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