Qatar Airways First Class (Doha to Paris)

So I am escorted from the Al Safwa First Class Lounge (you can check out my brief video tour of the lounge here) by my host to the boarding area and pretty soon I am on board for the flight from Doha to Paris.

The Suite        

I am seated in a Suite next to the window again. I reviewed the Suite in my previous post on the flight from Sydney, which I will repeat my comments here as it is the same A380-800 product: “The Suites are beautiful with luxury finishes. The cabin has a mix of purple, wood, beige leather, soft cream and grey woven fabrics along with engraved copper to relax the senses. The Suite has a leather style ottoman opposite to the seat which can also be used by a dining companion at meal times or as a foot rest.”

I did a short video tour of the suite, which given this was a day time flight it will be easier to see some of the detail of the Suite.

Leaving Doha

Eventually we are seated with some champagne and croutons to match and the flight lifts off to Paris. As the flight leaves Doha, there are some amazing views of Qatar as we leave en route to Paris. It is such a beautiful country. Here is a short video of the view flying out of Doha.

The background tune I have used is Jubel by Klingande. I don’t own the rights to the song

Dining

For dining, given the morning departure, the menu consists of breakfast plus some lighter dishes for later in the flight. Here is the menu.

To start I have a cinnamon and date smoothie.

The sweetness of the dates, the sweet aroma and spice of the cinnamon along with the creaminess of the smoothie just hit the spot.

For the main course I opt for the “Create Your Own Breakfast” option. My choice was the scrambled eggs, chicken medallion, potato rosti and lyonnaise potatoes.

The eggs are soft and don’t quite hit that silky texture that I normally love but from a flavour perspective they are full of the buttery creamy experience one expects of scrambled eggs. The chicken is succulent and well-cooked indeed and the crispy potato rosti and soft moist lyonnaise potatoes makes for a lovely breakfast to commence the flight.

With a “Dine on Demand” offering, there are a range of dishes available for guests to design a lunch post the breakfast service. Later in the flight I choose some light options for the lunch course.

The first dish I have is the celebrity chef dish designed by Nobu. For those of you who don’t know I love Nobu and it is one of few restaurants in the world which I have given a perfect 10/10 rating. The dish designed by Nobu is the Octopus, Enoki mushroom and chive salad with spicy dressing and sesame seed.

The rich natural flavours of the octopus are a pure delight and they pair well with the light delicate flavours of the enoki which has a slightly sweet aftertaste. The spice dressing is trademark Nobu; infusing acidic sauces with bite (Peruvian style) with the rich seafood for an enlivening touch on the taste buds. The textural contrast of the crunchy salad and succulent octopus and soft mushroom completes the dining experience.

For a second course, I opt for an Arabian Mezze style platter which has the following; Cheese Sambousek, Grilled Halloumi with Black Olives, Lamb Kibbeh, Flat Bread, hummus, tabouleh and baba ghanoush.

The richness of the halloumi pairs well with the Mediterranean flourish of the olives. I am left feeling light and refreshed and the palate is certainly whetted for the rest of the platter. The soft succulent lamb kibbeh is purely at treat and my only wish was there were more on the platter. The cheese sambousek was interesting with a doughy pastry and a rich creamy cheese filling which was a tick on the comfort food scorecard. The pickled vegetables add for a nice palate cleanser. I then leisurely mop up the hummus and baba ghanoush with the flat bread as my eyes stay glued to the movie I am watching.

The Wines

I have compiled a short video of the different wines I had on-board, there was quite a selection and I was impressed by the choice and variety.

The background tune I have used is Shooting Star from Bag Raiders. I don’t own the rights to the song

Krug Grand Cuvee: This is the tasting note from my prior post “The wine has wonderful zest, structure and acid. The flavours of citrus fruits are complemented with notes of apples, toasted nuts, candied fruit and brioche with even a touch of spice which flows into the finish.”

Chateau Leoville Poyferre, Saint Julien, 2nd Grand Cru Classe, 2008, Bordeaux, France: This is the tasting note from my prior post “The wine’s tasting notes are spot on and reflect the experience tonight. The wine does have good blackcurrant, herbs and espresso aromas. On the palate it is typical Bordeaux, the dense fruit of blackberries and cherries, hints of earth and mocha notes. It is a full-bodied wine with wonderful tannins.”

Pierre Janny, Miroy, Chardonnay, Puligny-Montrachet, 2012, Burgundy, France: The wine has lovely citrus aromas with some light almond notes. On the palate the wine displays a rather refreshing zest of the lemon, a refreshing flow of mint along with some good fresh minerality. There are also some lovely nutty and floral notes present in the lingering aftertaste. The wine perfectly complements the octopus dish with the triangle of acidic sauce, acidity in the wine and the richness of the octopus.

Errazuriz, Don Maximiano, Founders Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon, Aconcagua Valley, Chile, 2009: I had the choice of either this wine or an Australian Shiraz, but I decide to try something a little different. The wine is deeply aromatic – in fact the punch of the cassis and blueberries arouses the nasal senses immediately and are followed by notes of liquorice and wood. As expected the wine is lush, full of fruit flavours and expressive on the palate with the black fruits dominating although there some nice earthy and spice notes which complement the dominant flavours.  The strength of the fruit is balanced by some good acidity and tannins which provide the wine with structure and a lovely mouthfeel.

The Bed

Although it is a day time flight and I should be adapting to the local time to avoid jetlag, I choose to indulge in a short nap. The host makes up the bed for me and soon I rest my weary head on the soft duvet and enjoy a short nap.

The Bathroom

I decide to freshen up before heading to the bar to socialise and have a drink. Here is a short video of one of most spacious bathrooms in the sky.

The background tune I have used is “Is This How You Feel” from The Preatures – I don’t own the rights to the song

The On-Board Bar

On the previous flight from Sydney to Doha, it was dark for the entire flight and it was difficult to enjoy bar area as much. As the flight to Paris was a day time flight, one could gaze out window at the clouds, the oceans and the countries from above and feel the sense of wonder of drinking at a bar 30,000 ft above the ground.

Here is a short video of the lounge.

The background tune I have used is Underflow from Emma Louise – I don’t own the rights to the song

We flew over the deserts of Iran and I sat back in the lounge and sipped a lovely glass of Bordeaux wine with a real sense of awe at the world and the beauty of the Lord’s creation. We never truly stop to gaze at the world around us. It’s an absolute masterpiece with the oceans, the desserts, the skies, the sun and the clouds all weaved together.

The landing into Paris is uneventful and eventually I farewell the lovely cabin crew who have been so lovely and accommodating with my every request. I certainly enjoyed flying Qatar Airways for the first time and look forward to my next flight with them.

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