Clockwise from top: Japan Airlines’ BEDD concept brings a gastronomic
treat to the skies; a sumptuous dish by the grand chef of L’Eff ervescence,
Shinobu Namae; chef-owner Jun Kurogi of Kurogi, a restaurant known as
one of the hardest to reserve in Tokyo; chef Shinobu Namae melds French
IMAGES: JAPAN AIRLINESculinary techniques with Japanese ingredients
he fi rst started his business—Maison Kayser swiftly soared in
popularity since opening its fi rst store in Tokyo in 2001.
Of course, an impressive food menu would be incomplete
without drink offerings to match, which is why the airline
boasts a luxurious selection of wines, sakes, teas and
champagnes. In fi rst and business class, wine bottles are all
hand-selected by Japan Airlines wine advisers and masters of
wine, Kenichi Ohashi and Motohiro Okoshi, while a variety of
sakes and shochus are also available. First class passengers
can enjoy prestige champagnes such as Salon 2007 and Louis
Roederer Cristal 2009, as well as Royal Blue Tea, a luxury
bottled tea that is cold-brewed using the mizudashi technique,
essentially infusing its fl avour to fresh water for a period of three
to seven days.
As is expected of Japan’s national carrier, the exquisite
culinary experience begins when you check into its fi rst and
business class lounges. Hasegawa sake is available at the
fi rst class lounge, along with Laurent-Perrier champagne. The
food menu, meanwhile, comprises freshly baked bread by
Maison Kayser, soup by Soup Stock Tokyo and cookies by
Qu’il Fait Bon, as well as the airline’s popular beef curry. You can
even watch as hand-rolled sushi is freshly prepared in front of
you. All of these decadent dishes are just a glimpse of the haute
cuisine that awaits in the sky—a front row seat to rare fi ne dining
experiences that offers access even to those hard-to-book
restaurants on land.