Qantas together with Rockpool and Creative Director of Food, Beverage & Service Neil Perry have launched their summer tasting menu to be served up in the Qantas First International Lounges in SYD and MEL.
If you’re lucky enough to be flying First Class, are a Platinum One or eligible Emirates or Oneworld Frequent Flyer, (Or you have a special friend who can take you in with them as their guest) you’ll be dining like a royal these summer months before you jet off to wherever.
And you really will be dining with the best of them, as like every new season on Qantas, this menu wasn’t just crafted down the pub with a couple of cold ones.
Remarkably it’s a process that takes around 11 months and is one where the Rockpool team of chefs led by ‘Sir’ Perry himself test around 300 different menus at the same time, sometimes tasting up to 500 varieties of the same dish in one sitting.
“500 dishes in one sitting?”. I’m guessing they’ll be skipping dinner that night.
The goal? Create the perfect blend of dishes for each seasonal selection.
Qantas Chef and Creative Director of Food, Beverage & Service, Neil Perry
“The cornerstone of good cooking is to source the finest produce”
Neil Perry, Qantas Ambassador and Rockpool Restaurant
Some dishes however, always remain as staples with Rockpool telling us that there has historically been some outrage from passionate Frequent Flyers when favourites such as the signature ‘Salt and pepper Squid with green chilli dipping sauce and aioli’ or the Queen of comfort food – ‘The Club sandwich with chicken, slow roast tomatoes and aioli’ have been taken off the menu.
Needless to say that hasn’t happened since and is in fact the kind of customer insight that drives many of each seasonal menus inspirations.
This summer sees a range of new dishes introduced including these foodgasm favourites below.
Corn, kale & zucchini salad with parmesan & pine nuts
Steamed snapper with rice noodles, galangal & corner broth
Chicken with cucumber, chilli, bean sprouts & strange flavour dressing
Caramelised lamb shoulder with chickpeas, parsley salad & garlic yoghurt
Festive Signature Pavolva
Summer pudding slice with fresh berries & sour cream sorbet
There’s also a very moreish Qantas Christmas cocktail with Sparkling, spices, Strawberry with a hint of mint and a non alcoholic version called the ‘Return ticket’ with Apple, verjuice, lemon and mint.
The alcoholic Christmas Cocktail
Top shelf champagnes and wines feature throughout the Lounges as always with Australian Botanical Cold pressed green juices to offset your alcoholic footprint.
The non-alcoholic ‘Return ticket’ for the healthy ones
The Sydney First Class lounge really is the ultimate pre-flight experience.
Perched high up on the top floor of the airport with a bright panoramic outlook to the runway and city beyond it was stunningly created by Australian iconic designer Mark Newson in 2007.
The Qantas First Class International Lounge, Sydney
In a nod to timeless classics it’s a true design icon looks just as schmick as ever.
More a five star restaurant than an airline lounge, you can read my review here when I managed to sneak myself in before a flight recently. And be warned. You will drool (as I did).
What continues to impresses me every time I write anything about Qantas is the level of detail and quality design they go to in everything they do and the way they value innovation as key to their success.
It’s been a hugely successful year for the red roo and given examples like this you can begin to understand why.
Ready to get yourself into the First Class lounge too? (or any lounge for that matter). Start working on your Frequent Flyer strategy with the help of Steve Hui.
READ: What are Christmas serving up for Christmas? Read on
