A quick trip to Singapore was the perfect opportunity to experience Qantas business class food again. My last international trip on Qantas was flying London to Perth (very long-haul) so I thought it was good to try a shorter international route and see what the food was like. My flight left in the evening (around 8pm) so I thought this is the perfect time to experience a dinner service.
Qantas Business Class menu – Singapore to Brisbane
The flight from Singapore to Brisbane was just under 7 hours and left at around 8pm. They were serving a light dinner in business class which was a main meal and a dessert. There was no starter/appetiser offered which surprised me as this was not a flight leaving really late in the evening. What was offered felt more like a midnight flight supper service.
Main meal service
Water and bubbles was offered prior to take off and meal orders where also taken prior to takeoff.
Nuts were served with a pre-meal drink and were on the menu as an appretivo. I really don’t like it when airlines do this in business class as I remember times when an amuse bouche etc was served. Nuts are lazy in my mind and also aren’t very inclusive for people with nut allergies. Don’t get me wrong – nuts are delicious and nutritious but I feel the business class food offerings have been downgraded over the years (across a number of airlines) and now serving nuts to replace the starter/appetiser doesn’t sit well. The nuts themselves were nice though – a mix of almonds, cashews and hazelnuts. Before consuming the nuts I asked the crew if anyone on board had a nut allergy (so I could be mindful of wiping my hands etc before going to the bathroom and touching door handles) but I got a confused look and then after a pause they said they didn’t think so.
I chose the roast chicken breast which came with smoked eggplant puree, one broccolini stem and an almond and olive dressing. It was ok – nothing amazing, a little dry but tasted not too bad. The broccolini was barely warm (I would nearly say cold) and the bread was cold unfortunately. The chicken was tough and hard to cut.
The whole meal came out on one tray (and for anyone that has read other reviews of mine I hate this). Yes for a really short flight maybe but if people are wanting a nice business class experience then this feels rushed and lazy. So the dessert of a cheese plate came out with the chicken and a slice of bread was offered. I was super surprised – no mixed greens with Neil Perry’s vinaigrette?! What is going on? I know that bowl of sad leaves is divisive among Qantas flyers but after only one broccolini stem and some pureed eggplant I was looking for a side salad! I am guessing it is because it wouldn’t all fit on one tray.
The cheese plate was great – three generous portions of cheese, three grapes, a slice of what looked like quince paste (I didn’t try it so not sure) and water crackers. I really enjoyed some of the cheese after my meal.
Nutrition comment
I liked that the roast chicken dish wasn’t predominantly refined carbohydrates – a nice change from many meals served onboard. This was good since it was an overnight flight and it was after 8pm by the time I ate. It would have been good to have more vegetables though as essentially this was just a chunk of chicken for dinner – great for protein intake onboard but it could have been more balanced with more vegetables. The almond and olive ‘dressing’ was interesting – it wasn’t really a dressing as such (i.e. liquid) but kind of like a gremolata (I know it isn’t this but it was like this with the chopped herbs). I loved this concept – it did add flavour to the dish and also a little boost of nutrients!
Second meal service
Upon boarding a breakfast card was provided on the seat to be filled out at the beginning of the journey. This is so passengers can indicate to crew whether they would like to have breakfast or prioritise sleep. I had filled mine out intending to have the full breakfast experience so I could explore the food for this review, however before I went to sleep I realised how tired I was (after a very busy few days) and so I cancelled my breakfast order. However the crew woke me up early and served me half my breakfast – just the fruit salad and bakery item and the green juice. It was a bit random – fair enough if there had been a mix up with not getting my cancellation, but why then only serve half my meal? There wasn’t any mention of the smoked salmon brioche or hot drink.
Nutrition comment
I was a bit disappointed to see the emphasis on higher fat/added sugar staples for the breakfast menu e.g. pastry, brioche bun or pancakes. There was no choice for bread (either white or wholegrain). Smoked salmon is a nutritious choice instead of bacon. While smoked salmon can also be a source of added salt (similar to bacon) generally the ingredients are just salmon and salt whereas bacon can come with additional additives and preservatives.
Final word Qantas Business Class Food Singapore to Brisbane
I didn’t find the Qantas Business Class food Singapore to Brisbane very inspiring. It did have some nice elements to it but overall when my husband asked me what the food was like, unfortunately my first reaction was – ok. Nothing offensive but nothing really to shout from the roof tops. I was disappointed for them. I had hoped Qantas onboard catering had turned a corner (as I hadn’t flown internationally with them nearly 2 years) but I thought it was ok. There were some nutritious elements to the main meal food service onboard which was great, however overall I felt the attention placed on the food experience was lacking. While this flight was ‘only’ just under 7 hours, it still was a mid evening flight – not a midnight flight. There was a chance to showcase a really great dining experience (even while still being efficient due to the flight time or offering some clients that chance to have a speedier meal).
NOTE: All pictures of Qantas business class food Singapore to Brisbane are my own and I review the food from the menu I was given, the menu on the website at the time and the food I ordered on my flight. There may be different options available at other times.
For more food reviews of Qantas international flights see review of Qantas Business Class London to Perth.
