Wow, a lot has happened in the 2 years since I last reviewed the Qantas International First lounge Sydney, and I must admit I was really looking forward to getting back to it and seeing what the new post covid ‘premium lounge’ offering was like. I have already reviewed the breakfast/morning offerings in the Qantas International First Lounge post covid world when I visited the Melbourne lounge in June 2021.
Before I jump into the lounge review, please remember my reviews are from a nutrition and health perspective. I acknowledge though that this is Qantas’ International First Class lounge and that the food is not necessarily designed with health purposes in mind.
Ok so lets get to it… what did I think?
Well to start with the menu is significantly reduced compared to the usual First Class Lounge offerings, but that is to be expected due to the reduced flight schedule and the fact this lounge is an amalgamation of Business and First Class lounges – it just happens to be located in the First Class lounge. But while the menu is reduced, I did feel the offerings provided a fair range that would suit many people’s tastes.
There were both healthy and indulgent menu options, and I found I could eat a healthy balanced meal here which was great. And bonus, I found them quite tasty too!
So lets take a look.
What’s Healthy?
- Lets start out with the Paprika and Garlic Chicken. What I liked about this meal was it resembles a healthy, balanced meal: half plate vegetables, a quarter lean protein and a quarter high fibre/wholegrains. Chickpeas are a great addition to this dish, as they add plant based protein and soluble fibre to the meal. While peas remind me of many of my childhood dinners (and have also been vilified on many a diet for being a higher carbohydrate vegetable), they are a great little nutrient bundle. Peas are a source of soluble fibre, folate, vitamin C and antioxidants (among other nutrients), so not necessarily the bad guys they have been made out to be. Red capsicums (red bell peppers) are good sources of vitamin C, beta-carotene and antioxidants, so also great vegetables! Overall I loved this dish from a nutrition perspective and it tasted pretty good too.
- I really loved the Spicy Braised Coconut Pumpkin with Rice noodles – it was really delicious. Now I don’t like rice noodles because they are low in fibre, highly refined, and when eaten in large quantities can have a negative impact on blood sugar levels. However, they were ok in this dish because it was served in a small bowl meaning the portion of noodles was small which means you get all the taste, but not a huge hit of refined, low fibre carbohydrates. l thought the green beans were cooked perfectly – they were a nice bright green and were slightly crunchy (not overcooked, soggy and a off green). Cooking beans lightly like this helps to retain their nutrients. The pumpkin and greens together amounted to ~2 serves of vegetables which was great for a small bowl – big thumbs up from me here. It was nice to see tofu as the protein source. Tofu is a source of calcium and iron which is great for people who follow a vegetarian, vegan or predominantly plant based diet.
Not so great (caution).
- Sorry Neil, but I had to place your Pork and Veal Lasagne here in the ‘caution’ section because it seemed to be quite an energy dense dish. The slice I was served was mainly pasta and cheese sauce, with only a small amount of meat based filling. While I understand many might like their lasagne like this (it was pretty tasty I must admit), I prefer too have more meat and vegetables in a tomato based sauce. This helps to bump up the nutrient content and can help reduce the energy content. I thought the fennel salad on the side was fabulous and I was left wanting more. I feel fennel is not a vegetable used regularly in everyday cooking (well it’s not something I hear patients tell me they cook with much during the week), so I love seeing it on the menu here. Increasingly the variety of foods we eat each week is really important for good health – even I can increase my variety of foods more. So next time I am here in this lounge I’ll be asking for an extra serve of this fennel salad on the side!
- The famous Salt n Pepper Squid – I am sorry I have to put you here. You are delicious, I know that, but unfortunately you are high in kilojoules (calories). If you love this dish and can’t go to this lounge without ordering it, then I recommend sharing it as an entree with a travelling companion (if you can) or ordering it as a main and then an extra salad on the side. Don’t have it as an entree and then order another larger meal. This way you get the taste but without all the energy. The cabbage salad is on the right track but I would love it be larger – I feel it is more like a garnish here. Cabbage is such a great vegetable as it is a source of prebiotic fibre which plays an important role in good gut health. (But be careful if you are sensitive to fodmaps – you don’t want too much cabbage before a flight).
- Now I was in two minds as to where to place these cookies. This brand has obviously made an effort to use a range of ingredients to help make the snacks more accessible to people with dietary requirements (such as vegan and gluten free), which I appluade. However when you look more closely, the first ingredient is either brown sugar or unsalted butter (sugar or fat). And each cookie has ~1000kj of energy – which is the equivalent energy of a 6 pack of nuggets from McDonalds or 2 1/2 bananas. So be mindful of eating these snacks – decide if you are only having a light snack in the lounge or if you are ordering a meal. Don’t have both, or just assume because they have are vegan/gluten free that they must be healthy.
- I don’t need to say much here as you all know my thoughts on crisps/chips. Avoid these in the lounge, especially if you have already ordered a meal. These were offered by a roaming staff member who had a tray full of them. They were similar to a prawn cracker/crisp however I wasn’t too sure what they were as I didn’t get a chance to ask. Whatever they were, they were highly processed and I would recommend avoiding them and choosing something more nutritious and nutrient dense.
Last word from travel food and nutrition review for Qantas International First Lounge, Sydney.
Overall I would say the menu was not bad. While it is a shadow of its former self during pre-covid times, it did have a range of meal offerings and I could eat a fairly healthy, balanced meal before my flight. While it is still possible to make not so healthy choices, I feel it did provide options for people who wanted to eat well before a flight, and options for people who may want to splurge a bit and treat themselves to a more indulgent meal. However the lack of menu choices, especially healthier snack options, suppressed the rating.
Hopefully Qantas sees this as just a starting point for their international lounge offerings and we will see a return to a more premium menu when the First and Business Class Lounges are separated once more. And by premium I don’t necessarily mean indulgent and unhealthy, but where we see a larger and more diverse menu, with more options ranging from small to larger meals, more vegetable and salad dishes, and healthier small snacks.
For more information on my visits to airport lounges, don’t forget to follow me on Instagram. And I always love hearing from you so if you want personalised advice or consultancy services please reach out.
NOTE: All pictures are my own and I review a lounge from just the foods and menu I see during my visit. There may be different options available at other times.
UPDATE: Please note I have reviewed this lounge in December 2022 – please find updated review here
