It was great to fly the Finnair Business Class Hong Kong to Helsinki route with covid firmly in the rearview mirror. I last flew this route in December 2021 which was right in the middle of the omicron wave and Hong Kong borders were still closed. I connected to this flight from a Cathay Pacific flight from Melbourne, Australia – a seamless transition and I enjoyed reviewing a number of lounges including Cathay Pacific The Wing, First, Qantas Hong Kong Lounge and Amex Centurion Lounge. This was the second long-haul flight I had done experiencing the new Finnair business class meals. The new Finnair business class food has plenty of Finnish flavours which I always find interesting. One of the main meal menu options is usually an Asian inspired dish when flying through an Asian hub. With previously good experiences flying Hong Kong to Helsinki, I was curious to see whether the new Finnair Business Class food experiences would be as good. So was it? Let’s take a look.
Main Meal Service
This flight was a mid-evening departure from Hong Kong where dinner with dinner served as the main meal. A pre-dinner drink and snack was offered just after takeoff with the snack a small handful of nuts served in a bowl. The main meal service was dinner and according to the menu consisted of 2 cold starters, 1 hot main dish and then a selection of desserts. It was very disappointing to have the 2 starters and main dish served on the one tray all at once. I really don’t like this as I like to eat slowly, savouring the experience and flavours. And so by the time I finish the starters my main is cold. Now I understand for a midnight flight where a late supper is served, this style of a one tray meal might be appropriate. But this was an 8pm flight – plenty of time to have multiple courses served separately to enjoy the Finnair Business Class food experience.
The main meal served was:
- 2 cold starters: Sesame beef with cucumber and red pepper, and Salmon tartare with shrimp and egg
- The main I choose was the Pan-fried sole with roasted potatoes and ratatouille with a lemon and caper sauce
I have had many delicious meals on Finnair in the past, however this was one of my least favourite. While the Salmon tartare was delicious (I spread some on their thin rye bread which made it even more delicious), the Sesame beef was average. The beef was very crispy – to the point it nearly seemed like a shell with nothing inside. It was just like a crisp which wasn’t very appetizing to me. The Sole dish was nice, however not amazing like other fish dishes I have had before on Finnair. The potatoes were cooked really nicely, but the ratatouille was a bit light on. The sole itself was fairly nice.



I didn’t have a dessert on this flight as I was full after dinner. But as I settled back into my seat to watch a movie I did request some of my favourite chocolates they serve on Finnair – Karl Fazer chocolates. (Check out the main meal service on Finnair in my other blog)
Nutrition comment
I have always really liked the emphasis on fish and seafood in Finnair business class. For many of us, increasing our daily omega 3 intake from foods (especially the types found in fish and seafood) is important and I especially try to do this while flying. Omega 3 fats have anti-inflammatory properties, and when travelling and being out of a routine (especially with food) I make extra attempts to eat as many foods with anti-inflammatory properties when they are available. While sole is a leaner white fish (and so isn’t as high in omega 3 fats as other fish), I had salmon for a starter which helped to boost omega 3 intake more. Adding the salmon to a thin slice of rye bread helped to increase my fibre intake for the day.
Second Meal Service
The second meal service was breakfast which was served about 2 hours before landing. While there are a variety of foods for breakfast ranging from continental options, to a hot meal, there is actually no choice in the meal. There is only one breakfast served and it is all served on the one tray. This is pretty disappointing for a business class flight as I think choice in dishes is important. However since there is only one dish, it is good to see a variety of foods served so hopefully there will be something for everyone.
I thought this hot dish was a little anemic – the eggs were sitting in a pool of water, the sausage seemed like it was steamed and the potatoes didn’t have much crunch. but I loved the addition of broccoli and tomato – next time it would be good to have a slightly bigger bowl so the vegetables don’t just seem like a garnish.



Nutrition comment
The yogurt was a fairly processed yogurt with two sources of sugar in the ingredients and milk solids coming in as the third ingredient i.e. there is more water in this yogurt than milk.
There was also two slices of processed deli meat served alongside some cheese and I am not sure if it was chicken, turkey or ham? Processed deli meats usually contain salt and preservatives which has been associated with some risks to our health. While I like a really nice piece of ham off the bone, jamon or chorizo, and eat them occasionally when they are good quality, I don’t like really processed deli meats all in the same shape etc. If I don’t know what it is then I usually will leave it.
Final thoughts on Finnair Business Class Food – Hong Kong to Helsinki, Finland
Overall the Finnair business class food was a solid offering, however I have had better food experiences on other Finnair long-haul flights. It seemed that I just didn’t love the menu options on this flight and I think the food quality was slightly less than on other Finnair business class flights. But still the foods were fairly nutritious, and the flavours delicious. I hope Finnair goes back to serving starters and mains separately for flights that don’t leave at midnight so it feels more like you are in business.
NOTE: All pictures of Finnair Business Class food flying on their A350 are my own and I review the food from the menu I was given and the food I ordered on my flight. There may be different options available at other times