Eat, Drink, Sleep @Tokyo, Now in Nagasaki

One summer day on August, I have a British Airways First class flight from London Heathrow Terminal 5 to Tokyo Haneda. I used the BA First after a 3 year absence. 

Is Club World service catching up to the First service?? There is British First.

Now British Airways is upgrading the Club world products, introducing new products, as Do &Co catering, White company linen or  lounge service in Club world cabin for last two years. The White company sleeping kets will provide you the luxury sleep, instead of the former dormitory like blanket. The New catering style on the board is nice photogenic and taste which I had experience on Hong Kong to London A380 flight. The Club world service seems to be catching up to the First class service on the Hard base products...
The British Airways First service is no caviar, no separate space and no, so some bloggers said it is not so luxury. The trend in the commercial aviation is lead by Middle East or other European Airline companies as the surface luxury. On the flight such Airlines, First class seat is Suite room type, separated as the privacy room, meal is posh as the fine dinning restaurants.
The First on British Airways seems to be a little different as at-home, as usual or as British. 

The First: catering. 

The BA 007 Flight from London to Tokyo was World wide crew of British Airways. The Most experienced crews have served as the traditional and classical style of British Airways and they also enjoy their jobs and life. The passengers will enjoy the service including chatting with the crews and their extra professional technique of service. 

Table

On this flight, I had Japanese style food as some small challenge.  The Airlines catering meal were commonly produced as mass production. I usually wonder how the foreigner may understand the Japanese food and cooking. This was small challenging event but exciting for me.
The menu 
As the Starter, I had "selection of Japanese appetisers. Ingredients were cooked as the Japanese style. I can feel and taste the Dashi soup stock. 

Starter: Japanese appetisers, prawn sushi, grilled scallop, pepper chicken and simmered gourd melon

Main course, Grilled fillet of beef with rice. On First class service, a crew at the galley will warm the course by each ingredient. The lady cabin crew was on duty on this flight. She produced very lovely medium rare fillet for me. The juice was contained in the meat. 
The British Airways meals has the concepts focused on flavour or Umami tastes. On this course, they used some smoky flavour into the sauce with ingredients origin Umami. I have forgot I was in the sky. 

Main course. Grilled fillet with teriyaki sauce, braised pumpkin and shimeji mushroom

chestnut rice and pickles

THE BAr and Wines
The Grand Siecle is the signature of British Airways First. We should not missed the other unique and local wines selected by British Airways. Cornwall Brut, Chablis, Riesling, Saint-Emilion, there were nicely matured and selected wines on board. 

British airways, Bar menu and Champagne lists

British Airways, Wine lists

 Cheese was selected from around UK. 

Cheese plate. Belton Farm Red Fox, Fourme D'ambert, Double Barrel Lincolnshire Poacher, Normandy Camembert

Conclusion

There were Japanese style food essence among the courses I had. The Joint venture between British Airways and Japan Airlines seems to be effective into the meal catering.

Caviar? If your flight time is taken for four days or five days as BA 704 on 1951, Caviar or lobster will be served as a dinner in European route.  According to the some articles on Airline traveller blog, the travellers looks to feel a little bit disappointing no-caviar service. Some Airline companies including BA, sifted to the well-being or international-local concept from "just" posh, Antique style. 

Whole Wellington Pie

The silver cutlery set were nicely polished. The staff will serve and kindly help us to select wine from the lists. If you are interested in, it is nice idea to select the British wine from Kent.
On my last visiting, I had chose scallops and lamb.
When you will visit London on late autumn to winter, you can have the some gibiers from the British country side. All ingredients were come from the whole UK. I really love into the venison from Scotland in late autumn. The roast degree was nice at the kitchen to keep the juicy meat tastes.

Organic carrot, sultana, caraway

Curried cauliflower, couscous, tomato,
spiced lamb neck

After the dinner, you can enjoy the signature cocktail at the Dukes bar.

Like James Bond? No, command him.




 https://www.dukeshotel.com/dukes-bar/

I hope this bar staff improve technique beyond the history of the hotel.


The American bar in Savoy hotel is one of the famous bars in London. In the evening, a lot of ladies and gentlemen come and sit on a stool at the bar counter to enjoy their glass of cocktail and time. The barman or other staffs seemingly were proud of the occupation in this bar. The orange light was reflected from the brass in the furnishings.


This bar is very famous in the world as published cocktail book named “The Savoy cocktail book” which was the bible of the bartenders. The first book was written by Harry Craddock who was the chef bartender.


I had a glass of Gin with tonic, Rum with soda and gimlet on my visiting. The technique of bartender and presentation of the cocktail were nice, but the taste or flavour was unfortunately not so good. All cocktails are very wet.


The Gin with tonic was not bad. The premium Gin, No.3 gin from BBR had hugely helped the barman’s skill.


The Rum with soda was very bad; just brown liquid with bubble and no smells of the sweetness like caramel from Pusser’s. The long cocktails added some mineral water, soda or tonic water were called “Wari-mono (割りもの)” in Japanese. Some skilful bartenders always tell me the ratio of the liquor and added soda or tonic water. The Balance of the ratio had been broken.


The last one was not worthy of the name of the American bar. The gimlet was very wet and smell of lemon. The balance between bitter, sour and sweetness has lost after shaken. The barman had shown the cutting the ice in front of me. The edge of ice cube was dull to give huge surface area to the ice cube. On using the dull edge ice cube, all cocktail has gotten wet on service and had lost the flavours from liquor or fruits.


The Service of the bar was great. The barman or staffs listened to me; the English was very poor. I hoped this bar will be the sacred place for hard drinkers or bartenders to get a wonderful glass of cocktail.

年末年始の休暇でロンドンに滞在し、話の種にとここへやってきた。
結論から言うと街中のfish and chips の店の方がよっぽどましなサービスをしている。ただ、味は イギリスらしい。しっかりとした赤身の肉の塊が出てくる。この肉を食べる為に行く価値はある。どんな肉が好きか、我が身を振り返って、予約を入れた。
Savoyの一角を占めていることを忘れてしまったような、 Savoy自体が忘れてしまっているかどうかは泊まっていない為なんとも言えないが、素晴らしいサーブを見せてくれる。これから行く方は、内装調度やカトラリーの怪しい光に騙されてはいけない。
夏の休暇に訪れたアイラ島の牡蠣とは大違い、磯の香りもどこかへとび、魚の内臓臭い、中もドロッと変わり果てた生牡蠣がスターターとなった。ロンドンの交通系カードでもかじった方が害もなさそうである。ハロッズのオイスターバーでも似たようなものだったから、パリや連合王国の田舎の方がロンドンよりはるかに素晴らしいのだ。テムズ川は河口から遠かったのだ。
メインは当然ローストビーフとした。Roast rib of the Scotish beafという名前で呼ばれている。 日本人は害も益もなく、うるさくないと、適当に扱われているようで、どこを見ても、茶色くなった肉片をあてがわれている。

肉だけではないが、生々しい方が好みで、 ジョージアでもミディアムレアとレアの中間というのが好きなのだ。「レアの方が好みで、 よく焼けてクリスピーになったのを添えてほしい」と注文を出したところ、料理人はウェルダンに近いところを得意げに切り始める。「違う、もっと赤いところだ」と私。一抱えもあるお盆に1キロほどの塊が いくつも載っているのだからどこかにはあるだろう。

日本のホテルで出てくるような和牛とうたってあるものは口の中でとろけるような食感で、これはこれで美味しいが、スコットランドの厳しい気候で草を食んで大きくなった牛は美味い。

かくして3回違うとかえていただいて、割と好みの部位となった、牛肉の細やかな繊維の歯触りとその隙間から肉汁の溢れる美味しいものであった。脂の少ない、しかし、肉肉しい逸品である。

ケントのスパークリングで乾杯しそのまま続けた。nyetimberのロゼなどとあわせてみたい。

最高峰はジェントルメンズ クラブ と言われるロンドンの食事状。高級ホテルの コンシェルジュに聞いてみるのが一番だ。話のタネとしては面白いひと時であった。

二度目は無いだろう。