Negeri Paman Sam: QR51

Dad managed to get us three seats in the Business Class of Qatar Airways bound to Washington DC without costing an arm and a leg, thus we celebrate the beginning of our journey to the United States of America with some Champagne and Orange Juice.

Champagne and Orange Juice

Dad had a glass of Champagne, Mom had herself som Orange Juice, while I had a mixture of both. The combination of Champagne and Orange Juice was fizzy and bitter, I didn't like it. So, I trade my beverage with Mom's, which was a plain ol' Orange Juice that taste bitter in a good way, juicy and sweet, and refreshingly sour.

One of the steward pouring the Champagne

PROAST! 

My glass of Champagne mixed with Orange Juice

For 16 hours my parents and I were trapped inside the aircraft. But, how can one be bored when the plane provide food, entertainment service, bathroom, and foldable bed? Our trip to Washington DC turned out quite nice and comfortable.

We were given a pair of slippers, a set of pajamas, plus a thin mattress to sleep on 

Bright-colored flowers to decorate the aisle with

I wonder what these buttons do?

A remote control to operate the in-flight entertainment

Breakfast

Apple, Rocket and Celery Juice

The color of the juice had me questioned my decision in choosing the particular breakfast starter. It was dark green in color, kind of reminded me of the Evil Queen from the movie Snow White when she was brewing potion to make the poisonous apple. But, I took a sip, and took back everything I thought about the green juice.

It actually tasted good. The celery let out a very strong scent, but the flavor was dominated by carrot. I could savor a hint of apple in it and it was sweetly refreshing. It was a very healthy juice, judging from the ingredients used to make it. Not to mention liver and color friendly. It tasted sweet and fresh, and at some points, the apple juice dominated the flavor along with a hint of celery.

Apple, Rocket and Celery Juice

This juice tasted surprisingly good

Roobois Tea, with no Sugar

Robois Tea was very light and had mild flavor. To be honest, I cannot distinguish what kind of flavor it was, but it was a tasty one. I managed to get a hint of fruity flavor and a grass-jelly-like tang after a few sips.

A glass of hot Roobois Tea

Breakfast Vakery Basket: Croissant, date and walnut muffin, brown and white toast

I had me a Date and Walnut Muffin that tasted cake-like and slightly sweet, yet a bit savory. It had a very delicious nutty toppings and the sweet date went well with the muffin. Unfortunately, I'm not a big fan of dates, so I had to remove them from the muffin after my first bite. 

Which bakery goods would you choose first?

An excellent muffin to start my breakfast with

Smoked Trout with Apple Cucumber and Dill Salad
Apple Dressing and Puff Pastry Chutney

The trout was delicious, as it was drizzled with sour dressing, making it had a unique combination of flavor - savory and sour. There were fine-looking crisp greens on the sides, such as rockets, white lettuce and purple cabbage. What I love the most after the fish was the puff pastry. They were puffy and crunchy, simply delicious. What was missing from the dish was a small bowl of melted cheese to eat my pastry with. 

A plate of Smoked Trout, along with some side dishes

Cheddar Cheese Omelette with Chicken Sausage
Spring Onion Potato Cake, Grilled Field Mushrooms and Roasted Tomato

After I finished my trout, my breakfast was then continued with a plate of omelette. I was hoping for a fluffy and soft omelette, instead I got a stiff and tough one. It didn't matter though, it still tasted delicious, especially if you mix it with some chicken sausage and ketchup. Managed to finish everything except the potato cake. 

The not-so-fluffy Cheddar Cheese Omelette

On-Request Indulgence

Vegetable and Shrimp Empanada
Andalusian Sauce
(Chef Ramzi's Artwork)

To Indonesian, Empanada is like Kue Pastel, a pouch of baked pastry filled with foodstuff. The Empanada that I ate was filled with veggies and shrimp, yet it tasted like crab instead of shrimp.  Andalusian Sauce here is a classic Mayonaisse-based recipe from Britain. It was salmon in color and was garnished with a slice of tomato on top. The sauce tasted weird, very creamy and sour, so I didn't munch the rest of my Empanada with it.

Vegetable and Shrimp Empanada

Cut it open an voila! 

Spicy Seafood Soup
(Chef Nobu's Artwork)

Shrimp and Shiitake Mushroom were found on the bottom of the soup bowl. There were only a pair of shrimps and a piece of mushroom, when I was hoping for a plentiful. My Dad and I love the clear soup so much, because it was very flavorful and peppery. This kind of soup is suitable to be eaten with some warm rice and roasted nuts, according to my taste.   

Loving this soup because it was rich in flavor

Mixed Nuts

Mom and Dad had this as a companion to their cup of tea. There were Almonds, Pistachio and Cashew Nuts. All of those nuts that I mention were sprinkled with salt, making them tasted savory and salty. 


Walkers Cookies

Fancy some Walkers? During our flight, there were three kinds of Walkers cookies available, which were the Belgian Chocolate, Steam Ginger and Oat Crunch. My favorite is the Oat Crunch, followed by the Belgian Chocolate, then the Stem Ginger. Them cookies taste best to be eaten with some ice cream. 

A glass of tea, along with a plate of munchies, for Mom and Dad

Some mixed nuts and a couple packs of Walkers cookies

Freshly Baked Cookies

Probably the best on-request indulgence served through out the flight! Those sinfully good chocolate-chip cookies were thin, slightly burnt, and crunchy. It tasted very good you have to taste it for yourself to agree with me. The cookie went well with a glass of milk, or a cup of ice cream, but I prefer to have it without any companion.. because it tasted too good to be ruined by other side snack.

The last Freshly Baked Cookies goes to.. my Dad!

Ceylon Spice Chai Tea

Ceylon Spice Chai tea smelled strange. It had this spicy taste that kind of reminds you about Indian Curry, then followed with a weak bitter aftertaste. 

A glass of tea that reminds you of India

Mint Tea with Fresh Milk

I had my Mint Tea with fresh milk because I can. When I ordered me such warm beverage, the stewardess that took my order was a bit puzzled by my choice of combination. "Mint tea with milk," she asked with a confused tone, then followed by, "I'll bring some for you."

It tasted minty and milky, and not sweet because I didn't add any sugar into my tea. Yeah, that's how I roll. 

Mint Milk Tea because that's how I roll

Godiva Chocolate

We were given a box of luxurious chocolate courtesy of Godiva Chocolatier. If the Gods and Goddesses eat chocolate, then Godiva's chocolate will be it. This chocolate is physically beautiful and well present, not to mention the fact that it will shock your taste buds. 

Inside the box was two kinds of chocolate, one white chocolate and the other milk chocolate topped with crunch. Both chocolate tasted great and beyond sweet, my teeth was hurting from the sweetness, but it worth every toothache. My favorite was the milk chocolate, because it had an awful lot of crunch within the chocolate.  

My favorite chocolate is the one on the right

The anatomy of them Godiva's chocolate that I ate

Main Meal

Bakery Basket: Onion, Laugen, Sourdough and Whole Meal Roll

Of course my favorite bread was the Laugen roll! Needles to say that the bread is a pretzel in another form that lacks sea salt.

A selection of dinner roll especially for you

An Individual Selection of Baby Octopus, Smoked Tuna and Roasted Prawn Chickpea Salad
(Chef Ramzi's Artwork)

I enjoyed my opening entree. The Smoked Tuna was dark red in color and tasted delicious, not fishy. I had a hard time in chewing the Baby Octopus though. It was rubbery and elastic, it took me a while to finish the whole dish. 

An interesting sight of the seafood selection

It came with a stick of savory puff pastry

Release the Kraken!

Hammour Sayadia Sayadia Rice, Roasted Peppers and Stuffed Kousa

Loving the Sayadia Rice and the Hammour! Although the rice tasted slightly bland and the fish was a bit dry, the sauce on the side of the dish helped me indulge. Roasted pine nuts were found hiding in my pile of rice and they made my dish tasted even more delicious! 

Spot any pine nuts hiding underneath the rice pile?

The delicious Hammour 

Warm Honey Roasted Pinnaple
Almond White Chocolate Fudge served with Ginger Ice Cream
(Chef Vineet's Artwork)

This dessert had a very weird taste. The pineapple cubes were glazed with honey, making it tasted sweet and sour at the same time. On the other hand, the Almond White Chocolate Fudge was very heavy. There were ginger cubes inside the fudge that made me feel nauseous. I don't think the component used to make the dessert work out well, or maybe I haven't figured out the unique combination of flavors just yet. 

And it is said on the menu that the dessert will be served with Ginger Ice Cream, yet I didn't see any ice cream on my plate? 

Great presentation, don't you think?

Enjoy your dessert! 

Finally, after a long flight, my family and I arrived at Washington DC. Thus, began our journey at the home of the brave.

Another Michelin-starred Meal

Breakfast

Mango and Raspberry Smoothie

Smoothies are nice, including this one. I'm not a big fan of anything that has raspberry in it, but this one is an exception, mainly because the mango dominated the flavor. The smoothie was very thick and milky, and not too sweet for my taste. 

Breakfast Bakery Basket: Croissant, Cherry Muffin, Arabic Bread, Brown and White Toast

Who doesn't love a bakery basket, right? There were Cherry Muffin, Croissant, and a couple of toast in my bakery bowl, but I didn't see any Arabic Bread. Either the stewardess ran out of bread, or she forgot to put it in there. 

I started with the Cherry Muffin. Fresh cherries are delicious and juicy, but not the preserved ones. Preserved cherries are bright red in color and tasted like an explosion of sugar. The texture is very different compared to fresh cherries in a bad way. I had to remove it from my muffin. It's a good thing that the cherries were only on the surface of the baked good.

The muffin itself was very enjoyable. Not too sweet, not to tasteless. Very fluffy and soft on the inside, yet somewhat stiff and toasty on the outside. I managed to finish the whole thing because it was just that good!

While I was having my muffin, Mom was having herself some Chicken Curry and a plate of fruits. I didn't get to taste Mom's meal, but I bet they were superb.

Lemongrass Chicken Curry, with Nasi Lemak, Sauteed Green beans, Bell Peppers, and Tomato Wedges

Nobu Fruit Plate (Chef Nobu's Artwork)

Cherry Tomato and Chive Frittata, with Grilled Chicken Sausage, Creamed Shiitake Mushroom, and Sauteed Spinach

The first thing that I ate was the Frittata. The egg-based dished was added with cherry tomato and chive, which didn't made it tasted monotone. It was very solid, similar to a hardened pudding but more stiff, when I was hoping for a more creamy texture.

Them side dishes were delicious as well, except the mushroom. My most favored green from the plate was the sauteed spinach. It was well-cooked and tasted bland in a good way. The crisp leafs were also nice, but it was lacking of dressing. 

I tried my best to like the mushroom but my attempt was to no avail. My first bite of the creamy Shiitake Mushroom was horrible. The creamy sauce was nice though, especially if it was with a plate of steak, but not the mushroom. 

Grilled Teriyaki Salmon

The best and my most favorite part of the meal! The salmon tasted great, although not as sweet as it usually tasted like. The skin on the side of the flesh was not crunchy, it became wet and sloppy from the teriyaki sauce, but it was still enjoyable. The only thing that it lacked was another portion.

Main Meal

Nasu Miso (Chef Nobu's Artwork)

The first thing that popped in my mind when I read the name of the food is a bowl of Miso Soup, or Misoshiru. For those who are not familiar with what Miso Soup is, it is a soup made out of broth and fermented soybean paste. It taste savory and salty, most of the time also fishy in a good way. Smelled nice and spicy, and is often added with diced tofu and seaweed, or nori. Other than the fact that the soup is high in protein and vitamin, it is also full of mineral and nutrition. This is why Miso Soup is very popular among Japanese and is considered their cup of tea.

But then, the stewardess came to my seat and served me a plate of a grayish round object, along with a chocolate-colored dipping sauce. "The last time I checked, Miso Soup is liquid," I thought to myself, "what in the world is this?". The gray dumpling-like object had sesame seed on its' surface. It let out a crispy sound when I tried to cut it into half. I don't recall the scent of the food the same as the Misoshiru that I know, it had an alien smell.  

My Mom decided to have a bite first. It didn't take long before she found out what the dish is. It turned out that Nasu Miso is actually Fried Eggplant. "Try it with the sauce, it tasted funny," said Mom. I stick my fork into the eggplant and dipped it into the sauce provided. True, it tasted funny, but in a bad way. The sauce was sweet, as if it was made out of palm sugar and nuts, and it didn't go well with the eggplant. I couldn't finish it, so I gave the remaining appetizer to my Mom.

Bakery Basket: Laugen, Onion, Sourdough, and Wholemeal Roll

My favorite would be the Laugen bread! Laugen bread and Pretzel share the same main ingredients, hence the same flavor and texture. What was lacking from the Laugen bread that night is a sprinkle of sea salt on it. Fortunately, salt was available through out the flight, so I poured some on the bread and indulged.

Clear Soup, with Crispy Rice and Mushroom (Chef Nobu's Artwork)

Why did I ordered a mushroom dish when it's obvious that I dislike mushroom? Well, I hate the fact that I don't like mushroom, so I was determined to make me like it. 

The clear soup was dark red and slightly orange in color. It has various kinds of mushroom decorating the surface of the soup and as well as the bottom. The soup itself was nice, very flavorful and spicy, not to mention hot. At the bottom of the bowl was another food stuff beside mushroom, which was a couple Crispy Rice. Cripsy Rice is, well, a clump of rice that has crispy texture. It share the same texture with slightly burnt rice, all chewy on the inside and slightly crunchy on the outside. Now, this particular Crispy Rice tasted sweet, similar to the kind of rice that we found in sushi. I like it so much, I think it tasted delightful and amusing. 

I ate the mushroom and I tried to enjoy it, but I couldn't seem to like it.. not even the slightest bit! It seemed like another attempt of mine to agree with people about how mushroom tasted nice failed once again. I ended up didn't finish the soup. Fortunately, Mom is a mushroom lover, so I gave my dish to her. 

Braised Bean Curd with Shimeji and Shiitake Mushroom in Soy Sauce, with Vegetable Fried Rice, Kale, Steamed Carrots, and Asparagus

Vegetarian meal tasted bland. The rice was bland, as well as the bean curd, and don't get me started on the steamed veggies. Luckily, there was this gooey soy sauce that made the dish had more flavor in it. The asparagus and the carrots were well-steamed, they were not stiff and tough, yet soft and teeth-friendly. Even if the braised bean curd tasted bland, it was still enjoyable if you eat it with the rice and soy sauce. I like the dish, despite the fact that it was tasteless, because it was made entirely out of healthy food stuff.

Vanilla Pannacotta, with Passion Fruit Sauce (Chef Tom's Artwork)

Pannacotta, ladies and gentleman, is a type of pudding that originated from Italy. The basic ingredients to make Pannacotta are milk, cream, sugar, and gelatin. The Vanilla Pannacotta that I had was my first Pannacotta that I have ever eaten, and it didn't taste that bad.. good actually!

The sweet and stomach-filling Pannacotta had an egg-y and milky flavor in it. Luckily, the sour, yet sweet, Passion Fruit Sauce helped neutralizing the flavor. Pannacotta share the same texture with pudding, but more firm and slightly less creamy. In my opinion, one portion of Qatar Airways' Vanilla Pannacotta will make you feel full, yet only filled half of your empty stomach.

QR670

Woke up at half passed five in the morning, I immediately went to the kitchen to get me my glass of hot tea that Mom made. The bathroom was occupied, so I waited at the living room, sipping on the hot beverage and browsing through some my Dad's roommate's Japanese comics. I didn't grab anything to munch because I know, if I did, I wouldn't be able to stop. Dad came out of the bathroom, letting me use it to get myself clean. In a few minutes, my Mom and I were going to go back to our hometown, while Dad would navigate an aircraft to Dhaka, Bangladesh. "Ket," my Dad called out, "Doha - Jakarta flights have great selection of airplane meal". Man, you can't imagine how ready my stomach is for breakfast.

Flash forward as I hopped into the aircraft, I immediately grabbed the menu and read it thoroughly. As I opened the first page of the fancy-looking menu, I was welcomed with four gentlemen in their chef uniform. There were Chef Vineet Bhatia, Chef Ramzi Choueiri, Chef Tom Aikens, and Chef Nobu Matsuhisa. These chefs are famous and highly skilled, they were even awarded with Michelin Stars. Combine Michelin Starred Chefs with Five-star Airline and what would you get? Incredible dinning experience, of course!

Breakfast

Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice & Laban

Mom had a glass of Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice, while I had me a glass of Laban. In Qatar Airways, when they said "Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice", it is freshly squeezed Orange Juice. It's zesty and thirst-quenching, not to mention there are pulps in it. What more awesome that fresh orange juice to start the day?

Laban is Arabic for Yogurt. The Laban that I had during my flight from Doha to Jakarta was more watery than the usual yogurt that you can find in the supermarket. It didn't have any flavor, although I could taste a hint of sour in it, and it was pretty light. I would settle for another round if they were serving Strawberry Flavored Laban. 

Breakfast Bakery Basket: Croissant, Blueberry Muffin, Arabic Bread, Brown and White Toasts

Blueberry Muffin was the first of the warm bakery products that I devoured from the Breakfast Bakery Basket. It was delicious! The muffin was vanilla, but there was a hint of banana also. There were not as many blueberries as I thought they would be, which is good because I'm not a big fan of baked blueberry. The muffin was delicious and stomach-stuffing.

One of the stewardess, who happen to be an Indonesian named Gadis, offered me some jams to eat the bread with. There were Strawberry Jam, Blueberry Jam, Honey, and Marmalade Jam. I choose the Marmalade Jam because it's the only fruity spread that I fancy.

Later on, I proceed in munching the Brown and White Toasts with some butter spread. They were delicious and plain savory. The Breakfast Bakery Basket was served warm and soft. Simply delightful.

Roasted Bell Pepper Frittatas, with Zucchini Potato Rösti, Grilled Chicken Patty, Cherry Tomatoes, and Herbed Cream Sauce 

Roasted Bell Pepper Frittatas was one of the main course available on board. Mom ordered a plate and, soon, a stewardess named Nur served it on her table. The presentation was very appealing, the food were nicely organized and the dinning utensil was spotless. The dish came with a slice of grilled chicken, potato, and crisps leaves. Mom's breakfast looked savory and palatable, I was an inch close to change my meal like hers. 

Gravlax and Lemon Scented Prawn, with Crisps Leaves, Caviar, Gruyére, and Dill Cream Cheese

The thing about Qatar Airways' airplane meal is that they come in components, or courses, like at those fancy restaurants that you see on Tv. Gravlax and Lemon Scented Prawn was the next thing that I had, which was the appetizer. It consisted of seafood, crisps leaves, and cheese. One of them was lemon scented prawn, with caviar on top, on a bed of dry bread. In between the prawn and the bread was Dill Cream Cheese that tasted creamy and sour. The Lemon Scented Prawn was sweet, but not that sweet, and it reeked of lemon. 

The only thing that I know about Caviar is that it costs an arm and a leg. I have no idea what kind of fish produce such roes other than the sturgeons. Compared to Salmon roes, Caviar is way smaller and they are black in color. Salmon roe is very fragile and easy to burst, pinch it with your tongue and the liquid inside would leaked immediately, but not Caviar. I'm no expert of fish roes, but I would say that Caviar was very enjoyable and light, and the liquid inside it was not fishy, nor sickening. 

"I have no idea what Gravlax is," is the only thing that popped out in my mind as I read the menu. I decided to give it a try though, but still, I had no idea what I ate. The fish was topped with a pair of plump Salmon roe, which I ate first because I'm not a big fan of the fishy liquid inside it. Then I proceed to unwrap the fish-based petals and dig in. It was very delicious, not fishy at all, very light and soft, and savory. I enjoyed every single bite of it!

Nobu Fruit Plate (Chef Nobu's Artwork) 

Nobu Fruit Plate was what Mom had next. It consisted of Melon, Mango, Kiwi, Rambutan, Tamarillo (or what we Indonesians refer as Terong Belanda), Green Grapes, Pitaya, Blueberries, Strawberries, Blackberries, and Raspberries. They looked beyond juicy and sweet, I couldn't help but to salivate. 

Banana Crêpe with Chocolate Sauce, with Strawberry and Creme Frâiche

A plate of crepe is my main course. The crepes were thin, yet it has some density in it, and cooked along with some ripe bananas. They were served with a scoop of sour cream, fresh and juicy strawberries, mint leaves, and chocolate sauce. I immediately drizzled them banana crepes with some sweet chocolates and started munching. They were the definition of breakfast! As soon as I finished my fried batter, I dipped the strawberries onto the chocolate syrup and indulged myself. 

Grilled Teriyaki Salmon

The menu said that main dishes were to be accompanied with Corn Fritters, Grilled Teriyaki Salmon, or Chicken Seekh Kebab. I see nothing wrong in having crepes with fish, so I asked the stewardess for some Grilled Teriyaki Salmon. Gadis, the stewardess, came with a small plate with a couple grilled salmon on it. "Since you had a sweet main course, I took the advantage of serving the savory salmon on a separated plate," she said thoughtfully. 

The Grilled Teriyaki Salmon is my favorite dish during breakfast. They were perfectly grilled and bathe in Teriyaki sauce. The flavor was perfectly balanced, not too sweet, nor too savory. What I love the most is the crispy skin attached on the fish, as they were very delightful and deliciously addicting. 

Café Latte

I ended my breakfast with a glass of Cafê Latte. The coffee was foamy and it tasted bitter, yet left an acidic aftertaste. Brown sugar was served instead of creamer or white sugar. I dipped on cube of brown sugar, but the coffee was still too bitter for me, so I dipped another. I enjoyed the coffee with some in-flights entertainment. 

Hours after hours passed. It was a nine hours flight and I kept myself busy by watching movies or continuously going to the lavatory. The sun set and the sky got dark. Soon, it was time for dinner and I could feel my stomach is empty once more.

Main Meal

King Crab Taco (Chef Nobu's Artwork)

A small portion of King Crab and Taco shells for appetizer. Both food combined tasted like salty dumplings. I'm not a big fan of the Taco shells because they were fragile and airy, when they were supposed to be crunchy and savory. Them King Crab was nice, but not like how I expected it would tasted like, which is sweet and soft. 

Lemon with Mint 

Lemon with mint is the second cold beverage that I always order during flight, after mineral water. This particular drink is sour, yet sweet and very refreshing. It comes with a leaf, or two, of mint, and the leaf itself is eatable and minty in flavor. 

Cauliflower Soup, with Créme Frâiche and Spiced Cheese Straws (Chef Tom's Artwork)

Mom had a bowl of creamy Cauliflower Soup and Spiced Cheese Straws. This dish right here is one of Chef Tom's masterpiece and it tasted nice. I tasted a spoonful of the soup, it was creamy and tasted like how cauliflower tasted like. The Spiced Cheese Straws, on the other hand, was puffy and crispy. I dipped the pastry into the soup and indulged. 

Bakery Basket: Laugen, Onion, Sourdough, and wholemeal roll

What caught my attention was the Laugen Roll. Laugen Roll, you see, is like Pretzel without sprinkles of sea salt on it. It share the same texture and flavor with Pretzel, which is hard as a rock and savory. I only had the Laugen Roll from the Bakery Basket because the other dinner rolls were not as attractive as the Bavarian-origin bread. Butter and salt were the perfect companion for the brown-skinned roll. 

Gong Pao Tofu, with Steamed Rice, Stir Fried Sugar Snap Peas, and Shiitake Mushroom with Celeriac Salad

Mom had a plate of Gong Pao tofu for dinner, a traditional dish from China. The dish came with sliced Shiitake Mushroom and stir fried peas, and a small bowl of creamy and juicy salad. It seemed that Mom was a bit hungry that night because she managed to finish the whole dish. She didn't even left any rice on the plate!

An individual selection of Butterfly Prawns, Sliced Tuna, and Oak Smoked Salmon, with Toasted Brioche, Apple Turnip Salad with Lemon and Horseradish Cream

I had me some more seafood for appetizer. Ms. Gadis, the stewardess that kept spoiling me during the flight, came with the bright colored dish. On my plate was a small bowl decorated with Apple Turnip Salad that was topped with Butterfly Prawns, Sliced Tuna, and Oak Smoked Salmon. As a person who loves Sashimi, or fresh raw fish, I enjoyed my appetizer very much. 

I loved both Oak Smoked Salmon and Sliced Tuna! Those fish were creamy and soft, and they didn't smell foul. The Butterfly Prawns were also delicious, but they were not as sweet as I thought it would be. The Apple Turnip Salad underneath the seafood was juicy and very refreshing, and surprisingly tasted good when you eat it with the crunchy Brioche. 

Pistachio and Mango Ice Cream, with summer berries

Surprisingly, after those Gong Pao Tofu and Cauliflower Soup, Mom still had some room left in her stomach and decided to have a dessert. She had some ice cream and summer berries. The presentation was simple, yet beautiful. My Mom is a not a heavy eater, and I was amazed by the fact that she finished three dishes in a row. 

Seared fillet of Cod and Ginger Butternut Purée, with lemon, pine nut, and sage butter (Chef Tom's Artwork)

Fish is what I had next for dinner. The main course came with bowl of mixed boiled nuts, such as Red Beans, Chick Peas, and Chinese Long Beans. The Cod was well-cooked and nicely spiced, the broth came out from the fish as I press the soft white meat with a knife. As delicious the fish was, eaten with sliced potatoes and Purée, I couldn't help but to think that it would probably tasted more delicious with some warm rice. 

Macana (Chef Nobu's Artwork)

The word "Macana" was written on the menu, with no explanation on what it was or what it consisted of. It is said that this dessert is one of Chef Nobu's masterpiece. As a curious gastronomer that I am, I decided to abandon ice cream and fresh fruits to go with this peculiar dish. 

As Ms. Gadis marched towards my seat, I could feel an excitement building up in me. The more closer she got, the more my view of the dessert became unclouded. On her hand was a tray with a crystal clear glass on it. The glass was filled with numerous objects with different colors. "Is that a Macana," I thought to myself. "Here's your Macana, Ms. Kinan," said the Indonesian steward. Dilated pupils and dropped jaw were what decorated my face. I glanced at my Mom and she glanced back at me with "Wow" written on her forehead. It turned out that she had been observing the dessert as well. 

At the top of the glass was a thin black object, which I assume was sugar glazed sesame seed. It was nailed on chunk of snow flakes. Underneath it was a round thin crispy chocolate, and on its' sides was fresh Raspberries and diced sponge cake. At the bottom of the glass was white creamy substance mixed with thick orange liquid. I certainly had no idea on what kind of dessert it is, nor how to eat it. 

I didn't know how to eat it, so I savor each component first before I indulge the rest of it. It turned out that the snow flakes was lemon sorbet, the sponge cake was soaked in ginger water, that the white substance at the bottom of the glass was white chocolate mouse, and the orange liquid was mango cream.  

I browsed the web for macana and found a website for Chef Nobu's restaurant in London. It is said that Macana consisted of: White Chocolate Mouse, Pistachio Charged Sponge, Mango Cream, and Kalamanzi Sorbet and that the dessert costs £ 10.50 or around Rp170.000,00. That is one expensive dish I had as complimentary.

Cheese Plate: Mature Cheddar, Fourme d'Ambert, and Brie le Maubert, with Prune Cake and Dried Apricots

My dinner soon would come to an end. The only meal that I haven't order was the Cheese Plate, that consisted of three kinds of cheese, fruit products, and crackers. 

Mature Cheddar: This cheese had a rather stiff and brick-like texture compared to the other two. It had a very strong and sharp sour flavor, yet still milky and savory.

Fourme d'Ambert: Share a similar physical appearance with the infamous Blue Cheese, Fourme d'Ambert tasted delicious and enjoyable. I was expecting a painful and excruciating un-delightful flavor, but it turned out fine and quite delicious. 

Brie le Maubert: The creamiest cheese among the three. The cheese was tasty and went well with some crackers. 

I didn't quite like the Prune Cake because it tasted sour and odd. The dried Apricots were sweet and delightful though.

Kopke, Colheita - 1974

Douro Valley, Portugal 

What's the point of Cheese-tasting without some wine? I browsed the wine menu and decided to have a wee bit of Kopke. To me, all wine tasted like cherry-flavored cough syrup, but this particular wine that I drank didn't taste as sharp and cherry-like as the wine that I usually have during mass. I managed to finish the drink and landed safely at Jakarta. I'm pretty sure that I have a good tolerance to alcohol, yet Kopke made me tipsy. 

Incredible, right, the love child of Michelin Starred Chefs and Five-start Airline? Dad didn't lie when he told me that there would be great airplane meal on Doha - Jakarta flights, because I had a fantastic time during my nine hour flight to Jakarta.