Singapore Airlines First Class Dining Review: Narita to the US

Singapore Airlines First Class dining from Narita: Book the Cook lobster, green tea Mont Blanc, sukiyaki, and $300 champagne before takeoff.

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When we book a premium cabin, inflight dining is one of the things we look forward to most. On our Singapore Airlines First Class flight from Tokyo Narita to the US, we used the "Book the Cook" service to pre-select our meals. The food on this route was genuinely incredible. Here is everything we ate at 40,000 feet.

(For the full seat and flight experience, see our complete flight review video on the channel.)

Champagne and Singapore Satay Before Takeoff

We were offered a choice of two champagnes as soon as we settled in. Neither of us are sommeliers, but both were noticeably smooth. Out of curiosity, we looked them up later: my choice was around $200 a bottle, Vincent's was closer to $300.

The flight attendants asked whether we wanted the satay before or after departure. We waited until after takeoff.

The satay: The Singapore Chicken Satay is famous for good reason. The peanut sauce is rich and deeply flavored. It might not quite match eating it fresh on the ground, but it is an absolute must-order if you are flying this route.

Appetizers

The care from the flight attendants throughout was exceptional. When I got cold, our flight attendant tucked me in with a blanket. They also pre-warm the bread plates so your garlic bread stays soft. These small details add up.

My appetizer (scallops): Scallops topped with caviar. The presentation was on par with a five-star restaurant. The scallops were incredibly fresh, though the sauce at the bottom was a bit heavy. I also had a vegetable soup with flat ravioli inside. The ravioli was not my favorite, but the broth was soothing.

Vincent's appetizer (caviar): Traditional caviar service with blinis and condiments. He is not a huge caviar fan, but he genuinely enjoyed the experience.

Main Course

My main (lobster): Lobster with potatoes and seasonal vegetables. The smell alone when it arrived was great, and it tasted as good as it looked. On a previous flight I had a soggy noodle dish that left me disappointed with inflight dining. This lobster completely reversed that impression.

Vincent's main (black cod): Grilled miso marinated black cod with seasonal vegetables and steamed rice. Slightly fishy, but still very good.

Dessert: A Surprise and a Mont Blanc

Vincent arranged a surprise for me mid-flight: a beautiful, large tiramisu cake. That was not a standard service item.

For the actual dinner dessert, we were served a Green Tea Mont Blanc. I went over to Vincent's suite to share it. The presentation was stunning, with red bean paste, ice cream, and a syrup that brought everything together. The pastry work was genuinely impressive.

Lunch Service Before Landing

My lunch (sukiyaki): The best individual dish I had on the plane. Incredibly soft, flavorful meat. If you are debating what to order for the second meal service on this route, get the sukiyaki.

Vincent's lunch (kakuni): Japanese-style braised pork belly with rice. Very good, but the sukiyaki edges it out.

The Big Takeaway

The food on the outbound flight from the US to Japan did not leave much of an impression. Flying from Japan to the US was a completely different experience.

If you are booking Singapore Airlines First Class and have a choice of departure direction: start your journey in Asia. You get the local dishes, the Japanese-inspired courses, the satay before takeoff. It elevates the entire experience in a way that the US-to-Asia direction simply does not.

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