As I prepare to venture to Montreal for a mini-vacation and a good steak frites, it occurs to me I have fallen woefully behind in my food blogging. So to begin catching up, I'd like to recap some of the snacks and meals I enjoyed during my summer vacation, which took me from Ottawa to the Maldives and Singapore, with a bunch of lounges and business class flights. This update will focus on lounges and in-flight meals.
The trip began with a business class train trip from Ottawa to Montreal, as there were better Aeroplan reward options flying out of YUL. And being paranoid about missing flights, I booked a breakfast train to ensure a large buffer (and more time to enjoy the Maple Leaf Lounge in Montreal).
VIA offers the choice of a hot or cold breakfast, although the eggs are inescapable with either choice. I mean, you could escape them, put the point is, egg features prominently in both. I have never gotten the hard but I believe it involves a hard-boiled egg, yogurt and fruit.
I always get the hot option which is some kind of egg dish, usually potatoes and some sort of protein like bacon and sausage, and fruit. Sometimes it's an omelet; egg bites are a regular new feature. For a few years now the bread choice has been a roll with hints of cinnamon which is delicious.
This trip it was a bacon leek quiche with cherry tomatoes and sauteed onions and mushrooms. I was very happy to see this; their quiche is not supper eggy which is a plus for me and the ingredients and crust help mask the eggs for me.
Which brings me to a side note on ketchup, a regular issue for me when it comes to eggs. When I remember I bring ketchup packets if I can, as availability can be hit or miss. They do have ketchup more often than not, but it's back in the galley so if you're being served early in the service, you could have to wait awhile and your food could get cold. I don't expect them to go and get it for me right then, but I'm curious -- if they have it stocked, and they do more than half the time, why isn't it on the cart? You could argue they stock the ketchup for lunch or dinner, but I take the train a lot and I have never seen a lunch or dinner offered that lends itself to ketchup. One of life's mysteries.
Anyway, after an on time arrival at VIA's Dorval station and a free shuttle transfer to the airport, I cleared security, bought an airport ballcap to protect my bald head in the Maldivian sun, and headed to the Maple Leaf Lounge. It was pointed out I was a bit early (I was crazy early) so I was admitted without issue.
Besides the bar not being self-service, I like the YUL International MLL far more than the one in Toronto, which I last visited two years ago on my way to Jordan and Palestine. There was ample appy selection, hot and cold, as well as a made to order pasta bar. And it just seemed to flow more smoothly than the Toronto domestic or international lounges -- Ottawa is also very limited in selection. Also, when it comes to tarmac plane watching, the order is definitely YUL>YOW>YYZ.
Here's a video tour:
While it wasn't a self-service bar they did give me a healthy pour on my rum and diet coke. I samples the various appetizers but the highlight for me was definitely the popcorn chicken bites -- I may have have had a few helpings -- I was there for quite awhile. So long that they ran out of this variety and replaced them with an inferior, more processed popcorn chicken. Note the corn cause I'm healthy like that...
I also ordered a tasty bow tie pasta with olive oil, garlic, bell peppers and mushrooms. Simple but delicious.
After a few hours of plane watching and probably too much popcorn chicken given the meals I had ahead of me, I headed to the gate for the first leg of my flight journey: Air Canada in business from Montreal overnight to Frankfurt.
I settled into my pod and, once airborne, my tablet was set and the service began with a ramekin of warm mixed nuts and a glass of red wine -- I selected a Chateau De Pistray Les Praries Castilllion from France that was delicious. This was the first of many wine and nuts combos, which seems to be a business class staple.
Next I was served my salad. It was fine. It was served with the same oil/balsamic dressing I have had with every salad I have ever been served on a business class flight, and would see twice more before I got my next solid sleep in my Maldivian villa.
But the real star here was the Mediterranean mezze appetizer. Which I guess some people will fine more acceptable than calling it an Arabic mezze. Whatever you call it, it was excellent. Hummus, Loubieh Bi Zeit, Muhammara and Za'atar seasoned feta. Truly the highlight of this flight.
Next was the entree, which I has pre-ordered online. I had selected the slow braised beef, tomato demi-glace, garlic pappardelle pasta, broccoli and sweet cherry tomato. The other options were chicken, trout and a bean stew.
It was...fine. Cooked properly and all. I have come to the conclusion that I just think I don't care for braising as a beef preparation. Will keep this in mind for future ordering opportunities.
Stuffed from lounge food and a three course meal, I passed on desert, got changed into more comfortable clothes and tried to get some sleep in my lay flat pod. Which I don't think I did that well at, so I eventually gave up and watched White Lotus until we approached the European coast and they came around with breakfast.
For this meal there was no choice -- just the standard parsley omelet, chicken sausage with parmesan cheese and spinach, roasted potatoes and tomato cumin chutney. Plus a croissant, a fruit bowl and yogurt.
With the time change it may have been breakfast time out the window and in Frankfurt, but it was not in my stomach. In my stomach, it was still the day before when I had a train breakfast, copious lounge food and, just a few hours before, a three course meal. So I had the fruit and sausage and picked at the rest, mostly leaving the eggs untouched. No disrespect to their breakfast, but I would have no appetite for quite awhile.
After navigating a terminal change and a train ride at Frankfurt airport -- thankfully, no customs checkpoint for transit passengers, I settled into the Emirates lounge. They had the standard breakfast offerings but nothing super impressive, and I passed knowing I had a big lunch ahead of me. After a welcome shower and a Cola Light, I boarded my next flight -- business on an Emirates 777 to their Dubai Hub, where I hoped a much nicer lounge awaited me.
Again, I had pre-ordered my lunch on the Emirates web site as soon as the option was open. I am the sort that scouts menus ahead of any big restaurant meal. And once we were airborne the service began.
It's the little things that set the Emirates service apart from Air Canada like the large ramekin of butter instead of a plastic tub, the real salt and pepper shakers, and the metal napkin holder. Just more classy overall. But there's that salad dressing again, hello old friend.
I was still not super-hungry and was pretty tired -- one reason I went with water instead of wine. And I picked at the salad, picking out the olives. But the appetizer of seared scallops on pea puree with microgreens was outstanding -- again, as on Air Canada, the appetizer outshining the main. The scallops were delicious and cooked perfectly. Here's a closer look:
Next came the main, and I had pre-ordered the fish tahta. The flavours were good but it was dry. I was too full any ways, I had a few bites and tapped out and even skipped desert. I felt bad about not fully capitalizing on the full Emirates business experience, but I just had zero appetite at this point, thanks to both fatigue and having had far more to eat already than I usually do.
Of course, there are multiple deserts on an Emirates business flight, even at lunch. So while I passed on the main desert I couldn't pass on the chocolate box, or the strawberry ice cream served later in the flight.
We touched down in Dubai and it was the evening -- at least outside, I had no idea where it was to my body. After a long and circuitous march through Dubai's airport I found my terminal and headed to the flagship Emirates lounge, a visit I had been looking forward to for years after many travel vlogger videos.
The smiles stopped when I got inside. It was, to be honest, disappointing, I have no videos as, frankly, there was nothing with chronicling. Maybe it was the time of day, which I believe was late evening/post dinner. But I walked the length of the huge lounge to find the different regional food stations. But frankly, they all had only slightly different versions of rice/noddle/sauce/veg. It gave off low rent buffet vibes, and there was hardly any protein to be found. Just as well I didn't have an appetite; if I ate anything it left no memory or impression.
After trying to sleep a bit, flight time approached and I made my way to my gate, after picking up some Dubai chocolate at duty free, and boarded by business class flight on Fly Dubai to Maldives. For a low cost carrier, this was a great experience. A lay flat seat that I managed to actually sleep on (two days awake may have helped).
But first, I began again with wine and nuts -- this time, a Journey's End Huntsman Shiraz from South Africa that was very tasty.
The meal was served all at once which was fine, as I was more than ready for bed at this point. No pre-order, I had the roasted chicken served with baby carrots, charred broccolini, and herbed-mased potatoes in a cream sauce. There's that salad dressing again. And cheese blintzes for desert, with vanilla creme anglaise and cherry compote. The main was hearty and satisfying, and put me properly to sleep.
And with that, it was off to bed before an early morning arrival into the Maldivian capital.
This got long so I'll save part two for another update, including two business flights on Singapore Air and the lounge in Singapore, before returning to the economy life for the journey home from Bangkok.
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