Singapore Airlines’ new Australian first, business class menus
Chef Matt Moran crafts a special celebratory menu to mark his 20 years with Singapore Airlines.
By Chris Ashton, September 12 2023
Singapore Airlines is arguably a gold standard of inflight fare, and its Book the Cook service has made fan favourites of lobster thermidor and spicy chicken satay.
However, a fresh bounty of first class and business class dishes exclusive to flights from Australia could give them a run for their money.
Debuting in October, the rotating menus feature the likes of lobster linguini, blue eye cod soup, and mud crab with apple and cucumber.
They’re among the latest creations from Chef Matt Moran, who is not only a champion of paddock-to-plate dining and conductor behind the symphony of flavours at the Aria restaurant on Sydney Harbour but also a member of Singapore Airlines’ International Culinary Panel.
Matt Moran in the kitchen at Aria.
Steven Woodburn
Steven Woodburn
In fact, the new dishes mark Moran’s 20th year with Singapore Airlines, and his passion for seasonality has inspired more than 200 sky-high dishes throughout that time.
So what’s in store for Singapore Airlines’ first and business class flyers heading out from Australia?
Taking off on flights from October are soups and entrees including:
- Blue eye cod soup
- Fennel, lemon and cauliflower soup
- Leek and porcini soup
- Mud crab, apple and cucumber
- Burrata, baby beetroot and celeriac; and veal, artichoke, burnt chilli and cultured cream
Cauliflower, lemon and fennel soup whets the appetite for what's to come.
Steven Woodburn
Steven Woodburn
And for mains:
- Lobster linguini, saffron and tomato
- Corn-fed chicken breast with celeriac, prune, burnt onion
- Turmeric fish curry, snake bean, lime and jasmine rice
- Lamb, sunchoke, grilled lettuce and mustard oil
- Pasture-fed beef fillet, spinach, mushrooms and bordelaise sauce
Lamb, sunchoke, grilled lettuce and mustard oil.
Steven Woodburn
Steven Woodburn
Sweet-toothed flyers aren’t forgotten, with desserts such as:
- Strawberry tart with ripple cream, chocolate, cherry and candied macadamia
- Yuzu cheesecake served with mango and mint.
Antony McNeil, Singapore Airlines’ Food & Beverage Director, says it’s been an honour having Moran play such a pivotal role in guiding the culinary offering for the Australian market.
“I’m not sure we could ever take his lamb dishes off the menu,” McNeil enthuses. “They are always so popular with customers and help to champion quality Australian ingredients to an international audience”.
Strawberry tart with ripple cream, chocolate, cherry and candied macadamia.
Steven Woodburn
Steven Woodburn
Moran is equally proud of his culinary legacy, revealing “over this time, I've loved being more adventurous with the menu and introducing customers to dishes that speak to my philosophy.”
“What has stayed the same is the airline's commitment to showcasing premium dishes and a desire to give their customers the very best experience.”
Corn-fed chicken breast with celeriac, prune, burnt onion.
Steven Woodburn
Steven Woodburn
Singapore Airlines appears to be in a particularly celebratory mood this year, with these new menus from Moran complementing ‘A Celebration of Champagne’, which currently sees a mix of rotating Champagnes offered on flights around the globe.
Of course, if you do still have a craving for lobster thermidor, Singapore Airlines’ Book the Cook menus of more than 50 dishes will be available to select up to 24 hours prior to departure.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer
11 Oct 2014
Total posts 687
Kudos to Matt for his lamb dish ... but 'grilled lettuce' ??? Seriously ? I couldn't - in my wildest dreams - consider that as anything tasteful, let alone visually attractive. Experimental it may be, but it would simply be something pushed to the side and left on the plate, IMO.
12 Dec 2016
Total posts 9
Perhaps don't knock it until you've tried it? It's hardly an experimental dish. When it's executed well, charred lettuce can have a lovely smoky flavour.
28 Sep 2022
Total posts 24
Can't wait to try it, SQ food is already if remarkable quality, it's good to see them always looking to improve.
Compared to QF... It's a mystery why Nel Perry doesn't terminate his relationship with the airline due to the reputational damage it's causing him.
Qantas - Qantas Frequent Flyer P1
23 Aug 2014
Total posts 148
No airline is perfect
It is true that overall, SQ is up there with the best (but a far cry from AF La Premiere, JAL, ANA) but can suffer from the following:
1. "Label" wines that appeal to a section of their premium market, perform very very poorly in a pressurised cabin and are served far too young eg., Grand Cru burgundies, as opposed to EK that ages its wines with precision and forward thinking. Qantas, prior to the shocking ploy to serve much much cheaper wines (in disguise) in First and Business, had very good to excellent wines in F and J that took into account the pressurised cabin and its impact on wine, with some ageing (it is extremely narrow sighted of them to not cellar and serve aged Australian wines)
2. The "famous" lobster Thermidor on SQ has "label" value but is often drowned in a cheesy sauce with little or no sweet lobster meat taste discernible, both in The Private Room and on board. If you like nonspecific protein with grilled melted cheese and no other taste discernible, then this is the dish for you.
Moran works harder at allowing the primary ingredient to shine through, without this disguise and deserves accolades for this.
3. Th Sydney F meals stand up very well and the article is very fair in this regard. As a PPS flyer, I often find that although the range of choices on Book the Cook is massive out of the home base, the overall quality is variable and the food out of Sydney is more consistent
4. I also appreciate that many F and J travellers do not place the emphasis on food and wine that I do.
5. Although I agree that the Neil Perry marketing strategy has outlived its use by date, we must not forget that he is limited by the budget Qantas provide him. Do we actually know Matt Morans budget provided by SQ for a true comparison??
Singapore PPS club
22 Aug 2015
Total posts 5
These menus look good but unfortunately in J will be accompanied by very ordinary wines. I fly SQ for the fabulous service but the business class wine list seriously lets them down. Champagne is Fine, and reasonably good French whites and Bordeaux, but NEVER a pinot (old world or new world), and the Australian offerings are cheap and very ordinary. Never a Sauternes either, only port. It's a great pity the wine list doesn't match their food and service standards.
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