Singapore's Book the Cook

I have an awesome trip coming up on Singapore Airlines (SQ) in First Class. 

I have flown them before during last summer with SIN-BKK, KUL-SIN and SIN-PEK all in regional Business and was not too impressed with their food offerings.  The Business seat was very good for regional flight (not for the overnight red-eye to Beijing though).  I heard about Book the Cook SQ offers and it looks interesting enough.  I have pre-ordered food before on Thai Airways and the food was decent or really good.  I am interested to see what SQ has to offer with their pre-order option.

Photo from Singapore Airlines

 

I heard reprots that SQ caters enough for First Class so if I don't like what I pre-order or if I want more food... I can most certainly get something else to eat on-board one of their flights.  Please keep in mind that I have a lot of meals ahead on my SQ flights and some flights offer 2 or 3 meals that I can pre-order.  I chose a variety of different meals that gives me a good range of the variety offered by SQ during their flights.

 

Photo from Singapore Airlines

Here's what it says about Book the Cook on the SQ website:

World-class meals you can count on

Revel in our celebrated Book the Cook service that enables you to order your main course before you fly. Simply select from our list of premium Book the Cook dishes and make your request through our reservations office or your travel agent at least 24 hours before flight departure. You may also make your Book the Cook meal request when purchasing your tickets online through our website.

Please note that Book the Cook dishes are main courses, and are not offered during Continental Breakfast and Refreshment service. Book the Cook dishes may not be available during Breakfast service on selected flights.

Book the Cook main courses are specially prepared just for you. Should you decide to change or cancel your Book the Cook main courses, or would prefer to select from our inflight menus, please notify us at least 24 hours before flight departure so as to avoid any disappointment during your flight.

If you would like to make a meal request, click here to retrieve your booking details.

Here's a few menus available:

San Francisco Suites and First Class Menu

5 oz. rib-eye steak and peppercorn sauce with grilled yellow squash, asparagus spears, baby carrots, roasted Roma tomato, and fried potatoes **My choice**

Chicken breast stuffed with chorizo, papaya, red onion, and herbs with potato and corn hash, fresh asparagus, and baby carrots

Jumbo scallops in raspberry vinegar sauce with baby vegetables

Lobster Thermidor with buttered asparagus, slow-roasted vine-ripened tomato, and saffron rice

Roasted Chilean bass in creamy cider vinegar sauce with roasted tomato, parsley potato, baby carrots, and asparagus

Veal chop sautéed with wild mushroom, potatoes, bacon and fresh herbs, broccoli, baby carrots, zucchini, and roasted potatoes

Beef Bulgogi with Korean mixed vegetables and steamed rice  **My choice**


Braised quail with chestnut and Chinese sausage served with Chinese greens and noodles

Nigiri Sushi

Seafood rice noodle soup with Chinese greens

Steamed sole wrapped in ham served with seasonal vegetables and fried rice

Thai red curry chicken with broccoli, baby carrots, red bell peppers, and pineapple fried rice

Toasted multigrain country bread with herb cottage cheese, grilled vegetables and fresh berries low fat yoghurt (Breakfast only)

EX-Singapore Suites and First Class Menu

Western options:

U.S. 8 oz. Rib-Eye Steak (U.S. beef steak with creamy green peppercorn sauce, roasted vegetables and garlic-mashed potatoes)

Pan-Fried Veal Loin and Braised Veal Cheek with parsnip purée, fresh garden vegetables and mushroom ragout

Oven-Roasted Free Range Chicken Breast (Tender chicken breast stuffed with baby spinach, ricotta cheese and fresh sage, served with cepe mushrooms and red wine jus, buttered fresh garden vegetables and creamy polenta)

Roast Rack of Lamb (New Zealand lamb with mint jus, mesclun salad and thyme-flavoured gratin potatoes)

Pan-Seared Chilean Seabass in Bouillabaisse Broth (An adaptation from its Marseillaise original, its broth is flavoured with saffron, white wine and a splash of Pernod. Served with slow-cooked capsicum confit and zucchini pasta.)

Seared Salmon Escalope (Norwegian salmon escalope on a warm potato and snake bean salad. With a light dressing of diced tomato, lemon and olive oil.)

Boston Lobster Thermidor (Lobster tail sautéed in butter, flambéed in brandy, sprinkled with cheese, and served with creamy mushroom sauce, garlic and spicy mustard, and buttered asparagus)

Pappardelle with Seafood (Lobster, scallop and salmon in a mushroom, sun-dried tomatoes and seafood broth, with al dente pappardelle pasta)

Roasted Vegetables Salad (A selection of roasted vegetables, avocado and orange, marinated in truffle-perfumed oil, parsley and chives on pan-fried roesti potatoes. Topped with a mesclun salad, shaved Parmesan cheese, and drizzled with fine truffle oil vinaigrette.)

Swedish Wholegrain Crisp Bread (A healthy breakfast choice with crisp bread, cottage cheese, rosemary honey-roasted pear and a low fat yoghurt of fresh berries [Breakfast only])

Japanese Options:

Kyo-Kaiseki (A traditional Japanese array of dishes presented in sequence, with ingredients and garnishes reflecting and changing with each season. Designed by Singapore Airlines International Culinary Panel Chef Yoshihiro Murata (inclusive of Breakfast service and available only on flights with duration of 2 hours or more; some items are served at cabin temperature))

Chargrilled Soya-Flavoured Beef (Japanese-style beef, vegetables simmered in mirin, and shimeiji mushroom rice. Designed by Singapore Airlines International Culinary Panel Chef Yoshihiro Murata)

Wagyu Sirloin with Eringi Mushroom (Wagyu sirloin with baked eringi mushroom marinated with truffle, garlic and sake, yuzu and light soy sauce, accompanied by green beans and jalapeño salsa, served with steamed rice)

Assorted Sushi (Marinated and smoked fish on lightly vinegared Japanese rice (served at cabin temperature))

Chinese Options:

Steamed Chinese Herbal Chicken (Chicken steamed with Chinese herbs, served in a lightly thickened sauce, fine beans with hon shimeji in XO sauce, and mushroom rice. Designed by Singapore Airlines International Culinary Panel Chef Sam Leong)

Steamed Cod in Spinach Sauce (Served with seasonal oriental vegetables, Chinese black mushrooms and egg fried rice. Designed by Singapore Airlines International Culinary Panel Chef Zhu Jun)

Braised Pork Ribs in Yellow Bean Sauce (Pork ribs braised with yellow bean, shimeiji mushrooms, carrots and beans, and served with steamed rice) **My choice**


Baked King Prawn with Chilli Sauce (Served with Taiwan cabbage and fragrant steamed rice)

Sliced Grouper Congee (Grouper cooked in rice porridge with spring onions and ginger (Breakfast only))

Dim Sum Selection (Selection of dim sum with steamed radish cake (Breakfast only))

Singaporean Options:

Char Siew Wanton Noodle Soup (Honey-roasted pork, shrimp and pork dumplings on noodles in a savoury clear broth) **My choice**


Singapore Bak Kut Teh (Literally 'Meat Bone Tea', a peppery, savoury soup of meaty pork ribs simmered in a broth of herbs and spices, served with rice)

Singapore Chicken Rice  (Poached chicken, sliced and served on long-grain rice cooked in chicken broth. Accompanied by dark soya sauce, tangy ginger and fresh chilli and lime sauces.)  **My choice**


Straits Chinese Chicken Curry (Tender chicken and potato simmered in spicy coconut milk, served with bread rolls and steamed rice)

Prawn and Chicken Laksa (Rice noodles in a rich, coconut cream seafood gravy with prawns, chicken, fish cake, deep-fried beancurd and bean sprouts)

Singaporean Style Chicken and Lamb Satay (Marinated, skewered and grilled chicken and lamb slices. Served with cucumber, ketupat rice cakes and spicy peanut sauce.)

Braised Soya Flavoured Duck with Yam Rice (Duck marinated in a mix of dark soy sauce, spices and Chinese rice wine. Served on fragrant yam rice with chilli sauce.)

Nonya Assam Fish (Fish, okra, eggplant and tomato cooked with Assam spices Peranakan style, served with steamed rice)

Teo Chew Fish Porridge (Southern Chinese dish of rice porridge of lightly poached fish slices, pickled vegetables, toasted Chinese seaweed, spring onions and Chinese celery. Served with sliced red chilli in soya sauce (inclusive of Breakfast service))

Yu Pian Mi Fen (Singapore style thick rice vermicelli noodle soup with sliced 'Sang Yu' fish and green vegetables. Garnished with spring onions (inclusive of Breakfast service))

Fish Ball Kway Teow Soup (Flat rice noodles and fish balls in chicken broth, bean sprouts, Chinese preserved vegetables (tung chai) and sliced red chilli (inclusive of Breakfast service))

Malay Options:

Lontong Rendang Ayam (Chicken cooked in coconut milk and exotic spices with rice cakes, potato patties and egg)

Malay-style Beef Rendang (Tender beef cooked in coconut milk, spices and lemongrass, and served with turmeric rice)

Grilled Indonesian King Prawn (Spicy prawns with sautéed brocolli, cauliflower, carrots, garlic sauce and microgreens, served with steamed rice)

Nasi Lemak (Fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk, accompanied by spicy sambal prawns, fried chicken, fried anchovies with peanuts, spicy pickled vegetables (achar), an omelette wedge, and grilled fish cakes (otah) (inclusive of Breakfast service)) **My choice**


Thai Options:

Duck in Red Thai Curry (A red curry with duck, served with steamed rice and vegetables)

Steamed Cod Fish (A traditional dish of cod steamed with spicy lime sauce, served with shredded white cabbage, carrot julienne, Chinese sliced celery, fried garlic and steamed rice)

Gaeng Paa Koong (A Thai curry of prawn simmered with wild herbs, served with steamed rice)

Fish Soufflé and Chicken (Freshly minced chicken, chilli and basil are pan-fried and accompany a traditional Thai dish soufflé. Served with pineapple fried rice and curried mixed vegetables.)

Green Curry Fish Balls stuffed with Prawn (Fish balls stuffed with minced prawns, simmered in green curry sauce, and soya-braised pork. Served with mixed vegetables.)

Indian Options:

Lamb Shank (Lamb shank with onion, pea-soya beans and tempered Bengal, served with gramm and yoghurt vegetable pilaf. Designed by Singapore Airlines International Culinary Panel Chef Sanjeev Kapoor)

Chicken Tikka Kurchan Masala (Roasted chicken in a spicy masala sauce with mild spiced mushroom, served with asparagus, cumin-flavoured basmati pilaff, papadum, pickles and plain yoghurt)

Curry Patta Lobster (With spiced spinach and corn, tomato pulao, and served with papadum, pickle and plain yogurt)

Nasi Biryani (An Indian specialty, fragrant Basmati rice, cooked with aromatic spices, herbs, tomatoes, saffron and milk, is served with tender chicken simmered in gravy (inclusive of Breakfast service))

Food is one of the many facets of the outstanding SQ service and reputation.  Other features include:

The biggest seat in its class

At 35-inches wide, each seat is exquisitely upholstered in fine-grained leather with mahogany wood trimming. Considerably wider than any other conventional First Class seat, it offers you luxury of the highest order.  The unique design allows you the freedom to lounge, stretch and relax in virtually any position. 
As a soothing touch, the ambient mood lighting in the cabin is designed to enhance your surroundings.

The largest bed in the sky beckons

Whenever you wish, relax in the largest, most versatile bed in the sky. Enjoy the freedom of sleeping in any position with crisp linen, fluffy pillows and a plush duvet. This is complemented by an exclusive turndown service.
Other premium touches include quality skincare products, as well as a sleeper suit and bedroom slippers exclusively designed by Givenchy. There is even a vanity corner with mirror and drawer at every seat, to make freshening up a more personal experience.

A gourmet restaurant where your favourite seat is reserved for you

Choose from a selection of gourmet masterpieces created by our International Culinary Panel of world-renowned chefs, and accompanied by wines carefully selected to delight the discerning palate. Enjoy sumptuous offerings served on exquisitely patterned tableware designed by Givenchy.

Take a break with our enhanced snack menu offering savoury and sweet selections, along with some of the finest gourmet coffee.

The widest screen in the sky

A personal 23-inch LCD screen with 1280x768 pixels, the highest resolution in the sky, gives you sharper images. Combined with surround sound and the latest in noise-cancelling headphone technology, it all adds up to a unique cinematic experience. An all-in-one business panel with in-seat power and USB connectivity allows you to work as you please.

Needless to say... I am VERY EXCITED and looking forward to my (probably) ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME experience with SQ FIRST Class coming up soon!