A Taste of Ramen: Fukuoka and Tokyo on SIA and ANA (SIN-FUK-HND-SIN in Y)

[yflyer]

We took off on time. After take-off, snack packs were distributed...



In each pack, water, a muffin, and a packet of glico snacks.



Beverage service was next. I asked for a G&T and was delighted to see that it came with a lemon slice.



After that, lights were dimmed for pax to rest...

[yflyer]

With earplugs and eyeshades on, I slept very well through most of the night.

2 hours prior to landing, breakfast was served.



I opted for the Rockfish Teriyaki with rice.



This tasted fine, although some folks might find the rockfish a little subtle or even bland in flavour. The appetiser and salad were very tasty.



After breakfast I went to sleep once again, only waking up as we were approaching Singapore.



We landed in Singapore at 6.11am, almost a full 30 min earlier than the scheduled arrival time of 6.40am. Thumbs up!



I enjoyed my flight to Singapore on ANA. The cabin product was good, and so were the cabin crew. I slept well and arrived slightly early. What more could one ask for on an economy class redeye?

[yflyer]

Final reflections...

I had a lot of fun on this trip. My flights on SQ and ANA all went according to plan, and I was happy with both the inflight and on-the-ground experience with both airlines.

Both my outbound SQ SIN-FUK and inbound NH HND-SIN were red-eyes in economy, and both were operated by 787 Dreamliners, which would make for an interesting comparison between these 2 leading carriers.

Comparing the 2 carriers, I would say that both flights were very good, with SQ having a slight edge over NH in terms of inflight experience, but with NH offering a superior lounge experience for KF/Star Gold travelling in Y.

1. The SQ economy seat was slighly more comfortable than the NH seat, and SQ's IFE was far more comprehensive than the NH platform.

2. I preferred the taste of my SQ Teriyaki Chicken to the NH Teriyaki Rockfish. That said, both airlines had impressive catering.

3. SQ had hot towels, NH didn't. A small touch, but an important one, at least to me!

4. SQ offered complimentary internet to Krisflyer members, whereas NH internet was paid access, except for the complimentary texting plan.

5. While both SQ and NH cabin crew were polite and efficient, I found SQ's cabin crew to be just a little warmer and friendlier.

6. I much preferred ANA's lounge in HND T2 to SIA's Krisflyer Gold Lounge in Changi T2. The caveat there is of course that the Changi lounge is an old lounge, with a new one in the works.

7. ANA does an amazing job of maintaining their aircraft interiors and exteriors. While the SQ aircraft on the SIN-FUK sector was very clean and new on the inside, the exterior paintwork on SQ's 787 showed a surprising amount of wear and tear.

While SQ came out ahead on some of these points, I would reiterate that I was very happy with my flights on NH, and would not hesitate to fly with them again, especially since their pricing is often more competitive than SQ's.

As for destinations, I would highly recommend staying near Canal City in Fukuoka, with the Washington Hotel being a decent choice of place to stay. I would certainly stay there again if I were ever in Fukuoka. All that said, the Grand Hyatt Fukuoka looked really nice too!

Lots of excellent food in both Fukuoka and Tokyo. I would definitely join the line for a bowl of ramen at Ramen Issou in Fukuoka again, though I might try to join the line before the 11am opening time to see if I can cut the queue time down to something more reasonable. Tempura at Tsunahachi is also on my list for a repeat visit.

And hopefully one day, when I am flying past Mount Fuji, I will be able to snap a photo of this mountain unobscured by clouds, in all its snow capped glory!

Thanks for reading!

[SQ218]

hey that looks like the same room I stayed at Washington Hotel in Fukuoka. Haha it is probably different. 30 min immigration is pretty good. Took me over an hour 30 if I recall at Kansai earlier this year. Doesn't look like Canal city changed much since I visited many moons ago.

I don't even recall that photo you mentioned LOL

great trip report as usual yflyer

[SQ777]

Cracking report, yflyer! I particularly enjoyed the FUK parts, albeit brief, as I am planning a trip there.

[yflyer]

hey that looks like the same room I stayed at Washington Hotel in Fukuoka. Haha it is probably different. 30 min immigration is pretty good. Took me over an hour 30 if I recall at Kansai earlier this year. Doesn't look like Canal city changed much since I visited many moons ago.

I don't even recall that photo you mentioned LOL

great trip report as usual yflyer

Wow, you stayed there as well! I quite like the Washington Hotel, and would not mind staying there again next time I am in Fukuoka.

Thanks for reading, and great catching up in Melbourne last week, SQ218!

[yflyer]

Cracking report, yflyer! I particularly enjoyed the FUK parts, albeit brief, as I am planning a trip there.

Thanks for reading SQ777! Have a great time in Fukuoka! I was only there for 2 days, and didn’t really get a chance to see a lot of the city, or the region though. Hope to have the opportunity to head back there again, as it is a very interesting part of Japan, with lots to see (especially around Kagoshima etc) and also lots of wonderful food!