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Watch Your Throne SQ: NH F
Words cannot describe how blown away I was at the completion of my first every FC flight with NH yesterday. Until yesterday, I've always had SQ at the utmost top dog spot for onboard first class travel. But yesterday's trip with NH F NRT-CDG has me "pondering" towards dethroning SQ off that top spot. I fully understand yesterday was merely one experience and perhaps I should not be so quick to jump the gun. However yesterday's encounter certainly beats the best FC flight I've had with SQ by a slim margin. For me to say that takes a lot of serious impressive performance by a carrier to top SQ and NH did just that. The presentation of the meals yesterday were as equally as impressive as SQ's and quality even better. It wasn't a surprise the Japanese meals NH provided were superior, instead it was the western meals. Yes the western meals. It never crossed my mind that a Japanese carrier can cater such high quality western meals, but boy I was proven wrong. The Foie Gras was the best piece of duck dish I have ever had for an airplane meal. Easily beats the ones I've had on SQ, CX, JL and I was glad I decided to choose it at the last minute as I was almost about to choose another Japanese meal. The raspberry tart was also excellent. Interesting part was the caviar. On F with SQ, CX, LH I've always had the caviar placed together directly on the plate with the other stuff, but NH places it separately in a tiny jar which I didn't expect at all. 
So yes the meals were very impressive, but really what made this flight a true gem of a lifetime were the crews. Never have I been served by the friendliest, most professional, attentive, efficient crews than the group that served our front cabin. Sure their English skills can be brushed a little bit and nowhere close to the levels that the SQ crews posses. But most of what they spoke were understandable. Anyways this was not a major issue at all. Nonetheless I was taken away on how the crew treated me. It seems everytime I blinked the other way after staring out the window, there is a crew kneeling besides me asking me what I wanted and if I was eating something, they would ask me if I enjoyed it and if not they were more than happy to give me something else that was available (not that things had to come down to this as in the previous paragraph, I stated how satisfied I was with the catering). And these people were damm good at their work as well. The way they anticipated everyone's needs, the way they organized things during the meals and I could go on and one were nothing short of brilliance.
The only thing that NH didn't beat SQ in F is the seat. While I had no problems napping on them, they were not as comfortable nor cozy as the SQ seat - both in upright position and in lay down position. And really the area of seating is the only reason I haven't fully dethroned SQ off that top spot.
Does this mean I'll be avoiding SQ every chance ANA is flying a similar route as an alternative? No. But hey if SQ is unavailable for unattractive schedule, pricing or availability, I sure won't hesitate to consider NH as an alternative. Oh how time is killing me in anticipation for the return flight later this week.
So yes the meals were very impressive, but really what made this flight a true gem of a lifetime were the crews. Never have I been served by the friendliest, most professional, attentive, efficient crews than the group that served our front cabin. Sure their English skills can be brushed a little bit and nowhere close to the levels that the SQ crews posses. But most of what they spoke were understandable. Anyways this was not a major issue at all. Nonetheless I was taken away on how the crew treated me. It seems everytime I blinked the other way after staring out the window, there is a crew kneeling besides me asking me what I wanted and if I was eating something, they would ask me if I enjoyed it and if not they were more than happy to give me something else that was available (not that things had to come down to this as in the previous paragraph, I stated how satisfied I was with the catering). And these people were damm good at their work as well. The way they anticipated everyone's needs, the way they organized things during the meals and I could go on and one were nothing short of brilliance.
The only thing that NH didn't beat SQ in F is the seat. While I had no problems napping on them, they were not as comfortable nor cozy as the SQ seat - both in upright position and in lay down position. And really the area of seating is the only reason I haven't fully dethroned SQ off that top spot.
Does this mean I'll be avoiding SQ every chance ANA is flying a similar route as an alternative? No. But hey if SQ is unavailable for unattractive schedule, pricing or availability, I sure won't hesitate to consider NH as an alternative. Oh how time is killing me in anticipation for the return flight later this week.
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