April 5, 2007

Pacific | Australia | Sydney

Sky-high Haute Cuisine

By Nicole Cotroneo

If you want dazzling Aussie cuisine, don't book a table in Sydney — take a seat on Qantas, first-class.

So there you are, tucking into a spot of Sterling Caviar with chilled cauliflower soup and prawn toast… and you’ve got another seven courses to go. It’s a good life up at 35,000 feet. Or at least it is on Qantas. Gaining a gourmet edge over its rivals, the Australian airline has just introduced an eight-course tasting menu on flights from Sydney to Los Angeles, Bangkok and Singapore. And it’s a far cry from bush tucker grub, mate. Developed by Sidney star chef Neil Perry, the strictly first-class perk is a sampling of Mod Oz, a fusion of native ingredients with global flavors that Perry pioneered at his two flagship restaurants Rockpool and XO.

But Qantas isn’t the only carrier taking haute cuisine to new heights. Upper class passengers on Virgin Atlantic flights from the UK can now feast on seasonal specials from “the best” of British — which evidently includes broccoli and Hartington Creamery Stilton soup. And American Airlines transcontinental flights leaving the New York area will at least let you drink the best of the region: this month only, first-class fliers can sample a Riesling and a Merlot from two of the state’s award-winning cellars.