The Red Roo is serving up larger portions, fresh produce and new lounge menus in a tasty dining overhaul
Qantas passengers will soon be treated to a bigger and better inflight dining experience once the national carrier launches its new-look menu across all cabins later this month.
The new inflight meals have already begun rolling out across the airline’s domestic network, with international flights to see the new offering from 29 March.
As part of the overhaul, flights between Australia and Asia will feature full-service meals in business and economy cabins, rather than the light pre-landing snack offered in the past.
Qantas Group Chief Customer Officer, Markus Svensson said the new menu will offer a notable improvement to the inflight experience and help Qantas to re-position itself as a premium carrier.
Meanwhile, Qantas Creative Director of Food, Beverage and Service, Neil Perry said broader curiosity around food and Australia’s fine produce has allowed the airline to become more adventurous with its menus.
What’s on the menu?
Your new Qantas dining experience will depend on what cabin you fly, with particularly lavish offerings on the menu in first class.
Here’s what we can expect:
New first class menu
Those flying at the pointy will likely be able to select dishes including:
- Calvisius caviar on buckwheat blinis with Pepe Saya crème fraiche
- Queensland spanner crab and sweet pork salad with green mango, cashews and nam jim dressing
- Crumbed Margra lamb cutlets with lemon myrtle celeriac puree
- Seared Glacier 51 toothfish with saffron sauce, steamed potatoes and braised fennel
- Riverine beef fillet with green beans and rosemary toasted potatoes.
New Business Class menu
Qantas Business class passengers can expect to see the following delights on the menu:
- Seared Grasslands beef fillet with Café de Paris butter
- Bannockburn free-range chicken Kyiv
- Seared snapper with black bean sauce, seasonal greens and salted chilli
- Crumbed snapper roll with pickled cabbage and tartare sauce (second service for Asia flights)
- Stir-fried noodles with wombok, cucumber, sesame and chilli oil (second service for Asia flights).
New premium economy and economy menu
On international services, premium economy passengers will soon enjoy a starter salad and ice cream, plus upgraded main courses including:
- Salmon with tomato fennel sauce
- Red quinoa and brown rice
- Braised lamb shank with red wine mushroom sauce and potato puree.
Meanwhile, passengers travelling internationally in economy could enjoy the following refreshed meals:
- Cajun prawns with spiced rice
- Korean chilli and garlic chicken with kimchi
- Black pepper beef with oyster mushrooms
- Chicken fried rice (second meal on Asia flights)
- Sage and lemon ravioli with kale and Napolitana sauce (second meal on Asia flights).
Flying Qantas domestic soon? We can expect to see a continued focus on vegetarian options on the existing domestic economy menus (launched in October 2022).
Business class passengers on the other hand will experience new menus featuring the popular Ploughman’s Platter and:
- The addition of starter salads on long flights (eg. Grilled Prawns with Asian slaw and Edamame or Tasmanian Smoked Salmon with Kale and Sweet Potato salad)
- Return of welcome beverages (juice and water) for long domestic flights
- Premium snacks by Koko Black, Brookfarm and Carman’s
New Qantas Lounge menu
Those flying Qantas may also indulge in the refreshed dining options on the ground, with ice cream served in Qantas Clubs and international and domestic Business Lounges.
There’s more on the menu in Qantas International First Lounges, with the ‘plate of the day’ including steamed Blue Eye with Pickled Daikon, Sesame and Shiso Vinaigrette, and Eight-hour Beef Brisket with Potato Puree, Tarragon and Shallot Butter.
International Business Lounges will offer plates of Fresh Ricotta and Crisp Pancetta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Sourdough, and Beef, Bacon and Dark Ale Pies.
The new-look Qantas International Business Lounge in Auckland will feature the new menu, so it would be wise to save room for dessert!
Summing up
It’s pleasing to see Qantas utilise some of Australia’s fresh produce to continue to expand on its vegetarian and diet-specific meal offerings.
The culinary overhaul forms part of the Red Roo’s massive $100 million investment plan, which will also see the Qantas lounge network receive major upgrades over the coming years.
What do you think of the Red Roo’s new-look menu?
While you’re here: Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest tips, deals and news. It only takes a few seconds and we respect your privacy:
