I had not flown on Emirates Airlines in over ten years and was looking forward to the meals that would served on the route from Dubai to Chicago. My flight departed on July 1^st of 2023. I was expecting at least two meals on this flight. However, the experience of flying business class really starts at the lounge and I will provide a summary of my experience at the Emirates lounge in Dubai.

In short, the lounge was expansive and even had a separate area for smokers. Unfortunately, it was not an enclosed space so wafts of smoke would drift to other parts of the lounge. Fortunately, the massive size of the lounge made that issue irrelevant unless you are sitting close to the smoking section. The bathrooms were equipped with all amenities including shower facilities. And there were plenty of seating space with different types and arrangement of seats. Finally, there were food stations focused on Asian, Western, and Arabic cuisines including a dessert station. I tried several of the food offerings but the quality of the food was not exemplary. It was enough to satisfy your hunger but not to excite your palate. I did find the coffee offerings to be very good. Although I have not presented a detailed review of the food in the lounge including providing specific pictures, please leave your comment if that is something you would like to see in the future. Now let us get back into the flying experience.

I had the opportunity to fly business class in the Boeing 777 300. The seat configuration was 2-3-2 which is typical for the Boeing 777 300s of Emirates Airlines. I am not a fan on this configuration and prefer the 1-2-1 configuration which many airlines have adopted for their business class. In general, the seats felt very cramped and there were limited number of pockets or compartments for storage. Additionally, I felt there was less privacy given that there are more people packed in each row. Another issue surfaced with the increased load in the business cabin section that I had not anticipated before. The lavatories were occupied more often than in other airlines with 1-2-1 seat configuration due to the increased number of passengers in the business class section. This can become an annoyance if someone happens to be a frequent user of the toilet.

But let us set all those issues aside and focus on what this blog is about. This is a summary of my culinary experience aboard Emirates Airlines flight from Dubai to Chicago. There were a several options presented in the onboard menu for each meal.

I was asked about drink choice once we were airborne and I requested for the orange fizz mocktail. This was a refreshing drink and had all the right combinations to brighten you up. I thought they did a very good job on this drink.

The first meal offering was a brunch with different options to choose from. I got the steak and eggs with smoked salmon on the side and chose raspberry yoghurt delice as my dessert. The smoked salmon was very flavorful and went well with the daikon and potato salad. However, my main course consisting of the steak and eggs was a letdown. The grilled beef did not have taste that resembled anything close to grilled meat and the striped markings on the meat were created just for visual excitement. The meat itself was tasteless and dry and felt like it had been compressed together. The eggs somehow melted into the hash browns which lacked crispiness. There was also a half-grilled tomato but it is not anything to write about.

I finished the meal off with raspberry yoghurt delice dessert which looked very colorful and pretty. The cake appeared to have good taste but the texture was a little flaky. It was layered with the flat piece of hard white chocolate on top. Given the difference in texture between the cake and the chocolate, they did not complement each other very well.

The second meal was served as dinner and it was offered as we were nearing our destination. For appetizers, I selected the traditional Arabic mezze and opted for the tandoori lobster as my main course. I also asked for the coconut pineapple mousse cake as my dessert choice. I was excited about the traditional Arabic mezze appetizer since I was told that it was very good. I am not a big fan of stuffed vine leaves so I had my doubts. Overall, it was not too bad. The appetizer was served with two small pita breads and it was an enjoyable experience trying to scoop up and eat the hummus and zaalouk with them. I still have some reservations about the stuffed vine leaves but it was definitely better than other times I have had this. The tabbouleh added a refreshing touch to the whole experience.

When I initially ordered the tandoori lobster, I was expecting grilled lobster akin to grilled tandoori chicken and was quite certain it would be some dry, rubbery and shrunk up piece of lobster meat. So it was quite a pleasant surprise to see some nice whole lobster meat albeit a little on the smaller size sitting in a pool of curry next to some fragrant rice. I was still unsure what to expect but the first bite blew my mind and it immediately occurred to be that this could perhaps be one of the best if not the best airline meal I have ever had. The lobster meat was soft and not overdone. The curry it was simmered in had an intense flavor of saffron and my tastebuds were delightfully stimulated. Every bite was a burst of enjoyment and I wanted more and more of it. The rice was plenty flavorful and it complemented the lobster and curry sauce extremely well. There were only two pieces of lobster but it was sufficient for the amount of rice that was served. Needless to say, I savored every bite and am looking forward to it on my next Emirates flight. This would be a highly recommended choice for anyone who gets this meal option.

The last portion of my meal was the coconut pineapple mouse cake which additionally came with a chocolate orange macaron. This cake also had a hard piece of white chocolate but fortunately, it was served on the side as opposed to making it part of the cake. The entire dessert experience was nothing extraordinary and failed to fascinate me. I asked for some coffee to go with my dessert and it was of good quality. The coffee definitely gets a plus for its strong flavor and taste.

Finally, if you are offered any chocolate on the flight, take it. I was asked if I wanted one and I am glad I accepted it. It came in a small golden white box as can be seen in the picture next to my dessert tray. The chocolate was extraordinarily good and would be a delight for chocolate lovers. I had a great experience before with their chocolates and highly recommend it.

Toward the end of my journey, I did request another mocktail. This time it was the virgin mojito. It was just ok but not something I would order again. I do plan to try some of their other mocktails in the future.

Now there were some offerings in the light bites section of the menu. However, I was too full to try any of those although everything looked tempting. Perhaps I have to wait for my next Emirates experience to indulge in some of them.

In summary, I had an overall good experience with the food served on Emirates flight from Dubai to Chicago. The steak and eggs was not the best option but the tandoori lobster more than made up for it. The service was good and the flight attendants were very pleasant and attentive. Given my experience flying long haul business class on other airlines, I have to admit the culinary experience on Emirates was very good and something to look forward to.