Kantine

I don’t remember exactly when I first heard about Katine, a Scandinavian cafe in San Francisco, but it feels like ages ago.  

"Kantine is a Scandinavian-inspired eatery that serves breakfast, brunch, and lunch.  We make anything and everything we love to eat ourselves using seasonal, sustainable and delicious ingredients.  It’s simply Scandinavian from scratch."

I remember being drawn in to so many items on the menu, ranging from breakfast dishes like the sweet porridge with lingonberry cherry compote, hazelnut butter and cream (!) or the savory hot 3-grain porridge with wild mushrooms, kale and farmers cheese.  I loved the sound of the hot smocked trout bowl and the cured trout sandwich with shaved fennel and dill.  Their specials frequently called out, as did most of the baked goods.   And yet, I never ventured there to try it, as it is outside my normal stomping ground.

And then, it was National Sticky Bun day (totally a legit holiday!).  My group at work organized a little social to celebrate (we love themed excuses to eat tasty things!), and decided to actually take a bit of liberty in our definition of “sticky bun” and go very non-traditional.  One co-worker proposed getting Swedish style buns from Kantine instead, and I fully supported this rogue move (as much as I do love a good caramel and nut laden sticky bun).  The result was a far more interesting and unique experience, which provided great talking points for the group too.  AND I finally got to try Kantine!

While this was my first time having items from Kantine, it was not my first time trying Swedish style buns.  I discovered the Fika at Le Sandwich a few years ago, made by local baker FikaLove, and have wanted to try more since, as those were fairly glorious.  I hoped these would compare.

Cinnamon Knots. $5/each.

"Classic Swedish pastry made from brioche dough and topped with pearl sugar."

First up, the item most similar to a standard American bakery/donut shop cinnamon roll: the cinnamon knot.  Basically just a far more elaborate and stunning design than a basic roll, twisted into a knot instead, and topped with a few bits of large pearl sugar.  This was the safe choice for those a bit apprehensive about the Swedish buns.

It was mildly sweet, certainly not as sweet as many American cinnamon rolls, as it had more cinnamon and less sugar between the folds, and did not come smothered in any kind of glaze.  The brioche base was rich, lightly puffy, and reasonably moist, although I did feel it ate a bit dry overall.  The cinnamon flavor was good.  It was different from the buns I had tried from Le Sandwich though, as those had had a bit more crispness and slight caramelization that I adored.

For me, this was a touch boring on its own - warmed up, with a scoop of ice cream or whipped cream it transformed, but just as a bun, I wanted more sugar, moisture, or perhaps both.  ***+.

Cardamom Knots. $5/each.

"Tender brioche dough, buttery fragrant cardamon filling."

Next up we had the most traditional of the Swedish buns, the cardamom bun.  I’m not generally wild about cardamom, but I can appreciate the subtle and unique flavor from time to time.  

The base for these was much the same as the cinnamon knots, soft fluffy brioche dough, twisted into lovely knots.  They had a bit more sugar overall, including a very light glaze on top.  The cardamom was there, but it wasn't overwhelming, really, it just made for a complex and sophisticated bite, and complimented the warming cinnamon well.  

Since these were a bit sweeter, and a bit more complex, I preferred them over the cinnamon rolls, but I again felt they needed warming up, and a complimentary scoop of pistachio ice cream to pair with (or, more caramelization).  ***+.

Pølsehorn. $5.

"Beef hot dogs wrapped in laminated dough."

Our final treat was very rogue, nothing related to National Sticky Bun day at all, but the favorite item of the host of the event, who prefers savory treats over sweet.  Pølsehorn, or, as many soon dubbed them, "The best pigs in a blanket ever!"

They were very good, and a hit in the group.  The pastry was very buttery laminated dough, nicely golden on top, and well crisped.  Very legit pastry.  The assorted seeds (sesame, flax, poppy) gave a bit of crunch and additional savory notes and complexity.  And inside, simple little beef hot dogs, no frills, but seemingly good quality.  Slight snap to them, not too shriveled.  Basically, yes, fancy pigs in a blanket.  I somewhat wished they had the rest of "everything" spice on them, e.g. some garlic and onion to amp the flavor up, or that I had some ketchup and mustard to dunk into though.

The crowd favorite, and something I'd gladly get again.  ****.

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Ho Jiak, Haymarket, Sydney

Prior to 2019, I had zero experience with Singaporean and Malaysian cuisine.  And then I visited Singapore twice in just a couple month span, *right* before the pandemic really broke out (I was there in Feb 2020, and had to cut my trip short due to concerns over border closures).  I *loved* the food though, the strong flavors and funk of fermented ingredients and sambal, the sweets that were unlike anything I'd ever had before, the fascinating world of hawker stalls, and the affordable prices.  When I returned to the SF Bay Area, I had my favorite dishes I was eager to eat again, and ... discovered they literally aren't available (!).  While Sydney doesn't have a huge Malaysian restaurant scene, it is considerably better than SF, and I've been working my way through them on every visit.  A few months prior, I ordered delivery from Malacca Straights on Broadway one rainy night out of convenience.  But one place consistently rose the top of the list of best Malaysian in Sydney: Ho Jiak.

"Ho Jiak Grill and Nyonya House is my dream of sharing good food with the world."

Ho Jiak actually has two restaurants in Sydney, both fairly different concepts.  the first, a traditional style restaurant in Haymarket, the second, a more innovative offering in Townhall, that they describe as their "playground" (think: Malaysian ingredients, but, not many classic dishes, more fusion).  They also have two restaurants a bit further out, in Strathfield or Chatswood.  All are well regarded, although the Townhall concept doesn't necessarily win over those who go in expecting the classics.

Ho Jiak isn't on the delivery apps I use, so I ventured there in person. 

Setting

My visit was to the Haymarket location, which I believe is the original, and less swanky of the branches.

Exterior.

Ho Jiak is located right on Hay Street not far from Paddy's market.  The exterior has some appeal to draw you in, but nothing really sets it apart from other businesses nearby.

Interior.

The inside of the restaurant is rather interesting, it almost feels like you are at a Hawker center in Singapore, with different awnings and lights strung up like you are outside, but, this was all inside.  The tables are rustic, the floor not particularly clean looking.  There was a semi-open kitchen.  I ordered takeout, so I didn't experience the ambiance besides stepping inside to pick up my order.

Cuisine

The Haymarket location, which I visited, is the more traditional of their outposts.  

The menu is however fairly overwhelming.  Many pages long, begining with Starters (things like satay, chicken wings, crispy fish skins, and more), moving to Entree (as in, the starter kind of Entree, with soup dumplings, steamed rice rolls, pork jowl rolls, and more), and then an assortment of filled roti, and finally main dishes that are broken down into fish (mostly barramundi in a number of whole preps), prawns, mud crab, and squid, then several wagyu curries, a variety of duck and chicken offerings (including their signature KFC rendang and of course Hainan chicken), pork, and vegetable dishes (most of which aren't vegetarian, as they have shrimp paste or minced pork or dried shrimp), and concluding with extras like coconut rice, man tou, and dry noodles.  

And then ... when you think you've wrapped your head around the menu, you reach page 8 (!) which starts their list of Signatures, where all the heavy hitter Malaysian classics are found, e.e. laksa, indomie goreng, char koay teow, nasi lemak, etc, etc.  Take a break, come up for air on page 11, which starts the extensive list of nasi goreng variations, followed by "Ho Jiak Favorites", which are different from the "Signatures" of course, with a variety of rice and noodle dishes.  Several pages later, you hit the vegetarian menu, and then the gluten-free menu, each of which are quite extensive too.

If you think the drink menu options will be any easier, think again.  Sooo many kinds of kopi, hot or iced, with flavors ranging from classic teh tarik to milo to rose milk, and everything in between.  Another page brings you to canned beverages, soft drinks, juices, and tea. And finally, desserts, both "new school" like the teh tarik affogato and more traditional "old school" with cendol of course.

If, by page 17, you are overwhelmed by it all, they have a set tasting menu for $85/pp ($75 for vegetarian) that includes 3 starters, 4 main dishes, and dessert.  Just go for that.

I selected an entree, one vegetable, and one dessert, and it was enough for two meals.

Dessert Packaging.

I ordered takeout, and it was ready quickly, packaged with care, with proper utensils included.  I was particularly impressed with the dessert that could easily be messy, was wrapped in plastic wrap, and with the sauces separate.

Entree: char koay kak 炒粿角. $22.

"Wok fried radish cake in signature soy sauce."

First up, the reason I really went to Ho Jiak: the char koay kak.  A dish I fell in love with in Singapore, and literally does not exist (I've tried VERY hard to find it!) in San Francisco.  Literally cannot get it anywhere.  I crave it regularly, and must journey to the other side of the world to get it.

So how was the version from Ho Jiak?

Glorious.  Everything I wanted it to be.  Does that sum up how I felt about the dish?  It was also fairly different from the version I had from Malacca Straights on Broadway when I was in Sydney just two months prior.

The hunks of radish cake were a bit larger, and they were amazingly crispy.  I believe they double fry them, and that is apparent in great crispiness.  A heavier version perhaps, but, that was part of the glory, and what I was looking for.  I wanted either char or fried-ness, and it delivered.  The egg was smaller bits here, but was still a dominant component, and was well cooked.  The bean sprouts were less extensive, and actually wok fried along with everything else, so it was slightly less crisp and fresh tasting.  Green onions and chiles rounded it out, along with the deep dark soy sauce.  One thing it was lacking however was the funk and the sambal that other versions I've tried have had, and I did miss that.

But overall, fabulously crispy, good flavor (some spice!), and quite enjoyable.  Probably the best I've ever had, just due to the execution on the radish cakes themselves.  ****.

Vegetables: Belachan Kangkung 马来棧通菜. $27.

"Wok fried morning glory with shrimp paste & chilli."

My second dish was a fairly random and odd pick for me.  I wanted something more to round out my meal, and I was considering a few different things, but when I was reading reviews, over and over, this dish kept being mentioned as an essential dish.  I was rather confused/intrigued, because, the menu had so many heavy hitters, why were people excited about ... stir fried morning glory?  Sure, I was drawn to the idea of the shrimp paste and chili, but, eh?  Also, the price, $27, sure seemed high for what sounded like a basic vegetable side dish.  I wanted to know more, and took a gambling, thinking that if it turned out amazing, I'd have a great new find, and worst case, I'd toss much of it, but at least try it, and I had plenty of other food anyway.

So this dish was a first for me, and I can't really comment on how authentic it is.  I also don't think I've really had much morning glory before, so that was sorta new too.

The dish pretty much matched my expectations, which is, I still didn't really get it.  It was basically just fairly greasy and limp vegetables?  Slightly more robust than spinach, but, lacking the bite of a stronger green like collards or kale.  The sauce was flavorful, although I didn't taste the funk I was expecting (and wanting) from the shrimp paste.  It did have a bit of heat from the chili.  I wanted more of the crispy fried shallots sprinkled on top.

So, texture wise, it was soft and limp, mouthfeel wise it was greasy/oily, but flavor wise I enjoyed it.  Basically, I don't think I've acquired a taste for morning glory, and prefer less oily dishes.   I was glad to try it, but I wouldn't get it again.  ***.

The price also just seemed strangely high, compared to the rest of the menu.  I guess it takes a lot of morning glory to cook down like this, but, still.  It is also available with wagyu for $68, or prawns for $38.

Dessert: Pulut Hitam (Warm) 椰奶黑糯米(热). $12.

"Black glutinous rice porridge with coconut milk and gula melaka."

Of course I also got dessert, even though none of the options were ones I was super, super excited for.  I do like good sticky rice, but I usually want something like mango with it.  That said, people like this dish from Ho Jiak, so, I was happy to give it a try.

It is served warm, and both for dine-in and takeout the sauces/syrup are on the side, so you can make as sweet and creamy as you please, which I appreciated.  The rice was a great level of sticky, nicely al dente and an interesting flavor as it was black rice.  Slightly hearty and savory, and there was a couple palm seeds within as well.  It wasn't really what I think of as porridge though, not very soupy, which was fine with me.

The coconut milk was a thin style, not sweet, standard coconut milk.  It was a great addition to the rice, just as I am familiar with for mango sticky rice for example.  The gula melaka was as expected, a sweet sauce, with a reasonably complex flavor.  Since the rice was fairly savory on its own, this is what turned it into a dessert.

Overall, it was warm and comforting, nicely sticky, and something different for me.  I'd likely still prefer other desserts, but, I wasn't upset having it (and added fresh mango myself for the second portion!).   ***+.

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UA 829, SFO-SYD

Update Review, January 2024

I've reviewed this flight many times before, so, I'll skip the basics.  SFO-SYD.  777-300ER.  3A (my favorite seat).  Standard amenities.  Mattress pads and pajamas available.  Seat reasonably comfortable, but not great. Yadda yadda.

A little extra drama due to the runway closure at SFO, so we had a lovely 1.5 hour taxi time.  And then ... pretty major turbulence, such that the flight attendants didn't get out of their seats for the first 1.5 hours, we weren't allowed up for close to 3 hours.  On the positive side, they did warn us about all of this.  I knew to expect the long taxi, and I knew to expect blah food, so I ate before the flight, but I can't imagine how starving those who didn't must have been.  Meal service didn't start until 2 hours in, and that was just the start of drinks.

Service was reasonable, with one very kind FA (who hooked me up with extra pillows and blankets) and one pretty surly one (who seemed mad that I didn't want a meal, only dessert).

Menu.

Orders were taken long before departure for both the choice of starter and main (for those who didn't pre-order).  I had to laugh at "shrimp or cheese" as the option stated by the FA as she came through asking everyone.  Burrata is so much more than just "cheese"!  

I had pre-ordered the ravioli, but asked not to have it, nor the bread, nor the salad.  I just wanted to try the shrimp to make sure I had a touch more protein, and really didn't need anything given my full meal in the airport.  I knew it would be a looong time before breakfast though.  Of course, I still firmly intended to have the sundae (and hopefully the cake too!).  The surly FA was clearly annoyed by this, and told me she'd just bring me a full tray anyway.  

Drinks, Nuts.

Drink orders were taken once the crew was finally able to get up.  I opted for my standard sparkling Aha (no choice of flavor) with no ice, and was even offered the full can by the nice FA.  

I also tried the LVE Signature Coast Cabernet Sauvignon, and it was fine, but boring.  No complexity, but no acid nor tanin either.  Bo-ring, but not offensive.  I wouldn't get it again.  **+.

Nuts were just almonds and cashews, not very salted, but served warm at least.  I'm not really into their nuts.  **.

Appetizer: Shrimp Machboos.

"with tomatoes and mint yogurt dressing."

The burrata sounded decent, but I was trying to just have some additional protein, having consumed a full meal already in the airport (a mix of food from the Polaris lounge, and extra I had brought with me).  After the abysmal shrimp in the lounge, I was even more curious how this would go.

I'll admit that it actually looked pretty decent.  The shrimp were, um, not shrimpy.  They were HUGE.  I've never seen such mega sized shrimp before.

The shrimp were reasonably well cooked - fairly succulent, not rubbery.  Not fishy.  But also ... entirely devoid of any taste.  Remarkable in how flavorless they were.   Decent texture, but, just nothing to them, even with some kind of spice rub.  Looked so much better than they actually were. *** looks and texture, * taste.

The tomatoes were exactly the kind of off-season refrigerated tomatoes that make people think they don't like tomatoes.  Very bad.  0 star tomatoes.

The mint yogurt dressing was fine, fairly tart thick yogurt.  I didn't taste mint. ***.

So ... yeah.  Better than the lounge shrimp, but, not actually tasty in any way.

Ice Cream Sundae:
Caramel, Nuts, Whipped Cream.

Usually the sundaes are served from a cart, with the toppings presented, but, due to the continued bumps, they came seat by seat to ask what you'd like, listed out the toppings, and came back with it assembled.  Definitely less fun this way, but, I was glad they still offered the sundaes.  Standard options of caramel, chocolate sauce, chocolate chips, almonds, whipped cream, and cherry were available.  I got everything that wasn't caffeinated, and skipped the usually lackluster cherries.  I added my own fresh strawberries and blackberries instead.

The ice cream was fairly solid, and required a bit of melting time.  But it was decent quality vanilla ice cream, fairly creamy, no freezer burn.  ***+.  The caramel was tasty but very sweet, and as is often the case, there was really more than I wanted.  Still good, but, on the cloying side.  ***.  I really did like the nuts for crunch, and the whipped cream was fine.  ***.

Overall, with my toppings added, I was happy, but did wish for less caramel.

Dessert: Cherry Coffee Cake.

The coffee cake was a new option for me, replacing the actually good apple pie that had been served for ages.  It was not good.  Fairly dry.  Not much cherry element, just a goo between the base and main cake.  Not particularly exciting crumble top.  Below average, and not really a true dessert in my mind.  *+.  

Breakfast.

Breakfast was served 1.5 hours out from Sydney.  

Standard setup of sweet Ciobani that I don't care for (peach), a warm "croissant" that was somehow hard outside and soggy inside (and not flaky or croissant like at all, but did have reasonable buttery taste), and fruit bowl (that miraculously didn't have melons that I'm allergic to).  The fruit was average, everything else not appealing to me in any way.

Coffee, Regular, Black.

Pretty harsh.  Pretty strong.  Lukewarm. **.

Coffee, Decaf, Black.

I switched to the decaf later.  It was instant.  As expected, although I ordered black, and it clearly had milk and sugar. **.

Horchata Steel Cut Oatmeal with Agave Apple.

I had this about a year ago and hated it, but, I still didn't want the other option (powdered eggs, etc), so tried again.  It was no better.   Very gloopy, very mushy.  I did actually kinda like the crispy film on top (as unappealing as that is), and I did like the seeds sprinkled in for some crunch, but the base flavor was just not enjoyable, and the baseline texture just not good.  It desperately needed some cinnamon or something.

The agave apple was remarkably bad - big hunks, and they were nicely cooked, lightly al dente, but, wow, the flavor was so bad.  Not just sweetened with agave, clearly.  I literally spit one out.

I was glad to have my own breakfast bar with me. * for the crunchy seeds.

Update Review, December 2023

For many years, I always flew with Air New Zealand on my trips to Sydney.  I genuinely enjoyed those flights, with friendly FAs, comfortable beds, and generally decent food.  I didn't mind the layover in Auckland, as it gave me a chance to reset, shower, and lounge hop.  But in recent years, I've needed to fly direct from SFO-SYD and back, due to reduced travel budgets, and our great corporate rates with United.  I'll admit the direct flight is convenient, but otherwise ... ugh, yeah, I do not really like this option.

Flight Details:

• Flight 829 SFO-SYD
• Seat 3A
• Departure: San Francisco SFO 8:00pm (scheduled) 8:40pm (actual).
• Arrival: Sydney SYD 6:20am (scheduled) 6:13am (actual)

Amenities

New Bedding.

Waiting at my seat when I boarded was the new Saks branded bedding.  I always liked the previous version, so I was sad when I read that United was changing it.

A thin blanket was rolled up on top, and a small memory foam pillow was also unwrapped.  In the bag was a bigger fluffy pillow for sleep, and the thicker blanket.  The pillows didn't seem much/any different from before.

Limited Edition Thin Blanket.

The other, thinner blanket was really quite thin, but was fleece on one side, smooth, colorful fabric on the other.  The fleece side was already pilling, even though this is only a few weeks old.  I preferred the old day blanket.

New Amenity Kit.

Also at our seats was the new amenity kits, that come in a reusable cross body bag.  It seems slightly more likely that maybe I'd use that than the old cases, but ... probably nicer in concept than in practice.  In the kit was standard toothbrush/toothpaste, socks/eye mask/ear plugs, pen, and lotion/mist/lip balm/etc.  All fine, but I never use their socks or eye mask, as I have my own that I like.

Not pictured is the new pajamas, which were available to grab as we boarded, if you knew to look for them in the front row.  I never heard them offered to anyone.  The pajamas sorta looked nicer than previous versions, but, the pants were gray and the tops very blue, so they didn't quite match, and both the tops and bottoms were heavier than previous versions, which isn't what I want a flight when the cabin is generally far too warm for my comfort for sleep.

Food & Drink

Wine List.

The wine list had 4 red wines (1 blend, 2 pinot noir, and 1 shiraz), one white, one rose, and one champagne.  Most were in the $20-30 per bottle range, but there was one, the Justin Justification, was a actually decent bottle.

Food Menu.

Dinner is back to being a full meal service, with salad to start, choice of appetizer (salmon rillette or burrata), choice of four mains (steak, chicken, fish, vegetarian pasta), and the sundae cart (or cake or cheese) for dessert.  Not listed on the menu, but included, is bread service with the meal.

Main dishes for dinner could be pre-ordered online 5 days in advance, and the FAs took orders for those who didn't pre-order, and confirmed orders for those who did, before takeoff.

The menu also listed a few items you could order any time (grilled cheese, tomato soup), and the pre-arrival meal, which wasn't able to pre-order.

Drinks, Nuts.

Once underway, our meal service began with the cart coming through the aisle offering drinks and warm-ish nuts.  The nuts I got were 85% almonds, and a few cashews.  Lightly salted.  No better nor worse than other basic nuts.  I wanted more variety.  ***.

Justin Justification, 2021.

I was fairly impressed to see the Justin Justification, even though a slightly young wine at a 2021, it retails for $59.99+.  It is a red blend, primarily cab franc.  It wasn't quite as big and bold as I was hoping, but, it had a bit of structure to it, mild tanins.    Decent enough, but not one I'd purchase myself.  ***+.

Port.

Later, to go with my dessert, I opted for some port, which I quite enjoyed. Sweet, caramely, tasty. It reminded me that I should drink more port in my regular life. ****.

Meal.

After everyone had been served drinks, the purser came through, offering a choice of the two appetizers.  A co-worker who flew this route the week before had told me the burrata was shockingly good, and I do like burrata, but, I was really in the mood for the salmon rillette, mostly thinking of how much I've enjoyed some of the chilled seafood appetizers on Air New Zealand flights.  Our appetizer was delivered on the same tray as the rest of the meal (rather than before, as Air New Zealand does).

I was in row 3, and my meal was served about an hour after takeoff.

Bread.

It wasn't listed on the menu, but my tray also came with two breads, a pretzel roll and garlic bread.  No choices given, no bread basket.  I would have asked to not have these if given the choice, as I've never cared for either of these breads on United flights before.  But since they were there, I tried them.

Neither was warm.  The pretzel roll had a decent shine to it, reasonable pretzel taste.  But it just isn't my style of bread.  The garlic bread was nicely saturated with butter and garlic, but cold garlic bread isn't really appealing.  i don't hate all United bread, and quite like their whole wheat rolls, but, not offered on this flight.  ** breads for me.

Salad.

"with English cucumber, fennel, and yellow bell pepper."

The salad was fairly boring, but reasonable.  Fresh mixed greens base, batons of cucumber, fennel, and bell pepper, all of which were a bit slimy, and not the veggies I'd pick.  I wanted carrots, tomatoes, those sorts of ingredients.  But the base was nice.  It came with the same balsamic viniagrette on the side that I've had with basically every United flight for the past zillion years.  ***.

Appetizer: salmon rillette.

"with radish, arugula, extra virgin olive oil, and baquette."

Next up, my appetizer, which included more bread, more greens.  The greens were not very fresh here, kinda limp and lackluster, particularly compared to the salad greens.  The radish was spongy and not fresh and crisp.  I didn't try the baguette.

The salmon rillette itself wasn't bad.  The portion was large, it had a nice smoky flavor, it was mixed with a creamy component (likely mayo?).  The drizzle of olive oil was a good touch.  It was very underseasoned, and I needed a lot of salt and pepper to jazz it up, along with lemon that I used from my main dish.  But once I added lemon, salt, and pepper, I did like it.  ***+.

Turbot.

"with lemon caper sauce, asparagus, sauteed mushrooms, roasted potatoes, and sun-dried tomatoes."

I wasn't planning to get a main dish, given that I had eaten some in both United lounges, and always recommend to myself that I don't get a main on this route, but, my co-worker who flew the route a week prior said the fish was really, really good, and I do love mushrooms and asparagus, so, against my initial plans, I went for it.

I'll admit, the dish actually did look pretty good.  Portions of everything were generous.  The taste was ... ok.  The mushrooms were fairly slimy, the asparagus quite thin and not really flavorful.  Neither had any seasoning, and, much like the starter, required lots and lots of salt and pepper, which was obnoxious to shake from their shakers.  I don't really like sun-dried tomatoes, and these were no exception.  The potatoes were two big hunks, again, fine, but not great, not really seasoned.

The fish really let me down.  I looked good, a nice thick portion, reasonably moist.  But it was so fishy.  I really did not like the taste, the high level of fishiness, for a white fish, was a surprise, although I'll admit I don't know turbot very well.  The lemon caper sauce was fine, the only real flavor on the plate.  Overall, fairly average for a flight, and every element I wanted to be at least a little better than it was.  ***.

Ice Cream Sundae.

For my sundae, the choices were the standard hot fudge or caramel, sliced almonds, chocolate chips, and whipped cream and a cherry.  Since I avoid caffeine at night, I skipped the chocolate elements.  I didn't ask for the cherry, but got one anyway.  I don't really care for the very generic maraschino cherries they use, but, I'll admit, it made it look nice.  Of course I added my own rainbow sprinkles.

The ice cream was actually the proper temperature, lightly melty.  No crystallization.  I think it is just standard Häagen-Dazs, but, it really is a nice base, rich, creamy, good flavor.

And then, the toppings.  Far more caramel than I'd add myself, but, I really like it.  So sweet, but not cloying.  Crispy slivered almonds that added a nice crunch.  Good whipped cream, not from a can, so thicker, richer.  The cherry was still meh, and I still wish for a fresh fruit topping, but, overall, it really was quite satisfying.  Great with my port.

****.

Apple Pie.

It turned out the other dessert offering, listed as a "celebrity chef" carrot cake, was not real.  The menus had only recently changed, and, they were still working through all the apple pie that I had just a week before on my domestic flight.  As my previous flight, they drizzled it with extra caramel, the same from the sundaes, that I really do like.  The slices were half-size, which was great to be able to have pie AND ice cream.  ***+.

Breakfast.

Exactly 1 hour before landing, the FA came through to take our breakfast orders.  We were told there was scrambled eggs with chicken sausage, banana bread pudding, or a continental offering of yogurt, fruit, and croissant.  This did not match the menu, which listed ricotta and cherry filled crepe, that I was looking forward to.   Sigh.  We were also offered beverages.

Our choice of breakfast came served all on one tray, along with the continental items, which wasn't listed on the menu, nor told to us.  Since I'm allergic to melons, I couldn't have the fruit, I hate Ciobanni sweet yogurt, and their croissants are always awful, so I would have opted to not have those included if I could.  I did send the fruit bowl back immediately, as it had bright red watermelon front and center.  I did not try the peach yogurt.

Breakfast is an area that Air New Zealand does dramatically better than United on this route.  Granted, they wake you up 1.5 hours sooner to do it, but, you start with smoothies and fresh juices, then a choice of fruit, yogurts, cereals (multiple of all), then a choice of several main dishes, which always includes shockingly good poached eggs, and a choice of multiple types of bakery items.  And United ... yeah, this.

To go with my breakfast, I had the regular coffee, black.  It was fine.  Served fairly warm.  Not too much acid, didn't taste too old.  Certainly not great complex coffee, but, fine.  ***.

"Croissant"

The "croissant" was as always really not a croissant, not a laminated dough, but it was a soft, slightly sweet, bread in a shape that resembled a real croissant.  It came with butter and Bonne Maman strawberry jam.  It was lightly warm. **.

Banana Bread Pudding.

And then, the bread pudding.  I love bread pudding in general, and actually have had some decent versions on flights, but I don't generally care for banana bread.  I was a bit apprehensive.

The serving was two round pieces, about the size of smaller muffins, with some dried out custard at the base, and randomly some golden raisins.  The custard tasted overly eggy, and, like I said, was totally dried out and hardened on to the plate, so it couldn't be used to dunk the bread pudding into.  There was no other syrup or whipped cream to go with it, but, I did have some in my cooler bag, and they helped.  The pudding itself was likely fine if you like strong banana, it did have nice hunks of bread and was fairly moist (the style I like), but, very banana flavored.  Besides the banana, very mild spicing.  Overall a letdown, and I was glad I had backup breakfast with me (and I had to eat it, since, I couldn't bring food into Australia).  *+.

Original Review, March 2023

Flight Details:

• Flight: UA829
• Departure: SFO, 8:10pm (scheduled) 8:50pm (actual)
• Arrival: SYD, 6:20am (scheduled) 6:20am (actual)
• Aircraft: 777-300ER
• Seat: 15L

Our flight started boarding not too far behind the projected time, but after only a handful of people had boarded, they ... stopped the boarding.  Something was unsafe with the jet bridge.  About 30 minutes later we started boarding again, this time, through a different jet bridge, everyone going through the front doors, which certainly slowed things down a bit.  This delayed our push back and eventual departure by about 40 minutes.  We still arrived essentially on time, as the Sydney airport doesn't allow arrivals in until after 6am anyway due to curfew.

The flight had a fair amount of turbulence, with both the seatbelt sign on, and the FAs ordered to their jump seats more times than I've ever seen before.  There were some moments when I first tried to go to sleep where the plane was lurching around in not-so-pleasant ways.  But otherwise, no major qualms with the general flight itself.

Service & Amenities

This was a standard Polaris flight, same as any from the past few years, which I've reviewed before, so I won't go into much detail on those area.  Same seat with the annoying harness you have to wear for takeoff and landing, relatively comfortable to sit in and easy to adjust.  Same bedding waiting when I arrived (Sak's branded large duvet, smaller throw blanket, large fluffy pillow, smaller gel pillow, slippers, amenity kit).  I knew to ask for pajamas and a mattress pad when I boarded, since they frequently run out.  The seat wasn't as comfortable as I had remembered for sleep, even with my mattress pad, it felt very firm, and seemed to slope downward at my feet.  I'm a side sleeper, and I was only really able curl to one side, which got a bit sore due to the firm nature.

I wasn't able to get a seat in the front Polaris cabin (well, I could have had a middle or even numbered window, but I knew I wanted the more private odd seat), and I wasn't able to get a seat on the left hand side of the plane as I prefer (so my side table is on the right, as I'm right-handed), so my seat was not ideal, 15L.  At least I was not adjacent to the galley or bathrooms, but I was directly in front of the engine, so there was a fair amount of engine noise that got old after 15 hours.  It really is a nicely private seat though.  Storage is minimal but sufficient.

The flight attendants were reasonably friendly and attentive, but not particularly personable.  No real complains here.

Food & Drink

The food and drink though ... that is where my complaints mostly lie.  No one praises United for the food, but, wow, it just really isn't very good, particularly compared with other airlines that service this route.  I really, truly missed my usual carrier, Air New Zealand, as they sometimes have quite fabulous food.  A theme throughout the meal was food that wasn't served warm enough, and didn't have much flavor.

A pre-departure beverage of sparkling wine or water was offered, in a real glass.  I asked for sparkling water, which was easily accommodated.  Main dish choices for our meals were taken before takeoff as well, and everyone was asked their second choice as well.  They still do not do pre-order, even for international routes like this.

Dinner

Dinner service started with an offer of a hot towel, which was remarkably hot.  After that, the FAs came through to give us tablecloths.

Drink service came next, from a cart, but was interrupted just one row in by turbulence, as the FAs were ordered to take their jump seats.   It resumed about 20 minutes later.

Menu.

The menu was short and contained the dinner choices, "during your flight" options, and breakfast.  No wine or other drink menu is provided.

For dinner, everyone gets the same salad and appetizer, no choices.  There is no bread basket, but a roll is served on your tray.  For the main, there were four options: short rib, chicken curry, salmon, or  vegetarian chili.  I wasn't interested in any of the dishes really, but opted for the vegetarian chili, which I had before on my flight from Houston.  Dessert was a selection of an egg custard tart, ice cream sundae (yes, the cart is back!), or cheese plate.

During the meal, you could opt for a sandwich (turkey or apple & cheese), no hot options.

Sparkling water / pinot noir / nuts.

For drinks, we were offered still or sparkling water, and wine from the cart. No lemon or lime offered with the water.  Since no drinks were listed on the menu, every person had to ask about the wines and soft drinks.  

The red wines were a pinot noir, Cabernet, and a syrah.  With no other info, nor descriptions given, I just went for the pinot.  I saw the label as she poured it, Acacia.  It was ... mostly grape juice with a touch of acid.  Incredibly boring.  The sparkling water was not really sparkling, mostly flat.

A small ramekin of lukewarm nuts was provided with our drinks, just cashews and almonds.  They were fine, but didn't seem salted.

Dinner.

Meals were distributed with salad, appetizer, bread, and our choice of main all at once.  Comparing to Air New Zealand, where you start with a choice of appetizer, and choice of warm rolls from a bread basket, and then your entree, this was a downgrade in service style, but actually was more efficient and I didn't mind, besides that I would have liked to have the appetizer to eat sooner.

Pretzel Roll.

No choice given for the roll, it just comes on the tray with the rest of the meal.  United alternates between a wheat roll that I actually quite like, a pretzel roll that most other people seem to enjoy but I find fairly meh, and I think a white roll. 

Sadly for me, the roll on this flight was the pretzel roll.  It was not really warm.  Generic butter on the side.  It was as lackluster as I had remembered from other times, soft, but not fresh tasting, and no interesting flavor.  **.

Salad: Fresh Asian Salad.

"with napa cabbage, red cabbage, carrots, mango with sesame ginger dressing."

The salad was really a slaw.  It was fine, everything seemed crisp and reasonably fresh, and I quite like slaws.  The dressing was a generic brand, and it seemed tacky to give us dressing in a separate container like that, but I was glad it wasn't pre-dressed as the dressing was very sweet and I didn't want much.  The sesame and ginger were good, but overall too sweet.

Fine, but not great.  ***.

Appetizer: Chilled Crab.

"with cucumbers, heart of palms, coconut-lime vinaigrette, pomegranate, chive, finger lime vesicles and coconut duhkah."

I do like crab, quite a bit, but ... crab on a flight?  On a United flight?  Risky, but I still had it.  After all, there was no other choice.

It was ... ok?   The crab portion was quite generous.  It wasn't fishy, or off tasting, but also didn't taste like much.  There were no actual recognizable pieces of lump crab, just shredded bits.  The heart of palms (singular, only one hunk) was slimy and didn't taste particularly fresh.  Pomegranate was a bit of an odd pairing, but I did like the little hit of sweetness and crunch.  The menu mentioned finger lime and coconut duhkah, neither of which I found in my dish.  Mine also had very thin slices of fairly soggy cucumber at the base.

Also under the crab was what I guess was the coconut-lime vinaigrette?  It was sorta a cloudy sauce, I didn't taste coconut, but it was clearly not something like creme fraiche, so I guess coconut is what made it cloudy.

The dish desperately needed acidity.  There was a slice of lime that I used to drizzle over it, but it could certainly use more (and I'd prefer lemon).  Also, what happened to finger lime?

Overall, this was a bit bland and inoffensive, but certainly wasn't a dish where the crab shined.  It could have been mild canned tuna honestly.  I combined it with the slaw, and thought the mango added a nice sweetness and acid element.  ***.

Main: Vegetarian chili and polenta cake.

"with riped tomatoes, kidney beans, bell peppers, onions, chipotle peppers and soy crumble."

This was not a new dish to me.  As I mentioned,  I had it before on my flight from Houston.   I really did NOT like the chili then, but I though the polenta was quite good, so I ordered this just to have the polenta.  Given that I had eaten a bunch in the lounge, and it was 10:30pm at this point, that seemed like a fine plan.

This time the dish was less successful.  It was barely warm.  The chili I again disliked (the soy crumble, black!), but I expected that.  The polenta cake had been so good before, but this time it was pretty meh.  Barley warm, entirely unseasoned, and it lacked the crispy crust and creamy interior it had before, and really lacked much flavor of any kind.  I tried adding salt and pepper, but it really just didn't do it for me.  Meh.  *+.

Dessert #1: Ice cream sundae.

The dessert cart is finally back on United flights, with a savory option (cheese plate), baked good (egg tart), or ... yup, made to order ice cream sundaes.  Since the desserts come from the cart, you have to wait until the entire cabin is done eating, which draws out the meal service quite a bit.  The menu just says "assorted toppings" but this seems to always mean hot fudge or caramel, slivered almonds, chocolate chips, cherries, and whipped topping.  Although I do like egg tarts, and it was really cold in the cabin and thus not really ice cream "weather", I was excited for a sundae nonetheless.  The made to order sundae really is a nice touch, and although Air New Zealand "wins" in every other area of this meal service comparison (and they do serve really, really good ice cream on flights out of New Zealand and Australia), this one is great for novelty.

The menus said "single scoop" but this was a large serving of ice cream, more like two scoops just merged into one.  The ice cream was hard, but not rock solid.  I'd prefer a bit softer, but this was reasonable.  It was just vanilla, but, creamy, good mouthfeel, and better than average ice cream.

The toppings though of course are what make the sundae a sundae.  Since it was night time and I didn't want caffeine, I went with the caramel sauce instead of hot fudge, but if it was daytime, I certainly would have gone for the fudge.  The caramel was fairly thin, but sweet, and helped jazz up the otherwise very vanilla ice cream.  The slivered almonds were great for crunch.  I wished there was fresh fruit, or even a berry topping, but I made do with the cherries.  They were ... well, canned maraschino cherries.  Eh.   And finally, the whipped topping, that I expected to love, but didn't.  Not sure what it was about it, but it felt heavy and luckluster.  I brought my own sprinkles to finish it off.

Overall, I did enjoy my sundae, particularly the ice cream as it softened, the caramel, and the nuts.  I wished for a glass of port to go with, as they serve on Air New Zealand flights, but alas, no dessert wines on offer.  ***+.

Dessert #2: Egg Custard Tart.

Later on during the flight, the galley had an assortment of snacks (chips, brownie bites, almonds, fruit snacks) and the left over cheese and crackers and egg tart plates.  (Side note: no chocolate!  I always like to have chocolate on a flight.) I snagged one, and when I felt peckish before breakfast, tried it.  

The tart shell was soft and soggy.  It did not have a good flavor, not sweetened nicely.  The filling was fine, basic egg custard.  The sundae was definitely the better choice.  **+.

Breakfast

About 2 hours before arrival, the cabin lights come back on, and it was time to prepare for breakfast.  This was only 4:15aam Sydney time, but 9:15am in San Francisco, so the timing sorta makes sense for breakfast.  The menu had only two choices, either Monterey jack and red pepper egg white bites (with potatoes and sausage) or oatmeal.  We did not order in advance, rather, the FA just came down one by one asking each person, and then brought out the tray.  No separate drink service, but you could ask for coffee, water, or presumably juice (no menu nor options given, so, who knows) with your meal.

Breakfast.

No other dishes are listed on the menu, but I knew that breakfast always comes with a bowl of fruit (which I'm usually allergic to), a packaged yogurt, and a "croissant".  Compared to Air New Zealand, which is my regular airline of choice for this route, its a substantial down grade.  Their breakfast service has several rounds, starting with smoothies, moving on to fresh fruit, assorted yogurt and granola, and cereal, then multiple warm breakfast pastries, and THEN your choice of four main dishes, which usually includes really nicely done poached eggs.

Anyway, I knew the likihood of fruit being on the tray even if not on the menu, and told the FA about my allergy when she asked which choice I'd like.  She left the fruit off my tray.  It did come with the expected other non-menu listed items.

Coffee.

The coffee was inoffensive.  Warmer than most of the food, but not particularly hot.  ***.

"Croissant".

The "croissant" is really just a crescent shaped lackluster roll.  It is not flaky.  It is not buttery.  I thought they were usually served warm, but this was cold.  Cold butter and reasonably quality (strawberry) jam on the side.  This is not a croissant.  I had a scone with me, which I gladly ate instead.  **.

The yogurt was packaged vanilla Chobani, which I truly loath.  I did not touch it.

Horchata steel-cut oatmeal with agave apple.

Since I don't really care for most eggs or red peppers, and hate Monterey jack, this was an easy choice ... I guess the likely awful oatmeal it was.  Don't worry, I had a backup fruit, chocolate, and Bobo's oatmeal bite with me, in addition to the aformentioend scone, (which I knew I'd need to throw out before entering the country of course).

I still gave the oatmeal a try.  Wow, it was not good.  First, much like my dinner, it was not really warm.  Slighly cold oatmeal?  Yeah, not good in general (unless overnight oats, but that is not what this was trying to be).  It had a film on top.  It was gloopy.  It had essentially no flavor - no clue where the "horchata" component was, I tasted no cinnamon.  Sure, it had some seeds for crunch, and bits of dried fruit for sweetness, but, I truly did not like it.  I moved on to try the apples.  They were somehow both soggy and too firm all at once.  Very poorly cooked.  I guess lightly sweetened with agave, but I didn't taste that.  They didn't seem spiced either.

Overall, really unattractive, not warm, and not tasty.  **.

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