We arrived at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport (PANC) a bit early since we caught great tailwinds across Canada. When we arrived, a fleet a support vehicles swarmed around the aircraft to provide the services needed for the quick turn to move on to Beijing. I was greeted by Swissport who promptly uploaded the catering from our Anchorage partner, Kincaid Grill. The catering was fantastic! Everything was packaged exactly the way it was requested, which made storing it in the galleys a breeze.

Since the passengers had just eaten a full meal out of Seattle, we elected to wait two hours into the seven hour flight to Beijing to start service. After waiting, we started with butler-passed canapés; Walnut and Bleu Tartlets with Fig Compote, bouchées of Smoked Salmon with Chives and Duck Liver on Toast with Peppered Cherries. After they polished off these tasty treats, we presented them with Alaskan King Crab Cakes served with Corn and Tomatillo Relish and Serrano Lime Aioli. Then we loaded up the trolley with the salad selection of Traditional Caesar or Roasted Beet Salad with Goat Cheese Crostini and Orange Fennel Dressing. We let them rest for about 20 minutes while we prepared the main course.

The choices Chef Drew from Kincaid’s provided were Pan-Seared Alaskan Halibut with Provençal Sauce on a bed of fresh Arugula and Lavender Potatoes or Slow Roasted Thyme and Garlic Chicken Breast with Lemon Risotto and Sautéed Haricot Vert. It was no surprise that the golden-seared halibut was as fresh as could possibly be imagined and the skin on the chicken was crisp while the breast was as juicy as if it just came off the rotisserie. At first, the passengers were hesitant to eat again because they were so full, but when the trolley came by with tempting aromas and beautiful presentation, they quickly regained their appetites. The cart was almost empty after we finished serving. Once the tables were cleared, coffee and espresso were served along with some after dinner drinks… and then we hit them with the dessert cart!­

Again, Chef Drew and the Kincaid team created two fantastic selections – a Lemon Poppy Seed Scone with Fresh Macerated Strawberries and Whipped Cream or the local specialty “Ben’s Cake,” a dense dark flour pound cake topped with Rosemary Infused Honey and Cinnamon Ice Cream. After this course we knew they were done! As I stored the cart away, I looked down the aircraft and everyone was passed out in a food coma. We still had two hours of flight to go, so I got some well-deserved rest in the jump seat in the aft galley.

Questions?

This is the second part of a series on my personal experiences as an on-board chef touring the world in a luxury private jet. For questions about in-flight catering in Anchorage, contact weborders@airculinaire.com.