What’s new on the menu at the Qantas International First Lounge, Singapore

Some might say the Qantas International First Lounge in Singapore embodies the best of two, distinct worlds – Australia’s wonderful wines, serious coffee culture and abundant fresh produce, perfectly fused with Singapore’s love affair with spices, hawker food and its dynamic cocktail scene.

Those fortunate enough to make this lounge their regular haunt will likely have favourites. In my Platinum heyday, you’d find me slurping up prawn wontons with black vinegar and chilli, followed by the signature laksa with crayfish.

But there’s something to be said about expanding one’s horizons, so I take up an invitation to explore the menu’s seasonal offerings. At least in Singapore, travel is as much about the palate as it is about the destination.

Qantas Singapore First Lounge’s new dishes

Chef Linda has been busy. No, her shrimp paste chicken wings aren’t back yet (trust me, I’ve asked). But the seasonal update to the Qantas First Lounge offerings brings in a fresh wave of new flavours.

Appetisers

For the health-conscious and time-pressed, look no further than the top of the Qantas Singapore lounge menu. Lebanese-style lentil soup with kale, lemon and sourdough is as healthy as it sounds. Warming and filling, it’s the perfect pick-me-up if you’re feeling under the weather during your travels.

The grilled asparagus with hummus and toasted sesame is an equally guilt-free dish. Each spear retains a perfect crunch and the hummus offers a strong, albeit unusual, dipping sauce. It’s great as a side dish if you’re dining with others (but I won’t judge if you demolish this on your own).

I’ll confess, outside of this tasting, you’ll never find me ordering the poached eggs with mushroom on sourdough. Not because of how it tastes (on the contrary, the earthiness of the mushroom complements the runny poached eggs so well), but because I’m not a breakfast-for-dinner kinda guy.

However, if your body clock longs for eggs and coffee, this dish is for you.

The main courses

Chef Linda takes great pride in her Humpty Doo barramundi with sweet potato purée. Sourced from the Northern Territory and shipped straight to Singapore, the fish arrives in less than two days, ensuring its remarkable freshness. The kitchen achieves a delightful balance of perfectly crisp skin and tender, juicy meat.

Without a doubt, this barramundi is my favourite main plate of the night.

Widely considered Malaysia’s national dish, nasi lemak is also much-loved in Singapore. Linda’s nasi lemak comes with beef rendang, boiled egg, cucumber, anchovies and sambal chilli. If you’re after Asian comfort food, you can’t go past nasi lemak. Fragrant coconut rice is paired with a beef rendang that’s rich in flavour (but not too spicy – this is an Australian airline lounge, after all). Add the sambal for an extra kick.

Another delightful twist on classic street fare is bak chor egg noodles with pork meatballs and broth. As you’d expect, the noodles are springy and ready to soak up the flavour from the braised mushrooms and pork meatballs. (Traditional recipes used minced pork instead).

It’s worth adding to your list if you’re still craving a taste of Singapore before departure.

Rounding out the main courses is the most intriguing fusion of the night: rice flour gnocchi with roast fennel, zucchini, salsa verde and Reggiano parmesan. Think classic Italian flavours – the soft embrace of fennel and the sharp tang of parmesan – but paired with the chewy Korean-style rice cake noodles you’d find in tteokbokki.

It’s a mix I still can’t get my head around, but it does somehow… work. It’s not on the top of my list, but give it a go if you’re feeling adventurous.

A sweet finish

Be sure to save some room for dessert! Pastry Chef Dominic (‘Dom’ in the menu) is credited with whipping up this masterpiece you simply must order – Dom’s pistachio crème puff with raspberry.

The delicate choux pastry is topped with what looks to be pistachio craquelin. Take a bite and you’ll be rewarded with a generous burst of cream and (if you didn’t read the menu description in full), a surprise dash of raspberry inside.

A treat that’s more familiar for frequent flyers is the Milo dinosaur panacotta. A play on the classic Singaporean and Malaysian childhood beverage Milo dinosaur (milk with lots of Milo heaped on top), a simple and silky pannacotta is dusted with generous sprinkles of Milo and topped with chocolate chips. It’s as decadent as it sounds.

Qantas’ Singapore team also occasionally whips up a few off-menu items. One is a classic tiramisu, which comes in a waistline-friendly small serving with creamy mascarpone and chocolate dusting.

The other is rarer and rather unique. Nicknamed internally as ‘the Singapore Sgroppino’ and based on the classic Venetian cocktail, this concoction is a spiked palate cleanser of sorts. Zesty yuzu sorbet is mixed with limoncello and Champagne for a vibrant and refreshing… drink? Dessert? C: all of the above.

Only 20 cups are made on a given day, so pay attention when the lounge staff list the day’s specials.

Serving up spice at the bar

Angeline is the bar supervisor at the Qantas First Lounge in Singapore. By her reckoning, the current cocktail line-up is sizzling. I later find out she means that quite literally.

Cocktails – with a local twist

If you need your sinuses cleared, the passionfruit and jalapeño daiquiri will be right up your alley. Dusted with Tajin Mexican chilli powder for extra punishment, this sweet and savoury cocktail is one of my favourite beverages of the night. There’s something more-ish about the tangy passionfruit infused with the kick of the various chillis – and it’s not too spicy, in my opinion.

(Angeline shares that a previous version of this drink was, in fact, hotter, but they had to tone it down).

It wouldn’t quite be a visit to Singapore without a Singapore Sling. Whilst not named as such on the menu, the H&H is this lounge’s version of one. Gin is mixed with dom benedictine and H&H grenadine, plus yuzu and pineapple. If you enjoy a more complex drink with herbal notes, this one’s for you.

Another of Angeline’s more adventurous concoctions is the pandanus bitters – a sake-based cocktail, which isn’t something I often encounter. Adding to the intrigue is a medley of flavours, including elderflower, coconut, pandan, and the star ingredient: dried bitter gourd.

The taste isn’t that bitter, and as it doesn’t have the ‘sharp’ alcohol bite you’d normally see with some spirits, it’s also very drinkable. I liken it to boozy coconut water.

The Tequila Sunset goes back to familiar flavours with Don Julio Blanco Tequila, Cointreau, pineapple juice (a staple with many of these cocktails) and interestingly, lemon and ginger kombucha. Unlike a tequila sunrise, the Tequila Sunset uses butterfly pea extract for the deep purple tone. Once you stir, the dusky layer swirls and sinks to the bottom. Yes, like a sunset.

I’ve previously enjoyed the sour plum Margherita during my last visit here. This time, the drink takes the form of a sour plum highball. Featuring Knob Creek Rye whiskey, calamansi purée, lemon, soda, and of course, sour plum, this is an easy-sipping highball for anyone looking for a touch of local flavours. If you’re not sure what cocktail to go for, the sour plum highball is likely to be a safe – yet delicious – choice.

Wine and bubbles

The lounge’s sommelier, Eric, chats to me about how he curates the wine list for Qantas. It’s quite an involved process including attending trade shows and tastings. He eventually settles on a seasonal list in conjunction with Neil Perry and the Rockpool Group. You’ll likely find him scoping out the new picks at the upcoming Vinexpo Asia Singapore in 2025.

I’ll have to take him up on an offer to do a proper wine pairing in the future. Today’s about the cocktails.

The ‘Non’ drinks and bush tea

With some travellers being more mindful of their alcohol consumption, the ‘Non’ range of mocktails is growing in popularity. For example, the Non Spritz is a popular substitute for the Aperol Spritz. It features Lyre’s non-alcoholic spritz, lemon juice, syrup and Angeline’s pick: blood orange kombucha for that depth of flavour and colour.

Another worthy pick is the Non Seabreeze, based on the simple vodka and cranberry cocktail. But in a twist that gin lovers will appreciate, Angeline’s version pairs Lyre’s non-alcoholic gin with pink grapefruit juice, berry kombucha and orange bitters.

A tea is the perfect way to finish off the meal. In the First Lounges, Qantas is championing Binjang Tea. It’s made with Indigenous native ingredients such as bush tomato, strawberry gum and wattle seed. My favourite is the lemon myrtle and ginger, which I slowly savour after this extensive menu tasting.

Summing up

Despite not having a defined ‘summer to winter’ menu transition, the Qantas Singapore First Lounge still keeps things fresh with these updates. Regular visitors to this space will have plenty of variety to look forward to. Be sure to visit with an empty stomach and don’t count on eating much more on the plane.

If you’re open to ordering anything, do yourself a favour and try the barramundi, Dom’s pistachio crème puff and the passionfruit and jalapeño daiquiri – along with the secret sgroppino, but you didn’t hear that from us!

Photography by Brandon Loo, who entered the lounge for this menu tasting as a guest of Qantas.