Sampling the Qantas first class lounge’s Spring 2018 menu

Spring is finally here, and that means another seasonal refresh for the Rockpool dining room menu at the Qantas First Lounges in Sydney and Melbourne.

Australian Business Traveller had the opportunity to sample several of the new dishes ahead of our flight from Melbourne to San Francisco, and here are some of the highlights.

Zucchini and squash salad with soft poached egg, kale, white beans, fresh herbs and lemon

This is a light Spring take on the healthy breakfast bowls, which are available on both the breakfast and all-day dining menus. Not being an overly large dish makes it ideal as a light breakfast or an entree into something more substantial.

It brings together a white bean salsa of cannellini beans, lemon, parsley, thyme and olive oil; zucchini ribbons with shaved squash and blanched kale; feta, herbs (mint, parsley, chives), sourdough croutons, lemon and thyme vinaigrette, and tops all of that with a poached egg. 

Roasted and pickled spring carrots with daikon, watercress and horseradish

Another light dish with a crisp Spring feeling – thyme-roasted purple carrots, ribbons of lightly pickled white, yellow and orange carrots dressed in verjus with fresh radish wedges on a purée of carrot, crème fraiche and horseradish. This is dressed with fresh watercress, crispy chickpeas and shallots. 

Barramundi with fennel purée, crisp polenta, green olive and toasted almond salsa

A grilled fillet of Humpty Doo barramundi is served on a fennel purée, next to a slice of lightly-fried polenta and a salsa of green olives with chopped almonds, orange zest, herbs and chilli.

Stir-fried cumin lamb with smashed cucumber and jasmine rice

Australian lamb has also become a bit of a regular on the Qantas First Lounge menu, and this time it’s served in a stir-fry.

A tender lamb shoulder is slowly braised in red masterstock with cumin, then stir-fried with oyster mushrooms, black fungi, pickled mustard greens and chilli. Add steamed jasmine rice and marinated Lebanese cucumber and it’s hard to pass up.

You can download a PDF copy of the Qantas First Lounge's Spring 2018 menus at the links below:

• Qantas First Lounge Spring 2018 menu - breakfast
• Qantas First Lounge Spring 2018 menu - all-day dining

David Flynn

David Flynn is the Editor-in-Chief of Executive Traveller and a bit of a travel tragic with a weakness for good coffee, shopping and lychee martinis.