SIA Restaurant A380 Review
I enjoyed a five-course meal on one of the best airlines in the world and you’ll NEVER believe what was outside my window!
True or False?
The A380 is the largest passenger craft in the world.
TRUE.
True or False?
Singapore Airlines sold seats on their A380 to ticket holders who knew they were all not going to fly.
TRUE.
True or False?
These non-flying seats sold out in 10 minutes.
TRUE.
Eventful Globe camped at the computer in hopes of getting a ticket to Singapore Airlines’ Restaurant A380, a special event that has risen out of COVID-19.
Because of the pandemic, this event was exclusive to residents in Singapore.
We were selecting our seats the second they appeared and yet, we kept getting error messages—the site was overwhelmed with traffic. Evidently, the locals are very kiasu.
Kiasu (noun, adjective): a typically Singaporean trait that is characterized by the fear of losing (out)
When we realised that all tickets were sold out in less than 10 minutes, we were shocked but not all that surprised.
We kept our hopes up and put ourselves on the waitlist. When we found out that 2 business class seats had been released, we were on cloud nine!
Buckle your seat belt and we’ll take you on an eventful flight down memory lane.
We’ve just finished our wonderful Restaurant A380, thus experiencing the first-ever on-ground dining on Singapore Airlines’ A380. In addition to a limited-edition meal, this event also included an exclusive tour of this impressive aircraft and plenty of fun activities while we waited.
Our journey begins in the World’s Number 1 Airport—Changi Airport.
Last year, Changi Airport opened the crown jewel of the airport, which is named… JEWEL! Changi Jewel features the world’s largest indoor waterfall that comes to life in the night with song and dancing lights, amidst a beautiful canopy, which hides mazes, playgrounds, and much more. Jewel is so stunning, it’s a must-see for anyone coming to, or just passing through, Singapore.
Of course, that’s not all — the airport has much, much more to offer.
To catch our future video of Changi Airport as soon as it launches, do as us, Singaporeans, get kiasu, and signup for our mailing list or subscribe to our YouTube channel.
The check-in process was smooth, inviting and admirable (you’ve probably noticed we’ve created an acronym to match Singapore Airlines, SIA), exemplifying Singapore Airlines’ high service standards, which were maintained throughout the event.
We checked-in via the national contact-tracing app and had our temperatures taken.
We were handed invitations instead of boarding passes and rather comically tagged like bags so we and the staff can easily check our seat numbers.
For some mysterious reason, we were required to surrender our passports which they kept safe for us throughout the event. We haven’t come to a consensus as to why they had to hold on to our passports. Have a theory? Share it with us in the comments below!
Signs held by friendly SIA volunteers guided us to our gate. These ushers ensured we didn’t interact with in-bound or transiting passengers prior to their COVID test/quarantine period.
Before we entered the waiting area, we had to go through the usual bags and body scans, and were subjected to the same requirements as passengers boarding a flight. No liquids, no sharps…you know the drill.
The stewards and stewardesses even showed up wheeling pretty much empty luggages.
All these really made us feel as though we were going on a very special flight.
To show my love for my national Airline, I arrived dressed in SIA’s iconic uniform. This made me the ‘boss’ of the stewardesses dressed in green and blue.
Alright, you got me, I also dressed up as such because I’m a kiasu Singaporean who couldn’t resist the promise of a mystery gift for those of us who showed up in ethnic costumes. The gift was a beautiful umbrella with SIA’s iconic batik pattern.
This same batik design, in red, can be found on the gorgeous roses, which all guests were given. I had the choice of a ready-made one and to make my own. I obviously had to try my hand at making one and I’m very pleased with the result!
Next to the rose-crafting booth, there was a booth showcasing the evolution of Singapore Airlines’ uniforms through the ages. All my life, I’ve only seen the current uniform–I didn’t even know that they had other uniforms. Looking at and learning about the historical uniforms was really eye-opening for me! I’m sure this presentation was a dream come true for the aviation geeks in the audience!
The final activity booth in the waiting area was a photobooth where we got to take pictures with pretty air stewardesses dressed in the iconic blue sarong kebaya.
This is such a popular dress amongst young Singaporean girls that many of us, myself included, have worn one of these to our school’s Racial Harmony Day and International Friendship Day celebrations. In fact, I look up to SQ girls so much that, as a young girl, I dreamt of being one when I grew up. That dream faded away after I realised how serving on a plane is probably not going to do any favours for my motion sickness.
In this waiting area, we were kept meaningfully entertained before our tour of the A380. The highlight of the tour has to be the meet and greet with the captains in the cockpit.
I also particularly enjoyed entering the first class, and business class cabins on the upper deck, which I’ve never before been allowed on.
Passengers aren’t allowed on the stairs but on this special day, exceptions were made. Actually, given that I was part of the cabin crew, I was still following the rules!
Can you spot the differences between our dresses? The official uniform looks better for reasons including the fact that they are tailor-made with cloth that is exclusive to SIA. I’ve seen online listings claiming to have authentic SIA uniforms (not the cheap stuff I got from Chinatown 😂) and asked this lovely air stewardess where commoners like me can get the real thing. She said it’s actually forbidden for SQ girls to sell their uniforms as they are supposed to cut up their old uniforms each year after they receive their new batch of 4 for the year. The thought of cutting up this beautiful batik makes me weep. I cheered up after she shared that many SQ girls reuse the cut up cloth to sew bags and pillow cases—how creative!
As the crew lined up to board, applause and cheers erupted throughout the gate area.
It’s been a long time since any of us boarded a plane, and the celebratory atmosphere was contagious.
Now, let’s move on to the main part of this event—our 5-course dinner with options from acclaimed Singaporean chef, Shermay Lee and SIA’s own chefs. I didn’t get to see her but I got a photo with the chef who served our plane!
Being a sucker for limited-edition experiences, I chose the ‘Shermay Lee’s Selection’.
Here’s my review of my dining experience in the Business Class of Restaurant A380:
Mocktail and champagne:
I enjoyed the refreshing mocktail with its citrus flavours and bubbly texture. I like champagne and enjoyed a few sips before my Asian flush and sleepiness signaled that I should say good night to the rest of beautiful bubbly.
Starter:
SIA Signature Satay served with cucumber, onion and peanut sauce.
This was my favourite of the savories I ate. I love satay and SIA’s satay is the best satay I’ve ever had. It’s chunkier, juicier and more tender than any other satay I’ve ever had.
Appetiser:
A cold dish with chicken, prawns, and jellyfish on a bed of lettuce, topped with coleslaw dressing.
This tasted fresh and the jellyfish reminds me of Chinese weddings, as that’s the only time I eat this delicacy—I don’t really like eating jellyfish.
Bread:
A selection of breads
I chose their garlic bread because it’s famous and the lavash because I’ve never tried lavash. The garlic bread was nice and warm. The rosemary lavash was crispy and fragrant.
Main course paired with wine:
Nonya Grandma’s Nasi Lemak
Aromatic and fluffy Jasmine rice infused with coconut, served with a fish in a tangy tamarind-tumeric sauce, rich sambal prawns, fried ikan bilis, and refreshing cucumber pickles. Keropok and sambal on the side to dip and snack.
Nasi Lemak is one of my favourite local dishes and I think this was a good example. The prawns in the non-spicy sambal were delicious. I loved how crispy the ikan bilis were (these like crispy anchovies for those unfamiliar with Singaporean cuisine) but was disappointed that the keropok wasn’t crispy enough for me (I found it a little “lao hong”).
The wine selection was great and I enjoyed the French red (a Saint Emilion Grand Cru), which was very smooth and dangerously easy to drink.
Dessert:
Salty sweet gula melaka ice cream sandwiched between thin crunchy wafers
I liked that the dessert was a local treat that reminds me of my childhood, times when I used to buy ice-cream sandwiches from the ice-cream uncle, a uniquely Singaporean experience. I like that the ice cream was of a local flavour, and a nice blend of sweet and salty. I would have preferred the traditional rainbow bread over the wafers as I think the ice cream seeps into bread better than wafers, making for a great mix of flavours and textures.
Being a dessert devil, I could not resist trying the mango cheesecake from the SIA International menu. I’m so glad I tried the cheesecake–it was awesome. As Cake Queen, I give it my royal stamp of approval!
Cheese:
A selection of cheese
The cheese selection gave generous portions of three types of cheeses plus fig jam and crackers. I’m not a blue cheese person, but our camera man is and he really enjoyed it and said it was mild but complex. I’ll take his word for it!
Fruit:
Assorted fresh fruit platter
I loved the healthy and sweet ending to this wonderful meal, which included strawberries, two types of melons, orange, kiwi, papaya, and pineapple.
If you enjoyed this review, be sure to check out our other review on Simple Flying. You can find a link in the description below, along with links to our website for photos and more information on our other events.
Thank you for journeying with Eventful Globe. We hope to see you again!