The Points Guy wrote an article about the best airport food, according to pilots. After all, they should know. They need to stay in shape, eat meals that agree with them, and also enjoy the variety of cuisines that come with the job.
I cannot argue that Haneda Airport in Tokyo is the best. In addition, they have an Edo period village recreated in the terminal. It made me feel like I was back in the Edo period.
The Tokyo Haneda Airport, where ANA is based, is my favorite airport in the world to dine. It is the closest airport to the Tokyo metropolitan area, and has more than 40 restaurants and cafes in each of its three terminals. Passengers can enjoy cuisines from all over the world, as well as some of the finest Japanese cuisine including sushi, tempura, soba, ramen, and much more. It would certainly take more than a few visits for a passenger to taste all of the uncountable delights at Haneda Airport. Thankfully for me, I get to enjoy Haneda’s culinary offerings quite often. If you ever have the chance to eat a meal at the Haneda Airport, I would recommend Tsuru-Ton-Tan, an udon noodle soup restaurant located in the International Terminal. Udon is a Japanese thick wheat flour noodle that is usually served with a big choice of broth flavors and toppings. My favorite dish is Sudachi-Udon, which is made with the Japanese citrus fruit sud
achi.The citrus taste goes very well with the udon noodle, and is refreshing before or after a long flight.
I would agree that Haneda is the best. But there might be a few others that I like. One in particular was in Lima, Peru. We had a delay, so we headed to a little upstairs cafeteria. We ordered a grilled ham and cheese sandwich, and perhaps the best bowl of tomato soup I have ever had!!!! What a treat!!!
Of course, now the “name” chefs have restaurants inside of many airports, like San Francisco. Recently, I found out that one of my favorite restaurants, Mustards Grill in Yountville (near Napa) is opening a place in the International terminal at SFO. While I do not care much for the Wolfgang Puck fast food places, I think Cindy Pawlcyn and her Mustard’s gang will try to live up to their well-earned reputation.
I have been in the dregs of airports, like Katmandu, Nepal, Vladivostok, Russia, and Xiang Khoang (pronounced Shen Kwan), Laos. And I have been in the Rolls Royce of airports, like Bangkok, Singapore, and Hong Kong. And some, like Seattle or Chicago offer some specialties heretofore available only downtown. In Chicago, it would be world famous Garrett’s Popcorn with their famous, “The Mix” consisting of half cheddar and half caramel popcorns. And in Seattle, it would be Beecher’s cheese curds.
Perhaps the biggest trend I see are healthier options, places that offer fruit, smoothies, and vegetarian options. The problem with veggie options are the potential discomfort it produces later in the flight, if you get my drift. Smoothies are fine, though full of ice (water), meaning frequent toilet breaks.
Maybe you have a favorite spot you can share with me? My dear relatives from Columbus, Ohio love to use a layover in Denver’s Stapleton airport (Terminal B) to dine at Pour La France. In fact, they purposely take a flight that has a longer layover in Denver, both directions, just to dine there!!!!! Unheard of! I just want to get from Point A to Point B ASAP.
But back to Japan for a moment. Even their “fast” food is a preparation of grandeur and gustatory exaltation. Their convenience sores offer items like hot udon, fresh sushi, or home style dessert treats. It is easy to make a meal of their food options. I cannot tell you the last time I bought anything to eat in a convenience store, other than an ice cream bar.
Last bit of information: choose wisely, otherwise you may regret it later on the plane!!
