Lounging at the Airport

Champagne at The Wing Business Lounge 

 My friend and I are in Beijing for a few days, but he would say that part of the trip is the journey.

He's a frequent flier on Cathay Pacific which gives him access to the lounges in Hong Kong International Airport so he took me along to check them out.

Slow-cooked Atlantic salmon with sun-dried tomatoes

We visited three of them. The first one was The Pier, the first class lounge and the atmosphere is very calm and relaxing, hardly any children here, and if they are around, they are napping.

First on the agenda was checking out the dining room and we had some lunch. The menu has a mix of East and West and the portions are smaller than one would expect, but this is a good thing -- it helps cut down on food waste and also encourages guests to try more dishes.

I tried the Chinese broth of pork, abalone (a small tender one), with cut up bamboo piths, but it's a pity it was just warm, while the wonton noodles were nice and hot.

Another dish I sampled was the slow-cooked Atlantic salmon was very good, the sun-dried cherry tomatoes even better.

All the lounges have similar desserts, like macarons, cookies, chocolate raspberry tart, cheesecake, three cheeses, fresh fruit, and bottles of water, beer, and champagne.

Char siu with a dark soy sauce and cucumbers

There are also nap rooms, shower rooms, and if you're lucky you can book a half hour massage, facial or foot massage too. No wonder my friend loves hanging out in this lounge!

Also because Cathay Pacific is partners with Qantas, we also got access to their lounge. We got to try one of their signature dishes, char siu rice. It had a different twist, with a dark soy sauce (a bit too much), accompanied with lightly pickled cucumber with coriander, and a small dish of pickled vegetables. The plate had a small serving of rice, again so that food isn't wasted.

We were so full from eating that we didn't need to eat the plane food! Now that's a good benefit to have.

How many miles do I need to fly before I can get lounge access?!