Intro
First time flying ANA business class and wondering if Japan’s obsession with service detail is real or just marketing? I found out on a KL-Beijing routing via Tokyo.
The short answer: it’s real.
From stunning Japanese tableware to crew who actually remember your preferences, ANA does things differently.
Here’s what that looks like in practice.
KL to Tokyo
Once airborne, the crew took my drink order immediately and brought out an amuse-bouche: a marinated prawn with mango salsa, a cheese grissino, and chicken satay with cocktail sauce.
Going with Japanese cuisine was the right call. The tray featured traditional Japanese dishes served on proper plates – smoked salmon, fish cake, and cucumber with salmon roe, grilled asparagus rolled with beef, and a Japanese omelette with spinach and crab meat sauce.
Plus pak choy with deep-fried tofu in soy sauce, and octopus and cucumber in sweet vinegar.
Next came steamed white fish in vegetable sauce with steamed rice, miso soup, and pickles.
.The dessert trolley didn’t impress, though.
Choice between marbled cheesecake or cheese and fruits – I went with the cheesecake, but it was bland and forgettable.
Dessert aside, the meal was spot-on. The crew knew what they were doing throughout the flight. They paid attention and even let me check out the economy class service when I asked.
After an overnight in Tokyo, I continued to Beijing.
Tokyo to Beijing
For the three-hour Tokyo-Beijing flight, I picked a seat in the back business cabin and had the whole cabin to myself.
ANA offered pre-departure drinks and handed out menus featuring a Western dessert option by Pierre Hermรฉ from Paris.
Here’s what the menu looked like:
After takeoff, they took my order and served drinks with some crackers (though these came in plastic packaging).
The Western menu was fine, but nothing special compared to the Japanese cuisine on the previous leg.
Since it was a shorter flight, everything came on one tray – Pรขtรฉ en Croรปte and smoked salmon starter, beef fillet with Oriental mushroom sauce, rice flour bread, and Yoghurt Garance with cinnamon jelly cubes and raspberry coulis for dessert.
Flying both routes showed me ANA’s consistency across different flight lengths.
The flight attendant on this leg was brilliant – she saw me taking photos and gave me an ANA keychain before landing.
Conclusion
ANA business class delivers on its promise – great service and food that tastes good.
The Japanese meal on the KL-Tokyo leg was genuinely impressive, while the Western option to Beijing was decent but forgettable.
The crew make the difference here.
When someone notices you’re interested in the service and gives you a keepsake just because?
That’s the kind of attention that keeps passengers coming back.
