If you’re passing through one of Japan Airlines’ first class lounges this month, you’re in for a treat…
In this post:
JAL serving caviar & vodka in first class lounges
Through September 30, 2023, Japan Airlines has a special feature for passengers passing through the carrier’s first class lounges at Tokyo Haneda Airport (HND) and Tokyo Narita Airport (NRT). Specifically, the company will be offering guests 1983 SUSHI CAVIAR and J CAVIAR VODKA, though quantities are limited.
Both products are from Japan’s Miyazaki Prefecture. The caviar is made from white sturgeon, and is described as having a unique Japanese flavor, seasoned with soy sauce and rock salt, and matured to bring out the original richness of caviar and the umami of soy sauce. The caviar will be served in a roughly four gram jar, and will be accompanied by salmon, prosciutto, crème fraîche, red onions, and blinis.
Meanwhile the vodka has specifically been made as the ideal complement to the caviar.
Keep in mind that in line with oneworld lounge access rules, Japan Airlines’ first class lounges aren’t just open to oneworld first class passengers, but are also open to top-tier oneworld Emerald members. These are some of the best lounges that oneworld Emerald members have access to.
What a fun collaboration!
It’s great when a lounge provides a high quality product to begin with, and that’s an area where Japan Airlines does a great job. However, there’s something I really love about lounges offering some sort of limited time collaborations, as it always makes the lounge a bit more fun for returning guests.
Not only is great caviar and vodka a treat, but this is a nice way for Japan Airlines to show off two products from Japan. Hopefully this proves to be a win-win for both the airline and the suppliers. While this is only limited time, I hope we see more of these kinds of collaborations in the future.
Bottom line
If you’re passing through a Japan Airlines first class lounge during the month of September, be sure you check out the special caviar and vodka selection that’s currently on offer, highlighting some Japanese producers. What a fun collaboration… I’m just kind of bummed that I’m only headed to Japan next month!
Are any OMAAT readers headed through Japan and eligible for access to these lounges? What do you make of this collaboration?
Not available from 1 to 7 pm
Don't people have anything better to do than virtue signal on a travel blog? Eat the caviar or don't.
It is presented well. At HND you need to go upstairs to the nicer bar and request it as it is not on any menu.
Nice touch but not a reason I would fly with JAL over others
I'll be trying it this coming Sunday. There is a slight extra twist to it, it is actually not served in the main dining area of the lounge. A bit like the better champagne offering in the Red Suite, it is probably intended to make people spread out more.
Excellent timing. I depart from HND on the 19th JAL to DFW!!@
Anything you have to acquire a taste for, I'll pass
It is served with smoked salmon, not salmon and prosciutto.
Nice. I couldn't get caviar on board my last couple of first class flights to the USA on JAL so this is a bit surprising.
They served caviar aboard the plane yesterday also, but it wasn’t the quality that is served in the lounge. The upstairs lounge caviar was quite nice. And the vodka at 7 AM was also a nice treat (remembering it was 5 PM in Chicago)
Y’all are fun. I’ll gladly eat your portions.
That uni gunkanmaki topped with caviar? Yes, please.
Who cares if JAL continues to refuse to release last minute (or really any) First Class award space.
I just flew JAL F on an award ticket this week. Not last minute - it was released in February. So some F and J awards have been released. To be fair (in response to your post), I can’t find any F awards between now and July 2024.
Oneworld Emerald can get it in JAL / AA econ, theoretically.
pssst JL11 is open on a few dates in the next couple of weeks
JL still releasing space on hnd-dfw route now.
Caviar is disgusting, its just raw fish eggs from the ovaries or sturgeon fish thats packed in salt. I'm pretty sure most people pretend to like it because its supposed to be rare and expensive. Its raw fish guts, gross.
By that logic, most food consumption (esp. raw ones) is disgusting e.g., steak tartare is disgusting because it's raw cow muscles mixed with raw chicken eggs
I'm guessing you live on a 'Donald Trump-style diet' (hold the veggies) of hamburgers and Diet Coke.
Right?
Will be in first class JL lounges at both HND and NRT in the next 2 weeks.
But caviar is disgusting, in every sense of the word.
The caviar servings are tiny. The vodka however is very nice.
Vodka is tasteless by definition. (Must be distilled >95%)
Has anybody ever considered environmental consequences of eating all that caviar? We're literally killing tens of thousands of fish just so a few pretentious shmucks can enjoy their already pretentious flights
That caviar is most likely to be farm raised and eating caviar is not equivalent killing huge amount of fish. Fisheries, do need just a tiny fraction of roe to sustain production.
Some of the fish roe could be very affordable. For example, True World Foods New York sells Frozen Orange Masago (Capelin Roe) 1.75 LB at $16.57/lb. The capelin fish eggs are also much smaller than those of sturgeon.
I wonder how many people really like caviar vs eat it because it is expensive and is supposed to be a delicacy. I only eat it if offered by someone at their home, so that I don't offend them.
Sturgeon caviar is an acquired taste. But I agree that it is way overpriced.
You lost me at the seasoning. Why would good caviar need any sort of seasoning? I have never had Japanese caviar, so genuinely curious. And is it a strong soy sauce taste?
It did not have a strong taste of soy sauce.
Flying JAL F from the US this month to HND - can arrival passengers enter? Japan is destination, not a layover
No, unfortunately
@Hiro , thanks for confirming... Sad to know
JAL is now serving the same caviar in F as part of the Japanese meal (in addition to the western meal). This was this past Monday. Last time I flew JAL F (in January) the caviar was only served with the western meal.
Count me out. Cannot stand the cruelty and waste associated with Caviar production, and quite frankly, cannot understand why it is raved about as a "requirement" of first class travel or being fun. I travel First class on occasion but decline any caviar service and have something that does not involve an inhumane production process. Anyway, each to their own.
Have you see a video of how caviar is harvested? No thanks!
Yeah, so much more disturbing than meat production (especially pork and poultry). Or industrial- farm vegetable products. Or dairy.
I don't think you'd eat anything if you saw how it was produced. Probably not even water