My husband wanted to go to Romania and after searching for flights, it wasn't that much more to fly business class from SFO to Bucharest via Istanbul on Turkish Airlines. The last time I flew Turkish airlines, I dubbed it the best economy flight ever. Business Class on Turkish Airlines elevated the experience that much more.
First of all, a business class ticket on Turkish Airlines gives you access to United's Polaris Lounge at SFO. This was named one of the best lounges in the world and it certainly lived up to its reputation.
The United Polaris Lounge is located to the right after you go through security in the International Terminal. Show your boarding pass and enter the 28,120 sf lounge. A first or business class ticket on any Star Alliance long-haul flight gets you access. Hours are 6:30am to 1am.
The upstairs is the main dining area. There are quiet lounges, along with showers, on the lower level.
The lounge is divided into multiple areas. While the dining section was quite busy, the rest of the lounge was quiet.
You'll find self-serve snacks throughout the lounge. I loved the wasabi peas but missed the gummy bears that I saw on other posts.
There's a buffet area where you can get hot & cold food. There were the usual salads (green, pasta and quinoa), fruit, cold cuts, sandwich on pretzel bun, cheese and desserts (rice crispy with chocolate drizzle, tiramisu and chocolate mousse). There were hot dishes, including chicken soup and several entrees. One of today's specials was chicken tikka masala. Not quite as good as what you find in a Sunnyvale restaurant but it was pretty good! There was also beef stir fry and a vegetarian lasagne.
The Polaris Lounge has a sit-down restaurant where there is table service. No reservation needed but it's a small section. I would recommend going as soon as you arrive or risk missing out.
You can order cocktails. This is their signature Paper Plane--oolong steeped bourbon, Quintessentia, Aperol and lemon juice. It was missing the paper plane garnish. The other cocktail we ordered was On the Rum--Cana Brava white rum, mint, lime juice and Prosecco. I'm not a cocktail drinker but these were pretty good. We also had wine with our dinner.
If you don't eat in the restaurant, there is a bar where you can order the same cocktails, as well as beer and wine.
One of the options for a starter was Beet Tartare with Pistachio Oil and Herbed Goat Cheese on Sourdough Crostini.
Another starter was Wild Mushroom Sourdough Bruschetta, Aged Parmesan and Balsamic Reduction.
One of the entree options was Cedar Plank Salmon with English Pea Puree and Sundried Tomato Relish. This was delicious and on par with what can be found in a high-end SF restaurant.
Apricot Tarte Tatin for dessert.
Chocolate Truffle Cake. Nice and dense with deep chocolate flavor.
If you have access to the Polaris Lounge, it's definitely worth it to get to the airport early just to enjoy the amenities! The food was amazing and all FREE!
2019 09 14
No comments:
Post a Comment