Airports aren’t exactly what comes to mind when you think of a great food or great dining experiences. We tend to dread travel days, thinking unless we bring our own travel snacks it will be a day of below average food.
But perhaps times are a changing . . . if not on the airplane at least at the airport. This is a guest post from Brigitte Thomas.
Today’s Airport Dining Options Might Surprise You
Airports are busy places with millions of passengers each day checking luggage and passing through security and immigration hoping flights will be on time. With all the hassles of modern day airport travel, including flights with no meals, high quality food is often the last thing one expects to find at the airport. So to find not only good food but also food that isn’t outrageously priced beyond everyone’s price range is a pleasant and welcome surprise. There are several airports around the world changing our perception of eating at the airport, and honestly, it’s about time.
Airport Dining Award Winners
In the latest edition of the Skytrax World Airport Awards, the top three winners of the best dining experiences are Tokyo Narita, Hong Kong International and Singapore Changi. Airports in other continents are catching up with passenger’s rising expectations for culinary options including several celebrity chefs expanding into Heathrow as discussed in the leading UK airport parking guide Parking4Less, However, Asian airports seem to be ahead in terms of supplying an extensive selection of global cuisines at reasonable prices.
So if you find yourself in Tokyo, Hong Kong or Singapore’s airport, what can you look forward to in terms of dining options?
Tokyo Narita
Good Sushi and airports are not often uttered in the same sentence; however, if there was one airport you can trust to deliver the freshest seafood and perfect hand rolls it is in Tokyo’s Narita hub. The selection at Sushi Kyotatsu (you will know it by the line reaching to the end of the corridor), has people obsessing about it. Or visit Kyotaru to try the oshizushi, its famous sushi made from a special wooden box mold. Narita does have other food options in the terminals, but what else could you possibly crave in Tokyo but sushi?
Hong Kong
Hong Kong International Airport makes it impossible for passengers to pick where to eat. With a wide range of quick eats with everything from Pizza Express, to culinary standouts Taiwan Beef Noodle and sophisticated establishments like Pak Loh Chiu Chow. Frequent travelers often head to the airport early to grab a bite at one of the many popular eateries.
Singapore Changi
Winner of the Airport Food Court of the Year, the Straits Food Village is relatively new, opening just last December, yet it has already had a huge impact on its competitors and is increasing the standards for the airport travel dining scene. Changi’s food court is a mini hawker center showcasing Singapore’s best cuisine, along with other cuisines from those countries that are Singapore’s culinary neighbors. Beyond Straits Food Village, travelers have lots of dining options including Italian, sports bars, seafood, and other Asian delights.
So next time you’re traveling, you might want to check your dining options at the airport. Given you have to be there 2-3 hours in advance, or might have a long layover, you will have plenty of time and you might just find a great meal waiting for you. Something to look forward to next time you travel!
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