Singapore Airlines adds 100 new dishes, more wines and Christofle tableware

Singapore Airlines is refreshing what it serves in the air. More than 100 new or reworked dishes are arriving across all cabins, with new wines and spirits, custom Christofle tableware and some service changes following in November, according to the airline's Sept. 29 announcement.

The airline says the changes come from a review of the whole dining experience, not just the food. Senior vice president Yeoh Phee Teik put it this way: "In-flight dining is about much more than the meal itself."

The food

The centerpiece is a new menu category called SIA Chefs' Selection. These dishes were developed by Singapore Airlines' in-house chefs working with guest chefs and the airline's catering partners. Expect appetizers, mains and desserts built around what the airline calls comforting flavors, regional favorites and reimagined classics.

The new dishes are already appearing on flights, and the rollout continues over the coming weeks. Singapore hasn't published a full list or said which routes get which dishes first.

The drinks

Suites, First Class and Business Class get an expanded wine list with more labels. Every cabin, including Premium Economy and Economy, gets new spirits options. From November, cabin crew will also start suggesting drinks to go with what you've ordered, a small change that moves the service closer to a restaurant's.

The tableware

Also from November, Suites, First Class and Business Class will be served on tableware designed for Singapore Airlines by Christofle, the French silversmith. The pieces carry a subtle version of the batik pattern that appears on the airline's cabin crew uniforms. Selected dishes in Suites and First Class will be plated with what the airline describes as distinctive presentation touches.

Christofle is a notable choice. Air France has used Christofle cutlery in La Première for years, and the brand carries weight with the premium travelers Singapore is competing for. It also signals that the airline is thinking about the table, not just the plate.

What it means for premium passengers

Singapore Airlines already has a strong reputation for in-flight food, and its Book the Cook program, which lets premium passengers pre-order from an extended menu, is one of the most popular features of its business and first-class product. The announcement doesn't mention Book the Cook, so it's not clear whether the Chefs' Selection dishes will be available for pre-order or only from the standard menu. We'd expect the pre-order list to pick up some of the new dishes over time.

The timing lines up with the airline's European expansion. Madrid joins the network on Oct. 26, Munich two days later, and Gatwick and Milan go daily. The November tableware launch means the new routes will get the full refreshed experience within weeks of starting.

The lounge connection

For Singapore Airlines, dining on the ground and in the air are two halves of the same product. The SilverKris First Lounge in Terminal 3 at Changi has a full restaurant, and the SilverKris Business Lounge next to it has live cooking stations. The airline hasn't said whether any Chefs' Selection dishes will appear in the lounges, but it has moved menus between the two before.

If you're flying Suites or First, the practical advice stays the same: eat a light meal in the lounge, then save room for the onboard menu, which is where the Christofle and the new dishes will be.

What to watch

Three things remain unanswered:

• Which routes and cabins get the new dishes first. The airline says the rollout is progressive but hasn't given an order.
• Whether Book the Cook expands to include Chefs' Selection dishes.
• Whether Premium Economy, which gets new spirits but isn't mentioned for tableware, sees any change to its serviceware.

Singapore Airlines has posted a fuller list of dishes in an annex to its release. We'll update this story once the November changes land and the airline publishes the final menus.