ANA Lounge, Haneda Airport Terminal 3

Well, there we were...  At Haneda on our flight back to Vancouver, 20 days earlier than expected.  We were on a cruise around Japan, with a land portion of our trip afterwards.  However, on our stop in Busan, Korea, Viv broke her leg and that began the hectic and stressful journey to this point.  After being taken by ambulance to the hospital, where her leg was stabilized, we had to hightail it back to the cruise ship so we could pack and get off.  We stayed overnight in Busan and took a flight back to Tokyo via Fukuoka.  If it weren't for the outstanding support from airport staff and airline crew at Gimhae Airport, Fukuoka Airport, Korean Airlines and Japan Airlines, it would've been much more difficult.  Thankfully, I was able to change our original flight home on ANA and maintain the business class seats we had booked.  Little did we know that it would come in handy given Viv's broken leg.  We were well-taken care of and yes, we still made it to the ANA Lounge at Haneda before we departed.  Despite this ordeal, it truly was first-world problems and we are grateful.

Now back to the ANA Lounge at Haneda.  Even though it was large and seemed to stretch from miles, it was plenty full.  There were 2 separate food stations, one at the front and one at the back.  The one at the front was much more busy since it had the made-to-order food window.   As for the food at the buffet station, there was Vegetarian Mapo Tofu and Seafood Paella.  I would say the tofu was decent but a bit bland.  The paella was subpar, being a bit soft and also not seasoned enough.  We found a bunch of pastries and buns as well as Tuna Onigiri, Pearl Barley & Seaweed Rice Ball and Inarizushi.  Nothing wrong with these other than being heavy on the carbs and taking away your appetite from the good stuff!

Now for a little bit of protein in the Fried Chicken with a sweet soy glaze.  These were quite good being crispy while plenty juicy in the middle.  There was enough glaze for impact.  Next to it, we found some Siu Mai which were pretty generic.  Comprised of all pork, it was juicy enough, but it did taste quite "porky".  I think this would've tasted better with hot sauce than eating it plain.

I saved my appetite for the best things in my opinion.  We could help ourselves to the Chicken Curry and accompanying pickles.  Loved the rice machine as it dished up a serving of rice with a push of a button.  This was good where it was more curry-tasting than the usual Japanese sweet curries.  Rice was perfectly textured.  I ordered a Ramen and it was pretty decent for an airport lounge.  The broth was silky and mild-tasting.  Noodles were chewy while the chashu was fairly tender.

There was also a cooled station with some Finger Sandwiches, Fruit and Salad.  Nothing particularly exciting with these, but it was something light for those who didn't need a whole meal.  In general, the food at the ANA Lounge at Haneda Terminal 3 was good.  Lots of space, clean washrooms and a good assortment of food.  Made-to-order dishes were available and all types of beverages as well.  I think I might be revisiting this in July as we are heading back to Japan to complete our trip!

 

The Good:

- Decent selection of food

- Made-to-order dishes

- Large and enough capacity to handle a many passengers

 

The Bad:

- Most of the good seats will be taken during peak hours

- The front buffet station is rather cramped