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

 

Maple Leaf Lounge International Departures YVR

The last time I posted on a lounge at YVR, it was the Plaza Premium for US Departures.  Not mincing words, I would say it was sub-par.  But that was expected as the domestic and US-departure lounges are generally average at best.  This time around, I was heading to the Maple Leaf Lounge in the International Departures terminal at YVR.  Being in ANA business class, we were able to access the Maple Leaf Lounge since they are in the same Star Alliance as Air Canada.  It was conveniently located just past security and the entrance was inviting and open.

There was no wait and we were able to enter right away.  The space was fairly large with lots of views of the tarmac from the floor-to-ceiling windows.  There were a decent number of lounge seating near the windows as well as bar seating.  We ended up sitting away from the window as all of those spots were already occupied.  I must say there was a lack of space between the bar seats (at the right and left sides of the bar) and the divider.  Tight squeeze especially if someone has their luggage beside them.

The food selection was acceptable with some Spring Rolls, Onion Rings and Sauteed Veggies.  Right beside it, we found a small salad bar.  I though the spring rolls were fine being crispy with a good amount of veggies inside.  Onion rings were the typical frozen battered variety.  The sauteed veggies were actually quite good being firm and not overcooked.  Salad options were pretty typical, but everything looked fresh and replenished frequently.

The other section of the food selections featured a "made-to-order" BBQ Pork Bao and Roasted Cauliflower.  Naturally, this was a far cry from the actual made-to-order dishes at lounges in Asia, but hey, they do have that in the new Plaza Premium First Lounge (which I have yet to try).  I thought the bao was decent where the pork was tender and nicely marbled.  Didn't try the cauliflower though.  Adjacent to that, we found 3 chaffing trays with Korean Potatoes, Lemon Butter Sole and Rice.  The sole was not bad being soft and mildly seasoned.  Potatoes were crispy and sweet while the rice was fairly fluffy.

In addition to the actual bar, there was a selection of beers-on-tap that one could just pour for themselves.  Next to it was a soda pop machine with Coca-Cola products.  Adjacent to that was a Lavazza coffee machine.  Naturally, we found a selection of teas as well next to it.  Attached to the first buffet island, there was also congee and a Wild Mushroom Bisque.  I went for the bisque and although it was a bit salty, the mushroom flavour was there.

Inevitably, I must talk about the washrooms...  They were spotless and seemed to be attended to on a regular basis.  The lounge was about 75% full and the washrooms still looked like the pictures above.  No trash and pools of water anywhere.  As for the toilets, they were also clean and a great place to do your business before the flight.  Showers were available too and like most lounges, you need to check with the front desk for a waitlist.

To end this blog post and also ending our visit to the Maple Leaf Lounge, we had some dessert in the form of a variety of cookies.  These were pretty good with a crunchy exterior and a somewhat soft chewy interior.  They were rather sweet though.  On the topic of sweet, they had some classic Nanaimo Bars on the bottom tray too.  Representing something local!  Overall, the Maple Leaf Lounge was decent, but not particularly memorable.  It did the job and wasn't chaotic.  

The Good:
- Food area replenished quickly
- All the spaces I observed were clean and kept clean
- Generally enough seating

The Bad:
- Just a typical lounge

Plaza Premium Lounge (US Departures)

So back in December, we made the trek out to the Bay Area to visit relatives.  We ended up visiting the Plaza Premium Lounge in the US Departures terminal at YVR.  Being the holiday season, I could understand the increase in passengers at the airport and thus, more people visiting the lounge.  That was the case for us as we struggled to find seats in the relatively tightly-packed room.  We did end up getting a table near the end though, but even with that, there was not a lot of space for our carry-on luggage.

There was a selection of included alcoholic beverages but if you wanted something fancier, it was as surcharge.  Near the bar, we found some breads during breakfast and it changed to soups when it was lunch service.  They were not able to keep them filled though as one of them remained empty until we had left.  There was a hot and cold drinks station near the washrooms and they struggled to keep cups stocked for the soft-drinks.  I was not able to get a proper cup for soft drinks during the entire time there.  I had to resort to using coffee cups instead.

Next to the drinks, we found a refrigerated section that had some juices, iced tea, cold water and an array of salads, yogurt and mini-cakes. On top, there was an assortment of bundt cakes as well.  This section was fairly well-stocked and the salads were not bad.  I thought the quinoa was the best of the bunch.  The best way to describe the cakes was that they were serviceable.  Once again, we had no cups for the duration of our stay for the juices and water.

When we arrived, it was still breakfast service with a modest selection of items including French Toast, Pork Sausages, Vegetable Fitatta and Hashbrowns.  They were trying to refill the food as fast as they could but there were times when some chaffing trays were empty.  Nothing particularly good or bad about the food other than resembling a complimentary breakfast at a Marriott Residence Inn.

While we were eating, they did a changeover to lunch where the selection included Turkey, Veggies, Stuffing, Rainbow Tortellini and Yams.  This was a bit better than breakfast where the turkey was moist and yams were pretty tasty.  Veggies were predictably overdone and soggy while the stuffing was a bit on the denser side.  Tortellini was surprisingly not overdone, but a little lacking in flavour.

So after posting all the food, I'm going to post a picture of the washroom.  pretty basic, but mostly clean, except for the toilet itself.  It needed to be cleaned but really, there was not enough staff to handle that let alone provide some cups for the soft drinks and juices.  Overall, the Plaza Premium Lounge was anything but premium.  Rather, it was no better than a complimentary setup at a lower-branded Marriott.  That in itself is not worth the $55.80.  I had free passes from my credit card and even with that, I don't think it is worth wasting a pass on.

The Good:

- It is in a convenient location right after customs pre-clearance

The Bad:

- Food is meh

- Staff were trying their best, but things weren't being refilled fast enough

- No cups to be found for soft drinks or juice

- It is far too small for the amount of people using it