From Cleveland to Jakarta: A Food-Filled Flight to Indonesia (and BACK!)
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What’s Up, Hungry People
It has been a wild few weeks here in the Starving Chef’s kitchen—or should I say the Starving Chef Abroad? After months of the usual hustle and bustle in my Cleveland kitchen, my hubby and I found ourselves presented with an unexpected opportunity that was simply too good to pass up. The chance to take a spontaneous trip to Southeast Asia landed in our laps, and we knew we had to grab our passports and go.
As seasoned food lovers, the thought of exploring a new culinary landscape halfway around the world was just the kind of adventure we craved. From bustling markets to hidden street food gems, we were ready to eat our way through Jakarta and Bali, soaking in all the flavors and culture that Indonesia has to offer. Of course, the journey itself turned out to be an experience worth sharing too—because when you’re flying nearly 10,000 miles from home, the adventure starts long before you even land.
So, buckle up, fellow foodies! Not only did we survive the epic journey across the globe, but we also indulged in some seriously incredible eats along the way. If you’re curious about what it’s like to travel in style and want a sneak peek at the feast we encountered both on and off the plane, keep reading—and don’t forget to check out the full adventure over on my YouTube channel!
The Long Journey Begins: Cleveland to Tokyo
It takes a really long time to get to Indonesia from Cleveland. It’s practically on the exact opposite side of the globe, after all—9,958 miles from Medina, to be exact. While I may look bright-eyed and chipper here as we walk through the Cleveland airport, I had never taken a plane ride longer than from Boston to France. And I certainly had never flown anything other than economy until today.
So with the next 30+ hours ahead a complete mystery, we started the first leg of our journey with a quick hour long flight to Chicago before we boarded our first international plane headed to Tokyo.
Flying in Style: Business Class Experience
Instead of boring plane seats, when you fly internationally in business class, you get to sit in pod seats.
These come complete with their own TVs, footrests, blankets, and a whole slew of personal products to get you through the next 14 hours trapped in a metal tube.
We also got slippers so you don’t have to keep your traveling shoes on the entire time, complete with a complimentary shoehorn to get them back on. You also get a personal case for your toiletries, which is actually a pretty nice little pouch.
Then you get your own eye mask, and there’s also a toothbrush and mini toothpaste as well. All in all, it’s a pretty nice travel kit, and I kind of wish I would have taken the case with me when we deboarded. You also get a pair of earphones, which is great if you only have Bluetooth headphones.
We had our own controls for the TV and the seat itself right next to us as well, and plenty of movie choices to get you through the flight.
Plus, while economy is boarding, you get served a glass of sparkling wine so you feel extra fancy. The stewardesses know to keep the drinks coming too—I mean, what’s better than getting drunk on a plane?
A Feast in the Sky: Dining in Business Class
The business class menu is split into several sections, including alcoholic beverages, multi-course Japanese-style cuisine, international cuisine, and a snack and dessert menu to boot.
Shortly after takeoff, we put in our food orders—and when the food starts coming, it does not stop coming.
The first little teaser was a small plate of pickles and nuts, which was a great way to cleanse your palate after a morning of traveling.
A little while later, my personal stewardess came to put a tablecloth on my pull-out tray, which is quite a fancy touch if I do say so myself.
Nick started the flight with the international menu, so he got a small meat and veggie plate with a few rolls as his starter.
And I chose the Japanese menu, of course—and I had to constantly refer back to the paper menu to understand what the heck I was being served. My first course was zensai and kobachi—a selection of morsels that included marinated spinach, Chinese yam, grilled duck teriyaki, deep-fried pike conger with shiso herbs and edamame, alongside grilled eel and cucumber in a vinegar gelée.
I thought this was my main meal, but it was quickly followed up with the otsukuri and shusai courses—which included a selection of seared yellowtail sashimi and grilled gold stripe amberjack in a soy-based sauce with a side of steamed white rice, miso soup, and Japanese pickles.
I was literally so full, but I could not stop eating.
My hubby finished up his meal with a cheese plate, and I decided to keep it simple and ate ice cream to cleanse my palate.
A few movies later, I figured it was time for a bedtime snack, so I tried out the chicken curry sandwich—and of course, another screwdriver to help me sleep.
Layover in Tokyo: Lounging with Style
After a quick sleep, there was still more time to endure and another meal to eat. Flying internationally really messes with your sense of time, so our breakfast was actually dinner on this flight.
I forget exactly what this meal was called, but I believe it was chicken and risotto. Served with a side of fresh fruit and bread rolls, this was exactly what I needed to get me through to the next leg of our journey.
We had a few hours to kill in Tokyo, so we decided to hit up the airport lounge for refreshments. The lounge has simple buffet-style salad bars and various onigiri. We didn’t have time to order a full meal, but there were other dishes you could order fresh.
We were most entertained by the beer dispensing station—not surprisingly, after 14 hours on a plane, even the simple things can be enthralling.
In addition to this, there is a full bar you can help yourself to as well. I had just enough time to get down a few rice balls before it was time to board our next long flight—this time to Indonesia.
Final Leg: Tokyo to Jakarta
Another round of sparkling wine to start off this flight, and we were off!
The menu on this flight was just as complex as the first, including everything from marinated gizzard to octopus.
The first snack you get is the gizzard, of course, which while chewy, is still pretty tasty. Served with a packet of crispy breadsticks, it’s a weird but yummy way to kick off the flight.
This was followed up by the wildest-looking platter I have ever been served on a plane. This time, the tasty morsels included things like simmered brown algae and bitter melon, sweetfish spring rolls, marinated octopus, and a beef and kelp egg roll.
I pretty quickly lost track of everything I was being served, however—and after 20+ hours of traveling, you’d have a hard time remembering what you ate too.
Exploring Indonesia: Jakarta and Bali
Shortly after this meal, we arrived in Jakarta, where we spent a week exploring the city and then headed off to Bali for our honeymoon. If you want to see what we ate during our trip to Indonesia, now is a great time to head over to my YouTube channel and hit that subscribe button so you can be the first to know whenever my latest video goes up. The food in Indonesia is absolutely incredible, so stick around and hit the sub button so you can eat around the world with me.
After a whirlwind adventure of a lifetime, it was unfortunately time to repeat the process and hop back on a plane for the long journey home.
The Journey Home: Indonesia to Cleveland
Because our first flight from Jakarta to Tokyo was technically at 6 a.m., we got to experience what it was like to be served breakfast in business class—which naturally started with a screwdriver to kick things off.
I kept it simple on the ride home, opting for a sous-vide omelet for breakfast. But I will say we fell in love with sambal in Indonesia, so I was pumped to put it on my eggs on the flight.
The rest of the meal consisted of some yogurt, fruit, and another screwdriver, of course. I felt pleasantly refreshed after this meal—and ready to sleep since I was absolutely beyond exhausted and still had seven hours to go.
After a quick midnight snack of these fried pasta snacks, like a never-ending Groundhog Day, we boarded another plane, clinked our drinks, and settled in for one more fourteen-hour flight.
The drinks were flowing freely on this flight and definitely seemed to be getting stronger—or we were growing increasingly slap-happy as our sense of time faded off into nothingness. The second we finished one drink, a stewardess would appear ready to offer another one.
My husband’s food was getting increasingly more Western as he was served—I think this was some sort of Wellington-esque beef and potatoes meal. The only problem with his meal was that the stewardesses were too busy to refill our drinks while serving dinner.
For my main courses, I had miso tofu soup with tuna and pork belly and a side of white rice and Japanese pickles for seasoning. The stewardesses do tell you what everything is when they serve you, but between the loud noise of the plane and the number of cocktails I had had by this point, I definitely wasn’t sure what everything was on my plate.
The pork was incredibly tender and was in a bed of some kind of creamy potatoes. The fish was a tiny bit overcooked but still pretty tasty.
Finally, for dessert, I tried out the lemon chocolate torte that I skipped on the first plane over—an unusual combination of flavors to be sure, but not unpleasant. The lemon was incredibly zesty.
For the final meal, I really wanted another one of the curry chicken sandwiches I had had as a midnight snack before, but this sandwich left much to be desired. We must have been getting close to home. It was unfortunate to end the flight on a disappointing meal, but also, the flight was nearing an end, so just let me off the got dang plane already!
Wrapping Up: Stay Tuned for More Adventures
After an unforgettable journey filled with new sights, tastes, and experiences, it was time to bid farewell to Indonesia and make the long trek back home. The memories of the incredible food we enjoyed, from the vibrant street eats of Jakarta to the fresh flavors of Bali, will stay with us for a long time. Though the flights were lengthy, the indulgence in business class made the journey itself a true part of the adventure. I can’t wait to share more of our travels with you, so stay tuned for the delicious stories still to come. Until then, I hope you all enjoy following along with our foodie adventures around the world.
You can also follow me on Facebook, Tiktok and Instagram for even more delicious content while you wait.
