On 7 September, after landing at Haneda from Kansai, my afternoon flight to Hong Kong — CX549 — was still hours away. The lounge I spent the most time in that day was Japan Airlines' First Class Lounge in Terminal 3: nigiri by the window in the morning, then back at the counter for a second round before boarding. Its entry corridor of timber screens and a stone water feature is quiet in a way that belongs to a hotel lobby, not an airport.

The JAL First Lounge entry corridor: timber screens, a stone water feature and one green plant — quiet as a hotel lobby.

A Hall Full of Light

The JAL First Lounge is all brightness: a high dining hall where a U-shaped counter wraps a central island, a full wall of glass lets the apron's light pour in, and even the lamps are rows of warm pendants. The drinks station runs from coffee machines and tea ware to a dedicated sake cooler, and champagne waits on ice in a crystal bowl. Eating here is allowed to be slow.

The dining hall: a U-shaped counter around a central island, lit by rows of warm pendants.

The drinks station: coffee machines, tea ware and a Japanese mural.

Two champagnes chilling in a crystal bowl, ready when you are.

A dedicated sake cooler — even the drinks are housed properly.

Sushi by the Window

By the window, sushi is the headline. Plate after plate of nigiri — tuna, cuttlefish, tamago, then salmon and cuttlefish, the rice still holding its shape — with champagne or sake at hand and the apron spread in front of you. Finish a plate, watch the aircraft for a while, and the next one arrives. That unhurried margin is what a first class lounge is for.

A sushi platter by the window: the apron in front of you, champagne and sake at hand.

Nigiri up close: tuna, cuttlefish and tamago, the rice still holding its shape.

A second plate: salmon and cuttlefish nigiri with soy and pickled ginger.

One more look at the apron before the next plate arrives.

The Afternoon Counter: A Second Round, Made to Order

Before CX549 boarded, I came back to the JAL First Lounge — this time at the counter. The sushi is still made to order: salmon and cuttlefish first, then more cuttlefish and white fish, two plates at once, the translucent cuttlefish scored, champagne alongside. Same white counter, QR-code ordering, same unhurried pace.

Back at the counter in the afternoon: two pieces made to order — salmon and cuttlefish — with ginger, soy and a JAL chopstick sleeve on the tray.

Two plates at once on the counter: three cuttlefish, three white fish, a glass of champagne beside them, and the ordering QR code on the white counter.

Cuttlefish, four pieces, up close: the translucent flesh scored, ginger alongside, the hall and a glass of white blurred behind.

The Hot Kitchen's Round

Beyond the counter, the hot dishes kept coming: a burger stacked high, penne in cream sauce, a plate of curry; roast beef on mashed potato, served together with chilled noodles in a glass plate; and a compartmented bento — grilled salmon, tamago, pickles and rice. As a pre-flight meal, it was more complete than many dinners.

The burger, stacked high — beef patty, tomato, lettuce and sauce held by a skewer — with a plate of pasta beside it.

Penne in a cream sauce, finished with grated cheese and a basil leaf.

Curry: a dark brown sauce in a white bowl, still glossy with oil.

Two dishes together: roast beef slices on mashed potato with sprouts, and chilled fine noodles in a glass plate topped with a slice of fish, shiso and lemon zest. Even the forks and chopstick band carry JAL's name.

The chilled noodles up close: a neat bundle in clear broth, topped with fish, shiso and lemon zest.

A Japanese bento: grilled salmon, tamago, pickles and simmered vegetables in their compartments, with a bowl of rice, a lidded soup bowl, and champagne alongside.

Ordering on the App: A Small Restaurant's Completeness

Still hungry, you order on the app. Fine noodles in a clear broth, simple and properly done; a Japanese bento dividing grilled salmon, simmered vegetables, tamago and miso-grilled fish into neat compartments; a fried plate with cheese and white wine; and a bowl of ramen in a milky broth, chashu and wood-ear mushroom included. Another champagne bucket waits at the bar. A Basque cheesecake with cream closes it out. Big space, good light, and food treated like food — my score is 92.