Medium-rare filet mignon and whipped potatoes on Singapore Airlines (Brad A. Johnson)

I eat a lot of meals on airplanes, and while some airlines get worse and worse, others just keep getting better. The food on Cathay Pacific was always excellent this year (especially the duck noodle soup in the middle of the night). As were a couple of meals aboard Iberia, where the Spanish wine and cheese service was truly outstanding. But the best of the best for 2011 goes to… Singapore Airlines. It was like dining in a restaurant. 

Dim sum on Dragon Air.

Is this the best airline food in the world? I think it might be.

I just flew Dragon Air (a subsidiary of Cathay Pacific) from Hong Kong to Beijing, and the dim sum dumplings being served in business class were incredible. I know this sounds crazy, and I couldn’t believe it myself at first. I subsequently ate at several of the best dim sum palaces in Hong Kong, and none of those restaurants served better dumplings than what I sampled inflight on Dragon Air.

Just look at those beauties! Here’s what you’re looking at, clockwise from far left:

1. Vegetables and black fungus steamed dumpling 
2. Asparagus and shrimp dumpling 
3. Pan-fried pork bao 
4. Jade shrimp dumpling (the green one); the dumpling skin is green because it’s made with spinach 

Also, as I was flying from Los Angeles to Hong Kong on Cathay Pacific, practically everyone else had gone to sleep, and I asked for a bowl of duck noodles soup, which is available as a snack in business class at any time during the flight. Another great moment in airline food: a big bowl of udon-style noodles with a big fat duck breast on top, sliced into large bite-sized pieces. Delicious! Seriously. 

Duck noodle soup on Cathay Pacific.