The Michelin-starred chef, who is part of the LSG Group’s network of experts, places his glasses on the bridge of his nose and pipes another five drops of miso cream, each gradually increasing in size. The execution is immaculate, just like his perfectly round tuna roll. “I always try to interpret the zeitgeist and put it on my plate,” Wohlfahrt says as he lays tuna that’s briefly been pan-fried atop Sardinian-grilled vegetables, the second component of the tuna trio appetizer, before sprinkling roasted sesame seeds and finishing with a few drops of sesame oil over the fish.

In this dish, Japan meets Italy and France, Wohlfahrt. “If you don’t get with the times, you go with the times,” says the chef, who has been awarded three Michelin stars 25 times in the Michelin Guide. “I too have taken in global influences and translated them in my restaurants.” Aniseed-stained tuna served on a glass noodle salad with coriander vinaigrette – the third component of the starter – is no exception.

“The great French cuisine has developed into a culinary art with many cultural influences,” says Wohlfahrt, who continues to inspect his plate with Argus eyes to fix any imperfections before allowing it to be served. “Today’s guests accept culinary creations and combinations they would not have 20 or 30 years ago. Interesting is the broad spectrum of influences that we are surrounded by today.”

This is part of what enables Wohlfahrt to deliver such taste profiles to the guests of the Lufthansa First Class Lounge. As with the other courses, the perfectly pink beef filet with herb varnish, a bean cassoulet, yellow-spiced tomatoes and veal jus comes from his cookbook. “Recipes aren’t secrets,” Wohlfahrt smiles, contradicting some of his colleagues. “I share everything.”

What he has conjured up with the caramelized maracuya sorbet, the ice cream with “exotic flavors” that comprises the sweet conclusion of the three-course meal, he does not tell the guests – at least not in the menu. It’s a little trick that Harald Wohlfahrt employs; to present the guests with a small challenge which, in the best case, informs him that their taste buds are well-adjusted.

After all, Wohlfahrt believes that it is not only the ingredients that give a dish its quality. “Almost everyone has had beef, lamb and venison on their plates. Their enthusiasm can then only be triggered with a personal touch. If a guest has eaten lobster sauce a hundred times, he should be able to say: ‘I’ve never experienced a lobster sauce with such a taste profile before.’ When developing his recipes, Wohlfahrt relies on his knowledge of the products used and his 49 years of experience as a chef. Never has he considered cooking solely for the praise of critics, or to fit into any one gastronomic mould. Typically, he says, if he enjoyed the food, so too would his guests.

This much was proven during Wohlfahrt’s visit to the Lufthansa First Class Lounge in Munich. The guests – some of whom were there because of the prominent guest chef – praise the menu profusely, putting a smile on the face of its designer: “I want to make time for entertaining people and with the recipes I create, send them on a little culinary trip,” Wohlfahrt says delightedly.

All of this, however, is made possible thanks to the contribution of our LSG Sky Chefs colleagues in the kitchen and service. “(They’re) a very good team, and they execute the recipes excellently,” praises Wohlfahrt. “It’s really fun to come to the Lufthansa First Class Lounge. I see employees approaching the guests in a friendly manner to create a unique and memorable experience for them.”

The post Harald Wohlfahrt sends lounge guests on a “culinary journey” appeared first on LSG Group.

Behind the recipe of the Wiesnwickel is Robert Dedic, Manager Culinary Experience at LSG Sky Chefs Lounge. “Our idea was to translate the idea of Munich as both a city with a heart and a cosmopolitan city onto the plate, ” he says. “We are therefore combining the classic components of the Oktoberfest with an Asian summer roll.”

To start, the spring roll dough is coated with “soy sauce”. The sauce consists mainly of boiled malt beer and only a small portion of actual soy sauce, but is visually similar to it and is also served as a dip. Before wrapping, the dough is filled with ingredients that taste like Oktoberfest, the biggest folk festival in the world: white cabbage marinated with caraway, carrots marinated in apple juice, spring onions and, optionally, roasted ham.

On top of that, red cabbage pesto seasoned with caraway is also available. Finally, there is freshly grated horseradish as a counterpart to Japanese wasabi – alluding once again to Asian cuisine within a Bavarian classic.

“We have created a dish that almost everyone has already experienced – purely outwardly. Right from the first bite, however, comes a surprising twist because our recipe is completely different from how one knows it. Its taste is completely reminiscent of Oktoberfest, even though it doesn’t look like it at all,” says Robert Dedic.

The “Wiesnwickel” will be served through to the end of Oktoberfest. In the Lufthansa Senator and Business Lounges throughout Germany, classics like charcuterie boards, chicken knuckles, leberkäse (a type of ham), pretzels, veal meatballs, potato salad and Topfenmousse with Zwetschgenröster, a type of cream topped with sweet chutney, will be available for guests.

The Oktoberfest menu in the Lufthansa First Class Lounges will be served alongside an appropriately festive decoration, and includes dishes like a Festtagssuppe, a soup, with a duck roast. And for the guests with a sweet tooth, there will be homemade apple strudel with vanilla sauce, roasted almonds and rum raisins to finish off their meal.

The post LSG Sky Chefs Lounge serves the “Wiesnwickel”: Outside Asia, inside Bavaria appeared first on LSG Group.

Enchelmaier, Manager Trends Culinary Experience International LSG Sky Chefs Lounge GmbH, is not the first expert partaking in the Distinguished Speaker Series (DSS). He joins the rank of United States Ambassador to Switzerland and Liechtenstein Edward McMullen Jr., Managing Board Member of the World Economic Forum Alois Zwinggi and Switzerland Tourism CEO Martin Nydegger.

He is, however, the first Distinguished Speaker to star in a live stream event at HTW Chur in their most interactive session yet. Students were sat in the auditorium while Enchelmaier, tasked with cooking recipes specially created for the event, taught them how they could recreate his dishes from the kitchen – with the help of a student aid, of course.

This event marks the second in the university’s SMART Cooking series (the first happened in 2018), which aims to show students how they can cook international cuisines using locally-sourced, sustainable and affordable ingredients.

Why was that Message so Important to Impart?

“We believe that besides teaching content and specialist knowledge, a student’s time at university is where various non-academic skills are developed and where routines are shaped,” explains event organizer Prof. Dr. Thorsten Merkle, Director of Studies in Tourism HTW Chur. “Allowing students to learn about nutrition in a fun and interactive way will certainly help them remember the importance of ‘good’ eating habits.”

It was also an excellent opportunity for LSG Lounge to show all that goes into providing guests with the best experience possible. Enchelmaier adds: “From the unique demands of the food we provide in the lounges to the hospitable staff tending to guests, there’s a lot that goes into the business that people might not be aware of. So it was nice to be able to give LSG Lounge a face that the students can relate to.”

And with deeper awareness comes more recognition, something that Enchelmaier doesn’t consider a light topic. “Our needs are growing constantly, and we’re always looking for new personalities and perspectives. With this event, we’ve opened up an avenue for deeper collaboration with the university. This might mean more student visits to the lounge, with some of them taking an interest in doing a traineeship with us.”

What Happened at the Live Stream?

The event wasn’t all business, though, because students were able to try some of the dishes themselves. Many of them stayed past the Question & Answer segment and up to the end – but whether they were motivated by personal questions for Enchelmaier or by the allure of having him whip something up for them to enjoy remains unclear.

No wonder, then, that the event was deemed a success by both Enchelmaier and Merkle despite the gloomy weather causing the initial plan of Enchelmaier cooking from his food truck to fall through. “As we become more digitalized, it’s great that our opportunities to educate expand with it. But this is made more impactful by having a personal touch, and in this case, it was Mario actually being present to enrich the program,” says Merkle.

He adds: “We certainly hope that Mario and LSG Lounge will be interested to join our SMART Cooking session in 2020 as well!”

For more on our culinary talents, you can learn more about Thomas Püscher or Pablo Julián Pato.

The post LSG Sky Chefs Lounge Live Streaming at HTW Chur appeared first on LSG Group.

The special feature of this lounge concept: Whether guests are members of a Priority Club or just want to spend time relaxing before or between flights – the lounge is open to all, you only need to pay an entrance fee. With over 1700 square meters, guests will find a spa area, a hairdresser and a children’s playground. In culinary terms, “the golden lounge” offers a snack buffet in the front and a large buffet in the dining room with cooking station. There is a standard entrance package that includes the usage of the lounge and access to the snack buffet. Other services, such as the buffet or the hairdresser, operate on a pay-per-use basis.

“Even at the bar in the back, there is a range of free offerings, while guests desiring additional products may obtain these for an additional fee,” explains Jean-Claude Dichtl, Director Operations and Projects. “This way, the lounge responds individually to the wishes of our guests. Someone who puts a lot of emphasis on fine dining might not be interested in a large selection at the bar. The customer can put his experience together according to his wishes,” adds Dichtl.

The El Dorado International Airport in Bogota is the third largest market in Latin America by passengers transported. This lounge is one of the most luxurious and modern in this market,” says Stewart Massiah, President GCG Group.

The LSG Group lounge experts have developed the food and beverage concept together with GCG Group. The entire buffet is produced by colleagues in the GCG operation – the finishing touch is added to the food at the onsite kitchen. The customers are mainly Priority Pass members, MasterCard customers and general passengers who choose to take part in the experience.

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Greetings or “Grüß Gott” as they say here in Bavaria.

Have you already heard that Munich is opening a new terminal? It’s happening on 26 April 2016 and we’ve really got our hands full trying to make sure everything is just so.

“Why does Munich need a new terminal?” I hear you ask. Well, with approximately 41 million passengers last year, Munich is the second most important airport in Germany. Until now, two terminals were available for arriving and departing passengers and the buildings were bursting at the seams. The third terminal, named the Satellite Terminal, will be able to handle 11 million passengers in the future. But why is the terminal now called the Satellite Terminal and not just Terminal 3? Simply put, the satellite is an extension of Terminal 2 in the truest sense, but there is actually no way of getting there on foot or on public transport. Instead, the passengers will be taken to the new terminal underground, on a driverless mini-subway train. It’s starting to sound a bit more space-like, right?

MUC Satellite Terminal: Extremely modern and State-of-the-art

In the new Satellite Terminal it won’t look like being on the moon though, quite the opposite in fact: everything is extremely modern and state-of-the-art. Test operations have been running there since the end of 2015, making sure that all processes have really been put through their paces. Ultimately, everything needs to operate smoothly when the first passengers arrive in April. Our Lounge Team in Munich is of course also participating in the extensive tests, as five new Lufthansa Lounges are opening simultaneously in the satellite.

I was on site myself at the lounges during the trial days and supported my colleagues in Munich to plan and coordinate the project as best as I could. A start-up like this is always a really exciting time, above all if the infrastructure round and about is totally new for everyone. In my frequent visits to the site, I was able to experience the lounges changing literally from day to day. I brought photos from the evening before the trial operation and one from during the test run. It is almost unbelievable what the tradespeople managed to achieve in the last night! Of course, I’ve experienced a lot during my time in the hotel industry, but this time, I was truly impressed. But see for yourselves!

Before: Quite chaotic – the lounge the evening before the test

After: Surely the elves got to work here? The lounge the next morning, ready for the trial run!

Now, before I write too much, I’m going to hop back over to the construction site, so that we do actually get done in time for April!

Until then, all my best wishes,
Isabelle

P.S.: The entrance to the mini-subway is right behind the Lufthansa Senator Café in Terminal 2. There you can treat yourself to a refreshment before using the “(Space) Shuttle”.

The post A Satellite for Munich? appeared first on LSG Group.

During my stay in New York for the takeover of the Lufthansa lounge service at JFK airport, I was working closely together with my colleague Audrey Balaba, who is our new team leader there. We were talking about her tasks and what makes a great lounge experience. I thought it would be interesting for you to post some of our dialogue.

What is so fascinating about the “lounge” business?

From the passenger’s perspective, having lounge access is about crossing an invisible line un-crossable by others, on the other side of which lies many complimentary items and services exclusively set aside for them. From the viewpoint of a Lounge Team’s Leader, I love when my team cohesively provides service so outstanding that every guest leaves with the pleasant feeling akin to having been just been hosted in a warm home.

Can you explain a bit more about the lounge in JFK? For example, how many people visit on average per day (or week/month/year)? What airlines are served from the lounge? What services are provided?

I would say the JFK lounge is one of the important lounges for Lufthansa outside of Germany because of the political and cultural importance of New York City to the world. This role places a spotlight on JFK Airport and, in turn, the Lufthansa Lounge. At JFK, our lounge has 3 levels that separate the 3 travel classes; the Business Class area can hold up to 300 guests, 150 in Senator Class and First Class can host 40 guests. As a member of the Star Alliance, we not only host Lufthansa passengers, but also those for Turkish, Air China, Brussels, Austrian and Polish Airlines.

For us, the day starts with Business serving a Turkish Breakfast from 10am. Senator Class opens from noon with a transition to lunch offerings in both Business and Senator Classes. Then, at 2pm, First Class opens serving an à la carte menu long into the evening. The standard for each meal closely mirrors the long established quality of Frankfurt’s Lounge.

What is the biggest challenge that LSG typically faces with a lounge “take over” like the one at JFK?

Staffing has been the biggest challenge. Finding the right people is not easy when you have such high expectations. Once you have found ‘the right people’ a lot of work goes into transforming them into ‘the right team’, and this involves changing not just their knowledge of food and service, but how they approach their jobs. Once they can anticipate their guests expectations walking into the lounge and move fluidly with their colleagues to support all areas of the lounge simultaneously, they have become ‘the best team’. To lead a team of that caliber is an honor for any Manager.

What’s your personal favorite dish that will be served at the JFK lounge?

My favorite is the 72-Hour Braised Short Rib on Creamy Potato Mash. The extended cooking period of the meat ensures a wonderful tenderness and juiciness that pairs perfectly with the potato mash. Just viewing this dish is such a sight as to make a full person hungry again!

How does the lounge supply chain work? Are the raw materials delivered to the airport and cooked on site?

Most of our lounges are supplied by a main LSG Sky Chefs facility. It’s there that most of the food is prepared, precooked and delivered daily to the lounge alongside all other lounge supplies. However, how you incorporate basic raw materials alongside the prepared items can allow the chefs to take presentation and quality to a higher level. This is a treat which we bring to a forte in our First Class lounge with a dedicated First Class chef devoting all his attentions to preparing the freshest meals possible.

Thinking back to all of the lounges you have visited in your travels, in your opinion, what is one thing that separates a good lounge experience from a less-than-desirable lounge experience?

Quality. It applies to every aspect of the lounge from amenities offered, such as shower rooms, to the food selection; it even goes as far as the knowledge and personality of the lounge staff. If even one of these aspects is of a quality below the passengers’ expectations when walking into the lounge, then wherever they travel or with whomever they speak with that quality failure will be our legacy. That’s a legacy I refuse.

What are you looking for when entering a lounge? What’s important for you?

Isabelle

The post Managing JFK Lounge: An Interview with Audrey Balaba appeared first on LSG Group.

That’s right! I am still here in NYC helping out with the startup of our lounge operations at JFK airport. As promised, I would like to tell you a few more “behind the scenes” stories from the startup phase.

Recently the official training day for our new employees took place. With the support of two colleagues from my department and two more from our culinary excellence team, I provided trainings to the 25 new JFK lounge employees on topics like hospitality, hygiene & food safety, and the lounge facility itself. We wanted to make absolutely sure that the lounge guests felt comfortable and well taken care of right from the very beginning of their visit.

During the trainings we focused heavily on the culinary concept of the lounge, which emphasizes freshness, authenticity and handmade products. At the beginning of this year, we had a team who took to the streets of New York and sought out inspiration in what and how people are currently eating and consuming in the USA’s largest city. These observations were then incorporated into the food & beverage concept for the lounge.

So…would you like to know what’s on the menu? As a First Class passenger, you can enjoy short ribs braised for 72 hours sous-vide, Maine lobster soup, classic veal schnitzel, and an exquisite champagne and wine selection. Did that list make you as hungry as it did me?

Unfortunately, no time for a break yet! I’ll keep you posted about what’s going on here again soon.

Greetings,
Isabelle

>>> Behind the Scenes: Preparations for Lounge Opening in JFK

The post Behind the Scenes: Starting up the JFK lounge appeared first on LSG Group.

I am currently in the USA – New York City to be exact. Here at JFK airport, we have just taken over the Lufthansa First Class, Business (Silver) and Senator (Gold) lounges!

While in NYC, my mission is to support the lounge startup team as much as possible. We began operating the JFK lounge on October 1st and we literally took over the entire business overnight while the lounge was closed. As you can imagine, this was a huge challenge in terms of logistics and preparation!

For example, the team and I spent all day Sunday unpacking and sorting all the goods for the lounge, including equipment, cutlery, porcelain, glasses, and various food items. We did all of this organization in our airline catering unit at the airport because the lounge does not have a large enough warehouse. And, of course, because the lounge was still being operated by our competitor!

In the end, we prepared six ready-packed pallets loaded with goods to help us save time during the startup. Even with the stress of the tight schedule, we still had to be very cautious. Part of the equipment we were handling included the handmade porcelain for the First Class lounge. This fine china is really precious and stems from renowned German manufacturer Hering Berlin. Luckily, nothing got broken!

I’ve got to leave now, but I’ll post some more about the preparations in JFK as soon as I can.

Take care,
Isabelle

To read the press release ‘LSG Sky Chefs Lounge GmbH Expands in the U.S.’ click here

The post Behind the Scenes: Preparations for Lounge Opening in JFK appeared first on LSG Group.

It’s me, Isabelle Mager from LSG Sky Chefs. Today, instead of working from my office, I have been visiting our facility in Mörfelden, Germany.

Did you know that we use this facility as a central storehouse for Frankfurt Airport?

In order to ensure that our products are delivered with high quality freshness every day, we need a well-functioning supply chain. That is where our central warehouse in Mörfelden comes into play. Our Lounge Managers use our central warehouse to order their exact needs and ensure that their products are freshly delivered to them daily.

At Mörfelden, the Store Leader bundles the orders for our selected merchants and prepares them for the next day’s delivery. Each delivery, including all food and drinks, is checked, repackaged, backed-up, picked and prepared to ensure a quick and fresh distribution to our lounges.

Every year in the central warehouse our ten employees, in combination with the gate service, move several tons of food and beverages for more than 3.5 million guests, including:

• 201,199 liters of beer
• 65,088 kilos of scrambled eggs
• 41,699 kilos of sausages
• 40,979 kilos of potato salad
• 19,295 kilos of Leberkäs (specialty German meat product)

That’s quite a lot food and beverage when you consider that it is just for our lounge service! What do you think?

Best regards,
Isabelle

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