17.233 Grilled Beef Tenderloin and Lobster Tail with Whole Grain Mustard Sauce

Cycle 17 – Item 233

Post 6,077

26 (Wed) August 2026

Grilled Beef Tenderloin and Lobster Tail with Whole Grain Mustard Sauce

(Served with Mashed Potatoes and Seasonal Vegetables)

2.5

by China Airlines

(CI 3)

-Somewhere over California, USA-

solo

Feathering the (Kid’s New) Nest: Day 8 of 9

- Day 1 (17.226 Premium Seafood Trio in Dried Scallop Sauce)
- Day 2 (17.227 Boston Lobster with Ginger & Scallions)
- Day 3 (17.228 Vodka Sicilian Pizza)
- Day 4 (17.229 Pizza with Chanterelle Mushrooms and Gremolata)
- Day 5 (17.230 Carne Asada Burrito)
- Day 6 (17.231 Jjamppong)
- Day 7 (17.232 Sushi Dinner)
- Day 8 (17.233 Grilled Beef Tenderloin and Lobster Tail with Whole Grain Mustard Sauce)
- Day 9 (17.234 Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup)

In transit, flying back to Seoul via Taipei. DJ, upon finishing his freshman year at Cal, has moved out of the dorms and rented an apartment. Though my parents didn’t (physically) help to furnish my first apartment (financially, yes), DJ seemed hopelessly lost on what needed to be done and utterly incapable of getting it done, so here I am. Always happy for an excuse to visit Berkeley – 3rd year in a row (see previously 16.228 Korean Beef Short Rib with Vegetables Wraps; 15.182 Top). Mission accomplished, for the most part.

MIDNIGHT SNACK

– China Airlines Business Lounge –

With my flight to Taipei scheduled to depart at 01:00, I arrived at SFO a bit past 22:00 and headed straight for the lounge.

More spartan than the Golden Gate Lounge (see for comparison 16.228 Korean Beef Short Rib with Vegetables Wraps)…

… but slightly better food options (to be fair, this was dinner vs breakfast) …

Michelob Ultra (2.5): light American beers remind me of Korean beers.

After a final glug of vodka, I went to the gate and boarded at 00:30.

And that’s when the wheels began to fall off (perhaps literally).

The plane sat idle for over an hour, due to some sort of maintenance issue. Suddenly, the captain announced that everyone had to get off so they could shut off all the power on the plane and fix the problem.

By this time, it was 02:00, and everything in the terminal was closed, so passengers weren’t allowed to go anywhere, just sit by the gate. Business class, coach, we were all in the same boat.

3 hours later, just before 05:00, everyone was allowed back on the plane, which took off shortly thereafter.

Time elapsed: 1 hr (transit, Berkeley to SFO) + 2.5 hrs (lounge) + 4.5 hrs (delay) = 8 hrs

DINNER?

Time stamp: 05:08 (SFO) / 20:08 (TPE) / 21:08 (ICN)

So sorta dinner on the Taiwan/Korea clock.

Fresh Salad with Vinaigrette (1.5) + Smoked Salmon and Crab Roll (2.0) + Cranberry Multigrain Bread (1.0): so tired that I wasn’t really paying attention.

Piccini Collezione Oro Chianti Riserva (2018) (2.0)

They shoulda plated the lobster with the red side facing up.

Château Laroque Saint-Emilion Grand Cru (2017) (3.0)

While the surf & turf was the least interesting choice – though I can’t recall previously encountering “lobster” on a plane (it actually wasn’t, more like a langoustine) – other options included Yuzu-Glazed Chicken and Pork Frittata, Pan-Seared Miso Black Cod – I wasn’t in the mood to explore.

MIDNIGHT SNACK?

Time stamp: 10:48 (SFO) / 01:48 (TPE) / 02:48 (ICN)