Review of Turkish Airlines flight from Istanbul to Hong Kong in Business

Hi and welcome to this flight which is a highlight of my RTW. Below is a summary of my schedule:
SFO-LHR on UA Y - http://flight-report.com/en/report-12219.html
LHR-LIS on TP Y - http://flight-report.com/en/report-12240.html
LIS-MAD on IB J - http://flight-report.com/en/report-12281.html
MAD-LHR on IB J - http://flight-report.com/en/report-12318.html
LHR-HEL on AY J - http://flight-report.com/en/report-12341.html
HEL-CPH on AY J - http://flight-report.com/en/report-12412.html
CPH-IST on TK J - http://flight-report.com/en/report-12544.html
IST-HKG on TK J - you are here.
HKG-SFO on CX J - http://flight-report.com/en/report-12980.html
I have always wanted to take a long haul trip with TK in J and this wish was finally accomplished through this segment. The ticket was booked back in March as a one way from CPH-HKG for USD 1,200 or EUR 1.090 in J - a very reasonable fare. Then in July, I received a schedule change advising me that the flight will now depart 30 min. later. (Originally it was supposed to leave IST at 00:50 and arrive HKG at 16:40). Now I would leave at 01:20 and arrive at 17:15, so not too bad of a change. My biggest disappointment was the substitution of equipment from CPH-IST. I looked forward to flying on the A330 but this was changed to an A321.
TK CIP Lounge.
Upon arrival into IST, I followed the signs for connections and breezed through security. My next stop was the TK CIP lounge which in my opinion is one of the best business class lounges (if not the best) in the world. It is a pleasure to return to this oasis in the middle of this busy airport, although lately this refuge has become a bit more crowded as I have noticed during this visit. Also, there is a wait now for the food and once the dishes come out, they are gone within a few minutes and there are lines awaiting for the next batch, something that I have never experienced during my previous visits. Still, the lovely ambiance, great assortment of freshly made food and on demand masseurs make this lounge a step above the competition.
The size of this lounge is impressive - 6,000 square meters (approx. 64,583 square feet) that serves an average of 4,000 guests per day. It has 2 floors with 4 relaxation rooms with beds in each floor making for a total of 8 units. Unfortunately I couldn't use these rooms because my layover was almost 9 hrs. For some strange reason, TK requires you to have a 4-7 hrs layover and connecting to/from a long haul TK flight (8+ hrs) in order to qualify. An upset passenger was telling the receptionist that the longer your connection, the more reason to justify a room for the passenger. She just shrugged her shoulders and said that those are the rules and she couldn't do anything about it, even after consulting with a manager.
Entrance.

Interior.

Manti station.

Soup.

Salad bar.

First round dinner.

Kebab station.

Dessert station.

Second round dinner a bit later.

Turkish coffee.

Relaxing in the Tea Garden.

WC.

Before leaving the lounge I wanted to take a shower and inquired with the receptionist. She informed me that it was going to be a 1 hr. wait and luckily I had 2 hrs. before the dept. of my flight. She gave me a buzzer and I took a table next to the reception desk. Another passenger before me was told the same and he just left in frustration. I logged into my computer while I waited. Less than 1 hr later the buzzer went off and the receptionist escorted me to a vacant shower.
Shower.
Is the TK J lounge the only one that actually provides bathrobes in the showers? I have not seen any other airline lounge with that feature.

Afterwards I stopped by the front and tried to get a new boarding pass. I gave the agent my flight details and after typing in the computer she informed me that she couldn't find my reservation. I started to get worried and pulled out my boarding pass and showed her that I was checked already. She then realized that she was looking at the BKK flight and not the HKG one. Total incompetence on her part after I told her the flight number and destination clearly. Argh!!!
I left the lounge without a new boarding pass and browsed for a little bit. Then checked the flight information screens and noticed that all the Asian flights were delayed by one hour.

Rather than go back to the lounge, I decided to check out the Duty Free stores and souvenir shops around the terminal. IST is a very crowded airport that at times feel overwhelming and chaotic. Eventually I made my way to the gate and it was full of people. We were going to take a bus and as soon as the gate agent made an announcement for J passengers to board, it seemed that everybody stood up and lined up at the front.
I boarded the crowded bus and we were dropped off next to the plane.

A friendly welcome by a couple of FA's by the door and I made a left to my J cabin.

One of the two chefs onboard the flight.

There were three or four empty seats in the cabin and luckily I did not have a neighbor next to me in the middle row. I wanted to switch to a pair of empty seats in the bulkhead but someone took it right after the door closed.
My seat.

Nice screen size.

Pre-dept. drinks.

Distribution of reading materials and amenity kits.

Some better shots of the amenity kit taken at the hotel in HKG.

Doors were closed and we taxied to the runway for take off. When we leveled off, FA's started the meal service. I must say that even though this flight departed past midnight and most airlines would not have bothered with an elaborate meal service, TK still provided a full blown meal. The only difference between dinner and supper on TK is that the during the supper service the à la carte appetizer trolley with all the options displayed is omitted and a shortened pre-plated version is offered.
The meal service was conducted in a dimmed cabin, so the quality of some of the pictures is not the greatest. It was challenging to get a half way decent shot under these conditions.
Hot towel.

Menu.

The FA went around the cabin strapping a liner on the seats. I had to get up so that he could prepare my seat.

Cherry juice and amuse bouche.

This was followed by the dinner set up. Two FA's rolled down the cart and placed on each passenger's table a linen, candlelight, glass of water and condiments.

Appetizer cart with pre-plated selections and soup.

The main dish was delivered individually and I chose the stuffed eggplant. It reminded me of a dish called Imam Bayildi (which does not contain meat and is served cold). The stuffed eggplant was scrumptious with the tender cubes of lamb that accompanied the buttered rice brilliantly.

After my plate was taken, it was time for dessert and this was quite a delectable show with the choices neatly presented from the cart. You could choose whatever you wanted and I opted for a modest selection of Turkish semolina cake, chocolate mousse, custard and brioche with vanilla sauce. Just delicious!

My selection.

Some hot tea as the ending touch to this feast.

After the meal service most of the crew disappeared which is usual with TK. One crew member approached me later on when he saw me awake and asked if he could offer me anything. I flipped through the entertainment system and couldn't find anything that will keep my interest for a long time, so decided to take a quick nap. After a couple of hours I woke up and explored the WC. There was one at the front and two on each side of the galley. I went to the left side WC located by the galley.
Seat in sleep position.

WC.

There is no window, just a creative illusion.

I stretched my legs and went up to the FA in the front galley to ask for some souvenirs. She told me that she didn't have anything and then I stopped by the snack station. There were a few wrapped sandwiches and packages of dried fruits.
Snack station in the galley.

At one point the chef was assembling the breakfast service.

Hot towel and water offered before breakfast.

At the beginning of the flight there was a card allowing passengers to customize the breakfast options. I was encouraged to fill it out and it was picked up by a FA before the supper service started.
My breakfast.

Cheese gözleme or omelette. Of course I had the gözleme.

When we were getting ready to descend, I noticed that a paper bag that I brought onboard was starting to break, so I asked a FA for a big plastic one like the ones they use to collect the garbage. He was very apologetic and said that they did not have any. First the denial of any souvenirs and then this. TK crew can be abrupt sometimes but I attribute that more on culture and language that might be lost in translation. Inflight crew with this carrier can be a mixed bag at times. I have had fantastic experiences with some of them that went out of their way to please and at other times dealt with some that were not as proactive, but never a rude one like on other carriers.
Finally we descended into HKG and arrived at around 16:21.