What chefs eat before an early morning flight

Unless you're flying through a food-obsessed hub such as Tokyo or Paris, the chances are that the airport food sucks - on and off the plane. Sydney's airport has sunk plenty of money in the international offering of late, drawing big names like Shannon Bennett, Mike McEnearney and Wolfgang Puck to lift the standard before you jump on a long haul flight.

But if you're flying domestic in Australia, it's much tougher. We asked a few frequent flyer chefs how they deal with early starts at different state ports.

Cab via a coffee shop: Alejandro Saravia, executive chef, Pastuso, Melbourne

Coffee at Melbourne airport is a non-option for most of the chefs we spoke to.

"If I get a cab, I make them go via the coffee shop," Saravia said. "Either from Rustica Bakery in Fitzory North, or from St Ali's sensory lab on Collins St. If I don't have a good coffee to start my day, it's not good. I need that fix, properly. "

Once inside the airport, it's a sustaining juice or smoothie from Boost Juice, and nothing else until Pastuso is back on solid ground again.

"The juice takes me through my flight, but if it's a long one, I snack on the fruit with the meal, but I try not to eat anything else. Eating meals is an important thing, but being squished up on the plane, and having to manoeuvre the small tray - it's uncomfortable, I don't enjoy it, and the food tastes reheated."

In the airport at Lima, Peru, Saravia will snack on roasted chicken with salad from national Peruvian chain Pardos chicken, and in New York, the burgers and sushi are good enough to sway him from his light-meals only stance.

"When you fly for 20 hours, I don't feel like a stew or a curry or something like that - they should change their philosophy on meals for something lighter and fresher."

​Stay hydrated and distracted: Caitlyn Rees, head sommelier, Fred's, Sydney

Rees is generally en route to a wine tasting, and said that preserving her tastes buds is a priority when flying.

"When you're wine tasting, you almost want to stay fit, so you taste better, and if you're run down, it affects your tasting abilities," she said. "I generally just trying to stay really hydrated and sleep."

The anxious flyer also looks for ways to distract herself, with books and in-flight meals if it comes to it.

"I'm on my best behaviour and bargaining with the universe," she said. "I'm not the most health conscious person but when I'm at the airport, I switch from coffee to chamomile tea and a fruit salad with a lot of hydration. It makes me feel calmer and bit more in control."

​Pack instant noodles: Dani Zeini, Royal Stacks, Sydney and Melbourne

This burger boss' pre-flight routine varies drastically according to whether or not his four-year-old daughter and five-year-old son are in tow.

"For business, it doesn't matter what time of the day it is, I get a Moritz and patatas bravas from Movida, so you feel like you're already travelling," Zeini says.

"Morning flights are a coffee at home with a packed breakfast - I love a toasted Bega tasty cheese sandwich to eat in the taxi. I'd rather forgo coffee at the airport because I know I just won't drink it. It's two sips, then in the bin."

When the kids are in tow, it's packed snacks of Ritz biscuits, macadamia nuts and peanut butter sandwiches.

"Our other go-to is instant cup of noodles. You get them through customs, and if you just want a hot meal, it's got flavour, it's carby and satisfying, and no spillage, either," he says. "We've never had a problem asking for the hot water, either."

Load up on juice, avoid carbs: Mike McEnearney, No. 1 Bent St and Kitchen by Mike, Sydney

Mike McEnearney may have his Kitchen by Mike canteen in Sydney international terminal, but he knows the domestic terminals like the back of his hand, too.

"If I have a breakfast meeting, I go to Brasserie bread, and I'm often asked to Movida," McEnearney says. "My favourite place for coffee in terminal 2 is just past the elevators, with the big bank of La Marzocco machines.

"Food on the plane or before has never been a good experience. I'm usually running for domestic flights, so I plan a quick breakfast at home and then a coffee at the airport," he says. "I think Sydney is hands-down better than Melbourne."

If he doesn't have time for breakfast, a juice stands in for solids.

"Joe and The Juice is really good, I have something like a beetroot, ginger, celery and apple combination, so I get some nutrition and hydration, and I don't need anything stodgy like a crap panini with cheap ingredients."

For anything longer, it's BYO with "crudites and crackers, and hopefully I'm flying business class so I can have a glass of champagne to keep myself happy."