I flew over 22 hours in business class with Turkish Airlines. The food and airport lounge were unreal.

The hotel I stayed at in the Maldives had a representative at the Velana International Airport who helped me walk through security.

This was a huge bonus, and even better, business-class passengers had their own line for security.

The check-in and customs process went quickly for me, though I passed economy travelers waiting in a long check-in line.

The Turkish Airlines lounge in the Maldives had plenty of items available for breakfast, from pastries to sandwiches.

I didn't eat anything because I knew Turkish Airlines would have delicious food on the flight, and I always overeat when flying business class.

This leg of the flight was on an older Boeing 777-300, with seats in a two-three-two configuration.

Turkish Airlines partnered with luxury fashion house Ferragamo for its business-class toiletry bag filled with products like recycled plastic earplugs, an eye mask, Ferragamo toiletries, and a wheat-straw toothbrush.

I also received comfy socks and slippers. During the flight, many passengers, including me, removed their shoes and put on the provided slippers.

After settling into my seat, a flight attendant came by with a selection of juices and lemonade.

I enjoyed the set appetizer plate I got that featured local delicacies like smoked beef, cheeses, olives, fruit salad, a raspberry smoothie bowl, homemade apricot jam, and butter.

The main course was the homemade Turkish-style börek, a layered pastry with spinach and potato. It was nicely flaked and savory with creamy potato.

So far, the flight has been eight hours and 15 minutes. I went to sleep right after my meal.

This time, I got a selection of Turkish meze. For my main, I chose the grilled-chicken brochettes with bulgur, tomato, and peppers. The chicken was smoky and tender.

For dessert, I had a mascarpone and passion-fruit tart.

I had the option of leaving the airport and staying at a hotel provided by Turkish Airlines. Instead, I headed to the private Turkish Airlines airport lounge.

This Turkish Airlines business-class lounge is often listed as one of the world's best airline lounges, and it was easy for me to see why.

It's a sprawling space measuring 60,000 square feet with ample seating, eateries with chefs, resting rooms with beds, and even shower facilities.

To get in and out of the lounge, I just scanned my boarding pass.

This eliminated the annoying wait I sometimes encounter at check-in counters when there's a rush of customers at airport lounges.

The area for baggage storage was eye-catching, stylish, and smart.

The transparent storage containers seemed to make it even easier to find your bag if you forget your locker number.

The lounge bathrooms were large, with tons of hand-washing stations. They were never crowded, and I rarely saw anyone inside other than an attendant.

Well-lit vanity areas with seating were also nice additions to the bathrooms. They seemed like a good place to reapply makeup or fix hair.

Showers are available on a first-come, first-served basis in the lounge.

I didn't wait in line when I showered at about 5:30 a.m. It was refreshing to shower in the airport after a long day of traveling.

The wildest part of the layover was the food: I'd never seen anything like it at an airport lounge.

I passed at least five live cooking stations in the lounge, many of which featured Turkish specialties. I even saw someone making pastries from scratch.

The lounge had various coffee drinks available to order and an impressive selection of Turkish teas. I recommend trying the Turkish coffee, of course.

I ate constantly (probably every 30 minutes I was awake) during my layover just because there was an overflowing abundance of food.

The salad bar was well-stocked and I especially enjoyed the stations serving traditional grilled meats. The Turkish beef patty I ate was perfectly cooked, and I got it hot off the grill.

After eating, I found a reclined lounge chair and napped through the night.

I was excited to board my flight's longer, 13-hour leg on the newer Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner.

I had my own plush, private window seat, and no one was seated next to me as I headed from Istanbul to Los Angeles.

I boarded at 7 a.m., and breakfast service started shortly after takeoff.

I'm not usually a huge fan of yogurt, but it was gorgeously displayed on my plate I ate every bite. For my main entrée, I selected the eggs Benedict, which were OK, but the eggs seemed overcooked

The best part of business class is undoubtedly the lie-flat seats that can be customized to any incline.

For turn-down service, a flight attendant added a mattress pad and a velvety blanket to my seat.

Turkish Airlines really stands out for its food offerings, in my opinion.

I really enjoyed selecting appetizers from a meal cart of options. On this flight, I chose the Caesar salad, shrimp salad, roasted eggplant, and cauliflower soup. I especially enjoyed the savory soup.

For my main entrée, I ordered a pasta dish with shrimp, which was heavily cheesed to my liking.

I loved the flight, especially the last leg with the plush seats. The meals I ate throughout my travel journey were impressive, and I can see why the airline has been nominated for multiple food awards.

I would fly with Turkish Airlines again and revisit its Istanbul lounge just to eat.