Airline Food

[thaigerd]

Many of us are flying in or out Thailand with different airlines.

Tell us about your experience please!

Gerd

[sceadugenga]

I had some nice beef jerky on Geruda once. It was made in Australia though.

Because my flights usually go through Singapore and I like the Pizza in the airport there I seldom eat on the plane for the final 6 hour leg to Australia.

This year I flew Qantas to Sydney and was quite impressed with the continental breakfast.

[Farma]

I find most of the airline meals average and usually only eat on flights to stave off hunger pangs.

One meal that stood out was on a Thai Airways flight to Melbourne and I think it had more to do with presentation than the quality of the food. It was a beef panang . Condiments in little decorated bags and a couple of other things just made the meal stand out.

The worst ever was on Saudi Airlines out of Jeddah during gulf war 1. Slices of spam complete with imprints of the tin it came from and fried eggs that looked felt and tasted more rubberized than the rubber imitation fried eggs sold in joke shops.

[Johan78]

Usually never have a problem with airline food but have never had anything that's made me go wow either. Not picky with food but just could not eat the the stuff they served on Aerosvit the first and last time I flew with them.

[IMA_FARANG]

Best food experience on an airline:

Quite a few years ago (about 1980, or so), I took an JAL flight from Bangkok through Tokyo to Los Angeles. The plane was overbooked, I think two flights were combined into one, and I was upgraded into FIRST CLASS from economy. Absolutely great meal with smoked Salmon. Food served by a chef on the airplane, prepared to your taste. I've never been that lucky with an upgrade again.

Worst food on an airline:

Had a business class flight on Gulf Air from Athens to Bangkok with stopover in Bahrain. Meal was labeled as a "Mediterranen Fusion" cusine (whatever that is supposed to be). Main course consisted of some kind of unidentified crackers (biscuts for you Brits) with a Tomato sauce, Olives, Mushrooms, Red Beans on a bed of wilted lettuce, and some kind of rancid tasting oil poured all over it. The thing actually smelled rancid. Totally impossible to eat. To be fair to Gulf Air, that was on the Athens to Bahrain leg. The Bahrain to Bangkok leg was better, though not great.

Avoid anything that is advertised as a "fusion cusine".

[dantilley]

Airline food, by and large, is poor. Why the need to try and re-create a "proper" meal with different courses and dishes, why not just give everyone a 500 gram, ready-meal-style lasagne, curry, cottage pie, etc? The attempt at creating a many-dished meal is always rank and bears no resemblance to the food it's trying to immitate, it just seems plastic and fake. Or why not just stick in a load of bagguettes, quishes, sandwiches or any other simple but tasty and easy food?

Anyway, for what it's worth, the best food I've had on a plane was on Sri Lankan Airlines, and by far the worst was on Royal Nepal Airlines - barely eddible.

[BigSnake]

to say none, unless you count some good coffee on Northwest Airline several years ago otherwise

[QED]

I am not a fan of airline food generally, but I flew BKK - KL recently on Air Asia and (paid for) a roti chennai - absolutety stunning. This became my breakfast lunch and dinner in KL hence the 5 kilos I put on in 6 weeks, but sadly (or fortunately?) I can't find them here and have dropped it already.

Roti chennai in Pattaya anyone?

[bkkjames]

Sorry if I make a stink of this, but was wondering if anyone else gets gassy from airline food? is it just the pressure at 35000 feet? and I notice that aroma is unique similar each time I fly, regardless of airline.

[popshirt]

I fly frequently from Bangkok-Los Angeles-Bangkok on EVA Air. The best solution for the meal problem in my case is to order "Chinese vegetarian" in advance. I find most of what is pesented at least palatable although some food items look a bit strange. I used to order Indian vegetarian but I grew tired of the curry taste for three meals in a row, even though I like curry.

[bkk_mike]

Worst food - easy.

British Airlines in economy - I once had the "chicken", that I will swear was made with a rubber chicken rather than with something that was ever alive.

Best food - in economy - was actually Thai Airways long-haul on the queen's birthday where they did a special mussiman curry one time. And yes, people were actually raving about it as being better than curry in a restaurant after they landed. Even Thai's regular curry in economy is prettu good though.

Best food though has to have been the Sevruga caviar in First on Thai. (I paid economy, using my free upgrade to business voucher when I qualified for my gold card, then got upgraded to First (for free again) at the gate.) However this dated back to when Thai's first class seats didn't even compare favourably to other airlne's business class seats, but the food was excellent.

[thaigerd]

Worst food - easy.

British Airlines in economy - I once had the "chicken", that I will swear was made with a rubber chicken rather than with something that was ever alive.

Best food - in economy - was actually Thai Airways long-haul on the queen's birthday where they did a special mussiman curry one time. And yes, people were actually raving about it as being better than curry in a restaurant after they landed. Even Thai's regular curry in economy is prettu good though.

Best food though has to have been the Sevruga caviar in First on Thai. (I paid economy, using my free upgrade to business voucher when I qualified for my gold card, then got upgraded to First (for free again) at the gate.) However this dated back to when Thai's first class seats didn't even compare favourably to other airlne's business class seats, but the food was excellent.

Yes, TG has got many international rewards for their massaman dishes.

Gerd

[yogi]

i am vegeatrian,so i am never happy with the airline meal,i always eat somthing at airport before flying

[Samuian]

Just been on a round-trip to Germany with Qatar again and with Etihad to London, last November, must say the meals are good, considering what it takes to prepare a meal, or several meals for an air-plane trip!

The best so far was the "Beef Rendang" with Qatar on the trip back from Doha to Bangkok, aromatic, flavorsome!

Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli was good too!

Personally i would like to see more Salad and fruit in the menu as a choice!

The worst meal I had with Aeroflot in the Seventies... grey chicken, with 2 slices of grey bread... just the looks of it, put me off!

[thaigerd]

Just been on a round-trip to Germany with Qatar again and with Etihad to London, last November, must say the meals are good, considering what it takes to prepare a meal, or several meals for an air-plane trip!

The best so far was the "Beef Rendang" with Qatar on the trip back from Doha to Bangkok, aromatic, flavorsome!

Spinach and Ricotta Ravioli was good too!

Personally i would like to see more Salad and fruit in the menu as a choice!

The worst meal I had with Aeroflot in the Seventies... grey chicken, with 2 slices of grey bread... just the looks of it, put me off!

...we must have been on the same plane!

Will never forget my first(and last) Aeroflot flight, also in the seventies.

Gerd

[thaigerd]

i am vegeatrian,so i am never happy with the airline meal,i always eat somthing at airport before flying

As a vegetarian you can always book your veggie meal in advance, all airlines.

Gerd

[Old Croc]

Worst food - easy.

British Airlines in economy - I once had the "chicken", that I will swear was made with a rubber chicken rather than with something that was ever alive.

Best food - in economy - was actually Thai Airways long-haul on the queen's birthday where they did a special mussiman curry one time. And yes, people were actually raving about it as being better than curry in a restaurant after they landed. Even Thai's regular curry in economy is prettu good though.

Best food though has to have been the Sevruga caviar in First on Thai. (I paid economy, using my free upgrade to business voucher when I qualified for my gold card, then got upgraded to First (for free again) at the gate.) However this dated back to when Thai's first class seats didn't even compare favourably to other airlne's business class seats, but the food was excellent.

Yes, TG has got many international rewards for their massaman dishes.

Gerd

They must have had a pretty good chef in charge Gerd!

Just noticed you've turned red mate, congratulations on your new status.

[bkkjames]

Worst food - easy.

British Airlines in economy - I once had the "chicken", that I will swear was made with a rubber chicken rather than with something that was ever alive.

Best food - in economy - was actually Thai Airways long-haul on the queen's birthday where they did a special mussiman curry one time. And yes, people were actually raving about it as being better than curry in a restaurant after they landed. Even Thai's regular curry in economy is prettu good though.

Best food though has to have been the Sevruga caviar in First on Thai. (I paid economy, using my free upgrade to business voucher when I qualified for my gold card, then got upgraded to First (for free again) at the gate.) However this dated back to when Thai's first class seats didn't even compare favourably to other airlne's business class seats, but the food was excellent.

Yes, TG has got many international rewards for their massaman dishes.

Gerd

They must have had a pretty good chef in charge Gerd!

Just noticed you've turned red mate, congratulations on your new status.

yes, but he only moderates the food forum

[fallingoffthemap]

i am vegeatrian,so i am never happy with the airline meal,i always eat somthing at airport before flying

I always pre-order the vegetarian meal. Most of the time, its way better than what other people are eating, and you get served first.

[thaigerd]

i am vegeatrian,so i am never happy with the airline meal,i always eat somthing at airport before flying

I always pre-order the vegetarian meal. Most of the time, its way better than what other people are eating, and you get served first.

That's what I've tried to explain before:

Pre-order your special vegetarian dish and you'll get a dish what is cooked only for you according to your preference.

Every airline has special vegetarian dishes, a lot of choices.

Gerd

[yogi]

i am vegeatrian,so i am never happy with the airline meal,i always eat somthing at airport before flying

As a vegetarian you can always book your veggie meal in advance, all airlines.

Gerd

yes that i know,but food is not testy,

[bkkjames]

i am vegeatrian,so i am never happy with the airline meal,i always eat somthing at airport before flying

I always pre-order the vegetarian meal. Most of the time, its way better than what other people are eating, and you get served first.

That's what I've tried to explain before:

Pre-order your special vegetarian dish and you'll get a dish what is cooked only for you according to your preference.

Every airline has special vegetarian dishes, a lot of choices.

Gerd

and if you order a special meal, you are guaranteed to get it before the rest of the non special meals. but be careful, i once made the mistake on the emirates website ffp to request a meal (asian I think) but mistaken it / I clicked on the 'bland' option.

It took me 8 months and 14 bland meals to get it changed!

[Soi Sauce]

How about this? For images, try google worlds best complaint letter. LOL and more.

TrREF: Mumbai to Heathrow 7th December 2008

I love the Virgin brand, I really do which is why I continue to use it despite a series of unfortunate incidents over the last few years. This latest incident takes the biscuit.

Ironically, by the end of the flight I would have gladly paid over a thousand rupees for a single biscuit following the culinary journey of hel_l I was subjected to at thehands of your corporation.

Look at this Richard. Just look at it: [see image 1, above].

I imagine the same questions are racing through your brilliant mind as were racing through mine on that fateful day. What is this? Why have I been given it? What have I done to deserve this? And, which one is the starter, which one is the desert?

You don’t get to a position like yours Richard with anything less than a generous sprinkling of observational power so I KNOW you will have spotted the tomato next to the two yellow shafts of sponge on the left. Yes, it’s next to the sponge shaft without the green paste. That’s got to be the clue hasn’t it. No sane person would serve a desert with a tomato would they. Well answer me this Richard, what sort of animal would serve a desert with peas in: [see image 2, above].

I know it looks like a baaji but it’s in custard Richard, custard. It must be the pudding. Well you’ll be fascinated to hear that it wasn't custard. It was a sour gel with a clear oil on top. It’s only redeeming feature was that it managed to be so alien to my palette that it took away the taste of the curry emanating from our miscellaneous central cuboid of beige matter. Perhaps the meal on the left might be the desert after all.

Anyway, this is all irrelevant at the moment. I was raised strictly but neatly by my parents and if they knew I had started desert before the main course, a sponge shaft would be the least of my worries. So lets peel back the tin-foil on the main dish and see what’s on offer.

I’ll try and explain how this felt. Imagine being a twelve year old boy Richard. Now imagine it’s Christmas morning and you’re sat their with your final present to open. It’s a big one, and you know what it is. It’s that Goodmans stereo you picked out the catalogue and wrote to Santa about.

Only you open the present and it’s not in there. It’s your hamster Richard. It’s your hamster in the box and it’s not breathing. That’s how I felt when I peeled back the foil and saw this: [see image 3, above].

Now I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking it’s more of that Baaji custard. I admit I thought the same too, but no. It’s mustard Richard. MUSTARD. More mustard than any man could consume in a month. On the left we have a piece of broccoli and some peppers in a brown glue-like oil and on the right the chef had prepared some mashed potato. The potato masher had obviously broken and so it was decided the next best thing would be to pass the potatoes through the digestive tract of a bird.

Once it was regurgitated it was clearly then blended and mixed with a bit of mustard. Everybody likes a bit of mustard Richard.

By now I was actually starting to feel a little hypoglycaemic. I needed a sugar hit. Luckily there was a small cookie provided. It had caught my eye earlier due to it’s baffling presentation: [see image 4, above].

It appears to be in an evidence bag from the scene of a crime. A CRIME AGAINST BLOODY COOKING. Either that or some sort of back-street underground cookie, purchased off a gun-toting maniac high on his own supply of yeast. You certainly wouldn’t want to be caught carrying one of these through customs. Imagine biting into a piece of brass Richard. That would be softer on the teeth than the specimen above.

I was exhausted. All I wanted to do was relax but obviously I had to sit with that mess in front of me for half an hour. I swear the sponge shafts moved at one point.

Once cleared, I decided to relax with a bit of your world-famous onboard entertainment. I switched it on: [see image 5, above].

I apologise for the quality of the photo, it’s just it was incredibly hard to capture Boris Johnson’s face through the flickering white lines running up and down the screen. Perhaps it would be better on another channel: [see image 6, above].

Is that Ray Liotta? A question I found myself asking over and over again throughout the gruelling half-hour I attempted to watch the film like this. After that I switched off. I’d had enough. I was the hungriest I’d been in my adult life and I had a splitting headache from squinting at a crackling screen.

My only option was to simply stare at the seat in front and wait for either food, or sleep. Neither came for an incredibly long time. But when it did it surpassed my wildest expectations: [see image 7, above].

Yes! It’s another crime-scene cookie. Only this time you dunk it in the white stuff.

Richard…. What is that white stuff? It looked like it was going to be yoghurt. It finally dawned on me what it was after staring at it. It was a mixture between the Baaji custard and the Mustard sauce. It reminded me of my first week at university. I had overheard that you could make a drink by mixing vodka and refreshers. I lied to my new friends and told them I’d done it loads of times. When I attempted to make the drink in a big bowl it formed a cheese Richard, a cheese. That cheese looked a lot like your baaji-mustard.

So that was that Richard. I didn’t eat a bloody thing. My only question is: How can you live like this? I can’t imagine what dinner round your house is like, it must be like something out of a nature documentary.

As I said at the start I love your brand, I really do. It’s just a shame such a simple thing could bring it crashing to it’s knees and begging for sustenance.

Yours Sincererly

XXXX

Paul Charles, Virgin’s Director of Corporate Communications, confirmed that Sir Richard Branson had telephoned the author of the letter and had thanked him for his “constructive if tongue-in-cheek” email. Mr Charles said that Virgin was sorry the passenger had not liked the in-flight meals which he said was “award-winning food which is very popular on our Indian routes.”

y this. For the images, go to google. "World's best complaint letter" Lol

Edited May 6, 2009 by Soi Sauce

[jkinbkk]

I travel frequently and usually with Thai International, therefore many will know that the in-flight tucker with TG is rank.

I however, took a flight recently from Shanghai to Seoul with Asiana (the Korean Airline). The flight time was only a couple of hours so I did not consider taking the in-flight stodge and thought to get a few Z's instead.

However, at the last moment and with some persuading from the hostess I took the tray.

I have to say, it's the best in-flight meal I have had ...ever!.

Even the most lavish Business class meals I have occasionally had did not come up to this standard.

Maybe I was lucky as its my first flight with Asiana, but I was so impressed that I now try fly with these guys whenever I can.

[steve w]

i actually kinda like most airline food with the best economy food served up by emirates and etihad IMHO.

they can never quite get breakfast right though ,most times you get scrambled egg or an omlete the taste and consistency of wet kitchen paper towels.

[doubleduh]

Best that I can remember: Thai on a flight to Vientiane, had 'pad krapauw moo kai dao', tasted like the real thing.

Worst: Flying CSA to Skopje, when booking didn't realize they had become a low-service airline (definitely not low cost!). Couldn't get a free Coke, only water and apple juice (which is probably more expensive, didn't see the logic).

[sagaris]

jetstar airlines LHR to BKK. Great curries. The Nasi Lemak on air asia to stansted recently was good. Pre order online. Yopu get two meals for one.

[gennisis]

Many of us are flying in or out Thailand with different airlines.

Tell us about your experience please!

Gerd

KLM.....Buisness class.....but there is a long story attached.

Flying from Accra to Amsterdam......tourist class....but had a gold flyer card.

Find my seat...Oh!...a large African gentleman was enthroned in it. Suggested he had the wrong seat...saw his ticket...same seat as mine.

Called an attendent,explained the situation and asked who was to sit on the others lap....please wait a moment SIR.

He came back and requested me to follow him...thought it was out the door,but no,into buisness class and a window seat at that.

'A glass of champagne sir?....thank you!

Another glass of champagne sir?....thank you.

In the meanwhile the adjacent aisle seat was taken by a religious African pastor,and it was obvious that Alcohol was not going to be on his meal ticket. When asked if Champagne was for him,the attendant was told quite firmly that alcohol in any form was poison and he would have none of it.

The attendant looked at me,smiled and winked.

Along came the menu,choices of 3 for starters,main course and dessert

Smoked salmon and shrimp salad for me...quite excellent and fresh and even better with the very cold glass of Chablis,or was it 2?

Roast beef and veg for the main course,tender and tasty washed down with a couple of well filled glasses of a Chilean Red wine.

My african fellow traveler indulged with a couple of glass's of water.

Cant remember the dessert but very enjoyable.

'Some cheese Sir"?....a very large slice of very creamy Brie and "of course a glass of Port?"...thank you.

Each glass was served with a knowing smile and glance at the occupant next to me.

The meal was ended with a very very large glass of Drambuie.

Yes...that has to be my finest airline meal....pity I cant afford to fly buisness more often.

[dale8]

Hello, I have many more stomach problems with all the airline food so I have to use Imodium as a rule. I am not a person with problems at most restaurants so I blame the airlines, and I live with the fact that the airline food is better than nothing when given the proper medication. It does not matter if I get the vegan meal or the low fat meal, but maybe it has to do with the cold food that should be hot or was hot the day before it went on the airplane.

[jazzbo]

There seemed to be always good food in economy class on the (now discontinued) TG 18 hour non-stop BKK to JFK New York City. I flew RT 4 times. I don't remember any meal specifics but they were always good, maybe because, if they had a disgruntled passenger, they were stuck with him/her for a long time.