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Airline Food: The good, the bad and the ugly

David Ross

By David Ross
in Food Traditions & Culture

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blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

Posted
Posted
5 hours ago, heidih said:

I rarely fly. When I did the odd 5 day jaunt to Singapore on Cathay Pacific I admired the thoughtful food pesentation but what cracked me up completely was after the lights were dimmed you coud go and heat a Cup O' Noodles. I think many passengers found that the most comforting. 

 

When you're stuck in steerage, I've found the usual trans Pac mid-flight noodle service to be a breath of civility for those who can't sleep and the ready availability to make your own isn't bad either!

  • Like 2
KennethT

KennethT

Posted
Posted

I've found the food on all of the pan Pacific (or the other direction) flights I've taken to be pretty good in coach.  Granted, I've only taken 4 airlines - mostly EVA, whose food is never spectacular, but always at least tasty and for sure edible.  In addition to the dinner and breakfast, they come around with a snack in between - coming out of JFK, the snack is typically a fried chicken sandwich with spicy mustard, which has been heated... it's actually very tasty - I usually have more than 1.  They also have an area filled with other snacks and drinks to help yourself if you want to get up and stretch your legs, but the flight attendants come around with trays of water and juice pretty regularly.

 

Of all the flights I've taken, Singapore Airlines had the best food (this was about 12 years ago) - even in coach, and even when compared to a lucky upgrade at no extra charge to biz class on Air France from Paris to NY.  They had a lot of choices, and all of them seemed well prepared.  They also handed out Haagen Dazs ice cream after "dinner", which was stored in styrofoam boxes with dry ice.  Midway through the flight, they gave the extras away as part of the snack area in the back of the plane.

  • Like 4
  • 3 months later...
MetsFan5

MetsFan5

Posted
Posted

United first class from EWR to SFO. not a thing I’d eat.  Pork and fish and ricotta ravioli with beets? 

  I grabbed a burger at Wanderlust in the aiport and slept. 

 

 

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  • Like 4
  • Confused 2
blue_dolphin

blue_dolphin

Posted
Posted (edited)
5 hours ago, MetsFan5 said:

United first class from EWR to SFO. not a thing I’d eat.  Pork and fish and ricotta ravioli with beets? 

  I grabbed a burger at Wanderlust in the aiport and slept. 

 

What?  No warm nuts?  

I used to tell the FAs to just keep bringing me wine and nuts 🙃!

Edited by blue_dolphin (log)
  • Like 2
tonyrocks922

tonyrocks922

Posted
Posted (edited)

Reuben on a Delta regional jet. Was surprisingly tasty. Served with a pickle, chips, and some kind of cream filled sandwich cookie. Woodford on the rocks to drink. 

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Edited by tonyrocks922 (log)
  • Like 9
JoNorvelleWalker

JoNorvelleWalker

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, tonyrocks922 said:

Reuben on a Delta regional jet. Was surprisingly tasty. Served with a pickle, chips, and some kind of cream filled sandwich cookie. Woodford on the rocks to drink. 

20180511_194849.jpg

 

 

My favorite potato chips!

 

Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

Whatever you crave, there's a dumpling for you. -- Hsiao-Ching Chou

ElsieD

ElsieD

Posted
Posted
19 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

 

My favorite potato chips!

 

 

I agree.  I prefer popcorn to potato chips but those chips beat any other chip by miles.

  • Like 1
tonyrocks922

tonyrocks922

Posted
Posted

Today's flight is too short for meal service so dinner is a Chick-fil-A spicy chicken sandwich packed in from the terminal with a Woodford Reserve on the rocks. 

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  • Like 5
heidih

heidih

Posted
Posted

I won't dip into the while Chick Fil A poliics (I grew uo  the sampes all all the time at the mall) but love the glass shaoe. Glass or pastic?

BetD

BetD

Posted
Posted (edited)
On 3/25/2019 at 2:58 PM, tonyrocks922 said:

Reuben on a Delta regional jet. Was surprisingly tasty. Served with a pickle, chips, and some kind of cream filled sandwich cookie. Woodford on the rocks to drink. 

20180511_194849.jpg

 

 

Delta is my airline, but I have never seen as tasty looking a lunch as this. Mind you, I depend on them to upgrade me beyond snacks and “free drinks”, but still... this looks fairly yummy.

Edited by BetD (log)
  • Like 2

"There are no mistakes in bread baking, only more bread crumbs"

*Bernard Clayton, Jr.

tonyrocks922

tonyrocks922

Posted
Posted
On 3/27/2019 at 10:22 PM, heidih said:

I won't dip into the while Chick Fil A poliics (I grew uo  the sampes all all the time at the mall) but love the glass shaoe. Glass or pastic?

 

I think it was glass but after 2 beers in the terminal and a third pre-departure I can't say I was being that observant. 

  • Haha 3
  • 3 weeks later...
tonyrocks922

tonyrocks922

Posted
Posted

It was but it was a 250 ml can instead of a standard 330. Gone too soon. 

 

The food was better than it looked. The chicken was described as "BBQ sauce chicken" but tasted like some kind of American Chinese food. The salad was actually very good. Fresh lettuce, some marinated eggplant in there, and the vinegarete was very good. The little box had very good cheese and crackers in it. 

 

All in all one of the better economy meals I've had. Better than recent ones on Delta, Virgin, Lufthansa, and Finnair. 

 

The absolute best I ever had was in First Class on Virgin. I have pics somewhere but will need to dig them up. 

 

KennethT

KennethT

Posted
Posted

I'm looking forward to meals on Singapore Airlines coming up at the end of June...  And for the return trip, I can choose my meals in advance  - there are like 10 choices!  I chose the chicken-rice (when in Singapore and what not) and dim sum for breakfast...

tonyrocks922

tonyrocks922

Posted
Posted (edited)

I flew Singapore about two years ago and I'm struggling to remember the food but recall how comfortable the seat was for economy even though I was stuck in a middle seat for 13 hours. It was LHR-SIN after a sleepless red-eye on Virgin which was extremely uncomfortable despite having an empty seat next to me. After that the 19 inch wide seats on Singapore were a dream come true. 

Edited by tonyrocks922 (log)
  • Like 1
  • 2 weeks later...
gfweb

gfweb

Posted
Posted

evening flight to DFW so no full meal, just the antipasto tray. It was fine.

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DFW Centurion Club lunch

Salads not shown

Cli

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Dinner back to PHL

Bland but not overcooked (!) chicken breast.

Strawberry ice cream not shown

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  • Like 5
  • 1 month later...
suzilightning

suzilightning

Posted
Posted (edited)

Bon Appetit 5/19 has a page called Chefs on a Plane which shows the food Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo are now making for Delta Airlines Business suite flights.  Looks pretty good.

Just tried to paste the article but was unsuccessful....sorry.

 

Edited by suzilightning (log)
  • Like 1

Nothing is better than frying in lard.

Nothing.  Do not quote me on this.

 

Linda Ellerbee

Take Big Bites

gfweb

gfweb

Posted
Posted (edited)

 

USAirways (Rest their soul) had a George Perrier designed menu in First for a few years.  The in-the-plane execution was horrid, but t he promotional pictures looked fine.

Edited by gfweb (log)
  • Like 1
Margaret Pilgrim

Margaret Pilgrim

Posted
Posted

Not about the food but certainly related.    United had just merged with Continental.    West bound flight, Philly -> SF.    Upgraded to first.   Long time United flyers, we were somewhat taken aback by the rather unkempt cabin crew.    Meal was served.    Attendant tilted husband's plate, slopping sauce up and over the container.    Glancing at it, she quipped, "Eats the same."      er.... well, I guess.

  • Confused 2

eGullet member #80.

MetsFan5

MetsFan5

Posted
Posted (edited)

United from Montego Bay, Jamaica to EWR (I asked them to please omit the protein— rubber chicken): 

 

(I very grumpily slept through “breakfast” that was served from EWR to MBJ as our flight was delayed on ground for over three hours, the business class bathroom broke— yet the staff used it— and the only beverage offered while delayed was bottled water!) 

279408CF-5078-48C0-9F6B-70331395B70E.jpeg

Edited by MetsFan5 (log)
  • Sad 3
  • 4 weeks later...
KennethT

KennethT

Posted
Posted

Singapore Air NY to Singapore non-stop (about 17 hours)... 2 meals, a pizza bread, and various snacks/sandwiches in between...

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Pork panang curry

 

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Shrimp in tarragon cream with pretzel roll

 

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