Dining in the Air (1)

This posting is nothing but for fun.. There was time when I preferred to skip the airline meal. As many of them is just “eat-able”... If I am really hungry, I prefer to eat in the airport as the taste is more to reality.  

Anyway, I have been doing this fun observation based on the airlines that I had taken in the two years. Some other airlines that I had taken are either too short (for food serving) or no food is served anyway... 

Even though the passenger sitting next to me gave his strange look every time I took pics of my food, the show must go on... Let’s start with Garuda Indonesia, the national carrier of Indonesia. The country of where I was born.
 

Garuda Indonesia (GA)

GA, is among the two airlines I know, distributes a list of menu to all economy class passengers during international flights (at least for Jakarta – Hong Kong route). Other international airlines do it verbally; “Good morning Sir/Ma’am, would you like to have Beef with Rice or Chicken Noodle?”  

During my flight between Hong Kong to Jakarta, the choices were between the Beef Rendang (Indonesian beef curry) and Sweet & Sour Dory Fish for main course. Ehem… prior to lunch, juices and peanuts as snack were distributed.  

About the meal, it was a regular lunch tray of beef rendang with steamed rice and green veggie, beef salad as side dish, and bread and butter. As for dessert; vanilla panna cotta and one chocolate bar biscuit.  

GA (Denpasar - Jakarta)

Good karma happens to good people. One day, I was upgraded to business class from Denpasar to Jakarta and I enjoyed beef pasta, bread, fruit and Haagen Dazs ice cream.
 

China Southern Airlines

Somewhere in between Ho Chi Minh City and Guangzhou, my choice went to Beef Noodle instead of Pork with Rice.



China Southern Air (Saigon - Guangzhou)

Thanks to the way it is served “warm”, the food was okay. They were soft noodle, beef with dark sauce (it could be soya sauce), and steamed veggie. The side dishes were bun and butter, Vietnamese salad, and sweet dessert.  

Most of the time, the bun is served cold. I like to put it on top of the warm main course to warm it up. Microwave ala kadarnya!

The sweet dessert was not sweet or tasteless. This Vietnamese dessert is similar to Thai; sago pearl dessert with chickpeas and coconut milk.

 

 

Air China

It was between Beijing to Shanghai, I chose a package of Seafood with Rice instead of Beef with Rice. 

The most interesting part is the liquid yogurt-oat-yellow peach. Stab the straw and enjoy the tasty peach yogurt until I tasted the oat, slurppp...  



Air China

The seafood was served warm, it was a mixed of shrimp, fish, squid, crab stick (surimi), veggie in sweet and sour sauce. The salad was fresh celery with peanut. The bun is served with no butter.  

The plastic transparent cutlery is specially designed with airlines logo. Some airlines use regular plastic spoon as if it is purchased from any supermarket. The food tray is made from melamine. The wet tissue smells soft.

 

 

Air France

It was a long haul flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Paris. Supper was served around midnite local time (Saigon time) as soon as passenger boarded.  

Between two choices of Chicken and John Dory fish, I chose the chicken as its name looks delicious already, burgundy wine? Chicken was served with steamed baby potato and veggies – it was tender. Burgundy sauce is a bit sweet but tasty. What I like the most is it was served hot. It was really hot so I had to wait to eat it. Which is good, I could put the cold baguette on top of the aluminum foil cover to warm it up. 

AF Supper (Saigon - Paris)

As to test my French ability, I also mentioned to the steward that I would like some wine with the chicken: le vin rouge, eerggghh... Pardon, le vin blanc s'il vous plait. Having wine in the plane has two silly reasons; it helps me to sleep, I found the packaging of in-flight small wine bottles is cute. 

Walnut chocolate cake and three slices of fruits for dessert were fine.

 

AF breakfast (Saigon - Paris)

 

Well, in a long haul flight of 12 hours, breakfast is also served. However, the timing is actually the most convenient time to continue sleeping – anyway I woke up when we were approaching Charles de Gaulle airport in Paris.  

A few slices of beef and pork, sliced cheese and pickles, cold buns, pastry with pineapple jam, yogurt, orange juice and of course tea or coffee. 

Charles de Gaulle is huge! I was so nervous to find the right gate for my connecting flight to Nice in an hour transit...

In a short flight between Paris to Nice (Air France), we were served with a very simple French breakfast; tea/coffee with croissant. Simple and chic. The tea bag is customized to fit the paper cup, it looks cute, I had never seen this packaging before. 

…. Bonjour la Cote d'Azur!

 

 

 

Next posting: more airlines food…