Ordering Airplane Food: My Thought Process

Ordering Airplane Food: My Thought Process

65

It goes without saying that we all have different food preferences. When I write flight reviews, people often have a variety of comments about what I choose to order. In this post, I figured I’d share my general thought process when it comes to deciding what to order onboard flights for travel in premium cabins.

My food preferences & likes

First, for some context, let me share my general food preferences. When I was much younger, I was a vegetarian for nearly a decade. I loved animals (and still do), and I was grossed out by the concept of meat and how it’s produced. While I’m no longer a vegetarian, I’d consider myself to basically be a lazy pescatarian:

  • I primarily eat fish and veggies, as that’s what I like most; I maybe eat chicken once a week, and maybe have a steak once every couple of months
  • I don’t eat pork, not for religious reasons, but because I think pigs are super cute and smart, so I almost view them as being similar to dogs
  • For the rare instances where I eat meat, I try to have it in situations where it’s good quality; for example, I’ll almost never have a fast food burger, while I’m happy to have a filet every once in a while

How I approach ordering meals on airplanes

I think it’s important to consider the realities of airplane food. Food isn’t cooked on planes, but rather the food is prepared in a catering facility many hours before you actually consume it, and is then reheated in the galley. Therefore I think it’s worth almost thinking of airplane food as leftovers — if you go to a restaurant and bring food home, what’s going to reheat best, and taste best the next day? Because that’s the most realistic comparison to airplane food.

With that in mind, below are some considerations I have when ordering airplane food…

I go with the airline’s signature dish

For airlines known for having good quality food, I think it’s worth indulging in a carrier’s signature dish, or a dish the carrier is known for. For example, Singapore Airlines’ satay is delicious…

Singapore Airlines business class chicken satay

…as is Emirates’ Arabic mezze.

Emirates first-class Arabic mezze

You really can’t go wrong when selecting one of these options.

I select cold options & things that reheat well

There’s something to be said for ordering options that don’t require reheating, given that it might just be as good in the air as on the ground. Emirates’ unlimited first-class caviar service comes to mind as an example of that. 😉

Emirates first class caviar service

When it comes to dishes being reheated, I tend to think that soup, curry, and/or Asian vegetarian dishes reheat extremely well. For example, I love Indian food, and when I order takeout, it tastes every bit as good the next day as when it arrives. The same principle applies to planes, in my opinion.

Etihad business class Asian vegetarian meal

Main courses are usually underwhelming

Typically, airlines serve way more food in premium cabins than I can eat. So, if I have to prioritize what I’m going to eat, I tend to think that it’s often worth just avoiding the main courses. Caviar, appetizers, soup, salad, cheese, and dessert can all be done well on airplanes. Meanwhile, even on top airlines, main courses just typically aren’t much to get excited about.

Emirates first-class rockfish main course

When flying Lufthansa first class, a vast majority of the time, the best play is to have all the appetizer and dessert options and skip the main course.

Lufthansa first class caviar and appetizers

I shouldn’t eat fish on planes, but do

With everything I’ve said above, let me also acknowledge my hypocrisy and inconsistency. It’s challenging to serve a good fish dish on a plane, yet more often than not, that’s what I select as my main course in situations where I order one. Why? It just comes down to the fact that I generally avoid eating meat, and that often leaves the option between fish and pasta.

Between those two options, I’d rather have something that’s not super caloric, and that has a lot of protein (okay, ignore the slab of butter on the salmon below).

SWISS first class salmon main course

So yeah, my logic totally falls apart here, and I own that. Logically, based on my preferences, I should probably order more pasta dishes. But that’s often not terribly nutritious.

British Airways first-class ravioli meal

Domestically I go for the simple option

While I often indulge in tasty food and great wine when traveling internationally, I take a different approach on domestic flights. On domestic flights, the thing I value most about first class is having more personal space, so that I can comfortably work, without being in some contorted position.

I don’t drink these on flights, and my goal is to order the healthiest and/or closest to vegetarian dish. Unfortunately as a frequent flyer with American, this means I typically order the grains bowl. Yes, it’s kind of rabbit food, but it’s decent enough.

American first-class grain bowl

What’s my logic? Airline budgets for domestic first-class meals are ridiculously low, so if I’m going to eat a super unhealthy meal or have meat, it’s not going to be on a flight where I’m enjoying a $4 short rib and mac and cheese dish.

I essentially order whatever is most opposite from the burgers that US airlines have started serving in first class, which I just can’t wrap my head around. Burgers can’t be reheated well, and when you combine that with the low-quality meat they’re using, it’s just not up my alley.

United first class burger

Bottom line

Everyone takes a different approach to deciding what to order when traveling in first or business class. The above is a rundown of the approach I take when deciding what to order. Let me acknowledge that my logic is by no means 100% consistent, and this is purely based on my own preferences and approach to eating, which won’t be (and shouldn’t be) the same as those of others.

What’s your strategy when it comes to deciding what meal to order on flights?

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  1. Charlie Diamond

    I’m tired of people who claim to “love animals” but torture and kill them for dinner…
    If you love animals, go vegan

  2. BigTee Guest

    QR was so funny, the flight crew gave me both my pre-ordered low-fat-low-sodium snack and the salty-fatty standard snack. As an omnivore with limited self-restraint, I gobbled up both, and then walked back to the galley for extra juice!

  3. busterjde Guest

    @Lucky, as a vegetarian, I've noticed that special meal orders often will provide less food, and the food they do provide is typically less tasty (a lacto-ovo or Asian-vegetarian meal will be catered as a vegan meal, so no dessert or butter etc). Would you be able to do a piece on which business class / first class meals do the best at:

    A. Providing the best options when you don't order in advance
    ...

    @Lucky, as a vegetarian, I've noticed that special meal orders often will provide less food, and the food they do provide is typically less tasty (a lacto-ovo or Asian-vegetarian meal will be catered as a vegan meal, so no dessert or butter etc). Would you be able to do a piece on which business class / first class meals do the best at:

    A. Providing the best options when you don't order in advance
    B. Providing the best meal options when you do order in advance

    Right now it feels like being a vegetarian on some airlines means an automatic service downgrade because of how they cater.

  4. Albert Guest

    Completely agree about better to have food that is served without heating, or reheats well.
    Now, how do we get the airlines to focus on that aspect and drop the pseduo-restaurant mains by famous chefs?

    Sausages, pizza, boil-in-the-bag fish etc may not be posh, but better those done well than steak done badly.

    And a suggestion for FAs: if the premium cabin is nearly empty, please don't put all the rolls in the oven...

    Completely agree about better to have food that is served without heating, or reheats well.
    Now, how do we get the airlines to focus on that aspect and drop the pseduo-restaurant mains by famous chefs?

    Sausages, pizza, boil-in-the-bag fish etc may not be posh, but better those done well than steak done badly.

    And a suggestion for FAs: if the premium cabin is nearly empty, please don't put all the rolls in the oven first time, because second and third time round they will get tough. Personally I'm happy to choose my roll before it is warmed in order to have it fresh.

  5. MPS in Charlotte Diamond

    I recall reading an interview with a flight kitchen manager on CNN.com a few years ago. He said they had to put the most effort into catering for Middle Eastern and Asian carriers because of the variety of regions and cuisines encountered on their flights, plus the higher budgets offered meant they could offer more variety. In contrast, catering for American carriers was simple because (I’m paraphrasing), “Americans have spent two generations raised on fast...

    I recall reading an interview with a flight kitchen manager on CNN.com a few years ago. He said they had to put the most effort into catering for Middle Eastern and Asian carriers because of the variety of regions and cuisines encountered on their flights, plus the higher budgets offered meant they could offer more variety. In contrast, catering for American carriers was simple because (I’m paraphrasing), “Americans have spent two generations raised on fast food and TV dinners, so if you serve anything nicer than a Big Mac, they’re impressed.”

    1. UncleRonnie Diamond

      My brother emigrated to USA two decade ago and he reckons many Americans like what they know and "don't like to be surprised by their food ...."

  6. Love frozen food Guest

    I love this post because it shows you get that we're talking about reheated leftovers that might be served on real plates, instead of restaurant quality hot meals. Curries all the way.

    Gotta say though, a fattier cut of meat will reheat better than lean cuts. Beef short rib is common. Chicken thighs can go to hell and back.

  7. Eight arms good Guest

    Kind of an unnecessary aside: not only are pigs something I've stopped eating, but I've started avoiding octopus completely.
    First there was "My Octopus Teacher," which was interesting - in a Wild Kingdom sort of way.
    But then, the near fiction book, "The Mountain in the Sea" by Ray Nayler. An extraordinary extrapolation based on the things we do know about the nature of the octopus brain, its physiology, and our incomplete understanding...

    Kind of an unnecessary aside: not only are pigs something I've stopped eating, but I've started avoiding octopus completely.
    First there was "My Octopus Teacher," which was interesting - in a Wild Kingdom sort of way.
    But then, the near fiction book, "The Mountain in the Sea" by Ray Nayler. An extraordinary extrapolation based on the things we do know about the nature of the octopus brain, its physiology, and our incomplete understanding of sentience.
    We now return you to your regular program, which is already in progress.

    1. Matt Guest

      I grew up on a hobby farm, we always had two beef cattle in the field that would go to slaughter every fall; one was sold and that would pay to pack the other. Many people would ask if we named them, of course we did, we interacted with them daily and they knew us. They knew when it was time for hay. These people then scolded me for eating our pets... Though they weren't...

      I grew up on a hobby farm, we always had two beef cattle in the field that would go to slaughter every fall; one was sold and that would pay to pack the other. Many people would ask if we named them, of course we did, we interacted with them daily and they knew us. They knew when it was time for hay. These people then scolded me for eating our pets... Though they weren't pets. But we had incredible reverence for these animals and what they provided for us, that we had a year's worth of meat because of them. One day, as slaughter approached, I went looking for my dad. I rounded the hay barn and overheard him talking to his little friends, thanking them for filling the measure of their creation and for helping our family have food to eat. I was forever changed at that moment. And after that I noticed the same reverence for everything we worked on the farm. Alfalfa, sweet corn, our large garden, it was all appreciated, cared for, and respected. And because of that moment there's very little that I choose to not eat. My cow friends were just as kind and fun as any pet I've ever owned. And even though this is how I feel about it I'll never criticize anyone for choosing differently than me (though the thought of trophy hunting doesn't jive will with me). I only share because seeing my dad thanking the livestock changed me and maybe my experience can help others too

  8. David TR Guest

    I avoid seafood on planes at all costs. Too many bad experiences. I’ve had burgers on United and while not fantastic I’ve found them much better option than pasta. They’ve gotten slightly better. Slightly. I preorder women available. I think a lot of passengers may not preorder because they were upgraded late. If I don’t like the choices the F/A’s are unusually happy to offer a decent snack box or two from economy. I can be happy with that.

  9. Maryland Guest

    Airlines try. (Or the catering) . I stay with water, even internationally
    and add a protein food replacement, if needed. We all do whatever is best individually.

  10. Zach B Guest

    My main gripe with domestic first is that the food can often be "leftovers from the assisted living cafeteria" or "hospital food". Like something a person with dentures would eat. Tho I know they also try a bit too hard to lean into trends or buzzwords rather than being practical sometimes.

    This is where Singapore Airlines kinda shines. From what I remember, they invested into a food lab that simulates cabin pressurization, which helps with...

    My main gripe with domestic first is that the food can often be "leftovers from the assisted living cafeteria" or "hospital food". Like something a person with dentures would eat. Tho I know they also try a bit too hard to lean into trends or buzzwords rather than being practical sometimes.

    This is where Singapore Airlines kinda shines. From what I remember, they invested into a food lab that simulates cabin pressurization, which helps with product testing. Alongside newer planes having tech to be pressurized to the elevation of Denver, CO instead of like Cuzco, Peru. So less being heavy with the salt shaker. On top of just trying to be wow but also somewhat practical to what customer will enjoy.

    I usually go with braised meats because of the moisture and fish tbh going with more oily fish usually addresses the dry fish problem.

  11. JP Guest

    That AA bowl looks like a short trip to uncontrollable gas before landing- and if you're lucky, that's all it will end up being.

    1. Gerard Member

      If that’s what happens when you eat vegetables like that, you may want to talk to your physician…

  12. Flyboy Guest

    I have a question, maybe that you can cover. Why do people in Domestic First or Interntional Business get pissed off at the crew if their first choice is unavailable?

    Especially when pre-ordering is available, why would one take their frustrations out on the messenger, when the passenger themselves dropped the ball by either not pre-ordering or picking a seat in the respective part of the cabin that would be taken care of first...

    1. Shaheed Ellington Guest

      I suspect they get pissed off because their first choice isn't available??

    2. Steven L. Gold

      General disappointment is understandable, but the question they asked was why passengers direct their ire specifically *at the crew*. They're not going to magically produce your first choice after you throw a tantrum.

  13. jdink Member

    flying later this week on AA from MEX-PHX. Has anyone had either of these to dishes? What was your experience?
    * Roasted Sea Bass
    recado rojo Yucatán-style sauce, sautéed spinach, tomato, quinoa with shiitake mushroom and onion
    or
    *Sundried Tomato and Cheese Mezzaluna Pasta
    creamy mushroom sauce, asparagus, cherry tomato, Parmesan cheese

    1. Jamie Guest

      As a flight attendant, with American Airlines, go with the Seabass.

    2. Antwerp Guest

      As a regular AA passenger, bring on board a sandwich from home.

  14. Csongor Guest

    I always have enough filling snacks (Clif bars, jerky, etc) to have in case things go sideways. Water or soda also.

    1. Nate Dyer Guest

      Fascinating. lol

  15. Fordamist LeDearn Guest

    AA makes much of their special "Hawaii food", only offered on flights from DFW, and I think it's ORD. Beautiful pics on their website of the lush dishes their Famous Chefs prepare for Premium Economy. I wondered what Coach gets ... last week from DFW-OGG, choices of a burrito with chunk chicken not in its natural state or asparagus/spinach sandwich. Somebody mentioned a 'cheese plate' was served mid-flight, more of a 4x2 inch plastic square,...

    AA makes much of their special "Hawaii food", only offered on flights from DFW, and I think it's ORD. Beautiful pics on their website of the lush dishes their Famous Chefs prepare for Premium Economy. I wondered what Coach gets ... last week from DFW-OGG, choices of a burrito with chunk chicken not in its natural state or asparagus/spinach sandwich. Somebody mentioned a 'cheese plate' was served mid-flight, more of a 4x2 inch plastic square, 3 small slivers and two crackers. OGG-DFW, three super-thin slices of highly processed turkey roll on a 'pretzel bun.' Fruit course the same plastic square, a couple slices of strawberry and some small mandarin pieces. I usually refuse to fly AA, it had the only non-stop, had brought my snacks 'cause I figured they were lying.

  16. Seamus Guest

    I believe the pasta pic (captioned BA) is actually from LH F :)

    Great thoughts in this post!

  17. Willem Guest

    Ben, was wondering if you can write next about how and when sitting in the back of the cabin results in your first choice appetiser, main or dessert running out before it gets to you. I stopped sitting in back mainly for that reason

    1. Shaheed Ellington Guest

      Could you be more specific?

  18. upstarter Guest

    I think this is a very well-balanced stance to take. It would be nice if you ate steak and reviewed it once in a while because I certainly would be interested to see how they serve it in 1st class, but your commentary about Indian food is indeed very accurate and a butter chicken in the sky is always a good time. 'On the money', you might say. One time when I was traveling through...

    I think this is a very well-balanced stance to take. It would be nice if you ate steak and reviewed it once in a while because I certainly would be interested to see how they serve it in 1st class, but your commentary about Indian food is indeed very accurate and a butter chicken in the sky is always a good time. 'On the money', you might say. One time when I was traveling through India in the region close to Chennai (I forget the name.., tamel nadu? idk) there was a train that had one of those carriages where you could buy food. A dining cart, I believe it's called. Now just bear with me on this one! - The currency of India is the 'Rupee', which is a curious name for a currency, right? Well in the UAE I would go to pub trivia nights which were mostly frequented by expats, but occasionally there would be 'locals'. (Although you could never assume this, because some people are born in the UK yet either (or both) parents could be from somewhere like Pakistan, thus you should never assume who is a local and who might be an expat.) So in the trivia nights there was always a currency round, which I think was leaning into the whole 'we are in the UAE and we have significant wealth' vibe, if you know what I mean ;) The currency in UAE - get this! - is called the Dinar. Which is one letter off being called 'dinner'. I don't know if this is on purpose, but it was a real hoot to pay for dinner, with a dinar. I always made this joke to people and they thought It was funny. Probably not everyone thought that, but sometimes ppl just pretend to laugh and smile because it's rude not to. And you wouldn't believe the price of steak over there in the UAE!! I have no idea how EK gets their steak but it can't be cheap!! So anyway, on this train near Chennai I was fascinated by the food they had on offer. It was mostly Samosas (which is also a really strange/cute name, don't get me started!! lol) and I recalled they don't eat beef in all of India. This is for religious reasons, as they believe the cow to be maternal or something. They just sit on the road and do whatever they please over there - it's crazy! However there are places you can go that might have an imported USDA product which was beef on their menu. It's honestly kinda wild how far a cow can travel to be eaten. The more you think about it, the weirder it seems. Almost as weird as a cheeseburger. Don't let the thought of that get anywhere near your mind! EVA has a great 'snack' cheeseburger option. I ordered it once on a long flight from Taipei to JFK. I think it took about 45 minutes to prepare and bring it out to me, and I was thinking the whole time... what are they doing back there? I didn't ask when they came out but after they gave it to me and they were out of earshot I was like 'jeeeeze that took a hot minute'. The seats are reverse herringbone so I guess I was just saying that to myself.

    1. Gorgor Guest

      That was one of the weirdest comments I ever read... wtf?!

    2. griffinpaul Member

      I agree, and your comment made me laugh even more!

    3. Alexandre Guest

      I am sorry to disappoint your lovely and colourful imagination but we UAE currency is DIRHAM and not DINAR.

    4. AGM Guest

      It's called tamil nadu (land of Tamils), and if you want beef in india, you could probably get it in the neighboring state (Kerala).

    5. Stan P Guest

      Are you a child ?

      UAE currency is called dirham, not dinar.

  19. Jack Guest

    Wow - I agree with you completely. I use to love United's Lighter Fare offerings in F/C domestically - it came in a bento box and always with food that was not re-heated. We do Air France La Premiere LAX/CDG multiple times per year - and the model of starter, salad, cheese and dessert works the best. On AA in a 3 class - the only advantage on meal service is to have the FA make a salad. Domestically it has become a death march

  20. Gerwanese Member

    Being a pescetarian myself, for a very long time I always pre-ordered the lacto-ovo vegetarian meal option. That came with two issues however:
    - Almost every time the main dish would contain scrambled egg which usually tastes awful on planes; sometimes I even got it twice on a flight.
    - They usually replace butter with margarine which I consider to be one of the lowest quality products you can get; while it's just...

    Being a pescetarian myself, for a very long time I always pre-ordered the lacto-ovo vegetarian meal option. That came with two issues however:
    - Almost every time the main dish would contain scrambled egg which usually tastes awful on planes; sometimes I even got it twice on a flight.
    - They usually replace butter with margarine which I consider to be one of the lowest quality products you can get; while it's just a small nuisance and is usually replaced on request, it still bothers me that they don't properly separate lacto-ovo vegetarian and vegan meals but rather consider them being the same in this regard.

    In the meantime, I've pretty much changed my ordering behaviour:
    - I'm flying EVA Air pretty often and they publish the meals a few weeks ahead of the flight. This allows me to check on their menu and about every second time I find it to be good enough for me with just a special main course choice. As a bonus, I often get pretty high quality meals this way. Recently I got an amazing sushi meal created by a Japanese Michelin star chef and it was the best meal I've ever had on any flight, both visually as well as in terms of taste (I could share mouth-watering photos...).
    - If the regular meal with a pre-ordered main couse isn't sufficient (usually because of meat starters) I'll order the fish meal when flying Asian airlines and lacto-ovo vegetarian when not. In my experience, the Asian fish meals are really nice and tasty, and only rarely overcooked while it's pretty much always the case on Western carriers.

    Of course there are some airlines (Air China comes to mind) where I wouldn't ever risk ordering fish, given that even the vegetarian meals are pretty low quality already.

  21. David Arnett Guest

    Airlines should have good food but food which isn’t overpowering, susceptible to being under cooked, and which isn’t too taxing on the digestive system. It’s better to keep it simple and get it right every time than try too hard and get someone sick or underwhelmed.

    I don’t see why grilled or fried shrimp aren’t a staple on every business class menu. I was lucky to have panko breaded shrimp, seafood diavolo with shrimps,...

    Airlines should have good food but food which isn’t overpowering, susceptible to being under cooked, and which isn’t too taxing on the digestive system. It’s better to keep it simple and get it right every time than try too hard and get someone sick or underwhelmed.

    I don’t see why grilled or fried shrimp aren’t a staple on every business class menu. I was lucky to have panko breaded shrimp, seafood diavolo with shrimps, and shrimps and rice on my first 3 business class flights. Simple dishes which are hard to get wrong. Chicken is no good because there is a risk of bad chicken.

    1. AD Diamond

      because shrimp is very difficult to reheat properly. It often gets rubbery. There's risk of "bad" for every meat and fish as well as dairy and eggs. Even fruit and vegetables can go bad. It just takes longer.

    2. Zach B Guest

      Fried foods kinda get gross when reheated. I work in events and we often avoid fried foods because they can have a mushy oily texture to them rather than crispy when they sit out for a long time.

  22. Manny Guest

    Went with the salmon on United Polaris on a transatlantic flight. Knowing how easy it is to cook salmon, I never thought anyone could screw up cooking salmon. And than United said, hold my beer. It was a mush.....and disgusting. The accompaniements even worse.

  23. David Diamond

    Skipping the main course is interesting. This is why I vastly prefer Asian airlines (especially Japanese airlines, if possible). The food is often healthier without having to skip the main course, and with a lot of seafood focus.

    The AA domestic First burger looks sadder than a McDonald's burger.

    1. Eric Guest

      That burger is United . AA is not serving burgers .

  24. Nick Guest

    The caviar, champagne and steak are the core components of dining on board first class, in my opinion. That being said... I would stick to western cuisine unless I'm flying ANA or JAL first class, since it's basically wasting your airfare/miles to not choose washoku on Japanese carriers (I'd still ask whether I can have caviar and steak before/after the meal though), and also SIA premium classes where I'll definitely order lobster thermidor through Book...

    The caviar, champagne and steak are the core components of dining on board first class, in my opinion. That being said... I would stick to western cuisine unless I'm flying ANA or JAL first class, since it's basically wasting your airfare/miles to not choose washoku on Japanese carriers (I'd still ask whether I can have caviar and steak before/after the meal though), and also SIA premium classes where I'll definitely order lobster thermidor through Book the Cook.

    I noticed that you didn't discuss about the snacks - which is fine, but my favourite airplane snack is ramen (both Japanese and Korean ones). It's already great on the ground, but gets even better in the sky.

  25. George Romey Guest

    At least domestically you'd probably get a better meal at WaWa. Some of the meals are downright disgusting, those I try to avoid/

  26. Prissypop Guest

    Pigs are indeed very smart and lovable animals, thanks for raising awareness of this fact to your audience!

  27. KK13 Diamond

    Your title says, "Ordering Airplane Food" and then goes on to post only food pictures from First Class! What about Business class, Prem. Econ. and Economy class food?

    Anyway, on another note, during my recent trip on domestic first class on AA, 80% of the F passengers stayed away from dinner. Goes to show the quality of food served in our domestic airlines.

    1. Pete Diamond

      Lucky almost never flies long haul economy or premium economy. You can’t review flights you don’t take.

  28. Julia Guest

    "Burgers can’t be reheated well"

    On US airlines, yes. On Asian airlines, like ANA or Cathay as examples, they do a good job with their burgers. Lufthansa as well in first class. So I guess it's mostly a US airline thing, as I said.

    1. neogucky Gold

      I like to bash US airlines like the next one, but actually it is not economical to reheat burgers as you would have to assemble them on-board which results in a lot of work. You can do this for long haul flights, but most airlines wouldn’t do it for J even there.

  29. brianna hoffner Diamond

    Flew JFK-SIN and definitely avoided the spicy beef rendang for the first meal because the flight's long enough that, well... let's just say i didn't want to hold up the bathroom line during our descent ;)

  30. Alexandre Guest

    I definitely enjoyed reading your interesting post, thank you for sharing frankly the dilemmas you/we are sometimes going through onboard!

    I personally never eat pork not because of religious reasons but for cultural/familial ones.

    Pointing out a little bit more accurately Wines&Champagnes in your reviews would be a great plus.

  31. Jacques Portgieter Guest

    Thank you for this article :)

  32. Creditcrunch Diamond

    Totally agree with your thought process however personally I avoid fish unless it’s in a fish cake or something similar, ive become fond of skipping mains and just have starters and deserts.

  33. Ric Guest

    Flying Turkish Business Class longhair - I always get the fish and I'm never dissatisfied.
    United Airlines Polaris fish - meh
    Although recently flew united Polaris Europe - IAH and had the beef - rarity for me and it was excellent.

    1. AD Diamond

      Nearly 30 years ago I had fish on United that was so bad that I couldn't look at any piece of white fish for several years.

    2. AD Diamond

      And to be clear... that was in business class.

  34. Mike O. Guest

    I usually go for the local option when departing a carrier's homeport. Asian carriers especially tend to do a good job when it comes to their local cuisine. You can't go wrong with NH or JL's Japanese option departing from Japan.

    1. Julia Guest

      Their Western options are also better than the Western options on most Western airlines too.

    2. Nick Guest

      It's hard to go wrong with ANA and JAL meals in general. I've seen a lot of ANA/JAL first class reviews which they flew the flights bound for Japan, and the meal quality didn't look that different from flights departing from Japan (maybe lack of sashimi on business class on some routes?). But what I don't like about their meal service is how much they reduce it on flights departing late - you pay the...

      It's hard to go wrong with ANA and JAL meals in general. I've seen a lot of ANA/JAL first class reviews which they flew the flights bound for Japan, and the meal quality didn't look that different from flights departing from Japan (maybe lack of sashimi on business class on some routes?). But what I don't like about their meal service is how much they reduce it on flights departing late - you pay the same price as a daytime flight, and you get very simplified service (you only get a amuse bouche after taking off, and then some snacks and small pre-arrival meals).

      Maybe those two Japanese carriers could be excluded from this, but the local cuisine on flights departing from their main hub is really better than those you'll find on flights bound for their main hub, not just the quality-wise. For example, almost on all KAL flights bound for Korea only have bibimbap for Korean cuisine (in all cabins - not just first class), meanwhile flights departing from Korea have two Korean cuisine options to choose from.

  35. Nicola Guest

    Sometimes I look up what's on offer and if the wine is something a lot more expensive than I would usually go for, then may opt for that.

    Also, my husband and daughter have allergies so I go for things that they are allergic to since I can't have them at home. (When I'm travelling with them, then I just go for something that I think I'll enjoy and my children will enjoy as they'll undoubtedly help themselves to my food).

  36. Darrell Stewarcz Guest

    I generally would agree 100% with this, however probably the second or third best burger I have ever eaten was served to me on an airplane. It was China Eastern maybe about 30 or 35 years ago now. Delicious.

    1. RetiredATLATC Diamond

      Anybody who eats "beef" on a Chinese airline is a TOTAL MORON!!!!

    2. Darrell Stewarcz Guest

      Calm yourself. I'm not one to use the word "racist", but this kind of commentary is uncalled for! Do better.

    3. NedsKid Diamond

      Calm yourself down... it's not like he left his dirty laundry unattended in an airline club or something....

    4. Mr.J. Guest

      Speaking of TOTAL MORONS…
      But thanks for sharing!

Featured Comments Most helpful comments ( as chosen by the OMAAT community ).

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Gerard Member

If that’s what happens when you eat vegetables like that, you may want to talk to your physician…

5
Shaheed Ellington Guest

I suspect they get pissed off because their first choice isn't available??

4
Gorgor Guest

That was one of the weirdest comments I ever read... wtf?!

3
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