Airplane food has long had the reputation of being bland, unappetizing, and sometimes even inedible. It had simply become intrinsic to air travel to receive limp vegetables, stale bread and watery meat dishes in their little compartments that all fit neatly on a tiny tray.
Thankfully, this is no longer the case for many of the major airlines. More recently, the offerings on menus at 35,000 feet can be as good as dining in a five-star restaurant, even extending to sky chefs. Carriers are sharpening their culinary skills by employing the services of top chefs or catering companies headed by top chefs, creating another competitive platform (particularly in the premium classes) of a different kind in the world of air travel.
And some airlines are getting it absolutely right…
Air France
You can’t say ‘French’ without saying ‘good food’ and ‘fine wine’ in the same sentence, so it’s no surprise that their national carrier should extend this cultural appreciate for fine cuisine to air transportation.
Air France manages to capture a little of the French tradition for culinary excellence in their on-board meals which range from steaks to traditional French dishes, served with a basket of warm, fresh bread. Premium economy passengers are treated to a 24-hour buffet that includes delicious mini-sandwiches and Haagen-Dazs ice-cream. And what is a French meal without champagne, which is freely served in all classes of travel.
In business class, featured dishes are specially prepared by Michelin rated Chef Joel Robuchon (the most Michelin-starred rated chef in the world). Entrees can include Robuchon’s chicken thigh fricassee with sherry sauce, chocolates can be found in fetching boxes of Michel Cluize’s artisanal kind, even teas from Fauchon. And each course is tastefully paired with a glass of bubbly such as that of Henriot Champagne.
Turkish Airlines
Turkish Airlines is a quiet achiever, winning AirTrax’s Passenger’s Choice Awards for best inflight meal across three classes: economy, premium economy and business. And it’s no wonder with a ‘flying chef’ cooking up your meals in-flight, you can only expect freshly prepared dishes such as spiced meat stuffed eggplant, walnut tart, and olive oil poached artichokes. Decked out in the complete kit, the chef even greets passengers as they board the flight.
Turkish Airlines Sky Chef
The menu is constantly changing and dishes are beautifully presented. The airline also caters for all sorts of special requirements such as halal ‘Muslim meal’ (no pork products or alcohol), a vegetarian ‘raw meal’, as well as celebratory meals (cakes for birthdays or anniversaries etc.).
Singapore Airlines
There’s not much this airline doesn’t do. So for their culinary stand-out feature, they have employed a panel of international chefs including British star Gordon Ramsay. Wine consultants are also called on to help create their menu.
Lobster Thermidor on Singapore Airlines
Even in economy, passengers are treated to meals such as sautéed prawns with steamed asparagus and Singapore noodles. In the premium cabins, customers can choose from braised soy-flavoured duck with yam rice (a Singaporean specialty) or a seafood thermidor with buttered asparagus, slow-roasted vine-ripened tomatoes and saffron rice. Customers can pre-order their meals from an online menu up to 24-hours prior their flight.
And just to raise the stakes, the airline has also published a book of inflight recipes from ten top international chefs.
Delta Airlines
American carriers are starting to join the party and Delta Airlines are leading the way with celebrity chefs. The airline has hired star chef from Napa Valley, Michael Chiarello, to come up with new menus for business class passengers flying on transcontinental routes. Delta has also worked with renowned Miami chef, Michelle Bernstein, in serving their guests dishes like artichoke and white-bean spread, short ribs with polenta, and eggplant and goat cheese lasagne. Adding culinary weight to this A-list is Master Sommelier Andrea Robinson.
Delta Airlines Business Elite inflight meal
The wine list includes fine selections from Italy, France, Portugal, Germany and Australia with ‘featured’ beverages such as Caipiroska on to/from flights to Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as Margarita, Sky Breeze, and Mai Tai.
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