Flights JL736 and AA168 - The Verdict

Inflight meals on a very very long day indeed

• Eel Teriyaki on Steamed Rice
• Japanese Delicacies
• Potato Salad
• Mango Pudding with Lychee
• Danish Cinnamon Snail
• Sky Time Yuzu

Flying eastbound really screws with your psychology. For starters, the day is 36 hours long, thanks to the time differences. Then, you're cramped into those small seats breathing stale recycled air - I don't know how the claustrophobes survive. Maybe they don't ever fly.

The dish of Japanese delicacies consisted of a chunk of radish, a fried fishball, a piece of fishcake and a piece of tofu skin soaked in a cold broth of sorts - a really refreshing appetizer.

I loved the unagi on rice. The eel actually tasted like teriyaki. You know how it is that airline food most of the times doesn't even taste like real food - they tell you it's chicken but you can never be sure, even after biting into it. And sometimes, in those American Japanese restaurants, they say it's teriyaki when all they do is add soy sauce to it. Well, this unagi teriyaki actually tasted like teriyaki - with the sweet grilled flavor - and the eel was rather fresh, it's soft squishy texture and the rough skin (which, traditionally, is suppose to be crispy, but I've never in my life actually eaten unagi like that). The snow peas, carrots and mushroom added a nice touch to the course. And the steamed rice was actually not a sticky blob. The long grains separated in the mouth and had a light fragrant, though not interfering with the rich taste of the unagi, accompanying it well.

However, from the long grained rice, the potato salad and the mango pudding (among other subtle things) I didn't feel that this wasn't authentic Japanese cuisine. Somehow, it is hinted that this was prepared in a Hong Kong airport kitchen. Nevertheless, it is still one of the, if not the best airline meal I've tried.

Total Cost: included
Rating: aaaaa

Sidebar: I love Japanese translations. "Cinnamon Snail" indeed.

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Same day still, but a different meal on a different airline

• Dinner Roll
• Assorted Sushi
• Asparagus Salad with Ranch Dressing
• Stewed beef and vegetables on white rice
• Fruit tart
• Crystal Springs water
• Ginger ale

The first thing I asked myself when the tray came was "what the hell are those two off-white strips on top of the salad?" It looked a lot like the string cheese I used to eat as a kid, but then, I found out after taking a bite that it was actually shaved asparagus! It had a stringy texture to it too, but they were totally tasteless. At least the two strips were chilled and had a bit of juice in them, unlike the surrounding salad, which was totally dry and warm, like eating pieces of green cardboard.

The sushi was pretty horrible too. Notice the difference between the piece of eel on the sushi in this meal on AA and the pieces of eel on the rice on the JAL flight. They obviously came from different parts of the eel. Although I like the way the Japanese cook their eel in the sweet thick sauce, I always was a bit hesitant because eels contain a lot of miniscule bones which are like little pieces of fiber that just irritate the roof of your mouth, should you be unlucky enough to eat the wrong part of the eel. That part of the eel was where the slice on the lump of rice in front of me came from.

At least the rice was good - short grain Japanese rice with a semi-sticky texture, but still every individual grain was distinct. The same rice was used in the main course of beef stew, which was more like teriyaki beef. The slices of beef were prepared well - marinated so that each piece was soft and filled with flavor, not relying overall too much on the juices of the stew to give it it's flavor. Although it couldn't really match up to the unagi from JAL, it was much better than the AA meal on the previous flight.

As for the tart, I never really cared for dessert (I even have to look up the word in the dictionary just to make sure it has two esses). But I decided to none the less do a very disgusting thing: I scooped the custard and fruit on top out with the spoon, leaving the crust intact, which I expected to be dry and - well - crusty. The eggy custard actually wasn't that sweet, which was a good thing.

I pocketed another bottle of Crystal Springs water for the five-hour bus trip back to Ithaca. I just love these miniature bottles.

Total cost: included
Rating: aaaaa

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The Verdict

So, having eaten so many meals on so many different airlines, it is now the time to ask the question "What determines the quality of food on the different airlines?"

Well, it seems like one factor is definitely the place of departure - which determines the availability and quality of ingredients. I suspect that the trays are loaded up at the departing airport (since it wouldn't make sense to actually bring food along for the return trip), so where you're leaving from is important. You can see the difference in the quality of the rice served from flights departing from the US (face it, Americans just don't know how to cook the stuff) and that of the rice from flights departing from say, Asian airports such as Hong Kong and Narita.

Another factor is the airline you fly - of course, taking only economy class into account. It seems like the American airlines on the verge of bankruptcy are less keen on spending good money on good food, as opposed to their more profitable counterparts in Asia and the Middle East. Below is a chart comparing airline profitability and the meal quality.

Airline	Profit Margin	Average Meal Ticks
American Airlines	-3.71%	0.5
Japan Airlines	unreported, but negative	3
United Airlines	-121.85%	1

Yes, as you can see, the results are not very conclusive for this factor. But there is a limit. Some airlines just serve better food - such as Emirates, JAL and ANA. It probably has something to do with how much they value their customers too. Service seems to be better on the airlines that serve better food.

Here's a pretty interesting website: http://www.airlinemeals.net/.

Sidebar: I admit, I am writing this months after having taken this flight. So, you may ask, how is it I remember so clearly and distinctly what I had for the meals? Well, first of all, I have the photos to help me out, and second of all, I saved all those menus they handed out describing the meals. Ahh... I miss JAL food. I still think it has the best airline food of all airlines - even beating Emirates.

Angus House @ Takashimaya SC

Dinner

• Fish on Radish Hors D'oeuvre
• Cream of Carrot Soup
• Garden Salad
• Grilled Chicken with side vegetables and rice
• Raspberry Mousse Layered Cake

This meal was a spectacle to behold. Not only was the presentation beautiful, but everything tasted so good. Maybe it's because I don't often have meals that come in so many separate courses such as this one. And the thing is, every time we come here, their hors d'oeuvre, soups and dessert change - only the main course and salad stay pretty much constant - so each visit is in a way unique in itself.

Another cool thing about this place is the self-playing upright Yamaha piano situated at the side of the room. True, it might play cheesy 60s and 70s songs, but at least it's cool watching the keys depress themselves. It's like there's an invisible pianist sitting there.

The Hors D'oeuvre came first: a piece of fish (sea bass, I think) on a flat cylindrical piece of radish, dripped with what looked like thick miso sauce and garnished by random mushroom caps. The pan-fried fillet was cooked just right, as the slivers of meat fell apart with juices flowing in between. The radish was a good accompaniment - sweet yet bitter.

Their soup of the day was cream of carrot, a thick light orange concoction . There was a drizzle of cream streaked across the surface, accompanied by a sprinkle of finely powdered bright green coriander (at least that's what I think it was - what else could it be?). The soup was warm and refreshing, with the light sweetness of the carrots infused in the liquid, interrupted only by seldom lumps, but was otherwise fine. I didn't leave a single drop of it in the bowl.

I ordered the grill chicken main course, firstly because I didn't want to have to pay so much for red meat which was just going to clog my arteries, and secondly because from previous experiences, I can say that in spite of the place's namesake of Angus House, I still find the grill chicken a better choice. It always consists of two pieces, one breast meat and the other meat from the drum, cooked to perfection (never over-charred) in a garlicky sweet almost teriyaki-like sauce. I always eat the breast first - I don't really like the rough texture of it and prefer to save the more tender and supple drum for last. But either way, the flavors are still unbelievable. You have to eat it while it's still warm, or else it just gets really miserable - though that's not too hard to manage.

The dessert was the most marvelous sight to behold. I don't usually enjoy dessert half as much on the account that I don't have much of a sweet tooth. But this one was just too pretty to pass over. (Sometimes, presentation can deceive even the most unwilling palates.) Tonight's dessert was raspberry mousse layered cake. Below the top dark pink jelly-glossed layer of moose and also at the very bottom were puffy layers of cake infused with chestnuts and crisp pieces of popped rice. Sandwiched in between was a layer of creamy red bean paste, though not thick but light. And on the side was a helping of cream and raspberry sauce and an assortment of fresh fruits garnished with a mint leaf. Everything was just sweet, though in its own way. The red bean was sweet sweet; the raspberry had a stingy sour sweetness to it; the fruits had the chilled natural sweetness. I guess it also depends in which order you eat it. But how can I not love it?

It's not the first time I've been here. My dad loves this place and brings people here for his business lunches. But the stuff is on the expensive side here (hence the four ticks only), so it's only for special occasions that we go to this place. I couldn't really remember why we went there that night. I guess it was because I was back and my aunt was visiting from Hong Kong. It's nice to eat as a family. I really missed them when I was in the US (I miss them too now). It's only when you're away from family that you find out how important they are. The people you work with may scheme, your friends may betray, God may forsaken, but your family will always love you - no matter what.

Total cost: S$29.50++
Rating: aaaaa

Pepper Lunch @ Takashimaya SC

Lunch with the juniors

• "Hitokuchi" Cut steak hot plate
• With Sprouts, Carrots and French beans on the side
• Bowl of Rice
• Miso soup
• Sesame Chicken Shaker Salad

(JW and ST, I know it's been a long time. I owe you guys this one.)

We met at Orchard MRT station at around noon and walked over to Pepper Lunch at the basement of Takashimaya. The place was sparsely occupied and we took a seat near the front of the restaurant, with only a wooden railing demarcating where the restaurant ended and where the mall began. It was an awkward concept to step into: the place was half fast food - in the sense you had to go up to a counter to make your order - and half restaurant - in the sense they brought the food to you. Another little fact to note was that you had to go get your own cups of water at this little condiments booth they set up in the middle of the place. It's almost as if they expect everyone to ask for water, and so they just put it out there for all to get on their own.

I got a "Hitokuchi" Cut Steak set which came with rice and miso soup and a salad on top of that. I have no idea what the Japanese name means, but the picture of the platter shown on the menu looked appealing enough.

The salad came first in a see-through plastic cup with a dome shaped plastic lid, the kind smoothies are usually served in, except without the hole on top for the straw. Everything was inside already: the chopped up lettuce, a few chunks of chicken and tomato, flakes of dried cuttlefish, a sprinkle of corn kernels, and at the very bottom, a depth of the beige sesame dressing soaking strands of udon - the whole thing looked like a lithospheric cross-section from the side. I gave the whole thing a good shake, though this didn't really help, because the dressing was rather thick. I had to resort to opening the lid and mixing it around with a pair of chopsticks. The salad was not bad. I especially liked the dressing - I seem to have this knack for enjoying sesame. And the vegetables were chilled, which is always a plus point for salads.

There was a segment of time when we just sat there, sipping our water in little plastic cups, waiting for our food to come. It was my first time here so they were explaining to me the different sauces I could choose to put onto my beef once it arrived. There was "Honey Brown Sauce" or "Garlic Soy Sauce" - I decided to go with the latter; I never had a sweet tooth in me. So what happened was that when the beef came on the sizzling hot cast-iron plates, you just mix the beef together with the sauce of your choice and the bit of butter squirt in the center. The sizzling grew louder as I mixed it with chopsticks in one hand and a spoon in the other. I usually like my beef medium-well, so I didn't want to undercook it. I ended up pouring some of the garlic sauce on the vegetables as well.

The beef was horrible - and I'm trying to be kind too, but there's just no other word to describe it. Maybe it was because I did a bad job of cooking it, but then again, I couldn't control how hot the platter was. The beef ended up overcooked, not that I had a choice, because where else could I put it? It was a rough chew and the meat was not juicy or tender at all, as good beef is suppose to be. Of course not - because it wasn't good beef!

We went to Paradis for pool after that and chilled at the performing arts library at the Esplanade for the rest of the afternoon. I really didn't enjoy the food much, but then again, meals are never about food anyways. It's just as much about who you're eating it with. But if only I could give ticks for that.

Total cost: S$14.80
Rating: aaaaa

http://www.pepperlunch.com/

Sidebar: Have you noticed how the retail industry is demanding a lot more from us as customers these days? I mean, I'm not lazy or anything - well, actually I am - but the thing is, it's all these little things. Like getting our own water, or like here in the US, how they just give us empty cups and direct us to the soda fountains - and STILL not allow us free refills! The whole concept of Pepper Lunch is based on costs savings gained by having us, the paying customers, cook our own food on those hot plates - and at other places such as Seoul Garden, some of us are even willing to pay a premium to cook our own food!

And I'm not just talking about the F&B sector. How about supermarkets that expect you to bag your own groceries - or better yet, with self checkout counters! Then there are the stores with sections and aisles labeled so clearly that when you ask a question, they just give you a number without actually helping you - and most of the time, the people you ask are sitting behind a desk, if they're lucky enough to not have been replaced by an electronic kiosk.

Whatever happened to personalized service? Can we call it a service sector anymore? There is social pressure to call those people who don't follow these new trends as lazy: I certainly look on to people who don't bus their trays with disdain, and pumping your own gas has become so commonplace. But what about all those people who lost their jobs to our self-service? And are we reaping any benefits of the cost savings of the companies in terms of lower prices?

Inflight meal @ Flight MH73 over the South China Sea

Another Lunch

• 4 sticks of satay - 2 mutton, 2 venison
• Warm Garlic Bread slices
• Fresh garden salad
• Prime Steak and Onion Rings
• with Vegetables and Bed of Pasta
• Slab of Tiramisu
• Glass of Champaign

Well, the last few days in Hong Kong have been nice. I saw my extended family again - all of them. It's so nice to see your family again. I stayed for 2 days only, because I'll be back again, from Singapore, before I head back to New York.

They upgraded me to business for the flight back to Singapore. Which is a yay. Hooray for frequent flyer loyalty programs. Anyways, I got to go to their lounge which was really cool. Had a few sticks of carrots and celery and a cheese sandwich there. There was everything there: showers, a nice reading with newspapers and magazines, a great view of the tarmac. I could spend my entire life there. I really wish I could fly business for those long-haul flights. If I'd flown business on my way back to Hong Kong, I wouldn't have had to sleep at the airport chairs, I could have gone to the lounge. Anyways, I got on the plane soon enough. I loved the chairs, which had massaging rollers and individual screens and all. I loved the leg room to. But the food must have been the best.

In terms of willpower, I am a pretty weak person. Remember how I said I shouldn't drink alcohol on flights? Well, I did it again. But I told myself, it didn't matter because this was a short flight and I wasn't crossing any time zones. The first thing that came was the satay. Initially, I didn't feel really comfortable eating deer or lamb, but I said, what the heck. And it wasn't that bad. There wasn't any stench to the meat as I'd normally be afraid of. The satay peanut sauce was great as well, and not spicy at all.

The slices of garlic bread were piping hot, and they served it in a basket while walking around. There were actually different types to choose from, but I followed the lady next to me and chose the garlic bread. The crust felt like it was deep fried and the center was smooth, buttery but not oily. There wasn't really much of a garlic taste, but the taste was good nonetheless. The salad was fresh too, not like the one on the AA flight.

The best part of the meal must have been the main course. They came on these push carts with all the possible choices displayed for you to choose from. I chose the steak (as opposed to the chicken and tofu main courses) and they combined all the different side dishes right in front of you. The beef was cooked to perfection. It was perfect because they couldn't cook it right there and then, so they had to cook it to a point where it'd satisfy everyone. You know how I can never choose the right degree of rawness when I go out to eat? (When I choose medium, it's always too rare, and when I choose medium well, it's always too well.) Well, this one was perfect. It was slightly raw, so a bit pinkish brown in the middle, but it didn't ooze of blood when you cut through it. And it was ever so slightly charred on the outside. The onion rings were soggy by all measures, but that didn't matter. It still went great with every bite of steak.

I watched "March of the Penguins" inflight. It was such a romantic, sad yet enduring documentary. Kinda made me want to be a penguin, like Roger. Anyways, I just didn't want to leave. I just wanted to stay there, in the air, forever. I just wanted the plane not to be able to land, so we'd have to circle around the airport. Forever. And we'd get another plane to refuel us. Forever.

Total cost: included
Rating: aaaaa

http://www.malaysiaairlines.com

Spaghetti House @ Hong Kong International Airport

Lunch before the flight

• Minestrone soup
• A slice of garlic bread (and rather big slices at that)
• Mushroom Spaghetti (Tomato based)
• Cold 'Nai Cha'

I'm not going to say much about this meal since I've reviewed Spaghetti House before. I think this place just typifies what I like best about food in Hong Kong: good quality and quantity for a reasonable price. (Note that the exchange rate is US$1 = HK$7.9.)

The slice of garlic bread was the best. The slice came from a rather fat stick of baguette and was about the size of a regular square slice of bread, placed in a rattan basket with a napkin below the slice. It was buttered with a yellowish orange spread with no garlic in sight, except for the taste when you put the crisply toasted slice into your mouth. It wasn't exactly made to go with the soup - which was nothing special - but to be eaten on its own. And there wasn't the spicy flavor which leaves that slightly bitter aftertaste in your mouth with a semi-numb tongue - the feeling akin to your tongue seeing stars, since there's no better way to put it. This garlic had a light sweet and salty taste, though only very slightly.

The pasta dish was also nothing special, but it was really interesting to see all the different types of mushrooms inside the sauce. There were at least 5 different kinds, from what I could tell.

Total cost: HK$65 + 10% off
Rating: aaaaa

http://www.spaghettihouse.com/