What was your most memorable in-flight meal?

[NM]

We often remember our best and worst experiences. So I thought it might be interesting to see what AFF members consider their most memorable in-flight mean.

• Please only post about your one most memorable in-flight meal.
• Must have been in-flight and not in a lounge, restaurant etc.
• Please identify the airline, cabin class, route if you remember, approximate year of the flight.
• What made it stand out as your most memorable in-flight meal.

Note this is asking about your most memorable meal, not necessarily the best food, best service etc. Sometimes things can be memorable for being bad. So not asking for best, or worst, but looking for most memorable and why.

 

[Pushka]

Having had the privilege to enjoy many airlines and their offerings, including op ups to F on Emirates, the most surprising and very enjoyable afternoon snack was on a BA J flight from Faro Portugal, to LHR last year, where a full on English Afternoon Tea was served replete with clotted cream, hot scones, sponge kiss, finger sandwiches, hot English breakfast tea and a double G&T.

Sometimes it's the simple unexpected treats that have the most impact.

 

[NM]

My most memorable meal was in 1989 on a QF B747-200 operating BNE-HNL (en-route to LAX). The backstory was that I was supposed to be in Business class, but a TA fare calculation error meant I was relegated to economy. I paid the extra $150 that was miscalculated so I could be in Business class as booked, but then was told the Business cabin was full so issued a Y boarding pass. When walking out to the aircraft and about to climb the stairs (yes, BNE International in 1989) I was handed a First Class BP, turned left and tool my seat 3K.

This was my first ever international flight in a premium cabin. While the recliner seat would not make the grade for a transcontinental domestic J cabin today, it was the best of the best available at the time.

When time for the meal, the thing that stands out to me was the full silver service, including the flight attendant carving the roast veal off the bone on the trolley in the aisle beside me, asking if I prefer her to slice it think or thin. Then the roast veal and vegetables were plated in front of me (well, beside me), gravy applied and wine offered.

I have probably had better food and certainly better in-flight hard product since, But as my very first experience of first class in-flight meal service, it still stands out to me as being my most memorable in-flight meal.

 

[GDSman]

Nice idea for a thread @NM - most memorable recently was the Japanese Meal in J on ANA... unexpectedly good with lots of small varied, accompanied by a great range of drinks. Japanese food is not typically my favourite cuisine but this meal was memorably good.

 

[AIRwin]

Finding plastic fragments about the size of my little finger in my Book the Cook meal (not from the plastic tub itself as it was still intact) on an SQ flight in Premium Economy from SIN to BNE in 2017. It (the meal not the plastic) was still delicious though and the crew gave me a $75 inflight voucher as a goodwill gesture...

 

[Denali]

Chengdu to Singapore with Silk Air had amazing food that I sometimes think about. The plane was rubbish, the airport lounge was disgusting, the FAs were hmmm but the meal was outstanding.

 

[747sp]

Mine is back in 1970s on a Qantas flight 3 to San Francisco from Sydney with a few stops on a 6 week old 747 238. I would have about 12.
The menu was nice and the only issue was the starter which was tongue and I was not going to eat that...
Food came and the starter i thought was Devon. Yum as a 12 year old.
Much later I remembered the menu and was so upset with myself
Loved the bread roll so much that took my Dads one for later and popped it in my bag . Later was a few days, and it was as hard as rock.
The fun of being a kid and learning .

We also got a tray rather than box

 

[drron]

Depends on your take on “memorable “.
Aeons ago I was on the last BA flight to SIN out of BNE. I was on a pay for J and fly F deal. Soon after takeoff the FA asked me if I wanted the lobster for dinner. I asked why are you asking now. The reply was that I and the fellow behind me were the only 2 paying passengers and they only had 2 serves of lobster. We both said yes.

But if you mean the best meal and service it is always a Japanese meal on a Japanese airline in F. To me JAL was better than ANA.

 

[Himeno]

Getting given an F meal on BA because they had miscounted the J meal orders and had run out of the selected J meals.

 

[garybatz]

This year flying with Qatar for the first time in business. I’d heard the food was good but this was next level, every dish was delicious and the accompanying breads so fresh. Have already booked with them again next year thanks to the (American Airlines) points god

 

[GDSman]

Getting given an F meal on BA because they had miscounted the J meal orders and had run out of the selected J meals.

I got an F meal in W on EK last month as they'd miscounted (and I was in the back row)...

 

[justinbrett]

I thought this was a rerun, but I guess this one includes First meals.

Either way I’ll link to my answer in that thread.

Post in thread 'What's the Best Non-First Class Airline Meal You've Been Served?'

Oct 31, 2022

I was flying with a mate to LHR quite a few years ago on BA. We had quite a bit to drink (it was a day flight from BOM). The pre-landing meal was a doner kebab. It was awesome! Only Y+ too.

• justinbrett

• 
• 

 

[kpc]

JL 51 F Hnd-Syd 23.10.24.
The food was very nice but the champagne, Salon, was unbelievable....price wise (see below). As a non champagne drinker, I had 4 glasses

JAL load only 1 bottle of Salon (ex Japan only), and when the FA poured my 4th glass, it ran out....

Champagne Salon, 'S' Blanc de Blanc Brut, 2013

Salon is one of the more rareified bottles of Champagne going around. The sister house to Delamotte (both now owned by Laurent Perrier), this is a striking champagne only made in certain years. All tolled after first being produced in 1905, this 2013 edition is the 44th release in 120 or so...

bentleywinevault.com.au

 

[NM]

Depends on your take on “memorable “.

No, it depends totally on YOUR take on memorable. Your memorable is not for ME to define!

Aeons ago I was on the last BA flight to SIN out of BNE. I was on a pay for J and fly F deal. Soon after takeoff the FA asked me if I wanted the lobster for dinner. I asked why are you asking now. The reply was that I and the fellow behind me were the only 2 paying passengers and they only had 2 serves of lobster. We both said yes.

But if you mean the best meal and service it is always a Japanese meal on a Japanese airline in F. To me JAL was better than ANA.

Memorable does not necessarily equal best. It may, but does not need to. Hence why I specifically chose the word memorable and not best.

 

[NM]

I thought this was a rerun, but I guess this one includes First meals.

Either way I’ll link to my answer in that thread.

Post in thread 'What's the Best Non-First Class Airline Meal You've Been Served?'

Oct 31, 2022

I was flying with a mate to LHR quite a few years ago on BA. We had quite a bit to drink (it was a day flight from BOM). The pre-landing meal was a doner kebab. It was awesome! Only Y+ too.

• justinbrett

• 
• 

This thread is for most memorable ... might mean best, might mean worst, might mean any class/cabin on the aircraft. I didn't even specify that it needed to be commercial flight . For many people. most memorable will indeed equate to best meal, but sometimes its the circumstances that make something memorable and those back stories can be just as interesting as the food itself.

 

[justinbrett]

This thread is for most memorable ... might mean best, might mean worst, might mean any class/cabin on the aircraft. I didn't even specify that it needed to be commercial flight . For many people. most memorable will indeed equate to best meal, but sometimes its the circumstances that make something memorable and those back stories can be just as interesting as the food itself.

Well I guess my kebab was most memorable, not necessarily the best. Although my 25 year old self might argue that point.