What was your most memorable in-flight meal?

[Ansett Nostalgic]

I've shared the story before, but most memorable for me was on a QF F flight back when they not only flew the 747 but came around with a selection of movies on cassette tape to play in your personal tape player.

An older gentleman was sitting in 1A, dressed immaculately in business attire. 3 piece suit with vest and jacket which he kept on until the seatbelt sign went off, the crew started preparing the dinner service and people got up to change into their PJs before their meal.

He went off to get changed too, but came back dressed in formal dinner attire. Crisp white shirt, bow tie, black shoes you could see your reflection in, full length tails. Sat back at his seat and enjoyed his dinner service as if he was dining with royalty.

I went to sleep before he finished eating but by the time I woke he was back in the business suit. When we landed he picked up his 2 leather carry-ons, was met at the door by a Qantas representative and disappeared into the arrivals hall.

There should be an airline that insists on this dress code in F!

 

[NM]

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

Which airline? Which cabin? What route?

 

[justinbrett]

Which airline? Which cabin? What route?

It was in the other thread I linked.

BA BOM-LHR, WTP (Y+). It was the pre landing meal after a solid session of inflight drinking.

 

[NM]

My very first long-haul trip. April 2007 NRT-VIE. I can't remember the airline, and this route doesn't seem to exist anymore. The novelty of flying that far definitely heightened the experience but I remember they had this spicy fried chicken that I thought tasted amazing. I haven't felt that way about an in-flight meal since. Obviously economy class as I was in my early 20s

Austrian Airlines, perhaps?

 

[Peanutbladder]

Around 1994 KLM from AMS to HKG (Old Kai Tak) in economy. This was my first job pretty much after finishing uni and it was international travel but all in Y. Flight was not particularly full in the back and they served an amazing lasagna, in fact so good I asked for another, and they gave me one.
Beats the first and business class meals I have had since.

 

[Lost Redditor]

Austrian Airlines, perhaps?

I think it was, yes. My mate and I were wandering the streets of Oslo and saw a shop poster advertising Japan trips. We popped in and walked out 30 minutes later having spent all of our money on a 3 week tour of Japan for the following year.

The food in Japan was obviously memorable, but I specifically remember enjoying this spicy chicken on the plane ride home. Austrian doesn't fly this route anymore it seems

 

[Flyfrequently]

As @NM says "memorable" means different things to different folks.

IN 1992 took the Flyfrequently offspring to Disneyland (as you do) on Continental Airlines in Y MEL-HNL- LAX.
10 year old Flyfrequently daughter needed assistance opening her sachet of maple syrup, squirted it all over my blouse.
Cleaned myself up best as I could.
She then didn't feel well after her pancakes......
cease reading if squeamish
.... threw up all over my leg and shoes
Can say the FA's were not interested at all, threw some towelettes at me - still had 6 hours to go.

We do laugh about it now.
At 42 she is very selective when dining in-flight.

 

[DejaBrew]

Oh dear @Flyfrequently - I'm sure that would have been a traumatic experience at the time for all concerned!! Good that you can laugh about it now. Hopefully both you and Flyfrequently daughter aren't "triggered" by the sight and smell of pancakes or maple syrup to this day

 

[Big John]

SQ 217 F SIN/MEL 2012
Yee Sang (Prosperity Toss Salad) prepared right at my seat.
FAs took the time to explain the history and significance of the dish.

I'm guessing this was around LNY 2012 ?

My most memorable in-flight meal was also in SQ. Had satay on the SIN - SYD leg in J. Satay was cooked well and came with the wonderful peanut sauce.

The entire cabin smelled of satay and nobody minded !

 

[AIRwin]

Austrian doesn't fly this route anymore it seems

Flight OS52 still operating NRT-VIE

 

[Stealthflyer]

It doesn’t look particularly fancy, but this 2022 SQ PE chicken rice was so delicious and so right for an in-flight meal. There was a generous amount of ginger and spring onion sauce and the chicken was soft and succulent.

It’s just a shame they felt the need to add
steamed carrots.

 

[Forg]

Mine was the Emirates flight we took to Auckland at a ridiculous discount, srsly $600 return in F with EK was cheaper than some QF economy seats available at the same time!

Not having been in F before, I expected … probably something similar to a top Sydney “fine dining” meal, like Quay without the view. In hindsight, it’s obvious I was going to be sorely disappointed with that sort of expectation!

 

[n7of9]

My most 'memorable' was SQ J SIN-SYD, my book-the-cook meal wasn't loaded so the hostess gave me the in-flight duty free catalogue and told me I can have anything up to $150...I chose perfume

 

[ayebee]

I have had a few memorable meals. Passing over the near riot in J on the first "Neil Perry" dinner flight, the one that comes to mind was nicer.

I had been travelling a lot for the company, and on a Europe trip that involved only 4 days of work commitments, my wife came along and we planned a holiday after.
Anyway, at MEL check-in for our London flight we found ourselves upgraded to F. QF 747, 1A/B.
Also in F, there seemed to be a number of crew dead heading to Singapore, and other more boring types, so the lovely FA decided to concentrate on entertaining us. So it was the caviar and chilled vodka, fillet steak etc etc. (What came after several chilled vodkas was less memorable).
The food was great, but it was more the situation, ambience and attention that made it special.

 

[Scarlett]

My most memorable in-flight meal wasn’t even eaten by me!

AA (domestic) first from somewhere in continental US, probably LAX, to HNL. I have no idea what I ate but I do remember being served a meal. I’m sure it was fine. What made it so memorable was the weird cat seated beside me… I was in 1D and he was in 1F in a narrow-body.

I knew I’d be getting food on the aircraft and had probably snacked a little in the lounge. Either this guy didn’t realise he’d be fed or it was just his preference, but he turned up with a fast food burger meal in a brown paper bag. If I remember correctly he’d eaten the contents before meal orders were taken. He then put the blanket from the seat over his head (fully over his head), while still seated upright. And occasionally sang to himself…

To this day, I have no idea what was going on beside me.

 

[wannabeinvestmentbanker]

Another for EK here

I’m purely on a liquid diet so that cellar in the sky is unbelievable. The only reason I accrue QF points is to reunite me with that cellar.

 

[DejaBrew]

To this day, I have no idea what was going on beside me.

Might have been a bit of this pre-flight?

 

[Ade]

I definitely have this pic somewhere, but can't find it. Been looking for the past 3 days so that I can make this post with pics, but no luck so far, so here goes just the post.

QF SYD-MEL, Pre-CoVID (think 2018), A330, flying J (upgraded with points) - was served a proper South Indian Breakfast - with idly, upma, vada, sambhar & chutney. I was very very very surprised to have this on SYD-MEL.

A bit of background to this - The QF SYD-MEL was part of a larger itinerary and this trip was right after I became QF Silver for the very first time.

Flew MAA-HKG-SYD-MEL. Bid for upgrade to PE on A380 HKG-SYD and was successful. So catering not guaranteed. My first ever personalised welcome by FA. Come meal time, I was asked what I wanted - I said I'm a vego, but I got upgraded from Y, so not sure if there is any vego meals onboard. The FA said, she'll see if there is any or she might get me 2 meals from Y. I was super excited to fly PE, I did not care about the meal situation, so I said Ok.

As the FA was delivering meals, she came to my seat politely and said that there was a vego meal pre-order by another pax, who was sitting right in front of me. The pax heard this and he turned around and said "I'm happy for you to take my meal, the fish sounds delicious, so I'd rather have the fish than the vego". My eyes brightened and I said "Awesome, thanks". So I got a vego meal on that flight.

Now land in SYD and I got an upgrade text to J for SYD-MEL, A330. Yayy! And this is the flight where I had that amazing South Indian Brekkie

 

[FishFood]

Qantas business flying SIN-LHR on the A380. Overall a very memorable experience, but my most memorable meal was a lamb sandwich that was part of the on demand menu.

The sandwich was quite well executed, and potentially the most gourmet sandwich of my lifetime.

 

[claytw]

Christmas Day 2014 ADL-SYD-CHC with Qantas in J. The ADL lounge menu had already reduced in quality and variety, so I was looking forward to the inflight meal and SYD lounge. While SYD lounge was a marked improvement on ADL, mostly because of the timing of the flight it had been picked over. I ate sparingly thinking Qantas would have something special as the inflight evening meal. The only offering was a quinoa salad. Yes, I probably should eat more of these however having missed a special Christmas breakfast and lunch I was not enthused with the menu. Arrival in CHC was too late to get a meal.