Religious Travelers - Kosher on CO: LHR-EWR - What are the meals like?

Anyone have any experience with kosher meals in Biz/First on CO ex LHR?

Are they Harmolis?

it seems from your profile box you are London based, can I ask you when was the last time you got any meal on a flight out of LHR that wasnt Hermolis??

even here in the US where there are a few different KSML caterers its usually the same vendor no matter where it is you are flying from US wise that each Carrier works with, better put that each caterer works with as it could be taht not every Carrier choses teh vendor while teh caterer may do that

But generally once outside the US if theres a local KSML producer thats who you get, if there isnt a local 1 then it probably fals onto whomever the caterer company has the contract with

The vast majority of my flights out of my transatlantic flights out of the UK would be with BA, so not that much recent experience with other carriers in that respect, but I'm not 100% sure that Harmolis cater for all airlines out of the UK.

If CO do indeed provide Harmolis meals, I’d like to know whether they are as good as BA's and if they are, I’ll be a happy bunny... :)

I'm almost positive that CO and BA have the same offering.

I'm almost positive that CO and BA have the same offering.Thanks, well I'll find out in a couple of weeks and report back...

It wont compare anywhere near to what a meal at LeMarais or LaCarne or Prime Grill meal will be, not even as good as Reubens

But Hemolis is 1 of the best meals to get when flying. Regal with CO is pretty darn good as well here in the US

It wont compare anywhere near to what a meal at LeMarais or LaCarne or Prime Grill meal will beI'm aware of that... :)

Had a great meal at LeMarais last week, while not as upmarket as Prime Grill, it was better value IMHO.

I'm aware of that... :)

Had a great meal at LeMarais last week, while not as upmarket as Prime Grill, it was better value IMHO.

Depends on whether you're flying J or Y, but even in coach, the Hermolis meals are better than any other kosher airline food I've ever tasted. NOT all airlines out of London buy the same meals, though. Here are my experiences ex-LHR:
Air Canada - Excellent meal in J, plus 2 separate snack services later. Fairly decent meal in Y.
American - Good meal in Y
United - Good but smaller meal in J, regular in Y.
Emirates in J - Four or five courses, tasted as if it had just been made!

Depends on whether you're flying J or Y, but even in coach, the Hermolis meals are better than any other kosher airline food I've ever tasted. NOT all airlines out of London buy the same meals, though. Here are my experiences ex-LHR:
Air Canada - Excellent meal in J, plus 2 separate snack services later. Fairly decent meal in Y.
American - Good meal in Y
United - Good but smaller meal in J, regular in Y.
Emirates in J - Four or five courses, tasted as if it had just been made!

Emirates had a 4 or 5 course Kosher meal?

I'm aware of that... :)

Had a great meal at LeMarais last week, while not as upmarket as Prime Grill, it was better value IMHO.

What do you mean? You think LeMarais is a better meal than Prime Grill? Granted I've never eaten at LeMarais because I'm allergic to peanuts and EVERYTHING is cooked with peanut oil, but it never seemed to me to be in the same league. Wolf and Lamb and Abigael's are fantastic!

What do you mean? You think LeMarais is a better meal than Prime Grill? Granted I've never eaten at LeMarais because I'm allergic to peanuts and EVERYTHING is cooked with peanut oil, but it never seemed to me to be in the same league. Wolf and Lamb and Abigael's are fantastic!

went to W&L 1 time and that was 1 time way too much, unless when you order your steak Rare you meant Burnt to a crisp , sent it back and no better with the 2nd one they brought, went for the chicken and then told myself Never Again and that was many a yr ago and havent set foot in that place since and Wont

What do you mean? You think LeMarais is a better meal than Prime Grill?I never said that! I said better value.

I love Prime Grill and I prefer the atmosphere there over LeMarais, but I thought the meal was excellent at LeMarais and the bill came to half of what I usually pay at Prime Grill (probably less).

Emirates had a 4 or 5 course Kosher meal?

The food out of LHR is all Hermolis, it seems though, that not all airlines order the same things for their kosher meals.

went to W&L 1 time and that was 1 time way too much, unless when you order your steak Rare you meant Burnt to a crisp , sent it back and no better with the 2nd one they brought, went for the chicken and then told myself Never Again and that was many a yr ago and havent set foot in that place since and Wont

Sounds like you had a bad experience, but it's definitely a great restaurant. I wouldn't say I swear by it; that praise is reserved for truly exceptional places, like Haikara Grill (please don't tell me you had it bad there too!), but last I heard, they were closed :(

I never said that! I said better value.

I love Prime Grill and I prefer the atmosphere there over LeMarais, but I thought the meal was excellent at LeMarais and the bill came to half of what I usually pay at Prime Grill (probably less).

Heivanti. I apologize for my misunderstanding. I still wish I could try LeMarais :mad:

The food out of LHR is all Hermolis, it seems though, that not all airlines order the same things for their kosher meals.

That didn't answer my shock that EK would offer a 4/5 course Kosher meal.

That didn't answer my shock that EK would offer a 4/5 course Kosher meal.

On their website, KSML wasn't even listed as an option, but I called their London office and requested it directly (thanks to advice I received here on FT :) ).

On their website, KSML wasn't even listed as an option, but I called their London office and requested it directly (thanks to advice I received here on FT :) ).

I don't see any special meals listed on their site?!

I don't see any special meals listed on their site?!

I haven't checked their site since then, but as I recall, there were vegetarian/hindu/etc. options on a drop-down menu, just no kosher... (maybe you need to have a booking ref. to see that?)

I haven't checked their site since then, but as I recall, there were vegetarian/hindu/etc. options on a drop-down menu, just no kosher... (maybe you need to have a booking ref. to see that?)

Scratch that. I googled it instead: Special Meals (http://www.emirates.com/english/plan_book/essential_information/dietary_requirements.aspx)

I see though that by religious meals, it only lists Asian Vegetarian, Hindu, Asian Jain, and Muslim.

Interesting about the "Muslim Meal" (MOML): I figures that's weird; you'd think all meals on EK are Halal. It says in the notes all meals are Halal, and this choice is only available when booking on another airline

Scratch that. I googled it instead: Special Meals (http://www.emirates.com/english/plan_book/essential_information/dietary_requirements.aspx)

I see though that by religious meals, it only lists Asian Vegetarian, Hindu, Asian Jain, and Muslim.

Interesting about the "Muslim Meal" (MOML): I figures that's weird; you'd think all meals on EK are Halal. It says in the notes all meals are Halal, and this choice is only available when booking on another airline

I'm not at all familiar with Muslim standards, though they definitely serve alcohol on EK....

I'm not at all familiar with Muslim standards, though they definitely serve alcohol on EK....

I think it's more that all meals are Halal. (Meaning no pork, and no alcohol cooked into the food.) They may serve alcohol, and religious Muslims just won't drink it.

I haven't checked their site since then, but as I recall, there were vegetarian/hindu/etc. options on a drop-down menu, just no kosher... (maybe you need to have a booking ref. to see that?)

A representative of EK in ZRH once told me that they are able to request it.
If it is never a problem, why is EK so reluctant to offer this option on their website?

A representative of EK in ZRH once told me that they are able to request it.
If it is never a problem, why is EK so reluctant to offer this option on their website?

Can they always request it? Even on flights ex-DXB?

A representative of EK in ZRH once told me that they are able to request it.
If it is never a problem, why is EK so reluctant to offer this option on their website?

You've got to be kidding;)

Why do some airlines , not Arab country based, not show Israel as a destination or even as existing, in their inflight magazines or seat back maps.
There was a case of an airline a year or two ago (I don't remember with which one) that when it was discovered that Israel did not exist, apologized saying that the plane was routinely used for Arab country flights and that they didn't want to anger the natives.

It is a fact of life that Jewish=Israel with all its ramifications

You've got to be kidding;)

Why do some airlines , not Arab country based, not show Israel as a destination or even as existing, in their inflight magazines or seat back maps.
There was a case of an airline a year or two ago (I don't remember with which one) that when it was discovered that Israel did not exist, apologized saying that the plane was routinely used for Arab country flights and that they didn't want to anger the natives.

It is a fact of life that Jewish=Israel with all its ramifications

It was bmi. They showed where Mecca was in relation to the airplane but didn't list Israel. And this was while they still had direct flights between LHR and TLV!

Can they always request it? Even on flights ex-DXB?
Pretty much yes. See my answer in another forum:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/11910800-post7.html

Can they always request it? Even on flights ex-DXB?

I am checking if it works in reality.
Officialy, the exceptions are flights in Y on the routes DXB-KWI, DXB-BAH, DXB-DOH, DXB-MCT, DXB-RUH, DXB-DMM.

Now see if EK confirms the KSML.

I am checking if it works in reality.
Officialy, the exceptions are flights in Y on the routes DXB-KWI, DXB-BAH, DXB-DOH, DXB-MCT, DXB-RUH, DXB-DMM.

Now see if EK confirms the KSML.

Double-checked, KSML confirmed, it works. Even for the list of omitted destinations.

Pretty much yes. See my answer in another forum:

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/11910800-post7.html

Good to know!! Now, since they're codesharing with CO is ending, I'm going to be hardpressed to fly them. Unless they team up with LY anytime soon :D

Good to know!! Now, since they're codesharing with CO is ending, I'm going to be hardpressed to fly them. Unless they team up with LY anytime soon :D

Where are you planning to go that forces you to fly EK?

Where are you planning to go that forces you to fly EK?

I flew EK AKL-SYD they CXed the SYD-AKL flight and put us on QF. They were the cheapest by far and more important we wanted to fly on the A380, this was 8/09 so not many choices to do that

If it wasnt for the Arabic words on the screens and in a couple of other places , I wouldnt have known it was an EK flight as the crew are many Europeans and not 1 from any MidEast Country

I had called EKs 800# and ordered KSML but there was no record of it, since I doubted Id ever be on another EK flight I didnt pursue it for any comensation, miles went to CO