DiningBuzz! - Do any airlines do made-to-order food on board?

Do any airlines actually make food to order on board?

I am not counting putting nuts on a sunday, but cracking an egg or other actual cooking instead of reheating.

Do any airlines actually make food to order on board?

I am not counting putting nuts on a sunday, but cracking an egg or other actual cooking instead of reheating.

SQ does that in F.. They have egg selections for breakfast cook to order on your style of choosing.. :)

what sort of stove do they have?

what sort of stove do they have?

I think they use ovens... At least that's what they said to me. :)

CX has a rice cooker and an electric fry pan in F. It has to be airplane safety certified, so that is a $1000 fry pan :) Most airlines don't do this, even in F, for that reason (along with the time burden upon FAs, but CX staffs at a 4:1 pax to FA ratio.

On NZ's new 773's they have "Induction ovens" fitted.... and they serve food I haven't seen elsewhere....

is it a hot plate or do they have some sort of stove?

CX has a rice cooker and an electric fry pan in F. It has to be airplane safety certified, so that is a $1000 fry pan :) Most airlines don't do this, even in F, for that reason (along with the time burden upon FAs, but CX staffs at a 4:1 pax to FA ratio.

Gulf Air has an actual Chef onboard its new hybrid First/Business class who actually can customize your meal onboard. What equipment they have and use, no idea. All I know is that it was some of the best food in the air.

On my TK F flight a few months back, we had a chef on board. So yes!

I've always wanted to try Austrian Airlines, as I'm in the hospitality industry, and have heard many good things about them. Only thing is they are *A based and I tend to use OW based airlines.

They have chefs on board for the long haul international flights. Here is an article I found about OS:
Airways Magazine - Austrian Airlines Chef on Board (http://www.airwaysmag.com/channels.html?article_id=168&channel_id=4)

I believe QANTAS does (do) have a panini press on their A380 and 747 aircraft. Thus far QANTAS has been the best 'foodie' experience in "F" that I have had in my lifetime of flying.

On my TK F flight a few months back, we had a chef on board. So yes!

I am not sure that's a chef; isn't it just a flight attendant in a chef's uniform? :p I couldn't tell what actual cooking duties he was performing.

CX has a rice cooker and an electric fry pan in F. It has to be airplane safety certified, so that is a $1000 fry pan :) Most airlines don't do this, even in F, for that reason (along with the time burden upon FAs, but CX staffs at a 4:1 pax to FA ratio.

The CX rice cooker was very helpful one time. I was traveling from HKG to SFO, and my (vegetarian) meal preference wasn't in their system. And they didn't have any extras. So they cooked rice for me, and had a can of gravy + vegetables, which they cooked up and served with the rice. True cooking on board (as it was not on the menu) ^

A long long time ago, TG used to advertise cooked-to-order eggs in their premium (first?) class product.

I am not sure that's a chef; isn't it just a flight attendant in a chef's uniform? :p I couldn't tell what actual cooking duties he was performing.

I am sure all these "chefs" who work for TK, OS and presumably GF all are graduates of some culinary school/training programme and are there to make the meals presentable (assuming it all isn't casseroled), maybe even control reheating and the temperature the food is served at. Can't imagine there's enough room in a galley to do anything more.

CX has a rice cooker

Must be a pressurised rice cooker. I can't imagine trying to make water boil at an equivalent of 8,000' ASL to make rice. It takes a lot longer as water boils around 94C at that altitude.

Must be a pressurised rice cooker. I can't imagine trying to make water boil at an equivalent of 8,000' ASL to make rice. It takes a lot longer as water boils around 94C at that altitude.

Be it as it may, it makes darn tasty rice up there!!

There was an onboard chef for Business class pax on my bmi flights between England and Las Vegas. It was the same chef for both flights and he was attentive and very charming.

These were probably the best meals I've had on an airline. The kedgeree was particularly memorable and much nicer than the same dish served at London's The Ivy.

http://www.flybmi.com/bmi/en-gb/the-experience/business-class/onboard-chef.aspx

Must be a pressurised rice cooker. I can't imagine trying to make water boil at an equivalent of 8,000' ASL to make rice. It takes a lot longer as water boils around 94C at that altitude.

It actually boils faster, since less energy is required to reach 94c than 100c...

is it a hot plate or do they have some sort of stove?It is just like the electric fry pans that you can buy for home use (no stove).

Must be a pressurised rice cooker. I can't imagine trying to make water boil at an equivalent of 8,000' ASL to make rice. It takes a lot longer as water boils around 94C at that altitude.Yes, I remember that it is pressurized, but can't be used as a pressure cooker for cooking anything else. CX has a dozen neat gadgets in their galley (e.g. for soup) as well as some interesting serving pieces (like the chinese tea pots).

One impediment to having a chef on board is that no chef's knives are allowed :) Bit hard to cook without any way to chop or do serious knife work. So even on the airlines that claim to have a chef, he/she is just using pre-prepped ingredients and assembling them. Safety prevents open flames and things that can fly around in turbulence -- hence the complexity and cost of simple things like a frypan! But astonishingly good food can be prepared in an airplane galley, though it is rarely demonstrated. Even AA can put out a great steak using their ovens -- it just takes skill on the part of the FA.

Taken from the article I posted:

For breakfast, the omelette with cottage cheese merely was heated, but he had to cook the sunnyside-up eggs to order, no easy task in a convection oven. Most airplanes have convection ovens in them, but some airlines are upgrading to Combi Ovens (Combination Convection and Steam)

The article also mentions that Do & Co are the caterer, and the chefs train in their kitchens. Another article I found states that besides Austrian Air, the same chefs (from Do & Co) are the onboard chefs for some of the BMI international flights as well as some of Turkish Air flights.

I don't know about anyhting else, but the best food items I've ever had on a plane (with the exception of the CX F freshly made eggs) have been cold items.

we flew a few times on AZ in magnifica class(biz). the food was served "family style". i presumed it was prepared on the plane. cooking pasta is probably a problem as the hot water is at a low temp. perhaps they use some form of low pressure pressure cookers to get the water to over 100C.

wines were also served family style, with an extremely large selection.

this is nothing new in F, and tech is just getting better/cheaper...

heck, back in the "golden age" ill bet even more cooking was done onboard??

pretty sure ive seen full kitchens on private jets.

OZ used to have Sushi chef onboard on selected flights.
Not sure if they still do, though.

...pretty sure ive seen full kitchens on private jets.Air Force One has 2 restaurant style kitchens (and 5 chefs); the private A380 currently being built has a considerably more lavish kitchen (and interior). There was even a National Geographic special which showed the AF1 interior including kitchen, so I'm pretty sure you have seen full kitchens on private jets :)

Prior to the invention of airline catering (and the ground food prep infrastructure), of course all food was prepared on board. And in the modern era several crashes were due to food preparation done mid-air; hence the current fairly strict regulations, to prevent an onboard fire. All heat sources have to be rigorously contained even during unexpected turbulence.

I am not sure that's a chef; isn't it just a flight attendant in a chef's uniform? :p I couldn't tell what actual cooking duties he was performing.The TK "Flying Chef" is actually an employee from the catering company (Do&Co).

they are emplyees of Do & Co. You can choose your mail dishes or eggs for your breakfast.

pretty sure ive seen full kitchens on private jets.

like this one: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Netwz78JR-I

The best omelet that I've ever had that I didn't make myself was on SQ in F... lobster omelet... it was ridiculously good and decadent.

they are emplyees of Do & Co. You can choose your mail dishes or eggs for your breakfast.

I just experienced the DO & CO "chefs" on OS. The food was really nothing special. They did have "sunny side up" eggs listed on the breakfast menu, though I slept through it. Does the guy really have a skillet back there preparing these?? I guess if what they serve is truly what we think of by sunny-side-up, then there isn't much alternative.

I suppose I should have tried; I doubt that I would take OS long-haul C again given the choice.

Prior to the invention of airline catering (and the ground food prep infrastructure), of course all food was prepared on board. And in the modern era several crashes were due to food preparation done mid-air; hence the current fairly strict regulations, to prevent an onboard fire. All heat sources have to be rigorously contained even during unexpected turbulence.
that was basically my line of thinking, thanks for confirmation ^