What's going on with CX food in J?
#16
Join Date: Oct 2012
Programs: CX - DM; Hilton - Diamond, Marriott - Titanium
Posts: 542
Actually I disagree. I flew AA (LHR-JFK) a few times in J the past 2 years, their F&B is actually much better than CX. Put the service and the FA's attitude aside, AA meals were generously portioned, better presented and of a much better quality (I am talking about western main course choices here). The wine on offer were also better in my view.
Anyways, most pax would agree F&B isn't a strength of CX.
Anyways, most pax would agree F&B isn't a strength of CX.
#17
Join Date: Dec 2004
Posts: 5,624
ha, spot on.
fwiw, those bahn mi are usually for ex-HKG crews doing turnarounds. the ground staff do the same for turnaround crews with cheese bread in Manila and coffee breakfast pastries in Jakarta.
and yes, ditto i'd way rather CX cater with the street food than a lot of the nonsense they serve in J. But hey, at least where CX fails with taste at least they make up with high-brow sounding food vocabulary words I never knew:
for example, while I likely won't get a good tasting meal, at least now I know what are "medlar seeds", enjoyed "mustard butter", know the English translation for 木耳 ("wood ear mushroom"), tried delicate dishes from the sea ("ling cod fish", "diced fish julienne", yum), savored "braised five spice beef shin" and "spicy four season beans", and I even learned that parsley could be used as a verb ("parsleyed new potatoes"......what the %%#@?!). CX never misses a chance to describe in extreme, lengthy detail practically every morsel I'm eating in J class. And here I was all along thinking I was mainly eating an unidentifiable protein with some slop sauce....
fwiw, those bahn mi are usually for ex-HKG crews doing turnarounds. the ground staff do the same for turnaround crews with cheese bread in Manila and coffee breakfast pastries in Jakarta.
and yes, ditto i'd way rather CX cater with the street food than a lot of the nonsense they serve in J. But hey, at least where CX fails with taste at least they make up with high-brow sounding food vocabulary words I never knew:
for example, while I likely won't get a good tasting meal, at least now I know what are "medlar seeds", enjoyed "mustard butter", know the English translation for 木耳 ("wood ear mushroom"), tried delicate dishes from the sea ("ling cod fish", "diced fish julienne", yum), savored "braised five spice beef shin" and "spicy four season beans", and I even learned that parsley could be used as a verb ("parsleyed new potatoes"......what the %%#@?!). CX never misses a chance to describe in extreme, lengthy detail practically every morsel I'm eating in J class. And here I was all along thinking I was mainly eating an unidentifiable protein with some slop sauce....
#18
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Singapore
Programs: OWP, *G, IHG Spire, HH Diam., McD FF Plat.
Posts: 32
@Jane's Addiction
HKG-SFO - dessert on tray "seasonal berries with ginger syrup"; no cheese cart, rather a cheese plate if requested. Not proactively offered. Quality of cheese poor too.
@Orbitmic
No nuts in any form (bowl, packet etc) on any on three sectors (inc. BKK-HKG and HKG-SFO)
@HKGlobalTrotter
Agree. My experience: CX main meal in '14 May > AA in Aug > BA in Dec > CX in Jan '15. All J long haul. Never thought I would say that AA and BA had a better main meal than CX. I would note that CX breakfast > BA breakfast, which was terrible. QR trumps all of them, by far the best food of 2014 for me.
I'm more sad than anything else. I really considered CX to be one of the good guys. On to QR I guess....
HKG-SFO - dessert on tray "seasonal berries with ginger syrup"; no cheese cart, rather a cheese plate if requested. Not proactively offered. Quality of cheese poor too.
@Orbitmic
No nuts in any form (bowl, packet etc) on any on three sectors (inc. BKK-HKG and HKG-SFO)
@HKGlobalTrotter
Agree. My experience: CX main meal in '14 May > AA in Aug > BA in Dec > CX in Jan '15. All J long haul. Never thought I would say that AA and BA had a better main meal than CX. I would note that CX breakfast > BA breakfast, which was terrible. QR trumps all of them, by far the best food of 2014 for me.
I'm more sad than anything else. I really considered CX to be one of the good guys. On to QR I guess....
#19
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
Programs: AF/KL Life Plat, BA GGL+GfL, ALL Plat, Hilton Diam, Marriott Gold, blablablah, etc
Posts: 30,348
Actually I disagree. I flew AA (LHR-JFK) a few times in J the past 2 years, their F&B is actually much better than CX. Put the service and the FA's attitude aside, AA meals were generously portioned, better presented and of a much better quality (I am talking about western main course choices here). The wine on offer were also better in my view.
@SeeBuyFly, Cantonese food indeed seems to include a lot of "double boiled" and "braised" (the other semi-permanent feature of CX dishes! )
#20
Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX DM
Posts: 1,140
Vintage Port -> 20 year old tawny port -> 10 year old tawny port.
Oscietra caviar -> Calvisius Venise caviar.
Balik salmon -> nothing.
Wonder when the Krug will get downgraded...
Last edited by KACommuter; Jan 8, 2015 at 6:30 am
#21
Suspended
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 22
I kind of have that off as a fine art. I always get asked if I will eat & always reply no. They always ask to save some dishes for me.
Anyone who flies in business or first for the food is obviously doing so as as a one off. In this case you will nearly always be disappointed.
In general I have to say Cathay beat just about every airline I use for product,service & catering.
I am very lucky never to fly economic class but when I see people complain they are usually the ones who want everything on the menu, insist on watching every movie they can,press the call button too often
#22
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: NYC
Programs: Marriot Am, MU Pt
Posts: 3,092
I sent a complaint saying the regional J food looked like Y food dressed up.
I got a call back with an apology from CX and was told, yes it's exactly what it is, but they would forward my concerns to their catering department.
I got a call back with an apology from CX and was told, yes it's exactly what it is, but they would forward my concerns to their catering department.
#23
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX Diamond / SQ Gold / Bonvoy Platinum / Hyatt Globalist / Hilton Gold
Posts: 1,098
I flew 5 flights in J and 1 in F in the last 2 weeks. KIX x 2, HND x 2, TPE x 2.
The F flight was fine. No drop in standard there. Catering was ex-HND and so it was probably better than ex-HKG.
I agree that meals have gotten even worse than before. I had this really fatty pork - I could barely dissect out the meat and it was bathed in a slimy brown sauce. The dish was disgusting. Unfortunately they came to take my order in advance (as a DM) and so I didn't have a chance to view the selection in the cart coming down the aisle.
On another flight, it was a sweet and sour chicken. The chicken was fine - but the vegetables were so soggy and bathed in a huge tub of water. It was bad.
Cheese and desserts were wheeled down the aisle as before. They seem to be handing out ice cream instead of having real desserts - I guess this cuts costs too.
I have DM friends who now fly to Japan on ANA and the catering looks absolutely fabulous - and I'm told it tastes great too. Unfortunately ex-HKG tickets to HND on NH are too expensive for me (ex-TPE CX J class tickets are too good!)
The F flight was fine. No drop in standard there. Catering was ex-HND and so it was probably better than ex-HKG.
I agree that meals have gotten even worse than before. I had this really fatty pork - I could barely dissect out the meat and it was bathed in a slimy brown sauce. The dish was disgusting. Unfortunately they came to take my order in advance (as a DM) and so I didn't have a chance to view the selection in the cart coming down the aisle.
On another flight, it was a sweet and sour chicken. The chicken was fine - but the vegetables were so soggy and bathed in a huge tub of water. It was bad.
Cheese and desserts were wheeled down the aisle as before. They seem to be handing out ice cream instead of having real desserts - I guess this cuts costs too.
I have DM friends who now fly to Japan on ANA and the catering looks absolutely fabulous - and I'm told it tastes great too. Unfortunately ex-HKG tickets to HND on NH are too expensive for me (ex-TPE CX J class tickets are too good!)
#24
Join Date: May 2007
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 5,342
Seems like OP got the "supper" service that is standard on all late night (post-11pm) departures. I've flown CX872 (midnight departure HKG-SFO) in J twice over the past year, and both times observed similar service. Either a full meal with packaged breadsticks with savory dips as an "appetizer", choice of two entrees, seasonal berries for dessert, and optional cheese course; or a light meal with soup, salad, and berries. I personally think this two-tray service (initial tray with appetizer and dessert, followed by entree) is ideal for a departure time like this, barring the lame excuse for an appetizer. Remember that this is business class, and for business travelers, a good night's sleep is way more important than good food.
FWIW, flew CX724 (5pm departure KUL-HKG) yesterday and got a full dinner service with cheese/fruit cart before Haagen-Dazs for dessert. Took a full 1.5-2 hours for the meal service - sometimes I wish they would have an "express" option of sorts, similar to supper, for people who want to work/nap on those shorter flights!
FWIW, flew CX724 (5pm departure KUL-HKG) yesterday and got a full dinner service with cheese/fruit cart before Haagen-Dazs for dessert. Took a full 1.5-2 hours for the meal service - sometimes I wish they would have an "express" option of sorts, similar to supper, for people who want to work/nap on those shorter flights!
#25
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: Singapore
Programs: OWP, *G, IHG Spire, HH Diam., McD FF Plat.
Posts: 32
@jumbojet19920711
Supper service for a 1am departure makes sense and I can accept fewer choices & smaller portions. But that can't excuse the poor quality of what was offered. The appetizer was beyond lame, the Chicken Pot Pie tasted terrible and the cheese strangely tasteless.
I took HKG-SFO via a connecting flight from BKK and the poor quality food on the BKK-HKG sector meant that I was pretty hungry when I boarded for SFO. The BKK-HKG flight was delayed so I had no time to have a proper dinner in the lounge.
I've taken these exact sectors before and I don't remember the food being this bad.
Supper service for a 1am departure makes sense and I can accept fewer choices & smaller portions. But that can't excuse the poor quality of what was offered. The appetizer was beyond lame, the Chicken Pot Pie tasted terrible and the cheese strangely tasteless.
I took HKG-SFO via a connecting flight from BKK and the poor quality food on the BKK-HKG sector meant that I was pretty hungry when I boarded for SFO. The BKK-HKG flight was delayed so I had no time to have a proper dinner in the lounge.
I've taken these exact sectors before and I don't remember the food being this bad.
#26
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: EWR
Programs: CX Green | UA Silver | Marriott Lifetime Platinum | Hyatt Globalist | Hilton Gold | AA EXP
Posts: 813
CX still serves warm cashew nuts in little bowls and a separate cheese and fruit service off the trolley before dessert. If you did not have those things on your transpacific, I suspect that there might have been a problem with your specific flight and would suggest writing to complain.
And what dessert? Those been disappearing from most of the regional/mid-haul flights I took in Nov/Dec. At one point, I even asked FA what happened to the cheesecake which was served the month before on the same route. She smiled and somewhat apologetically said "now we have cheesecake flavoured ice cream" Uh huh ...
#27
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Scottsdale
Posts: 2,949
Whaaat, no more Balik salmon in F?
Really?
#28
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: HKG
Posts: 1,497
I got cheese from a trolley as well as fruits a few days ago on YYZ-HKG. CMB-HKG was on request - I suppose that was a short flight and they wanted us to get more time to sleep during the short red-eye.
#29
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
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Posts: 30,348
#30
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Boston, Jo'burg, HK
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Lifetime Diamond, CX Gold, Mrs. Pickles travels for free
Posts: 13,131
It's been years since I've willingly eaten CX food in any class. The only exception is the breakfast congee served on the long hauls in J and F. I actually like that quite a bit.
Mind you, it's fine for airplane food, but it's still airplane food.
Mind you, it's fine for airplane food, but it's still airplane food.