Since last summer I've been regularly taking CLT-LHR.
I ride coach in the very nice A330. Usually the red eye to LHR and a 9AM return.
Every flight, the meal service is simply a question of "chicken or pasta."
Every flight, I have gently asked... "do you by chance know what kind of chicken or pasta?"
Only once has an attendant known and given me a response with a smile. More often then not they don't know (and won't check), and more than once I have been given a snarky or downright rude response (today's was ... it's chicken or pasta. it's airline food).
Have I just been unlucky? Or am I wrong to slow their meal distribution by asking. ( though to be honest, given this phenomenon, I now can't help myself but to ask
)