Clipper801

No, they are not!

VOML = Vegetarian Oriental, supposed to be cooked Chinese style.

AVML = Asian, i.e., Indian.

I have ordered the VOML on AC twice, both times in Executive First. One time I got some stale steam brown rice with some dried cranberry, appricot and pine nuts sprinkled on top. It was terrible. The 2nd time was an egg salad sandwich. Well, both hardly oriental but the bread was fresh and moist.

mendy7511

For a domestic/transborder KSML, you can get a lot worse then that (eg.ex-YVR)!

margarita girl

I was told AVML may contain dairy while VOML will not. However I don't know if catering even understands the difference. I once received tortellini when I ordered VOML. I find most meals in both these categories are usually Indian in nature.

cdn1

I always try the MOML. Most recently tried the MOML on the AC flight LHR-YYZ.
It was way better than the regular food everyone else got, I caught a few neighbours peeking at my tray! Their plain mac'n'cheese looked ordinary.
The meat is usually just right, not to spicy. Plus some veggies and rice.
Plus you get salad, and fruit instead of sweet/sugary desert.

To date it has turned out well, on AC, OS, LH. In economy class though

jazzsax

I ordered the Gluten Intolerant meals for dinner on the YYC-YYZ route a few times end of June early july. Surprisingly it was quite tasty, and each meal was different ---- same salads and same fruit type dessert (was pinneaple, strawberry and something else), but the main was different each time, surprisingly edible.

I will say as soon as you order it, it confuses the heck out of the FA's most of the time as they don't often know what gluten intolerant means (some assume you can't be around anything --- hardcore intolerance), some have no idea what it means and start offering you bread/etc. Had to educate a few of the FA's on what it could mean.

I was trying a gluten free diet for a bit, but unless you're careful it's actually harder on your body due to the fact alot of the gluten free alternatives can be loaded with sugars (and not the good ones). Gave up and flipped back to good old moderation.

I'm dissapointed the last month I haven't had a single flight with the beef tenderloin catered. It's been nothing but pasta/chicken/fish.

jazzsax

And to make this relevant....

RIff raff aint riff raff until you spend some time with the real riff raff on a westjet flight! :P

EnvoyBoy

I eat a lot of meals on a lot of planes. It takes a great deal for me to take note of an airline meal, either for good or for bad. My take on AC has been it's always too dry, no matter what you order. I appreciate they want to serve a hot meal but I find their food to be more like sawdust. Unless you have red meat; then it's leather.

BUT, I just flew YYZ-CDG-YYZ and I have to say I was pleasantly surprised on both flights. Salmon on the way over and chicken on the way back. Both were moist and tasty. They weren't amazing meals by any stretch but an marked improvement over what I'd come to associate with AC food.

Hopefully this is a good sign.

Tedgrrrr

Out of all the special meals I've ordered (in the dozens), I've only ever received one because of misconnects. It was the most dreadful meal I had ever had. Kosher from FT Lauderdale. I heard that Kosher from LHR is amazing - does anyone have any experience with LHR Kosher? And, is Kosher an acquired taste? Or was my meal from Ft Lauderdale just inedible?

mendy7511

I would advise you to stay away from most kosher meals especially out of any US airport or YVR.
The only good one is from Hermolis in London. They also serve then ex HKG.

Tedgrrrr

Thanks, so going from LHR to YUL, Kosher is from Hermolis and therefore safe? I'm really scared now, but I did hear London ones were way better than regular meals?

mendy7511

Probably a safe bet, maybe someone who had actually flown the route can chime in. I haven't been to YUL in years.

sinalet

AVML ex-YVR (domestic/transborder) is actually pretty decent. I've been ordering it every other flight or so.

ACYYZ/SD

Acquired taste? Really? Kosher is more about preparation than about a cooking style. I'm sure Wikipedia will fill in all of the blanks and alleviate all fears.

And the Kosher officianados are correct - Hermolis meals are reputably the best.

yul36

The K meals in FRA are pretty good as well. The portions are slightly bigger in Y than the regular meal too. Sohar restaurant does the catering for LH, which also caters AC.

Spoonsie

My experience with the Gluten free has been horrendous and often contained gluten!

Funny thing is that AC food often makes me sicker than drinking foreign tap water!