Melville

Had the signature BBQ chicken and liked it! Overall, on a bed of brown rice and grilled corn niblets the entre was delicious. Of course, the chocolate fondant pie on praline crust is my favourite dessert - melt in your mouth decadence.

tomvancouver

[moving on from nuts...]

After several trans-Atlantic flights on both LH and AC in the last month, one difference I've noticed is that the rolls served on LH are really nice. Warm, soft, and taste like they've been properly baked. Ac's on the other hand seem to be warm, but hard . Possibly fully cooked before being reheated in the oven?

[sent from over Greenland, at 10,000m and 860kph on LH, with fast relatively inexpensive internet from t-mobile]

SparseFlyer

You know what, that is possibly it.

This is why many restaurants that outsource bread purchases will by 3/4 cooked baguettes.

When I used to buy baguettes the boulangerie for fresh bread, I would also buy 3/4 cooked breads. This way, you can finish cooking them in the oven in just a few minutes, and they come at as if they were freshly made.

They also preserve very well in the freezer this way (as 3/4 cooked).

I don't know if a plane oven could finish cooking them off though, nor if the food supplier would want to risk its reputation by trusting the cooking process to the crew.

24left

Warm Nut Update

AC 15 and 16 in the past week: Only cashews. AC 15 and 16 in late December - at least a couple of almonds still making an appearance.


Meal Updates

I have the photos, but never posted my review of the meals on my AC 15 and 16 in late December. The meals were awful. Given the excellent experience I had with the sablefish on AC 3 in November, I thought sure, why not. Let's just say, I took one bite and left the rest of the dish. Pax seated nearby sent theirs back and asked for another choice. One guy said the stir fried pork tasted like food-court food.

I spoke with the SD and galley crew, showed them my November photos and asked if it's possible that the prep time and temp might need to be different on the 77 than on the 788 because no way should the fish be undercooked or taste that bad.

On the return AC 16 in December, someone took a perfectly nice piece of salmon and drowned it in a horrid red sauce. (This person might be a close relative of the person who drowned my perfect grilled salmon with the entire packet of green dried herbs on AC 4 in November).


Other Changes

Just did round two of AC 15 and 16.

I would call this adventure "Cheapening the Food". And yes, apologies to those of you who are offended by any of us who have less than a glorious review. For the price we pay for those J seats, I'm quite sure we are entitled to our opinions.

For my recent AC 15, I called the AC phone agent about 6 days prior to my departure to request the Vegetarian lacto-ovo. Well, the meal delivered was pure vegetarian completely lacking in the eggs or cheese that had always come with it. The card said VLML, but the meal contents were definitely VGML. So, either the caterer no longer supplies VLML or someone made a mistake. The scariest thing ever was that main dish for breakfast: that shredded tofu-thing made to look like scrambled eggs.

Yes, I have photos of all of this.

Second meal no longer a meal but now a "brunch"

On the December AC 15, there were 4 choices for the second meal.

The recent AC 15 was now down to 3 choices, that extremely tiresome parsley omelette, a congee and a sliced beef chow mein.


So yes people, FWP. But I paid for those seats and no to the one of you who keeps asking, I was not an upgrade on any of them.

gabdusch

DINNER

APPETIZER
H Smoked Ontario duck breast, Waldorf salad, mustard apple purée

SALAD
* Mixed greens and grape tomatoes served with vinaigrette

MAIN COURSES
Each meal is served with a selection of warm breads.

Grilled AAA beef tenderloin with Cabernet peppercorn sauce served with Yukon Gold mashed potato and asparagus

H Grilled chicken, charred scallion barbeque sauce, brown rice, corn, crispy shallot

* Roasted cod loin accompanied by a lemon thyme butter, Golden Jewel Blend grain medley and balsamic roasted vegetables

Penne pasta offered with Alfredo sauce, kale, roasted cauliflower and sun-dried tomatoes

SELECTION OF CHEESE AND DESSERTS
Oka, Camembert and medium Cheddar served with grapes and crackers

H Dark chocolate fondant with hazelnut praline and cranberry orange compote

* Fresh seasonal fruit

BREAKFAST

Please note that breakfast will be served approximately 75 minutes prior to arrival. Please let us know if you prefer to eat at an earlier time. Simply fill out the breakfast order card provided and return it to your flight attendant.


H Hawksworth Signature Dish
* Air Canada NutriCuisine

Menu Code : 7NJHM9EGP-NJMSNR5-NJHCHBALA

---

Breakfast card choices

• Sliced seasonal fruit
• Yogurt
• Croissant
• Blueberry muffin
• Bread
• Muslix almond raisin
• Oatmeal
• Parsley omelette accompanied by chicken sausage, cottage cheese, roasted red skin potatoes, and red pepper relish

AAerSTL

Dinner Service:

Appetizer: Smoked Ontario duck breast, Waldorf salad, mustard apple puree

Main Course-Each meal is served with a selection of warm breads
*Grilled AA beef tenderloin with Cabernet peppercorn sauce served with Yukon Gold mashed potato and asparagus
*Grilled chicken, charred scallion barbecue sauce, brown rice, corn, crispy shallot [Hawksworth]
*Roasted cod loin accompanied by a lemon thyme butter, Golden Jewel Blend grain medley and balsamic roasted vegetables
*Penne pasta offered with Alfredo sauce, ale, roasted cauliflower, and sun-dried tomatoes

Selection of Cheese and Deserts:
Oka, Camembert, and medium Cheddar served with crackers
Dark chocolate fondant with hazelnut praline and cranberry orange compote [Hawksworth]
Fresh Season Fruit


At Your Leisure/Mid-Flight Snack [I did not partake]"
Chicken wrap and mixed green salad with red and yellow peppers served with vinaigrette


Breakfast Service:

Fresh Orange Juice
Fresh Seasonal Fruit
Yogurt
Croissants and blueberry muffins with butters and preserves

*Parsley omelette accompanied by cottage cheese, red pepper relish, roasted red skin potatoes, and chicken sausage
*Pancakes with maple butter, cran-apple compote and chicken sausage


Overall good flight, serve took just under two hours and the new(er) seat is great. By far best option into Israel, period. The chicken was a bit overdone but it was an interesting combination. Not sure what is Canadian/Ontario driven about it, seems more like a Southwest/TexMex flavor to me.

AAerSTL

Lunch Service:

Appetizer: Gravlax with orange wedges and honey mustard sauce

Salad: Mixed greens with celery, radish and cherry tomato served with balsamic vinaigrette


Main Course-Each meal is served with a selection of warm breads
*Mushroom-crusted beef tenderloin complemented by truffle sauce, potato wedges, roasted red pepper, carrot and green zucchini
*Roasted Chicken breast filled with pistachio and herbs served with red wine sauce, risotto, asparagus, carrots, zucchini and mixed peppers
*Grilled sea bass fillet with herbed tomato salsa, couscous and lentil mix and broccoli florets
*Eggplant filled pasta with cherry tomato confit and herb pesto with vegetable peperonata and Parmesan

Selection of Cheese and Desserts:
Camembert, Emmental, and red wine cheese served with crackers
Pear and pineapple pistachio tart
Fresh seasonal fruit

At Your Leisure/Mid-Flight Snacks
*Mixed vegetable salad with mixed peppers, celery, black olive, and cherry tomato served with balsamic vinaigrette
*Goat cheese and roasted red pepper tart, Turkish cheese burek and spinach and eggplant pastry

Light Meal/Afternoon snack
Fresh Seasonal Fruit
Chocolate

Roasted herbed chicken breast presented with balsamic sauce, garlic mashed potatoes, edamame and red pepper medley
Roasted salmon fillet finished with tomato and fennel sauce, saffron risotto and sauteed red peppers

GJS - yow

I quite liked the signature chicken dish. But it isn't even close to the sablefish served last fall.

On my flight (YYZ-TLV) they ran out of the best of the red wines (French - I don't recall the exact wine) after my first glass. The flight attendant apologized, saying they had only catered two bottles for the flight.

Melville

The sablefish trumps the chicken. The chicken was a nice selection, nevertheless, just not at the lofty level of the first signature dish.

Hoping the sablefish makes a comeback at some point.

The Lev

Flew back from Europe today - rest of family via CDG, where I was delgihted to hear that Foie Gras is back on the menu, though they complained bitterly about the second "snack", which was awful and served 10 minutes before descent.

I had two variations of Cod to and from Europe - both were surprisingly good, though not big meals by any stretch of the imagination. The "wild rice" on the flight from ZRH was actually white rice with a few wild rice gains mixed in for colouring.

Hello again

We may have been on the same flight if you left on the 19th. I had the cod and it was good but like the Lev said the rice just had a few kernels of basmati in it. And you are correct about the breakfast choices.

Hello again

Sablefish trumps the cod as well.

SparseFlyer

Confirmed. CDG-YUL "snack" is just horrible.

I'd rather have breakfast like YUL-CDG instead, and if you know about my experiences with flying and breakfasts, that means a lot.

expert7700

Flew YYZ-DXB last Friday (which arrives at 7pm). The 2nd meal (pre-arrival) was an omelette, pancakes, or Chicken Strofanoff.

Nobody in J wanted breakfast at that hour. The Service Director stated there were only two Chicken Strofanoff meals catered, and they went to the SE MM'ers.

The blueberry pancakes came with a glass bottle of real Maple Syrup.... labeled, patriotically, Product of Cana. ... wait, what? Product of USA!

Lllahim

Absolutely dead on. So, I will avoid repeating the details so well written by 24Left. What he (she) said about The Asian food offerings applies to the TATL. Here are my other beefs:
1. The plate is too small for the food they try to pack into it. That awful grilled chicken gravy flowed down into my shirt. Get a bigger plate and position the food at the center with significant room left around it.
2. That plating routine is not for me. Same food choice for 2, 2 different looks. Plating takes the heat off the food. The fish loin tasted much better/warmer on the domestic flight (unplated) than on International (plated).
3. Where have the prawns and smoked salmon gone? Can't stand that solid duck breast and processed meat in the appetizer plate.
4. Then there is that tray of processed cold meat offered as second (light) meal on day flights from Europe. Are you supposed to make a sandwich with it or what? There is no vegetable on the plate. Maybe, I am supposed to use the sliced fruit for the sandwich. That is if you can cut through that overcooked bread with the blunt knife.
5. What is this about chocolate cake? Flight in, flight out, it is chocolate cake in one form or another - with a chocolate garnish.
6. Will be nice if they spent more on the food than on adjectives in the Menu. They actually "cheapen" the menu.