yyznomad

Was the infant meal like mush... basically baby food?

jasdou

Two pots of Heinz baby food such as strained bananas or carrots and some fruits if I remember correctly. One FA told me she liked it when parents did not want the tray as she liked eating these strained fruits as snacks!

yyznomad

I'll order the infant meal next time (can I even?). I'll let the FA have the solids. I'll have the baby food. Nom nom nom.

global happy traveller

escherfan

Hi Longtimeflyin, I was wondering how the CHML is in J. What were you served, was it edible? We never ordered CHML for our 7-year old. But, I want to figure out if CHML would be safer for our YVR-TPE and HND-YYZ flights. Thanks in advance!

yyznomad

@escherfan
Um, I think someone else will have to answer this for you.

Chowtime

Thanks 24left. I went through the hundreds of posts on this.I'm sure this would have changed by now but I think I'll stick with the regular menu for them. If all else fails, I'll order something from the BOB for them like the mac and cheese

yyznomad

Hopefully it's not consistently frozen. Then infant (and myself) wouldn't be able to eat it.

*ting* *ting*

svirac

Hi all,

My wife and I are flying AMS-YYZ on Air Canada in May 2019 in J on the way home from a vacation. We both are sensitive to dairy, but not a full blown allergy, and have requested NLML meals. I usually don't request these, as I'm usually traveling for business which mean last minute bookings and last minute upgrades, so I rarely get enough advance warning to request NLML. Hence, I just try and order things that seem to be dairy-free or dairy-light, and skip/scrape off things like cheese, creams, sauces, etc. I've been reasonably happy with that approach, mostly for lack of options, and have only dealt with mild discomfort a couple times.
Now that I have the opportunity to actually request a special meal, I'm not sure I want to proceed, as some previous threads bash the NLML meal as being pretty lousy and bland.

So, how bad is the NLML meal - am I going to be disappointed? Should I just do what I've been doing (if it ain't broke don't fix it)? If it's a decent meal, my gut will thank me - just looking for an honest opinion here - is the NLML meal in the same ballpark as regular in terms of quality, flavour, etc?
Thanks for your input!

PS - any experiences with NLML on OZ and TK are appreciated as well!!

24left

yyznomad

At first, I read that as "VOMIT".

24left

Just like others here, I have not had much success in recent years with AC SPMLs. Either they aren't boarded or what I ordered isn't delivered (food doesn't match the card on the tray), or the food isn't just awful and not edible (who remembers those of us who posted photos of that gross tofu scramble pretending to be eggs?).

BTW, on AC international flights between 2004-2012, the SPMLs I ordered were just fantastic - and those were all while flying in Y.

That said......

For this recent HKG trip, I had VOML. As you can see from the card provided on the tray, the description is VEGETARIAN ORIENTAL.

I choose VOML when flying CX and BR on a variety of long-haul and regional routes including ex-YYZ. Most recently, there was a fantastic meal on BR HKG-TPE. ( My BR FT post and photos here https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/30531500-post7.html )


AC 15 YYZ-HKG December 2018





Main meal after departure

As I noted when I posted upthread while onboard the flight "It was excellent. Seems to have be Asian Vegetarian....rice, tofu, veggies and a great spicy sauce, like a curry"

It did not taste like curry, but leaning more towards a spicy sauce. Excellent flavours and I actually really liked this meal.




Ah yes, mid-flight snack time.




This is the snack that is part of the VOML.

i did not eat the wrap. Didn't like the contents.

Salad was fresh and perfect and I really liked the apple slices and caramel dipping sauce.




Pre-rrival meal.

This is where it gets interesting.

First, I am happy to report the fruit that came with this meal was not frozen.

I did not eat the pre-packaged multi-grain roll or the other items on the plate. FA offered me a muffin.




Now this was where AC's catering partner took "creative license" with what is supposed to be a VOML - Vegetarian Oriental.

This is a curry lentil dish. Curry meals are in the Asian Vegetarian SPML.

So, either AC catering eicded to do what they often do, put a meal type from one SPML on another SPML.

I left it on the tray.





This is where we were at the time the meal was served.

24left

Further to my post just above of my Vegetarian Oriental Meals on AC 15, here is

AC 8 HKG-YVR December 2018

I've had the same meal on a previous AC 8, in May IIRC. It was quite nice then and now. A little much with the mushrooms everywhere but the veggies were great.

This was also my first AC 8 on the B789 so a toast was in order , especially with the cool light from the windows. (and for those who notice, yes, the wrong glass was used, lol)





Yes, mushroom overload. I skipped most of them but the veggies etc were nice and my only comment is I really need to carry my own Sambal Sauce for these dishes.




Fantastic salad, fresh, crisp and not bitter like the salads ex-YYZ/YVR




Excellent and since I know you're wondering, not frozen.




These were on the tray with the sound meal. I love the "appetizer" on the plate. It almost looks like a pesto pasta but in fact is more like cucumber or some other vegetable with a nice dressing.




This was the other hot meal. Yes, more mushrooms but tasty if a bit bland. Could have used Sambal or even Sriracha.

24left

AC 126 YVR-YYZ red-eye - December 2018

Part 1 - The Frozen Fruit

Photo posted in the Frozen Fruit thread

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/30676373-post62.html


Part 2 - The Hot meal

The FAs couldn't find whatever was supposed to be the other part of the meal. Crew seemed a bit disorganized and unfamiliar on this flight.

Galley FA then found an omelette and removed the meat. She said many pax were sleeping so there were some extra meals.

This was tasty and looked different than the breakfast hot meal usually served on trancons, so I have no idea where it came from.

24left

AC 15 YYZ-HKG January 2019

This was truly awful.

If you look upthread at post 477 on Dec 13, I also ordered VOML for that AC 15.

I would ask AC why the meals are not the same. Not only was there less of it compared to Dec 13, but all of the hot portions were gross something smothered in curry.

Here's the thing: VOML = Vegetarian Oriental
It does not meal Asian Vegetarian or any other vegetarian.

When one orders a VOML meal on CX or BR, for e.g., one gets a meal that is more Chinese in type/style, not Indian with curry.

I found out that AC and its catering supplier "standardize" the vegetarian meals.


Can we guess if this appetizer cost 50 cents? Corn niblets are a giveaway, a couple of olive halves and what looks like one baby potato cut in slices. Also, I am not the only one who is not a fan of bread etc in cellophane. And it certainly didn't feel fresh.

NOTE: I am posting this so anyone who wanders buy this thread can see that there is no consistency even with the same special meals but also, you may or may not get something edible.

As a comparison, this was my VOML on CX

https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28230151-post24.html





This was tasteless and nothing like the December hot meal.




This was the mid-flight snack.

Unlike in December, where the mid-flight snack for the VOML had a really nice salad, apple slices and the wrap sandwich. this is all there was on this flight.

Also, as you can see, the wrap is a standardized item used for a few of the different vegetarian meals. It had quinoa and or couscous so I did't eat it.




Pre-arrival meal

The cellophane bread roll returns.




The fruit was nice and the strawberries were fine but as usual, the cantaloupe was not ripe, just like on AC's morning Healthy Breakfasts.




This was gross and had no taste. More curry and some weird mush. The crew and I could not tell if it was crumbled tofu or something else.