zippy the pinhead

Mrs. Zippy will be flying out of LAX in business class in the spring of 2019. If anyone has current pictures of the grub in Asiana J out of LAX, please post them here. Anyone know who provides their catering out of LAX?

nme7

jon503

Not quite relevant to the LAX question, but I just returned from ICN-HND in OZ J and returning HND-GMP in NH Y. The food still is not fixed, I had an ok steak with way too much salty gravy, some mushy mashed potatoes and a few vegetables. The only decent part was the blueberry cheesecake (I'm usually not one for dessert on planes, but this was actually surprisingly alright). The experience was topped off with an ancient A321 with seats with manual buttons and a foot rest that didn't work. On the return on NH, I got treated to a 787, good food and good IFE, I even almost made it through a movie on the short flight. NH Y beat OZ J hands down. I'm kind of irritated having used miles, but had it been a paid fare I would have been really PO.

I know OZ are chronically cash strapped and don't have enough planes to swap out interiors without affecting their scheduling, but if they want to stay competitive long-term, OZ can't afford to let themselves slip this much.

ethelman

Flew ICN to LHR on 26 Oct. Menu was that shown on 12 Oct by 1984SW. Crew were a little embarrassed by what was offered. How on earth do you equate scrambled egg as the landing meal with a flight that lands either at 18:50 local time or 02:50 ICN time? (By contrast the LHR-ICN leg offered semi dinner as prelanding meal, on the basis that it's about 5 pm local time and breakfast wouldn't be right.
I've staunchly supported OZ for 20 years, but unless this changes I'll go with KE next time.
Interestingly the onward flight to NRT on way out was completely up to standard

MW147

Here is the menu from OZ222 ICN-JFK last Friday, November 2. A bit sparse but the food actually was not bad.

truncated

And here was the menu from OZ222 about a year ago:




Looks like with the exception of the Western entree choices (which is still a pretty significant omission — although what passed for eggs benedict at breakfast was pretty dismal back then) and breakfast breads we're basically back to where we started...

jon503

Interesting similarities, though that "chicken breast sous vide" was the main offender when I had that exact same menu recently. Also, I had steak before a few years ago and had it again recently and the execution suffered a lot (also, it used to not be covered in gravy that was pure salt).

zippy the pinhead

Thanks so much for that! Upthread I added the menus from the last day of LSG Catering (6/30/2018). Previously I had overlooked them.

Scott in LA

And the mid-flight refreshments, too, or are they just not shown on the menu anymore?

nme7

Some photos from October 17th flight ICN-LAX, catering by Gate Gourmet Korea.
Same menu as ICN-JFK flight. Now without instructions on how to eat Ssambap!






Ginseng, Pear & Date Roulade



Shrimp and Vegetable with Pinenut Dressing



White Yam Porridge



Ssambap. The presentation is nice, but I think the food is more or less the same as in economy.



The beef was excellent.



2nd meal: Abalone Porridge

MW147

I was sleeping at that time but so far as I know there was nothing offered mid flight.

nme7

The old menu mentioned the snacks available between the meals. The new menu does not mention it at all. I do recall seeing other passengers getting a hot bowl of ramen somewhere in the middle of the flight. So I know it is still available, just probably not listed on the menu. They did reduce the menu from a multi page booklet to a single page, one side English and the other side Korean.

ethelman

I've always advocated OZ for flights to Asia, even getting my colleagues at work to fly LHR to Shanghai, Tokyo, Beijing , as well as SEL,using them. It may be that they're out of money but they've lost my vote not because of the menu itself but because they maintain the catering is now solved. Either it's not - and food TO ICN is fine, which suggests a problem at ICN- or it IS solved, in which case the solution is economy food for C pax. Either way my next flight will be with KE.

Scott in LA

Flew OZ204 ICN-LAX on 11/28. Exact same menu as nme7 posted, except that the "Sous Vide Lobster Tail Salad" appetizer has been replaced by a "Shrimp Salad".

warrenw

It's still available even through the catering snafu - Ask anytime and they'll bring the ramen.