Jan 12, 2024, 10:08 am
The vegan / vegetarian food thread
Sep 21, 2016, 2:52 am
#61
Join Date: Apr 2016
Programs: SK Gold, BA Gold
Posts: 180
Do you mean in the air or on the ground? In the air, I really don't know, although the meals I had in Economy on Turkish have been more imaginative than what I've been getting in Business on BA/AA.
On the ground? Not sure what it's like in other places, but we have a couple of really nice vegan fine dining restaurants in Berlin that are far beyond bland tofu, mushrooms, and raw fruit for dessert. The first airline to strike up a deal with one of them would risk having quite a bit of money thrown at it by me, but I suppose people who order vegan meals still don't make up a significant enough share of the market for that to be worth it.
Apparently Swiss is working with a vegetarian restaurant for its vegetarian/vegan meals, which sounds like a good start. Their vegan meals in short-haul J have been pretty similar to BA's offering (a cold couscous salad, dried fruit instead of cheese, grapes for dessert), but I'd like to give them a try on long-haul.
On the ground? Not sure what it's like in other places, but we have a couple of really nice vegan fine dining restaurants in Berlin that are far beyond bland tofu, mushrooms, and raw fruit for dessert. The first airline to strike up a deal with one of them would risk having quite a bit of money thrown at it by me, but I suppose people who order vegan meals still don't make up a significant enough share of the market for that to be worth it.
Apparently Swiss is working with a vegetarian restaurant for its vegetarian/vegan meals, which sounds like a good start. Their vegan meals in short-haul J have been pretty similar to BA's offering (a cold couscous salad, dried fruit instead of cheese, grapes for dessert), but I'd like to give them a try on long-haul.
Sep 21, 2016, 4:13 am
#63
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jan 2009
Programs: Battleaxe Alliance
Posts: 22,127
Sep 21, 2016, 6:10 am
#64
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Directly above the centre of the Earth
Posts: 138
The fruit plate was ok but I would expect something a bit more creative. Anybody can cut up a few bits of fruit and put them on a plate. Plus it's bad for the digestion to eat fruit after a meal..
Oct 4, 2016, 1:00 am
#65
Join Date: Mar 2014
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 635
Some experiences from recent travels, BA and Qantas, as well as some notes from lounges. In general, lacto-ovo vegetarian leads to pasta / lasagne and an egg based breakfast; Asian vegetarian is interpreted as curry and rice, any time of day.
MEL lounge (QF Business International)
Fresh fruit (whole apples, clementines; diced melon, watermelon)
Fresh fruit / veg smoothies made to order
Danish pastries / muffins / croissant / pain au chocolate
Bread, bagels, toast, jams
Yogurt
Muesli
Cereal
Dried fruit and nuts
Scrambled egg
Hash browns
Meal of the day: poached eggs on sourdough w. basil pesto
Usual sweets / crisps / snacks
MEL-HKG QF029 (requested Asian veg)
Lentil curry / tomato curry / rice peas
Bread roll & margarine
Anzac cookies
Snacks: Chocolate bar followed later by ice cream bar
Second snack: Spinach and cannelloni bean 'toastie' (these are more like cake, they are served on domestics and are not good!)
HKG The Pier Business Class
Stir-fry vegetable medley
Jasmine rice
Cookies / cakes
Soup
Salads
Pizza
Garlic mash & veg
Breads
Qantas HKG Lounge
Soup
Salads (2 vegan)
Fresh fruit
Breads
Spiced aubergine & rice
Butternut squash pasta
Chocolate torte / red bean pudding / cake
HKG-LHR BA032 Economy (requested lacto-ovo veg)
Three bean salad (no dressing)
Creamy linguine, tomato, mushroom, spinach (photo attached)
Fruit salad
Breakfast: Omelette, grilled tomato, spinach
LHR-JNB BA055 Club World (from main menu)
Goat's cheese and beetroot salad
Penne pasta with ricotta spinach, sundried tomato, basil and mascarpone sauce
Cheeses / fruit / dessert
Breakfast: Mushroom and cheese omelette, grilled tomato, spinach (much better than the economy equivalent)
CPT-LHR BA058 Club World (requested lacto-ovo veg)
The same green salad with artichoke as the main menu
Salad of leaves, cucumber, peppers with dressing
Roasted veg lasagne and roasted tomatoes
Cheese / fruit / dessert from the main menu
(I didn't take breakfast)
LHR Galleries Club South (Sept)
Soups (2, both vegan)
Spanish bean cassolette, rice or jacket potato
Pepperonatta pasta
Jacket potato, beans, cheese
Salad items
Fruit, cheese & crackers, nibbles
BA015 LHR-SIN Y (Asian veg requested)
(I didn't take first meal)
Paneer chana masala, spicy potato cake, paratha served with orange juice and a bread roll. The tray also contained butter and milk for tea!
QF038 SIN-MEL Y (Asian veg requested)
Breakfast: Chana masala, paratha, gobi bhaji
Main menu dinner did not have a veg option, breakfast was fruit salad
MEL lounge (QF Business International)
Fresh fruit (whole apples, clementines; diced melon, watermelon)
Fresh fruit / veg smoothies made to order
Danish pastries / muffins / croissant / pain au chocolate
Bread, bagels, toast, jams
Yogurt
Muesli
Cereal
Dried fruit and nuts
Scrambled egg
Hash browns
Meal of the day: poached eggs on sourdough w. basil pesto
Usual sweets / crisps / snacks
MEL-HKG QF029 (requested Asian veg)
Lentil curry / tomato curry / rice peas
Bread roll & margarine
Anzac cookies
Snacks: Chocolate bar followed later by ice cream bar
Second snack: Spinach and cannelloni bean 'toastie' (these are more like cake, they are served on domestics and are not good!)
HKG The Pier Business Class
Stir-fry vegetable medley
Jasmine rice
Cookies / cakes
Soup
Salads
Pizza
Garlic mash & veg
Breads
Qantas HKG Lounge
Soup
Salads (2 vegan)
Fresh fruit
Breads
Spiced aubergine & rice
Butternut squash pasta
Chocolate torte / red bean pudding / cake
HKG-LHR BA032 Economy (requested lacto-ovo veg)
Three bean salad (no dressing)
Creamy linguine, tomato, mushroom, spinach (photo attached)
Fruit salad
Breakfast: Omelette, grilled tomato, spinach
LHR-JNB BA055 Club World (from main menu)
Goat's cheese and beetroot salad
Penne pasta with ricotta spinach, sundried tomato, basil and mascarpone sauce
Cheeses / fruit / dessert
Breakfast: Mushroom and cheese omelette, grilled tomato, spinach (much better than the economy equivalent)
CPT-LHR BA058 Club World (requested lacto-ovo veg)
The same green salad with artichoke as the main menu
Salad of leaves, cucumber, peppers with dressing
Roasted veg lasagne and roasted tomatoes
Cheese / fruit / dessert from the main menu
(I didn't take breakfast)
LHR Galleries Club South (Sept)
Soups (2, both vegan)
Spanish bean cassolette, rice or jacket potato
Pepperonatta pasta
Jacket potato, beans, cheese
Salad items
Fruit, cheese & crackers, nibbles
BA015 LHR-SIN Y (Asian veg requested)
(I didn't take first meal)
Paneer chana masala, spicy potato cake, paratha served with orange juice and a bread roll. The tray also contained butter and milk for tea!
QF038 SIN-MEL Y (Asian veg requested)
Breakfast: Chana masala, paratha, gobi bhaji
Main menu dinner did not have a veg option, breakfast was fruit salad
Oct 7, 2016, 5:02 am
#66
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Directly above the centre of the Earth
Posts: 138
Thanks for this detailed info.
I haven't been up there much lately but good news re both soups in GS being vegan. They often contain milk, which is annoying. Let's hope they keep it this way going forward.
I haven't been up there much lately but good news re both soups in GS being vegan. They often contain milk, which is annoying. Let's hope they keep it this way going forward.
Oct 13, 2016, 6:51 am
#67
Join Date: May 2012
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold, HH Diamond
Posts: 663
I had very nice band 3 VLML dinner on PRG-LHR recently: pappardelle pasta in a truffle-y cream sauce with courgettes and asparagus.
The presentation was a bit weird - difficult to describe, but the long pasta strands came in two big rolls under the courgettes, meaning I needed to separate it all out and mix the pasta into the sauce before I could tuck in - but it was very tasty indeed!
(I normally seem to manage to fly between "proper" "meal" times, so it also made a nice change from the ubiquitous plate of salad.)
The presentation was a bit weird - difficult to describe, but the long pasta strands came in two big rolls under the courgettes, meaning I needed to separate it all out and mix the pasta into the sauce before I could tuck in - but it was very tasty indeed!
(I normally seem to manage to fly between "proper" "meal" times, so it also made a nice change from the ubiquitous plate of salad.)
Oct 18, 2016, 9:11 am
#68
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Directly above the centre of the Earth
Posts: 138
Here's dinner on BA12 SIN > LHR in F a couple of weeks ago. A very poor dinner.
Fortunately, there was a vegan risotto (pictured below) in the lounge, which was actually fairly decent, otherwise I would have been eating my emergency rations.
So, onto the meal served on the flight. I was still a bit hungry after the risotto, so thought - since it's such a long flight - I would save myself for dinner on the flight. I take this flight several times a year and I know the food isn't usually good, so I think this was a bad decision.
Dinner (starter) - Some partially cooked potatoes and salad leaves:
Dinner (main) - Beans and rice (again!) except this time much more rice and not many beans....
Dinner (desert) - Jelly and lychees AGAIN. Looked just as bad as before, so didn't even bother to try it.
After about 9 hours of slumber, I was hungry and decided to risk breakfast. This is how that went:
Breakfast (starter) - No idea what this was supposed to be and neither did the crew. Fairly sure that's butter spread on that bread though
Breakfast (main) - The signature diabolical cooked breakfast. Literally inedible.
Interestingly / worryingly, my 'vegan' breakfast included a pot of yoghurt made from milk....
So, as always, I requested fruit.....
Overall, another awful meal experience. BA can SURELY do better than this. It's not hard....
I also recently flew on a couple of JAL flights in business class - not much better. Will post pics soon.
Fortunately, there was a vegan risotto (pictured below) in the lounge, which was actually fairly decent, otherwise I would have been eating my emergency rations.
So, onto the meal served on the flight. I was still a bit hungry after the risotto, so thought - since it's such a long flight - I would save myself for dinner on the flight. I take this flight several times a year and I know the food isn't usually good, so I think this was a bad decision.
Dinner (starter) - Some partially cooked potatoes and salad leaves:
Dinner (main) - Beans and rice (again!) except this time much more rice and not many beans....
Dinner (desert) - Jelly and lychees AGAIN. Looked just as bad as before, so didn't even bother to try it.
After about 9 hours of slumber, I was hungry and decided to risk breakfast. This is how that went:
Breakfast (starter) - No idea what this was supposed to be and neither did the crew. Fairly sure that's butter spread on that bread though
Breakfast (main) - The signature diabolical cooked breakfast. Literally inedible.
Interestingly / worryingly, my 'vegan' breakfast included a pot of yoghurt made from milk....
So, as always, I requested fruit.....
Overall, another awful meal experience. BA can SURELY do better than this. It's not hard....
I also recently flew on a couple of JAL flights in business class - not much better. Will post pics soon.
Oct 18, 2016, 9:51 am
#69
Join Date: Jan 2012
Programs: BA Blue, IHG Spire, Marriott Gold
Posts: 402
Here's dinner on BA12 SIN > LHR in F a couple of weeks ago. A very poor dinner.
Fortunately, there was a vegan risotto (pictured below) in the lounge, which was actually fairly decent, otherwise I would have been eating my emergency rations.
So, onto the meal served on the flight. I was still a bit hungry after the risotto, so thought - since it's such a long flight - I would save myself for dinner on the flight. I take this flight several times a year and I know the food isn't usually good, so I think this was a bad decision.
Dinner (starter) - Some partially cooked potatoes and salad leaves:
Dinner (main) - Beans and rice (again!) except this time much more rice and not many beans....
Dinner (desert) - Jelly and lychees AGAIN. Looked just as bad as before, so didn't even bother to try it.
After about 9 hours of slumber, I was hungry and decided to risk breakfast. This is how that went:
Breakfast (starter) - No idea what this was supposed to be and neither did the crew. Fairly sure that's butter spread on that bread though
Breakfast (main) - The signature diabolical cooked breakfast. Literally inedible.
Interestingly / worryingly, my 'vegan' breakfast included a pot of yoghurt made from milk....
So, as always, I requested fruit.....
Overall, another awful meal experience. BA can SURELY do better than this. It's not hard....
I also recently flew on a couple of JAL flights in business class - not much better. Will post pics soon.
Fortunately, there was a vegan risotto (pictured below) in the lounge, which was actually fairly decent, otherwise I would have been eating my emergency rations.
So, onto the meal served on the flight. I was still a bit hungry after the risotto, so thought - since it's such a long flight - I would save myself for dinner on the flight. I take this flight several times a year and I know the food isn't usually good, so I think this was a bad decision.
Dinner (starter) - Some partially cooked potatoes and salad leaves:
Dinner (main) - Beans and rice (again!) except this time much more rice and not many beans....
Dinner (desert) - Jelly and lychees AGAIN. Looked just as bad as before, so didn't even bother to try it.
After about 9 hours of slumber, I was hungry and decided to risk breakfast. This is how that went:
Breakfast (starter) - No idea what this was supposed to be and neither did the crew. Fairly sure that's butter spread on that bread though
Breakfast (main) - The signature diabolical cooked breakfast. Literally inedible.
Interestingly / worryingly, my 'vegan' breakfast included a pot of yoghurt made from milk....
So, as always, I requested fruit.....
Overall, another awful meal experience. BA can SURELY do better than this. It's not hard....
I also recently flew on a couple of JAL flights in business class - not much better. Will post pics soon.
Oct 18, 2016, 10:52 am
#70
Join Date: Mar 2015
Location: LAX/MXP
Programs: BAEC
Posts: 564
I gave up ordering the vegan option and usually go for the vegetarian meal. I feel a bit guilty but the vegan dishes are so poor that i think it's ok the few times a year I fly long haul if I eat some dairy and eggs.
Feel bad for people that are lactose intolerant and are stuck with the vegan option.
Feel bad for people that are lactose intolerant and are stuck with the vegan option.
Oct 18, 2016, 11:09 am
#71
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
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Posts: 30,531
When it comes to afternoon tea, is the salad with aubergine/tofu with an apple still the deal? Is it better or less good than the Asian vegetarian alternative?
Oct 20, 2016, 5:44 am
#72
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Directly above the centre of the Earth
Posts: 138
Yes it is. Personally, I think it's pretty good (especially if you bring some extra bits to add to it!) but I haven't tried the AV option.
Oct 20, 2016, 5:45 am
#73
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: Directly above the centre of the Earth
Posts: 138
Oct 25, 2016, 4:42 am
#74
FlyerTalk Evangelist, Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: Somewhere between 0 and 13,000 metres high
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Posts: 30,531
I'm on a F flight (LHR-MIA) that has breakfast and afternoon tea. The regular breakfast menu looks ghastly. Can anyone suggest something that would be a bit less horrid? The images I'm seeing upthread of the regular veg meal are almost enough to freak me out. Does anyone know what AVML or Ovo Lacto or anything would be for Breakfast plus afternoon tea in F and hopefully give me some hope? 
Thanks!
Thanks!
Nov 1, 2016, 1:21 am
#75
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Switzerland
Programs: AY+ Platinum, SK Gold, BAEC Silver, airbaltic VIP, Radisson VIP
Posts: 6,531
Good morning from T5!
So we just came in on the 66 from PHL in WTP. BA really needs to work on two things:
First, the dinner took forever. We were well
into the Atlantic when lights were dimmed. It took 2.5h to serve dinner. Even the trays in the WT cabin were cleared sooner. Really?
Second, vegatarian meals: the meal on the dinner tray was wrong, twice. First we got a hindu/asian vegetarian meal, then just the main on the tray was replaced by some vegetarian pasta, but the dessert was again asian vegetarian. We finally managed to get the correct meal. Breakfast however was a big joke. Why on earth would BA load a vegetarian meal consisting of - oh wonder- fruits, when their regular 'refreshment' box consists of a cream cheese pretzel (which is vegetarian obviuously)?!
I also noticed that there was a problem with the meal of at least one other passanger in the WTP cabin.
We're lucky to be able to grab breakfast in the lounge now killing time on our 5h layover...
I showed a lot of tolerance in the past but now I am really not happy anymore!
So we just came in on the 66 from PHL in WTP. BA really needs to work on two things:
First, the dinner took forever. We were well
into the Atlantic when lights were dimmed. It took 2.5h to serve dinner. Even the trays in the WT cabin were cleared sooner. Really?
Second, vegatarian meals: the meal on the dinner tray was wrong, twice. First we got a hindu/asian vegetarian meal, then just the main on the tray was replaced by some vegetarian pasta, but the dessert was again asian vegetarian. We finally managed to get the correct meal. Breakfast however was a big joke. Why on earth would BA load a vegetarian meal consisting of - oh wonder- fruits, when their regular 'refreshment' box consists of a cream cheese pretzel (which is vegetarian obviuously)?!
I also noticed that there was a problem with the meal of at least one other passanger in the WTP cabin.
We're lucky to be able to grab breakfast in the lounge now killing time on our 5h layover...
I showed a lot of tolerance in the past but now I am really not happy anymore!