FlyerEC

It often depends on embarking airport / country .. the last one was banh mi , local fruits ( lychee , mango , pineapple and soursop ) canned drinks picked up after scanning and chocolate from PH Saigon .. oh yes also their tiramisu ( takeout version which is not as delicious as their dine in ) & Azerai CanTho signature tiramisu , both which were frozen ..

Usually some cake and chocolates on all flights , sometimes a sandwich
From from lounges :
FRA - pretzel & bratwurst
SIN - cha siew pau , har gau , egg mayo sandwich


Helps to have spare ziplocks from FS MAD & RAK !

StuckInYYZ

I find har gau (and the other "crystal" dumplings nasty if I take them on board. Same with cheong fan and nian gao. When they get cold and a bit dried out that the skin/wrapper gets hard and disgusting. And you can't heat them up. Siu mai tends to fare a little better, but still not great cold. I am planning char siu (half fat, never lean) to try. I suggested a friend try a chicken shawarma wrap but warned them the pita might become hard. Waiting for them to come back to advise.

And yes, ziplock bags are your friend.

FlyerEC

For these , it helps to be flying SIA business or F / Suites .. crew will help “ steam “ .. cheong fun is too messy to bring on unless I happen to have an extra & new take away box

As for others - not sure about other airlines .. like not on some EK , some crew get it but others do not ..

luxefarer

Agree depends on country, When in USA, it's always the unhealthy stuff for me: chips, sour candy, chocolate, at my worst a bag of Cheetos & a coke.

HND NRT: Flying to or connecting in Japan is dangerous for me as I end up with bags of snacks like sanbei rice crackers, kaki no tane, wasabi peas, gummies, ramen or udon to be heated in-flight.

BKK: I love "Bangkok Cookies" when in Thailand, the Larb, Tom Yum and Crab Curry.... yum.

FRA: Pretzel, Salami, Gruyere, butter + cornichon

CDG: Baguette & butter

ZRH: Laderach, Sprungli, Lacherli

Always a 1.5+L of COLD water.

StuckInYYZ

Lol, that's one way to do it. From what I hear, crews will not do it in general. Especially North American airlines. As for carrying it, that's usually not an issue. I just don't mix the sauces. I have these salad dressing containers I got from a dollar store. I just pour the sauces into those and then when I'm ready to eat, pour it out. But I've never really found a good way to reheat cheong fan, on land or in the air. Microwave often makes it into mush. Steaming it takes a long time and makes a mess.

Visconti

You guys have the food go through the x-ray machine? From SIN, you'd have to, right? Anyway, the only items I'll bring onboard to eat will be macarons, and generally only when departing from CDG or something. I just can't resist those Laduree boutiques all over just beckoning.

StuckInYYZ

At SIN, you have to as it's screening at the gate. There are a few airports like that. But consider in the US, much of the offshore produce (I'm not sure about stuff grown in the US itself) is irradiated (my guess is to kill any seeds) if not also xrayed in the "crate" while looking for contraband.

I like to have some "comfort" food on the plane. And I often find the stuff they have on board (in the back) unsatisfying. So something different is always appreciated.

Visconti

I hear ya. Just so I can use my accrued flight credits, have a UA TPAC coming up where I'll most likely be seated in the back. So, may look through this thread for some inspiration on what to bring on board; been so long since I've been on a long UA flight, I'd imagine the food on board has only gotten worse than what I had remembered.

Should I brave this, it's the first time I'll be bringing food on plane. Dim sum ok? I mean, it won't spoil after a few hours? The only thing worse than being on UA steerage is being sick at the same time.

FindingFoodFluency

Sounds like unhealthy stuff in both places

Anyway, Japanese airports to me are best landside; that's where the better convenience stores and local food shops are.

I'm also partial to European airport hubs, since they generally have a supermarket in them or nearby. Downtown prices, too.

Flying around the U.S. sucks. I just go to a supermarket beforehand to grab some spicy and sweet snacks.

StuckInYYZ

Any class is bad when you're sick. I know my parents got sick on a few TPAC due to spoiled food. When I picked them up during those times, they were always dehydrated and extremely tired.

If I could reheat the dim sum, then definitely yes. I mean it won't kill you eating it cold, but the vast majority of dim sum I can think of needs to be served hot to taste decent (and in some cases to even be edible). Sashimi and sushi would also be out of the question (unless they were something like veggie rolls). I would be interested in trying something like an ekiben, but I've been told the self heating packs/FRHs are illegal (I can understand that) so that's out of the question.

Sandwiches are a mixed bag as well. Haven't tried bahn mi, Most other sandwiches/burgers tend to turn out dried and hard after an hour or two up in the air.

About the only "fresh" things I can think of right now are things like char-siu or roast pork (or charcuterie board things) or maybe some cheese/fruits or salad (and pray the security check staff aren't going to confiscate your salad dressing).. Snacks are good too, but trying to eat healthier these days is always a good idea.

I will say this. Next AC flight I take, I'm bringing some of those Nong Shim ramen cups... If for nothing else, just the entertainment value of watching other passengers tell the cabin crew they want what I'm having instead of the generic chicken noodles is worth it. If I get out of Singapore/Taiwan/Japan, some of those Nissin cups will suffice as well.

john_ny

Oh my gosh! Not durian, I really don't like its smell and I can't stand it. I remember when I travel in a van with different locals and someone bring durian and the smell of durian is all over the van and I did have headache for that and almost throw up.

StuckInYYZ

Pretty sure about this, but in-shell/husk durian I think is only allowed as checked luggage and has to be air tight as to not taint other people's luggage. But I haven't done enough travel in ASEAN to see if anyone has tried to bring durian pods on board (or if they can even get through security).

If you could get it in cabin, I suspect it would be one of the few fruits you could taste (vs. apples/pineapples/oranges and such) while up in the air.

Visconti

If I recall, in the Singapore subway, there's a fine of 5,000 SGD (?) for bringing durian? Yeah, I can't deal with the taste or smell of durian, though shockingly my youngest daughter loves it. No idea how that happened but she was going crazy over them at one of those street vendors where it's served fresh and chopped up right in front of you. I had to walk away at least 20 yards to keep from getting nauseated by the odor.

FlyerEC

Not allowed on the MRT in Singapore , yes , a fine and in hotels in the region too , durians can be detected way way away as most here know . But someone has managed to sneak it on board as they thought too precious to check in and found a way to multiple seal it !
However , at certain hotels in the region. , one can get by possibly by enjoying them on the beach away from others

Know a Maori who has flown across ocean ( s ) , even to Chinatown in Melbourne to get hold of some & it was pricey too , & if you add airfare .. !!

StuckInYYZ

We get the frozen kind here mostly, but some fresh as well (although I have no idea what varieties they are)... Smell rarely travels more than a few feet.