KLM catering - Let's have your menus
 

Similar to the thread on the AF forum, or is it too scary a concept?

Do you mean long-haul or short-haul?

On my most recent trip...:

CPH-AMS - a single biscuit, choice of drinks
AMS-NWI - a single biscuit (same one as CPH-AMS), orange juice only

AMS-LIN, C-class (dep 8.30 am): Cheese-quiche with ham-sauce (yes, yoghurt-like sauce made of and tasting like ham), assorted fruits with vanilla rice-pudding, choice of drinks

BLQ-AMS, Y-class (dep 6.15 am): Cheese breadroll or salami breadroll (I preferred sleeping), choice of drinks

AMS-HEL/HEL-AMS day-time Y flights (always)
Small pasta salad (some variation of the type) with awful sour Heinz dressing (always), roll, margarine, cheese, two Tuc bisquits. Coffee, tea, juices, wine, beer, water. Snack before landing: Mars bar or more Tuc bisquits or a a small bag of Malteser chocholate.

Early morning Y flight HEL-AMS (always)
A large bowl of yogurth, warm roll, margarine, cheese, two Tuc bisquits. "Two daily fruit" juice with fruit bits. Coffee, tea, juices, wine, beer, water. Snack before landing: Mars bar or more Tuc bisquits or a a small bag of Malteser chocolate.

I really don't think this is a good idea. Speaking as a member of the forum, not as a moderator.

OK, before this thread is consigned to the lower circles of Internet hell, I have a question. I haven't flown KL in a while now but they (used to?) have a weird ice-cream-like dessert on SVO flights in Y. As tasty as junk food can ever be. I could never get an FA to answer what it is. Perhaps someone here could enlighten me?

True, once upon a time, also out of/into ATH, they gave you a small Haagen-Dazs cup shortly before final descent, but IIRC this was in business (then ES).

Here's what KLM Director of Communications and Corporate Identy, Fatima da Gloria de Sousa, has to say about KL's culinary delights in the September issue of Holland Herald:

"Meals, for example, are meant to be enjoyed, whether you are on your own or with other people. KLM, together with A-brand names, such as Hotel Okura Amsterdam, provides not only delicious cuisine but a pleasurable total meal experience. It reinforces our look-good feel-good experience"

Having sampled KL's delicious shorthaul cuisine as recently as this afternoon, I really must find a mirror to confirm that I now look a lot better, after which I shall pinch myself to verify that I feel better too!

Somewhat off topic, but the folllowing quote from the same article is priceless too:

KL Director of Product Strategy Robert Prophet:

"It can be a balancing act sometimes, providing optimal customer value with optimal cost revenue, but our passengers respond enthusiatically to every change we make" :D :D :D

Does anybody know what "optimal cost revenue" actually means?

Finally, those planning WBC flights in the near future are hereby warned that for the next three months your dietary fate will be in the hands of restaurant De Jonge Dikkert. That's "The Young Fatso" in English.

Johan

Johan

Johan :D:D:D

I say we fly to AMS, track down Fatima and Robert, and make them tell us all about the feel-good experience of choking down room-temperature mashed peas with little pieces of black olive.

I would also note that it is possible to enthusiastically punch someone in the face in response to something. A change to optimize cost revenue, for example.

LHR - RTM: "cheese or meat"

Odd on that route they still have the old style sandwiches, I never knew they had such a long shelf life.

Come on, let's give this a try. Any J menus from AMS-The States for this month?

I think that you will soon find out most of the AMS-originating longhaul menus to be very similar if not completely identical, for sure when it comes to the main hot meal service.

It would be more interesting then to look at meal services from outstations. Here is a recent Bangkok menu:

KL878 BKK AMS - WBC
Late August 2007


Hors d'Oeuvre

Smoked ham with white and green asparagus
Served with a tomato and olive slsa and mesclun salad.


Hot Supper Dishes

Red snapper in a creamy basil sauce
Served with sauteed spinach with tomato and tossed angel hair glass noodles.

Duck in Thai-style palo sauce
Roasted duck in a cinnamon flavored sauce, accompanied by vegetable-fried rice and braised bean curd.


Breakfast a la Carte

Savoury dish:
Plain omelette with grilled bacon and tomato with parsley.

Sweet dish:
Bread and butter pudding with a raspberry coulis and poached fruits with cardamom.


These late evening departures from Asia feature a reduced 'supper' service, with just two choices of main course and no real dessert/cheese service. After the main course, only coffee/tea and chocolates are served. For services out of SIN, KUL and BKK, respectively 13, 12 and 11 hours long, I find this meager at best, and a good example of the cost cutting that has been going on in the meal services.

The excuse is, of course, that these flights leave too late in the evening, and therefore outside regular meal services, and that passengers prefer to eat a light meal if anything at all. But who is the airline to decide for us when is an appropriate time to eat what? For sure since lounge offerings at the 3 above mentioned stations ain't much to talk about.

Seems to be different - maybe KL changes their menus frequently? Only airline where I've noticed the menus have a particular date and route printed on them.

Here's the WBC menu AMS-YVR dated for the 3rd of the month:

Appetiser

Mousseline of soft Dutch goats' cheese and fine herbs
with sun-dried cherry tomatoes, marinated artichoke, black olives and a balsamic vinaigrette - De Jonge Dikkert special

Main Courses

Roasted farm chicken with black truffle jus
accompanied by celeriac and sweet potato gratin, chestnut mushrooms and haricot verts {note: should be haricots verts?} - De Jonge Dikkert special

Baked tilapia fillet with tomato jelly
served on a bed of saffron risotto, with braised leeks, carrot puree and a butter sauce

Lamb Ras el Hanout
Dutch lamb braised in North African-style aromatic spices and herbs served with sugar snap peas, fried shiitake mushrooms, red pepper jelly and bulgur wheat

Dessert
Choice of cheese, fresh fruit or a luxurious ice cream from our dessert trolley



Light Hot Snack

Appetiser

Cucumber and pineapple salad
accompanied by dried cranberries, walnuts and yellow courgettes

Hot Snacks

Frittata
served with red onion and orange compote and tarragon sauce

Mezze penne pasta with blue cheese sauce
accompanied by eggplant, zucchini, fried rocket, pine nuts and grated parmesan

{there was also a fruit plate and some dessert which I can't describe other than some soft stuff in a cylindrical break-like shell}

Europe Select menu OTP-AMS 2 Sept (late afternoon departure)

Tartare of trout and Dutch shrimps served with wasabi mayonnaise and red caviar


Chicken biryani with roasted nut mix

or

Pasta margarite with wlanuts and cheese


Savarin Jasmin Dessert