Happy Traveling Consultant

Hi all! Flying ORD-LIS in a week in J and just got an email offering to select meals. The choices are below. Cod could be good, but leaning towards the Steak to play it safe. Thanks in advance!


Codfish au Gratin, with Carrot and Bechamel Sauce

Sirloin Steak, Potato au Gratin, Mushroom and Rosemary Sauce

Spinach Green Grantortellone, Cauliflower Cream and Azores island Cheese

tff

It very much depends on personal taste, but for me both the steak and the cod are good options.

Happy Traveling Consultant

Thank you! I've had both tremendous fish and horrendous fish in J on various airlines. Have you had TAP's before? It sounds great, but I've never flown J with them before.

corporate-wage-slave

Personal tastes will vary but in Executive class longhaul the catering and beverage provision is probably one of the airline's strong points, certainly if compared to other transatlantic airlines. There are plenty of things where TAP won't score highly but generally my experience - and that of other people in this forum - has tended to the positive rather than negative.

Happy Traveling Consultant

Thank you as well! Sold - I'm ordering the cod for my dinner on the way to Lisbon. I'll review the flight in a month!

tff

I do like it. But beware that Portuguese codfish isn't fresh, but rather dried and salted. This particular dish also has bechamel. If you like both ingredients and you feel like trying Portuguese gastronomy, you might give it a try. If you prefer to play it safe, go for the steak.

morninglemon

Just flew executive class JFK-LIS last week. Menu above. I picked the cod. Was delicious with the white wine vinaigrette they provided.

Happy Traveling Consultant

Thank you so much. Didn't realize that you can only select meals in advance for flights that originate in Lisbon, but will definitely try the cod in Wednesday from O'Hare if it's available.

tr3k

Just took EWR-LIS-TLV. Had very low expectations. Strangely enough the food was good. In fact, of the dozen J flights I took this year this was easily the best (though that mostly speaks to how poor the business food experience post-COVID is at most airlines)

Will post photos later.

sfvoyage

I have ordered a VLML (vegetarian) meal in J; will I be able to also pre-book the vegetarian main dish when the time comes? I assume their system can only accommodate one or the other, but not both, codes (VLML and pre-booking of main course). Does anyone have experience with ordering a special meal AND pre-booking a main course?

BTW, I'm not trying to get 2 vegetarian mains. I need to pre-order VLML for the starter and dessert as well as the 2nd (i.e. pre-arrival) meal. I thought perhaps I could substitute the pre-book vegetarian main for the VLML main if the former looks good.

tr3k

Afaik once you book a vegetarian meal, "it is what it is". People next to me ordered vlml - crew did not know what that would be. Surprise.

tr3k

Meal EWR-LIS.

Menu said cod will be in Thai sauce, but clearly it was not. Nevertheless quite good.




The bread was a surprise. I was not familiar with Portugese bread, so assumed they are similar to Spain in that respect. Was very good (also on LIS-TLV)

tr3k

Ok, so LIS-EWR was weird. The main FA was a guy who seemed to be channeling mr. Bean (not in a funny way, though - more like inept yet unaware).

- First, no menus at the seat. I went to the bathroom, and on the way back through the galley another FA informs me that "meat dish was not loaded" and the choices are "fish" or "pasta". I ask to take a look at the pasta, see 4 dried out cafeteria ravioli on a plate and, of course, opt for fish (as it was quite good the last time)

- Back at the seat, get ready for my meal, and the FA plops in front of me a plate that contains 3 giant very raw looking octopus tentacles. My face was probably pretty long when I saw these. Octopus most decidedly is not a "fish" - neither in biological, nor in culinary sense. No more than it is a "chicken", at least. Very few things I don't eat - but octopus is one of them. 1. it tastes like rubber to me and 2. they are at least the second (and, possibly, the first) most intelligent life on our planet.

- Asked to change to "pasta" - FA grumbled about may be running out of it, but finally produced a plate. Photo attached. Ravioli were filled with either squash or sweet potato - can't be sure. (BTW - don't think anyone in the cabin opted for the octopus).

- Bread choice this time consisted only of basic sliced bread, no rolls.

- Dessert was ok-ish.

So, next time TAP FA offers you "fish" - make sure that fish does not come with tentacles. Sorry, no photo of the octopus.