jewels421

It's a matter of taste, I suppose. There's an absolutely phenomenal salad place in NYC -- my two favorite salads from there both have quinoa in them. In fact, that's where I was planning on picking up dinner tonight so it's fresh on my mind...

That being said, I've had the new UA side salad with quinoa and it's just okay. Not spectacular, but definitely more interesting than the old side salad, I think.

Garten

Of course it's a lot different to add something to a menu with several options than to have it as the one and only one choice.

None of the UA side salads have ever been particularly good, I will give you that, but dumping a scoop of grains into there just seems like an odd way to try to improve it. If you're going that route I'd rather have an interesting, flavorful "salad' with no greens at all. Rather than adding some flavorless quinoa to some wilted lettuce.

I keep thinking about finding some single servings of salad dressing and bringing my own onboard.

NoLaGent

Vancouver - SFO, dinner flight (no pics)

Choice of tandoori chicken or soup & salad (cream of mushroom & cold chicken salad)

i opted for the tandoori, which was actually quite tasty. Perfectly heated and served with green peas (indian spiced, quite delicious) and white rice. Seatmate opted for the salad. He loved the soup, but the chicken on the salad looked artificial, if that makes any sense.

Warm chocolate cookie and a Baileys for dessert. For a 1hr 54m flight, I was quite impressed.

(edited to add - small green salad (balsamic dressing) and a mini-pretzel roll also served on same tray)

transportprof

Apr. 21, YVR-SFO lunch flight. Choice was cheeseburger on pretzel roll or chicken salad with mushroom soup.

When I heard several pax take the salad without the soup, I asked whether I could have the soup with my cheeseburger. No soup for me! Was told that the soup was only served with the salad, and not the sandwich main course.

New rule or made up rule?

Garten

It sounds right but you could ask one of the other passengers to take both the soup and the salad and then give you their soup.

Not sure why the crew wouldn't just give it to you rather than throwing it out.

bocastephen

Made up rule - the soup is suppose to be served with the meal regardless of entree, it's been that was for over a decade going back to PMCO.

FLL-IAH choice was salad with chicken or chicken teriyaki. I don't eat meat so that left me with the salad sans chicken which was a very sorry looking bowl of lettuce with a few carrot shreds, a couple tiny tomato pieces, a few other tiny vegetable pieces and a thimble of blue cheese. I thought the inflight meals were improved, but this wasn't one of them.

Mushroom soup was pretty good - but not like the old PMCO mushroom soup that had big pieces of mushroom.

Totally disinterested crew left salt and pepper shakers and butter off the trays and dessert was an undercooked cookie, most of which stuck to the paper napkin it was served on, but they sure fawned over the two FAMs sitting in 2B and 3B. I thought paying customers were suppose to get the attention

FortFun

That's the new system. From UA Insider's http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/24207486-post1.htmlpost:
That said, it seems like the correct response would be to give you one if they had them leftover.

Something like "we only have enough soups to pair with the salads, but if someone chooses not to eat it I'd be happy to give it to you." But that would be, like, logical and stuff.

bocastephen

I must have missed this - so it's official that soup is restricted to salad entrees? If so, that really needs to be changed.

FortFun

Sounds like it. And I agree that it's a bit odd. They do seem to have increased the size of the sandwiches (or at least the bread), so that might have something to do with it.

demkr

I think the new salads are mediocre. The new bowl looks nice, presentation much better, but the quinoa isn't my cup of tea. I know it's good for you and everything, but I'd prefer a different garnish

mherdeg

I think this is the official rule; I've heard and seen it offered this way several times in domestic F this year.


So where did the bonus soup go? Bonus soup vortex? Reused for soup later in the day?

Bear96

+1. Fruit & cheese can be an excellent flavor combo. I am glad to see a little innovation. Kinda funny how these relatively tame menu items are causing such angst here.

Garten

I'm probably biased because I dislike feta and airlines use too much of it already.

MatthewLAX

The crew has to eat too!

SFO28L

4/20 SFO-ORD 11:49 departure: soup/salad, tandoori chicken or butternut ravioli for lunch. Lemon sorbet for dessert. I was in 1A and chicken was served not completely heated. FA recognized problem before I had first bite and replaced the whole meal. Apparently one oven was not working correctly. This made service a bit slow but the crew was great and worked hard to keep everyone happy.
All food tasted fine but would be nice to have a non-creamy salad dressing option.