If you could design United's premium cabin food-- what would the menu be?
#16
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: LAN
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If they start putting Indian food on flights, they are going to have to deal with passengers upset with smell, or the unhappy person who can't stomach it who has a choice of it or whatever is in economy if they're the last to order. The same would go for some other Asian fare as well.
It's no different than someone bringing greasy fast food onto a plane (which, to be fair, I do enjoy - just not on an airplane). Foods that are overly aromatic, regardless of cuisine, are not suitable for in-flight dining. A little more wiggle room in this department should be permissible for the premium cabins, where passengers have a little more space between them and the next passenger, but in cattle class, anything that smells should be tossed out into the jetway before closing the cabin door.
#17
Join Date: Oct 2009
Programs: All of them, UA-Plat, 1MM*G
Posts: 880
While I know that most FTers wouldn't be caught dead in the Y cabin, but as one who typically flies TATL in Y, you guys up front might be surprised to learn that by far the best standard dinner entree option in Y is the Indian vegetarian -- rather than the meat or the pasta options. I always get it, as do the more savvy Y travelers. (Ask a FA if you don't believe me.) And I have never seen anyone storming back from J to complain about the reeks from steerage. So on the occasions that I get to enjoy J, I wouldn't be unhappy at all to have a good Indian option.
#18
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I'm a great fan of all Asian cuisines (particularly Burmese and Cambodian), but I know others are not. A good mix of spicy and non-spicy would be nice, though I've never seen anything remotely spicy on any airline, so I'm not holding my breath on that.
The most important thing is choice. And the ability to pre-order would be great.
The most important thing is choice. And the ability to pre-order would be great.
#19
Join Date: May 2011
Location: SFO
Programs: UA 1K
Posts: 721
While I know that most FTers wouldn't be caught dead in the Y cabin, but as one who typically flies TATL in Y, you guys up front might be surprised to learn that by far the best standard dinner entree option in Y is the Indian vegetarian -- rather than the meat or the pasta options. I always get it, as do the more savvy Y travelers. (Ask a FA if you don't believe me.) And I have never seen anyone storming back from J to complain about the reeks from steerage. So on the occasions that I get to enjoy J, I wouldn't be unhappy at all to have a good Indian option.
#20
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: LAN
Programs: DL Skymiles, AF/KL Flying Blue
Posts: 304
While I know that most FTers wouldn't be caught dead in the Y cabin, but as one who typically flies TATL in Y, you guys up front might be surprised to learn that by far the best standard dinner entree option in Y is the Indian vegetarian -- rather than the meat or the pasta options. I always get it, as do the more savvy Y travelers. (Ask a FA if you don't believe me.) And I have never seen anyone storming back from J to complain about the reeks from steerage. So on the occasions that I get to enjoy J, I wouldn't be unhappy at all to have a good Indian option.
#21
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You can always put optional sauces/spices on something to make it to your taste. For those of us with sensitive stomachs - we're not just picky, many of us can easily get sick with a lot of spice or unfamiliar foods - it's really hard to remove spices and sauces from something. Not to mention people with allergies to certain foods. Plain is good on aircraft, unless you like sitting next to a guy who rapidly gets very gassy from something in the food or starts barfing up curry halfway over the Atlantic.
#22
Join Date: Nov 2008
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Im with the other posters, it reheats well & has flavor even at 38K feet; I wouldnt hate a decent Indian option on United, its usually tasty on British Airways.
#23
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: USA
Programs: UA Gold, Marriott Gold
Posts: 1,166
Im in London at least yearly and every time I eat Indian (Masala Zone on my dime, Amaya on companys), I wish UA would contract with this restaurant group to provide at least one of the lunch and dinner choices. The food is well-done and seems to me to be amenable to airline conditions. Gimme a samosa/chickpea appetizer and Id be instantly content the rest of the flight. They could provide meat and vegetarian dishes...
If they start putting Indian food on flights, they are going to have to deal with passengers upset with smell, or the unhappy person who can't stomach it who has a choice of it or whatever is in economy if they're the last to order. The same would go for some other Asian fare as well.
In a perfect world all airlines would do the same as Austrian - 3-4 entree options, lots of side options, 3 soups, 8 appetizers, a half dozen desserts. Short of that, keep it simple. Better quality beef - I'm sick of short ribs - and meats that you can put sauces and spices on by request but can be served fairly plain for people who don't like the sauce/spice.
In a perfect world all airlines would do the same as Austrian - 3-4 entree options, lots of side options, 3 soups, 8 appetizers, a half dozen desserts. Short of that, keep it simple. Better quality beef - I'm sick of short ribs - and meats that you can put sauces and spices on by request but can be served fairly plain for people who don't like the sauce/spice.
Count me as one of the strong opponents to increasing the amount/frequency of Indian cuisine on airplanes. The smell of curry permeates everything. It doesn't make me sick - it just smells bad. I usually fly DL, but it doesn't matter what carrier you're on - 15 minutes after the meal service ends on a TATL where any sort of curry dish was served, the whole cabin reeks to high heaven. Other non-curry dishes can be overly aromatic as well, leading to a very unpleasant experience.
It's no different than someone bringing greasy fast food onto a plane (which, to be fair, I do enjoy - just not on an airplane). Foods that are overly aromatic, regardless of cuisine, are not suitable for in-flight dining. A little more wiggle room in this department should be permissible for the premium cabins, where passengers have a little more space between them and the next passenger, but in cattle class, anything that smells should be tossed out into the jetway before closing the cabin door.
It's no different than someone bringing greasy fast food onto a plane (which, to be fair, I do enjoy - just not on an airplane). Foods that are overly aromatic, regardless of cuisine, are not suitable for in-flight dining. A little more wiggle room in this department should be permissible for the premium cabins, where passengers have a little more space between them and the next passenger, but in cattle class, anything that smells should be tossed out into the jetway before closing the cabin door.
While I know that most FTers wouldn't be caught dead in the Y cabin, but as one who typically flies TATL in Y, you guys up front might be surprised to learn that by far the best standard dinner entree option in Y is the Indian vegetarian -- rather than the meat or the pasta options. I always get it, as do the more savvy Y travelers. (Ask a FA if you don't believe me.) And I have never seen anyone storming back from J to complain about the reeks from steerage. So on the occasions that I get to enjoy J, I wouldn't be unhappy at all to have a good Indian option.
(1) a real large salad, with real "premium" things like Olives, artichokes, feta cheese, hearts of palm, dried or fresh berries, perhaps asparagus or another vegetable (I know would upset the ghost of Smisik) and fresh good bread. E.g. was just on SAS and their bread on inter-European flights was 5x better than the crap that UA serves. Good solid, with fresh butter. And oh, no chopped head or romaine lettuces, use real leafy greens.
If it were me, I'd stick with US dining options:
Cheeseburgers, Sub Sandwiches, Chicken sandwiches, pizza, pasta, hot dogs, various rice dishes - you can gourmet it up with Guacamole, bacon, various sides, etc....
If they could pull that off I might actually look forward to airline food.
Cheeseburgers, Sub Sandwiches, Chicken sandwiches, pizza, pasta, hot dogs, various rice dishes - you can gourmet it up with Guacamole, bacon, various sides, etc....
If they could pull that off I might actually look forward to airline food.
There hasn't been "fine dining" on US air carriers in nearly 20 years - an entire generation of fliers post 9/11 are used to mediocre food.
I'd also argue my Singapore flight in biz and Eva in Biz earlier this certainly wasn't "fine dining", I'd rather describe it as, good for airline food. Much like going to a Mexican restaurant on Oahu - none are great, and at best, you get - its good Mexican for Hawaii.
I'd also argue my Singapore flight in biz and Eva in Biz earlier this certainly wasn't "fine dining", I'd rather describe it as, good for airline food. Much like going to a Mexican restaurant on Oahu - none are great, and at best, you get - its good Mexican for Hawaii.
If I were redesigning the menu, aside from having enough items to rotate monthly and still provide a good selection (as well as allowing pre-ordering), I'd be looking at items like
Gnocchi with vegan-friendly marinara (but with option of adding some Sicilian sausage for the non-vegans)
Grilled vegetables and rice pilaf (or saffron rice) with choice of flavorants (herbed butter, balsamic vinegar & olive oil, lemon vinaigrette, or a parmsan & black pepper sprinkle)
Chicken Marsala
Beef medallions with mushrooms in a port wine sauce
Broiled chicken with rotating sauces (peri-peri one month, sesame-ginger another month, Thai sweet chili the next, etc.)
Butter chicken or Chicken Tikka Masala could probably be offered without the smell overpowering the cabin but I'm not sure.
Saag paneer could definitely be offered but I've already had airline saag paneer and wasn't impressed.
Pork green chili
Shrimp Vera Cruz
Chicken Mole
Thai minced pork with basil
bi bim bap
I like the idea of a thali but a proper thali probably wouldn't work with the preplating and FA reductions they're going through.
#24
Join Date: Dec 2013
Location: dark side of the moon
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Posts: 707
lievre a la royale. but I think UA is now moving to align with AA in terms of premium cabin dining, or at least that's what I've been told, so hamburger au fromage is a more likely option in the future I guess.
#25
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: BDL/NYC/BOS
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other than lobster thermidor? i'll echo prior comments that keeping it simple is probably the way to go, and then maybe jazz it up with sides. example: a great mac and cheese, and maybe have the option to add lobster. risotto with the option of mushrooms or bacon.
i'm salivating at many of the lists others are providing, but don't forget that (a) the onboard ovens aren't ideal for warming up many foods, and (b) the FAs prepping the food aren't chefs. that eliminates many of my favorite dishes. i love shellfish, but the best bomster scallops will be disappointing at 38k feet because they can't be prepped properly.
two more general ideas: (1) continue to improve the drink selection, and make advertised items available more consistently, and (2) have an option to pre-order your meal.
i'm salivating at many of the lists others are providing, but don't forget that (a) the onboard ovens aren't ideal for warming up many foods, and (b) the FAs prepping the food aren't chefs. that eliminates many of my favorite dishes. i love shellfish, but the best bomster scallops will be disappointing at 38k feet because they can't be prepped properly.
two more general ideas: (1) continue to improve the drink selection, and make advertised items available more consistently, and (2) have an option to pre-order your meal.
#29
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#30
Join Date: Mar 2007
Programs: United Mileage Plus Premier
Posts: 775
Great idea. I have spent way too much time in hospitals and on United flights and in both cases the food is pretty terrible. Lets just make it simple and taste decent. Maybe make a deal with In and Out?