Ring in the holidays with new meals from AirAsia that will surely bring the festivities onboard as well as in your tummy!
Guest Reviewers: Moses D. and Paul Carroll
Moses D., Senior Director of CEO’s Office, and Paul Carroll, AirAsia Head of Route Revenue, chat about the latest meals, the holiday classic Shepherd’s Pie and Roast Chicken with Cream Sauce (back for a limited time only) over lunch at the AirAsia HQ, RedFort.
Paul: First up, Shepherd’s Pie. Presentation is very good. I like the inviting look of the mozzarella and cheddar cheese on top of all the layers. The vegetable sides are fresh and surprisingly al dente, which is a good thing because I don’t like it when airlines serve soggy vegetables. They are also neatly arranged. Typically shepherd’s pies are made of beef, but I can totally get onboard with this chicken version. Beef version would taste meatier, in a way, but it’s close enough. Now that I know how this meal tastes like, I would definitely order it again and most certainly suggest it to others.
Moses: First impression, I think the pie looks classy. Digging into the layers of creamy mashed potatoes and minced chicken was fun. More and more people are avoiding red meat for health reasons, so I am all for this chicken version, which appeals to a wider audience. Cooks usually have ample time to prepare the shepherd’s pies that we normally get outside, but considering the limited time the flight attendants have before serving this to our guests, I have to say that this is one of the best shepherd’s pies you could have on board.
Paul: Next, we have Roast Chicken with Cream Sauce. As you open the packaging, you can see that the proportion of meat to vegetables is just right. I might be biased because I’m Irish, and most of the meals we have back home, we’ll have them with potatoes. The rich cream sauce is just right, not too salty at all. It complements the roast chicken very well. We would usually have turkey where I come from, of course, but this is close enough and turkey tends to be dryer so chicken is actually a better option inflight. Taste-wise it’s very very close. Thumbs up to our inflight meal team!
Moses: Unlike Paul, I am not a big fan of potatoes, so I would have preferred it to have more greens. I am a fan of the broccoli, though, it is really nicely done. The chicken is succulent and seasoned with herbs and spices. It’s also healthier because it is baked. While I do like the chicken and the cream sauce, I personally prefer it to be more peppery. Luckily there are always sachets of salt and pepper available, so every guest has the choice to adjust according to his own liking.
Festive meals need festive drinks to wash them down with, and this is where Bickford’s Old Style Lemon Lime comes in. I do think that it’s a tad too sweet for my liking. But it has less sugar, so at least it’s a healthier choice than a can of soda.
Paul: I like my fizzy drinks and I think the old style lemon lime is quite refreshing and not too sweet. I am a bit younger than Moses, though, so I can stand to have more sweet drinks.
Moses: You can have more sweet things, then, as we’re moving on to dessert. So the way that it works is, when I buy my meal and decide to top it up with desserts, I could buy these Vanilla Cupcakes as a part of the “Maximise Your Meal” option. The cupcake is sweet, yes, but not cloying. However, I have to say that two cupcakes would be too much for me, but you could of course share one with someone else. Sharing is caring, after all. It fits the holiday spirit.
Paul: The texture of this cupcake is so soft and moist. As expected, the cupcake has that familiar and sweet vanilla scent, while the icing is strawberry-flavoured. I guess it’s like having two treats in one cupcake, though it’s more of strawberry. I’m getting some of these cupcakes for my team as they love cupcakes. All in all, I am very impressed. The standard is really good. These meals most certainly remind me of Christmas.
Moses: I agree with Paul here that these meals have exceeded our expectations. Our guests won’t be deprived of holiday festivities onboard with these wonderful meals!
Shepherd’s Pie
- Only available on AK Flights for both pre-book (RM12 + 1 complimentary drinking water) and onboard sales (RM15, RM 16 combo comes with 350ml Spritzer Mineral Water)
- Available for a limited time
Roasted Chicken with Cream Sauce
- Only available on D7 flights for onboard sales (RM 18, RM40 combo comes with Lisa McGuigan Shiraz Cabernet red wine)
- Available for a limited time
Bickford’s Old Style Lemon Lime
- Available on both AK & D7 flights for onboard sales only (RM 9)
Vanilla Cupcakes (pack of two)
- Only available for pre-book on AK flights (RM 7)
- Available for a limited time
SEE ALSO: Inflight Food Review: Nasi Dagang with Chicken Curry
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