Air Asia: In-Flight Food That You'll Actually Want to Eat

Plane food has gotten a bad rap for decades. Budget airlines' in-flight food? Well, that's on a whole new level. I don't wanna speak in absolutes, so I'll stick to those that I've tried. They are - howja say it - partially edible.

But to be fair, it's not entirely the airlines' fault. According to a scientific study {which means it's legit, guys} the culprit is the change in air pressure. It numbs most of our taste buds. 

Given that fact, you can't help but be surprised when you encounter an in-flight food that you'll actually want to eat. In my case, I wanted to ask for a round 2. I'm talking about Air Asia's in-flight meals, especially the Chicken Rice. It makes you wonder what kind of sorcery they do to make it taste that good...for a plane food!

Sage reminder located on the 2nd floor of Air Asia's Red Q

But first, let's talk about Air Asia's headquarters {aptly called Red Q} because, well, it's pretty cool! It's an 18,000-square meter creative workplace right beside Kualu Lumpur International Airport 2.

Smack right in the middle of Red Q is the astro turf-covered atrium peppered with bean bags. It's a really comfy area. I fought hard to stay awake while resting on one of the bean bags. Those who were beside me lost the battle, however, and just snoozed away.

Atrium

Air Asia's Red Q houses more than 2,000 employees, and has perks such as a cafeteria, salad bar, juice bar, and a coffee shop.

 Now about the in-flight food...

 

The Air Asia event that we attended is called the Santan Food Fest. Santan or coconut milk {gata in Tagalog} is one of the main ingredients of Air Asia's in-flight meals. Gata-infused dishes are my favorite! Shout-out to my forever: Pinangat na Alimango from Bicol. 

The goal of the event is to educate people about Air Asia's in-flight food - from preparation to presentation. Another goal of the event is to showcase and strengthen the different Asian dishes. They got the dishes that best represents each Asian country and turned them into in-flight meals.

I'm all for the latter. Now, I'm gonna say this because I'm Asian {hence the incoming race-serving bias} and also because it's true: ASIAN CUISINE > EVERYTHING ELSE. #flavorful

The event area is filled with different stalls; one for each Asian country and its corresponding in-flight dish. There were also action stations where chefs and guests cooked Air Asia in-flight dishes together. 

I don't have the exact number for you guys regarding the participants. Ballpark figure? A lot. Hmmm....I just spotted my friend flirting with someone. The chili component of the curry he ate probably made him do it, or not. 

The various Air Asia in-flight dishes are infused with everything that you see above - from dried chilies to star anise.  

The following are the foil-packed dishes that are served on board: 

• Chicken Adobo 
• Thai Green Curry with Rice 
• Pak Nasser's Nasi Lemak 
• Uncle Chin's Chicken Rice 
• Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce  
• Ashok's Butter Masala Chicken Biryani
• Miso Chicken Rice with Garlic
• Korean Kimchi Stir-Fried Chicken

Each one is priced at MYR 15, or about PhP 170.

Chicken Adobo, Miso Chicken Rice with Garlic, Korean Kimchi Stir-fried Chicken

We weren't able to try all, but among those that we did, Uncle Chin's Chicken Rice is no. 1 followed by Nasi Lemak, and the Thai Green Curry with Rice. Those three are delicious! Please don't take the adjective lightly because I've never - and I didn't think that I would ever - described a budget airline's food as "delicious". 

Aside from them having the right amount of flavoring, the meat in each are tender, and the rice fragrant and fluffy! 

I had the Chicken Adobo on the way back. It's good, but not as good as the three that I mentioned. A little more soy sauce and garlic, perhaps? But you have to understand, adobo runs deep with all Pinoys just like religion, politics, or our favorite basketball team. We are extremely passionate about all of the above.

Our mom or lola's {grandmother} version has set the bar for all the other adobos that will follow. We will nope the slightest deviation from those two. That's just how it is. Our palates are wired to do that. 

Now about my top pick. You really don't need the special sauce to add flavor to Air Asia's Uncle Chin's Chicken Rice. The quality is apparent even without. Although, it is extra tasty with, no doubt. And as you can see, they're generous with the tender slices of chicken!

If you're flying Air Asia soon, I suggest that you pre-order an in-flight food which can easily do so HERE. Since these dishes are optional, not all will be available per flight. Better to be safe than hungry! 

Air Asia

Website: www.airasia.com

Facebook: AirAsiaPH

Twitter: @airasiafilipino

Instagram: @airasiafilipino

Onward and Upward!