Some people may not like flying but I find it a wonderful experience. Of course, there are many elements that make up a great flight like the airline you’re flying with, how friendly, helpful, or accommodating the staffs are, the cost of the flight (the lower the cost, the better..heehee), and the meals you eat on board.
A couple of weeks ago, I was very fortunate to be a part of the first group of people to have a taste of the food that composes the AirAsia Cafe Inflight Menu.
I was able to meet Jonathan Yabut, the winner of the hit reality television show The Apprentice Asia. He now works under Mr. Tony Fernandes and he welcomed us with an introduction to AirAsia Zest.
AirAsia Zest is the new brand name of Zest Airways Inc. as approved by the Civil Aeronautics Board (CAB). It is now flying with AirAsia, The World’s Best LowCost Airline and the Zest name has been incorporated into the iconic red hot circle, which is the signature logo of AirAsia.
AirAsia Zest is indeed The Right Way to Fly because not only do they make sure that they are the The World’s Best LowCost Airline, they also make sure that you get delicious, satisfying, and affordable HotMeals on board. They serve these meals in these cute red containers and you’ll get them as if they were freshly cooked at the back of the plane.
You can buy these meals for ₱200 while on board your flight but you can also Pre-book AirAsia Zest Hotmeals @ AirAsia.com via Manage My Booking and get a 15% discount and free 100mL water.
I’m sure you are excited to see how the food was served and how it tastes like. Let me show you…
AirAsia Zest HotMeals
The dishes they serve on the menu is a variation of Asian, international, and vegetarian fares that will surely cater to the different tastes of the guests. Some of these items are even named after AirAsia employees.
Maan’s Pasta Arrabiata is a tangy,spicy pasta dish made with tomato sauce, black olives and different herbs. This is a meal good for both pasta lovers and vegetarian.
Pak Nasser’s Nasi Lemak – Nasi Lemak is a Malaysia’s Signature dish composed of rice cooked in coconut milk, Chicken Rendang, and Sambal. AirAsia Zest even took the extra mile to include all the garnishes to complete the meal like crispy anchovies, peanuts, and half a hard boiled egg.
This is my favorite among all the meals that was served that night. The Chicken Rendang was very tasty and the Sambal’s spiciness packs a punch! I might just book a flight just to get another taste of this Nasi Lemak. And (God, help me) I will order two of these for myself too since AirAsia said I can book up to two (2) meals per flight..LOL!
Junior’s Korean Beef Stew is braised beef that is super tender and a bit sweet just enough to satisfy your K-POP tastebuds. I love that it was served with those flower-shaped carrots!
I now know why Chicken Adobo Ala Mariles is one of the most popular dishes booked from flights from the Philippines. It is made from chicken breast and has the right balance of sourness, sweetness, and saltiness. It is even served with Adobong Kangkong on the side that is sprinkled with lots of fried garlic!
Uncle Chin’s Chicken Rice is Singapore’s signature Heinanese Roasted Chicken. The chicken is served very tender, its flavors oozing in each bite.
..And just in time for the Christmas Season, AirAsia Zest is also offering this Christmas Meal composed of Honey Glazed Chicken, Zesto Dalandan Soda, and a Christmas Brownie for only ₱299 from December 1 -31, 2013.
Sandwiches
If you don’t feel like having a heavy meal, opt for one of AirAsia Cafe’s Sandwiches.These are light snacks yet very fulfilling in terms of taste and flavors.
- The Chicken Caesar Sandwich (₱130) is made of of freshly baked whole wheat bread, caesar dressing, lettuce, tomatoes, and slices of Roasted Chicken to complete the experience.
- The Roasted Chicken with Sundried Tomato Sandwich (₱130) is made of freshly baked whole wheat bread, pesto dressing, lettuce, sundried tomatoes, and slices of Roasted Chicken to give you that Italian taste and feel.
The Joy Of Desserts
Meals are not complete without desserts. If you are having a cup of coffee after your meal on board, the Cinnamon Breadsticks (₱80) seems to be the perfect choice to end your meal because cinnamon and coffee just go so well together. If you have kids with you, I suggest the rich and chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies (₱80) that is just packed full with chocolate chips!
They also have a Fudgy Brownie Bar (₱90) that is filled with peanuts and a Choco Banana Pound (₱80) cake that is dense and moist.
It was really a fun dinner from AirAsia in Manila. I learned a lot about how inflight food is prepared, how the quality and safety of the food is kept and maintained, and I learned that you shouldn’t sacrifice your meals even when cruising 35,000 ft above ground.
Book now @ airasia.com if you’re flying to the following destinations:
- Fly from / to Manila
- Domestic
- Cebu
- Davao
- Kalibo
- Tagbilaran
- Cagayan De Oro
- Puerto Princesa
- International
- Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
- Miri, Malaysia
- Incheon, South Korea
- Shanghai, China
- Macau, China
- Domestic
AirAsia Zest flies from NAIA Terminal 4 both for domestic and international flights.
For promos and updates:
Website: http://www.airasia.com
AirAsia Philippines Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/AirAsiaPhilippines
Follow @AirAsiaPH on Twitter: https://twitter.com/AirAsiaPH
39 Responses
Wow, I am drooling over my keyboard! The meals look quite tasty…now, if only Air Asia flew to the US.
Someday, maybe they will 🙂
Those cute little meals look so tasty!
They are J Shallow Miller!
Those meals do not look like the airplane food that I remember from my childhood. It looks yummy!
They look special, don’t they?
I haven’t ride an airplane (what a loser haha).. but one of the airplane I consider whenever I try to plan on travelling via plane is Air Asia 🙂
low cost kasi kaya sulit!
I am a vegetarian and I love that they have options available for those who don’t like meat.
Looks yummy! And I love adobo, so I’d definitely want to try theirs. I’m not sure I’ll ever fly Air Asia though, unless they expand to cities in the US, and my husband and I fly to the Philippines to visit his extended family.
It’s great that local airlines serves hot meals now. When I was a flight attendant, I used to heat them and serve them on-board Kuwait Airways.:)
Pregnant hungry lady talking, but those look really good. I doubt I will ever be on that airline since we mostly stay in the US but maybe way down the road when we are retired.
Is that airline food?…Wow, looks quite good girl. I will definitely let my parents know as they do travel quite a bit from India.
The dilis is making me drool!
http://www.spice-up-your-life.net
with the very affordable rate of Air Asia Zest, I am thinking of flying my family to Cebu 🙂
or Palawan 🙂 to visit Sati’s ninang hihi
I really like Air Asia! Aside from its affordable, the service is really nice! and in addition, this food!
I’ve always disliked airplane food but this is very yummy! I hope I can try Air Asia Zest someday!
http://www.justquixotic.com
someone told me that airasia’s Cinnamon Breadsticks is a must try.. 🙂
It is delicious!
I miss flying in Asia because food is being served during the flight.
http://www.spice-up-your-life.net.
Oh, I want to try that Uncle Chin’s Chicken Rice! It looks appetizing!
This is cool! Didn’t know some airlines serve this kind of food! Very unique. Kudos to whoever think of this.:)
Nice packaging and branding of the food by Air Asia. I’m sure it would be more enticing flying with them with meals like this.
To be honest, I hate flying but if I had to fly, I would definitely appreciate being served good meals and AirAsia looks like they’ve got their menu right. 🙂
Airplane meals are always much expensive than those sold in regular cafes and restaurants outside the airport. So it’s wiser to bring food when you have the time. In any case, having available food inside the plane is much more convenient.
Last november we went in thailand and it is my first time to ride air asia. its not bad at all. i’ve tried their chicken rice nasi lemak and stew also the pasta!
it was also nicely packed 🙂 hope we can fly via Air Asia someday 🙂
One of the first things I check when I purchase airline tickets is their menu. Haha! AirAsia Zest seems to have a delicious variation on board! This is good, especially if you’re going on an international flight. I had an experience kasi when I flew to London. I barely ate for 14 hours because I didn’t like the food. D:
Air Asia’s freshly-cooked hot meals offering is something to look forward to. In-flight cooking does away with food poisoning incidences
I will love to taste the Maan’s Pasta Arrabiata. I have never been to Air Asia Zest so hopefully I can fly in here next year
very appetizing, i wonder if these meals are also available in domestic flights… more power Air Asia Zest!!!Yahweh Bless
The food looks good! I didn’t know Air Asia offered these yummy dishes. Thanks for sharing!
Wow.. those look delicious thinking that it is a flight meal. 🙂
The food looks yummy and I think the passengers will not only enjoy the ride but also the meals.
That’s for sure, Jem!
We flew AirAsia just last November, and my son was fascinated by their in-flight menu. Ours was a short flight though, so we didn’t actually get to try any of the food. Maybe next time. Everything looks yummy!
The food looks yummy! Haven’t flown on AirAsia Zest though. Maybe next time we will just because of this food. 🙂
Heehee, ako din I want to fly Air Asia because of the food…