Intro

Sometimes you board expecting standard business class service, only to be surprised. That’s what happened on this short hop from Manila to Taipei on their older A330.

I’ve flown EVA several times in their business class cabin and have never been disappointed.

You can read about my Bangkok to Vienna experience here.

I didn’t know what to expect on this shorter sector, but I was pleasantly surprised. (Even if it was an older version of their business class cabin)

Two business class aeroplane seats with light green patterned upholstery, seatbelts fastened, and a shared centre console featuring cup holders and seat controls.
The image shows the interior of a business class cabin on an aeroplane, with passengers seated in spacious seats facing personal entertainment screens.
A bottle of Evian water is placed in a cup holder on an aeroplane tray table, with seatback screens and a safety card visible in the background.

The Service

After take off, the crew handed me a hot towel as I settled in for the meal service.

Fifteen minutes later, they were back with my meal tray.

A rolled white towel on a dark tray is placed on an aeroplane seat's armrest with cup holders and a storage compartment visible.

On this flight, the two options were: chicken with herb brown sauce, or teriyaki salmon with steamed rice.

I ordered the salmon. It arrived glazed and warm, and presented well.

Airline meal tray with rice and fish main course, vegetables, bread, butter, salad, fruit, and a glass of iced tea with a lemon slice on a serviette-covered tray table.

The rice was fluffy, the entire tray was lovely to look at, and the garnish on the starter and main courses added a nice extra touch.

The seafood starter, a green papaya salad with fresh shrimp, was delicious and fresh.

Then came the bread basket with lots of options, including wholemeal, focaccia, and garlic bread with butter.

The crew worked efficiently and were so polite. They appeared when you needed something, then disappeared.

Two small bowls: one with mixed fruit including kiwi, melon, and mango; the other with prawn, squid, noodles, and vegetables. Also visible are salt, pepper, butter, and a drink with lemon.
A meal tray with glazed salmon, white rice topped with black sesame seeds, a slice of carrot, green beans, and a mushroom, served with a lemon drink and side dishes.
A meal tray with focaccia and garlic bread, a bowl of fruit, a salad with prawns, a small dish of butter, and a pudding, on an aeroplane tray table.

After the meal service, another hot towel was offered. And before landing, a choice of sweets to choose from.

A person holds a tray containing various individually wrapped sweets in yellow, brown, green, and beige wrappers.

Amenities in the bathroom were Ideology brand, an Australian brand of eco conscious toiletries featuring botanical ingredients like Kakadu Plum and Kangaroo Apple.

Four IDEOLOGY brand bottles labelled as botanical body lotion, aroma mist, hand wash, and facial wash are displayed on a shelf with a metal rail in front.

The wine list included Laurent-Perrier, a 2020 Spanish Rioja, and Taylor’s Port. Beer, sake, Championship Series teas, Starbucks, and so much more.

A great selection for such a short flight.

A green EVA Air menu rests on an aeroplane tray table next to cup holders.
An airline menu on a tray table lists hors d’oeuvre, main course options, fruit, bakery items, and beverages in English and Chinese.
A wine and beverages menu with “EVA AIR” on the cover is placed on an aeroplane tray table near a cup holder.
An airline wine and beverage menu listing French and Spanish red wines, fortified wine, cocktails, spirits, liqueurs, beers, sake, and plum liqueur on a cream-coloured background.
A close-up of an in-flight wine and beverage menu featuring selections of champagne, Australian white wine, and German white wine, with descriptions and gold accents on the page.
A close-up of an airline drinks menu on a tray table, listing tea, coffee, soft drinks, juices, milk, and water options. The right page is blank.

Conclusion

I love that EVA offers such a fantastic meal concept on such a short flight.

If you’re flying in other parts, you would probably see this service on much longer flights, not short haul ones.

The beverage menu alone would look normal on much longer flights.

The crew’s attention was genuine; they cleared plates the moment you finished, but never made you feel rushed.

You could flag someone down instantly if you needed something, but they weren’t crowding the cabin or checking on you every two minutes.

I flew this expecting nothing and soon realised I got a meal service that most carriers offer only on much longer flights.

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