Air Asia Food Review 2025 - What To Expect!

Intro

If there’s one thing AirAsia consistently gets right, it’s its inflight meal program’s quality, variety, and affordability.

Whichever subsidiary you’re flying, the airline’s Santan menu continues to impress with its well-priced, locally inspired dishes.

A close-up photo of an in-flight menu for AirAsia showcasing 'Santan' with an image of two hands holding a mug and the text 'love' in green at the top.

I recently had the chance to sample AirAsia’s onboard meals during flights from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok to Phuket, pre-ordering my meals on both occasions.

Pre-ordering guarantees your choice, and the airline offers up to 35% off for advance bookings—a fantastic incentive for passengers.

What is Santan?

Santan (which means coconut milk in Malay) is AirAsia’s official inflight catering brand.

Since its launch in 2015, it has grown beyond the airline to become a standalone restaurant chain, offering airline-inspired meals in a casual dining setup.

An open in-flight menu on an airplane tray table, displaying images and descriptions of various meals, snacks, and beverages available for purchase.

An open menu displayed on an airplane tray table shows various meal options, including Nasi Lemak, chicken with rice, and vegetable curry, along with drinks like coffee and soup. Prices are listed in MYR.

With a focus on Southeast Asian flavours, Santan’s menu combines classic street food dishes with international favourites, making it one of the unique inflight meal programs in the low-cost airline sector.

Unlike some budget airlines, which inflate prices for onboard purchases, AirAsia keeps meal costs relatively low and consistent across routes.

The Thai Menu

Forget the usual uninspiring inflight meals—AirAsia Thailand offers a diverse menu of regional favourites available for pre order including:

• Pak Nasser’s Nasi Lemak – THB 120
• Pad Thai with Egg Wrap – THB 120
• Chicken Teriyaki with Rice – THB 120
• Green Curry Chicken with Rice and Salted Egg – THB 120
• Vegetable Biryani with Tomato Gravy – THB 120
• Uncle Chin’s Chicken Rice – THB 120
• ML Noi’s Basil Fried Chicken on Rice – THB 120
• Basil Chicken Fried Rice – THB 100

The above meal prices range from US$2.95 to US$3.55 insane value!

If you have a sweet tooth, the OG Burnt Cheesecake (THB 80) is a fan favourite.

A slice of burnt cheesecake with a dark top crust is displayed next to its packaging, labeled "The OG Burnt Cheesecake," exuding a tempting aroma reminiscent of an exquisite Air France fragrance.

At just USD 2.40, it’s one of the best-value sweet treats you’ll find on any airline.

Drinks also go beyond the standard tea or coffee basics, with options like:

• Boba Thai Milk Tea – THB 90
• Boba Milk Tea – THB 90
• Japanese Matcha Latte – THB 100

The Pre Order Meals

I opted for the Pad Thai with Egg Wrap and the Shoupan Chicken & Cheese Sandwich for my Bangkok to Phuket flight.

Airplane tray table with a meal consisting of Pad Thai, a sandwich wrap, two bottles of water, a napkin, and plastic cutlery.

The meals were delivered before the general service, each accompanied by a bottle of water.

Taste-wise, the sandwich was fresh and satisfying, while the Pad Thai had bold flavours and a proper egg wrap.

An airline meal on a tray table includes a dish with prawns and rice, bread topped with herbs, a packaged dessert, two bottles of water, and a plastic fork and knife set on a napkin.

A glass container holds a dish with eggs topped with herbs and orange garnish. It is accompanied by bread slices, cheese, and mushrooms. Another dish and a water bottle are partially visible.

The service was just as efficient on my Singapore to Kuala Lumpur flight. Meals were delivered in a Santan-branded bag, maintaining the brand’s casual dining feel.

The meal was flavourful and well-portioned, though given the short flight time, I barely had time to finish it!.

A tray table on an airplane with a meal consisting of rice and curry, a plastic-wrapped set of red cutlery, a napkin, and a bottle of water.

Airline meal tray on an airplane with a packaged Hyderabadi vegetable biryani, a sealed bottle of water, a set of red cutlery, and a white napkin placed on a tray table.

A magazine with the title "LOVE" and an image of two hands holding a blue cup is placed on an airplane tray table. The cover mentions "santan" and "Good Food. Good Coffee. Good Value.

I think that the meals on Air Asia offer:

Value for Money – Meals are reasonably priced, without the overpricing seen on other LCCs (e.g. Cebu Pacific charges up to 3-4x more for meals on flights ex-Australia).

Pre-Order Perks – Up to 35% discount for bookings, plus guaranteed availability.
Authentic Southeast Asian Flavors – Signature dishes like Nasi Lemak, Pad Thai, and Green Curry Chicken bring local flavours to the skies.

Innovative Offerings – From bubble tea to burnt cheesecake, the variety surpasses most full-service airlines.

Conclusion

AirAsia’s Santan menu proves that low-cost carriers can still offer affordable, high-quality inflight dining.

Whether it’s a classic Nasi Lemak, a Boba Tea, or even a burnt cheesecake, the airline sets the standard for budget airline meals.

If you’re flying AirAsia soon, pre-order your meal—not just for the savings but to experience one of the better onboard dining programs in the low-cost airline industry.