I love flying with Turkish Airlines; you always know that you will have a tasty, decent and quality inflight meal regardless of which cabin you fly in. I recently wrote about their inflight meal experience in business and economy class right here.I flew from Athens to Istanbul in economy and Istanbul to Montreal in business class, the best part of my long haul flight was spending time with the inflight chef in the galley.
ATHENS TO ISTANBUL
Athens to Istanbul was a quick 1-hour hop; the cabin crew completed a service which included this fantastic little picnic offering, served with a drink of your choice.
This meal of fresh olives, cheese, chicken and tomato along with a piece of almond cake was more than adequate for this flight; it was fresh and delicious. A decent offering when compared to what other airlines are currently serving on similarly timed flights.
ISTANBUL TO MONTREAL
After a transit and a visit to the Turkish Airlines lounge in Istanbul, it was time to board my flight to Montreal. There were four crew working in business class, and before departure, they offered: A choice of pre-departure drinks included: Berry, Orange or Lemonade, I opted for the Lemonade.
The inflight chef then came through to deliver inflight menus to everyone and took everyoneโs meal orders before take off. I observed him explain in detail the meal choices, and it was obvious that he genuinely wanted people to enjoy the experience.The flight was scheduled to depart at 1545 local time, with a flight time of about 10 hours. After takeoff, the crew distributed hot towels.
INFLIGHT DRINKS
Champagne Mumm Corfon Rouge.
Rose Saraplar (2017) from the Aegean Region in Turkey.
White Wine Prestige Narince 2016 Turkey, Sarafin Sauvignon Blanc 2017 Turkey, Chablis Domaine Daniel Seguinot 2017 Burgundy France.
Red WineSevilen Plato Syrah 2015 Turkey, Suvla Sur 2013 Turkey, Chateau Lamonthe Pontac 2016 France, Bodegas Beronia Crianza 2015 Spain, Bodega Norton Provada 2014 Argentia.
Port Wine (2012) from Portugal.
WhiskeyChivas Regal 12 years, Ballantineโs Blended Scotch 12 years, Glenfiddich Single Malt 15 years and Jim Beam bourbon Black.
Absolut Vodka, Beefeater Gin, Teridag Raki, Grand Marnier, Bakers Field Cream, Sour Cherry Liqueur, Hennessy Cognac, Efes and Carlsberg beers.
Black Tea, Herbal Tea, Relaxing tea, Digestive Tea, Energy Tea, Detox Tea, Winter Tea, Anti-bloating Tea, Comfort Tea.
Chocolate Milk, Coke, Mineral Water, Ayran, Orange, Tomato, Lemonade.
Instant Coffee, Filter Coffee, Espresso, Cappuccino, Turkish Coffee and Hot Chocolate.
On todayโs flight, two meal services are offered, the first meal service offers eight different entrees and three main meal to select.
After the hot towels were collected the cabin crew took drink orders for the entree service, and then prepared your meal tray with the tray cloth, and delivered your drink order with some nuts. The chef then offered an amuse-bouche.
Once I finished my amuse-bouche, the cabin crew cleared everything from my tray. Meal tray set up would be completed again by the crew from the main service trolley.
The entree trolley then came through the cabin, and the chef offered a choice from the entree menu:
Marinated Mediterranean Prawns
Salmon Tartare
Roast Beef Ceasar Salad
Hunters Borek
Carrot Hummus
Stuffed Red Pepper in Olive Oil
Smoked Eggplant Salad
Homemade Yoghurt with Walnut and Fresh Mint
Everything sounded terrific, so I told him to surprise me.
I couldnโt fault any of these starters; my favourite was the smoked eggplant, it was truly delicious, and the smokey flavour was prevalent.Main meals soon followed and I opted for the Turkish Manti, it’s a dish that many people recommended on Turkish Airlines. However, I also managed to get some photos of the other meals served onboard.
The Manti was remarkably good; I am pretty sure that itโs still hand made by the airlineโs caterer Do&Co. Manti is a dough-based product that is rolled out and filled (in this case) with beef, boiled and then served with a tomato and yoghurt sauce.
The well-dressed dessert cart rolled through the cabin about 20 mins after finishing my meal. For dessert, I opted for the chocolate mousse, it was very creamy, rich and not too sweet and oozed of homemade taste.
Other options included:
Baklava
Kadayif
Pumpkin Dessert
Apple and Raspberry Strudel
Pistachio Ice Cream
Cheese
Soon after the lights were dimmed and most of us rested.Two hours before departure, it was time to eat again, the cabin lights were turned up, and everyone offered a hot towel.
This time the service was slightly different, everything was delivered by hand, and there were no trolleys in the cabin. The chef came through and delivered my tray of:
Seafood Plate with Fresh Garden Salad and Oven-Baked Rice Pudding.
Once I finished my salad and seafood, I was offered a choice of Pumpkin Garganelli or Stuffed Eggplant. I opted for the eggplant, and it was a great choice. The entire second service took only 35 minutes for the crew to complete; it was quick but didnโt feel rushed.
YOUTUBE
As always, my meal experience on Turkish Airlines was spectacular in business class, and the short economy hop was also pleasing. The airline aims to reflect as much of their culture inflight as possible, and this is undoubtedly the case with the carefully crafted inflight food menu and offerings.
The chef adds some inflight flair and fun to the dining experience, and itโs always great to engage with them. I wonโt comment on the service I received as the airline knew I was on board the flight as I required filming permission. However, I can safely say that the other passengers enjoyed themselves, and looked as though they too enjoyed those delicious meals. I paid for my ticket and received an upgrade to film and create this story.
