*VGML is the common airline particular meal code for a vegan meal, and may subsequently be freed from all animal derived substances.
Singapore to Abu Dhabi in Business Class
On our first flight from Singapore to Abu Dhabi, we have been served a salad comprising candy potato, chick peas, roast potato, tomato and combined leaves as a starter. There was no dressing for the salad which means it was dry and missing in flavour. This got here with a small fruit salad and bread with no butter different which was a moot level because the bread was chilly, exhausting, and easily inedible. Upon request, the flight service supervisor kindly provided another salad from the principle menu with candy potato, beetroot, walnut and combined leaves. This salad got here with mini pitta breads and a lemon French dressing and was far superior than the VGML choice that was loaded for us.
The foremost course was a vegetable primarily based dish topped with nuts, maybe dukkah? None of the cabin crew knew precisely what the dish was, which is usually the case with particular meals, with no title and no description obtainable it’s usually left to guess work. It was fairly flavourful with eggplant, cauliflower, carrots, asparagus and cherry tomatoes, however actually wanted rice, quinoa or one other grain in our opinion. For dessert, effectively, there wasn’t a dessert so we have been provided fruit. Why provide a vegan choice however then don’t embrace a dessert? Other passengers had a alternative of desserts, and likewise a choice of mini Haagen Dazs ice cream pots to pick out from through the flight. For us, not one of the dishes or snacks that have been obtainable all through the flight have been appropriate for vegans.
Etihad Business Lounge at Zayed International Airport, Abu Dhabi
It was a battle however we obtained there ultimately with assist from the lounge supervisor. Despite a wonderful array of meals within the gorgeous new lounge all with very clear labelling, there was nothing scorching that was labelled vegan. Plenty of salads, grains, hummus and dips, however we actually fancied a scorching meal. After being provided pumpkin soup which contained dairy, we situated the lounge supervisor and requested her for assist. She spoke to the chef and it wasn’t lengthy earlier than we have been having fun with a trio of curries served with rice. All tasted superb and it was precisely what we wished, however why not have one or two of those curries obtainable on the buffet? There have been additionally baggage of potato chips, packets of nuts and date bars obtainable which have been all labelled vegan, the date bars have been scrumptious so we took a pair for our subsequent flight.
Abu Dhabi to London Heathrow in Business Class
Due to the timings, we slept via the entire of our flight from Abu Dhabi to London, however have been woken up for breakfast upon request. We have been served a combined bean and avocado wrap, with tomato salsa and rocket. Fresh orange juice, peppermint tea, fruit and a heat bread roll with vegan butter have been additionally a part of our breakfast. We have been very pleased that on this leg we had another unfold for our bread, and general our breakfast was passable, however not nice.
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Etihad Business Lounge at Heathrow Airport, London
The Etihad Business Lounge at Heathrow Airport was the spotlight of our vegan journey expertise on this latest journey. Oat milk lattes, freshly squeezed orange juice, coconut milk chia puddings with combined berries, and a ‘full English’ breakfast full with vegan sausages and toast with vegan butter. There have been salads, hummus, stuffed vine leaves and foul medames too for anybody who fancied a Middle Eastern impressed breakfast. The wonderful labelling and assorted choices made this the right plant primarily based breakfast. Very spectacular.
London Heathrow to Abu Dhabi in Business Class
So shut but to this point could be one of the simplest ways to explain the vegan meal served on our London Heathrow to Abu Dhabi flight. Lunch began with a nutritious lentil and roasted vegetable salad, one other facet salad with balsamic dressing and a bread roll with vegan butter. Next up was one of many tastiest dishes within the sky we’ve ever had, skewers of tofu and peppers with a calmly spiced tomato sauce and basmati rice. We couldn’t fault this dish and eagerly awaited our dessert, which if good, would have ended a memorable lunch. But we have been provided fruit. Fruit isn’t dessert, it’s fruit. Don’t get us unsuitable, we love fruit however it’s a fairly poor different to the nice and cozy chocolate fondants and pavlovas that different passengers have been having fun with. The onboard crew agreed that it was lower than inspiring and hunted down a refreshing citrus sorbet from top quality. This was higher than fruit, however nonetheless wasn’t a heat chocolate fondant and or a pavlova.
Etihad Business Lounge at Zayed International Airport, Abu Dhabi
Again, zero heat choices within the flagship lounge at Zayed International airport, certainly it could make sense to have no less than one vegan choice? We created our personal mezze platter from the wonderful choice on provide, and it was superb. No dessert choice so we loved a few the vegan date bars once more which gave us a candy repair earlier than our subsequent flight.
Abu Dhabi to Singapore in Business Class
Whilst ready to listen to what had been loaded as our VGML choice from Abu Dhabi to Singapore, we perused the onboard Business Class menu. This was our fourth flight with Etihad in as many days, and up till now the onboard menu had nothing that was labelled vegan and even might maybe be vegan. So it was to our shock that the starters included a vegan laksa soup which after all we needed to order. It’s type of unusual that having skilled assorted success each within the lounges and on board with our Vegan Food Quest, that on our ultimate flight there was a vegan choice on the principle menu? It was certainly fortunate that the vegan laksa was obtainable, because the three programs loaded for my vegan meal have been described by the crew as follows: “For starter you’ve got some chickpeas, for main tomato pasta and fruit for dessert”. How very, very disappointing, uninspiring, and unacceptable. The vegan laksa was tasty, however was missing in a greens or tofu for that protein hit. It was a flavoursome broth, with vermicelli noodles and bean sprouts, very gratifying to eat. The wonderful crew additionally created a vegan mezze platter for us too, with fattoush and beetroot hummus. We definitely didn’t go hungry, however would have liked a dessert!
We would describe the general expertise as a distinction of effectively thought out, nutritionally balanced and scrumptious dishes, and missed alternatives attributable to forgotten objects, unclear labelling and pondering that fruit is okay for dessert. The catering on Etihad is of a excessive customary, the great meals was superb, and taking a look at dishes that different passengers have been served we might see that a number of thought and energy goes into creating the menus. But as vegan passengers we felt that we have been an afterthought and that we most definitely missed out on the total enterprise class expertise. The ultimate phrase has to go to the lounge employees and the crew on every of the flights, they carried out every thing they might to boost our vegan eating expertise, and have been genuinely apologetic on the lacking objects and typically uninspiring selections, which we appreciated very a lot.
Paul Eyers
Paul Eyers is co-founder of Vegan Food Quest who write about luxurious accommodations and resorts in Southeast Asia with a deal with sustainable journey, eco journey and vegan journey. Currently primarily based in Malaysia, Paul additionally writes about sporting occasions and a number of the best golf programs all through the area.
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