Eating onboard Malaysia Airlines [On the plane]

I read reviews of passengers' comments on meals served onboard Malaysia Airlines, and most were not impressed, even on business class.  I was a little apprehensive, but hey, the flight is not only about the meal served, right?  The inflight magazine, inflight entertainment and seats also play a part.

 

The flight into Kuching was evidently on an old plane.  The dullish-blue faux leather seats had a tired look and the "head flap" (I have no idea what they are actually called, but they're flimsy to rest one's head on) was long gone and not replaced.  There was no screen at the back of every seat, something I've quite come to take for granted, and the seat pitch was rather small.  I wasn't having high hopes for the meal.

 

There were two choices: chicken with butter rice or fish with noodles.  Both were served with a slice of marbled cake (of varying sizes, I must add), water and kit kat.

 

The butter rice was more like nasi briyani, but not exactly so.  The noodles were rather dry.  I suspect the crew had overheated the meal, or the caterer hadn't done a good job with the cooking.  The marbled cake was too sweet for my liking, and there was no tomato juice, so I had to make do with orange concentrate.

 

In all, a rather blah meal.

I have never ever seen the same menu on the return flights, but this time, Malaysia Airlines served exactly the same food for the flight from Kuching!

 

Same chicken with butter rice (the crew identified it as briyani on the return flight) and fish with noodles.  The noodles were equally dry, so perhaps it wasn't the caterer that didn't do a good job, but the heaters on the plane wasn't set optimally.

 

Instead of the marbled cake, dessert was a surprising kek lapis, a confectionary I kept seeing outside every alternate shop along the Main Bazaar opposite the Kuching Waterfront.  Thankfully, this one didn't have the bright bizaare colours of those sold along the Main Bazaar, else I would have been quite hesitant to eat it.  I suppose the flavours in Kuching are stronger, be they in terms or sweetness or saltiness, as I find the kek lapis a little sweet for my liking. 

 

There was tomato juice this time, though not from my favoured brand.  No matter, I think it's a little thoughtful gesture to showcase a city's food, no matter how small the portion is.

 

The plane departing Kuching was a newer plane, with newer-looking red faux leather seats and screens mounted on the seats in front.  That certainly made the flight more pleasant.