Food, glorious food
One of the things to look forward to when flying on Malaysia Airlines is a serving of its signature dish – chicken satay. Fragrant and delicious, it is a dish that represents that national flag carrier and one that also represents the country. Expanding on that theme, Malaysia Airlines has unveiled 15 new dishes that will join its ‘Best of Malaysia’ inflight menu, available across First, Business and Economy class.
The perennial favourites are present – nasi lemak (of course), Hainanese roasted chicken rice and mee siam, to name a few – but specific states also get a spotlight. Fish curry Kandar style with Pappadum represents Penang while the traditional Kelantanese dish of nasi dagang (with gulai ikan tongkol and solok lada) and ayam masak lemak from Negeri Sembilan brings some regional favourites 12,000m in the air. Depending on the length of the flight, the menu could also include dim sum, rojak buah with petis sauce, nasi hujan panas, nasi tomato, ngau lam mee or even chee cheong fun.
“Eventually we would like to have all the states of Malaysia represented in our menu,” says Fazal Mahbob, senior manager for in-flight food and beverage while carrying a tray of bite-sized satay portions. “That can be challenging because East Malaysian dishes, for example, are based on raw ingredients that are hard to replicate in an airplane. But it is a challenge that we always working on, as we strive to bring the best of Malaysian dishes to our guests.” Sounds exciting. So next time you’re on a Malaysia Airlines flight, keep a look out for any gastronomic surprises available in the menu.
