After arriving in Dubai on Air India, my next leg was traveling from Dubai to Newark on United Airlines, a service United started earlier this year. The flight itself was pleasant enough, but the great surprise on this flight was the superb business class catering. I had to pinch myself to ensure I was traveling on United!
United Airlines Superb Dubai Catering In Polaris Business Class
To be honest, I think United’s catering has come a long way in the last year and am generally quite satisfied with it. But the catering on this flight was on a whole different (and superior) level.
Menus were waiting on each seat and included four entree choices for dinner and two for breakfast prior to arrival.
Dinner was served after takeoff, and among the many appetizing options I chose the beef tangine, a Moroccan-inspired stew that is slowly cooked for hours (at least in theory). The dish was served with turmeric infused Israel couscous, olives, roasted red onion, and parsley. A home run.
What was a bit odd was that the salad (halal bulgur, bean and corn salad with mesclun, cumin seed, and cumin vinaigrette) and appetizer (sumac chicken with Aztec farro, jicama, bean and corn salad
with smoked paprika aioli) were largely the same. Fattoush and lentil soup would have been preferred, but this was not bad. Bonus: buttery garlic bread.
Next I enjoyed a delicious cheese course with crackers and grapes before concluding the meal with an ice cream sundae topped in whipped cream, strawberries, and almonds.
A very nice meal which helped me quickly fall asleep for the next six hours.
This is a 14-hour, 50-minute flight and typically I can sleep for 10 hours on these longhauls. This time, I awoke roughly halfway through the flight and unable to fall back asleep, ordered a snack: potato leek soup and a wrap with with hummus, olive tapenade, cheese, and lettuce. I also had a piece of fruit cobbler left over from the dinner service. It hit the spot.
The biggest surprise, though, was for breakfast prior to landing in Newark. I ordered the halal grilled beef tenderloin, which was served with scrambled eggs, truffle Hollandaise sauce, grilled tomatoes and rösti potatoes with onions.
You always take a risk in ordering airline steak, but this was a very decent cut of beef and cooked medium well (still too much, but better than well-done). It really hit the spot and the truffle Hollandaise sauce was excellent.
I also loved the full-sized croissant and especially the generous bowl of fruit with ripe and sweet watermelon, raspberries, and blueberries. A great breakfast indeed.
I noticed a lot of people were sleeping through breakfast, so I asked the flight attendant if I could also try the halal buttermilk pancakes, served with cinnamon butter, apple compote, and maple syrup. Wow. The pancakes (I guess the cinnamon butter was key) were so delicious!
I have more than a theory about the catering on this flight. Live And Let’s Fly has learned that as part of its wide-ranging codeshare agreement, Emirates and United have specifically consulted on the catering on this route. Yes indeed, I’d say this route offers the best catering in the system right now.
Every meal on this flight was excellent and it shows me very clearly that serving excellent food onboard is 100% possible on United.
I will have many more details about this flight in my upcoming full review, but did want to dedicate a special post to the superb catering. Well-done, United.
I tend to overeat on flights. I have a hard time saying no when they keep offering food. But it’s very rare I ask for something.
That looks good though. I might have made an exception and put in an extra order.
Fasting or not eating anything for 12 hours, except having water or black coffee/ tea
is probably healthier. The effect of jet lag might be less and you body won’t be tired or heavy. But if you’ve paid for a business class ticket you are out of luck. You have to stuff yourself with rich food.
Sounds like they actually want to compete with Emirates. If they did that all over I’d fly them more often.
It’s probably the other way around – Emirates wanting to minimise the amount of disgruntled pax ending up on the wrong metal with an EK-coded ticket.
I didn’t find that dinner menu that great; with a high cost of bus. class ticket, they should have an appetizer (shrimp, caviar), before salad, entree, etc. No salmon or cod filet as a choice on dinner menu? why so much garlic and onion on menu items? that doesn’t help with gas, sleeping, jet lag; they really need to let up on all the spices. I truly wish they’d use a catering co. similar to Singapore Air’s caterer.
Well ken shrimp, tasteless food you seem to crave and meals drenched in laxtose for which 10% of population is alergic to ( even more among 50yrs+) is so frequesntly & as demonstrated by quick review of restaurant foods is not the moat prefered option
Many of us who fly united 100,000+ miles a year would appreciate meals with a bit more pazaz like tgose offered on emerites
I understand where you’re coming from; however, with the inflated prices for bus. class, so high, 1 of the dinner choices needs to be salmon or cod; appetizers should also be an option; and what happened to a cup and saucer for coffee service? that mug looks like it came from a truck stop; they also need to offer latte, cappuccino, etc. with their high bus. fares.
I will also add that you are most likely to always get a medium-well to well done steak or any meat for that matter when departing an Arab country because most people that live there prefer their meats well done. It is a cultural preference that most people have- to eat most cooked meats only well-done.
Depends on the meat dish. If it’s kebab style then yes, most people will prefer it well done.
But when it comes to steak, burgers, lamb dishes, roasts, etc, you’ll find a variety of how people want their dish cooked, from rare to well done to everything in between.
Actually MOST arabs prefer their meat well done, especially those that are also muslim. I have seen it first hand and a majority of restaurants in the arab world won’t even ask how you want your meat done. It is by default cooked more on the well side, and you’d have to specify otherwise.
Again, it depends on the meat dish itself. But hey, even though I am Arab and live in the Arab world, I guess you know more than me.
Serving delicious food is possible onboard any airline, they just have to be willing to pay for it, and the FAs have to be willing to properly heat and plate it.
Very true – it is all about the Benjamins.
I think Emirates Flight Catering does the food for all of the flights leaving DXB. The meals out of DXB are some that I actually eat. Most of the other routes the food is terrible and going from EWR to DXB the food is pretty bland which would be the United standard catering.
This is the answer. Emirates Flight Catering serves all airlines flying out of Dubai Airport (similarly, Qatar Aircraft Catering serves all flights from DOH). Of course, airlines could use back-catering and bring food from their hub, but this is easier on a shorter flight, not a 15-hour flight.
My bet is that Emirates gave them a discount on catering so that higher quality food would fit into UA’s budget.
The true test would be flying UA from EWR to Dubai and checking whether the catering is just as good. I’m not sure if United run their catering operation at EWR. I believe they do out of most legacy Continental airports.
I’m sure improving the slop they usually serve was mandated by Emirates. It’s still not comparable, but not as disgusting as it usually looks. Sublime is a bit of a stretch.
I realize the presentation is still lacking a bit, but the tangine and the breakfast (both plates) were very, very good.
if you think thats sublime, your taste buds must be broken — or you enjoy eating at sizzler.
Lol, I do love Sizzler. Best salad bar in LA these days…
I wonder what slop they threw at the coach passengers. But then again, you would never care about that.
Huh?
https://liveandletsfly.com/fly-home-from-europe/
Matt is not OMAAT. Lol
Genuinely impressed :). Curious if the kitchens out of DBX are better quipped to serve at this level or we will this this more consistently across the system?
I wouldn’t expect this across the UA system. It’s my belief that quality of catering regardless of airline is mostly a function of the departing airport (e.g. SFO probably does better Asian food than DEN) and the catering/capabilities in the area. For instance, NYC with multiple competing caterers and a diverse population that understands a worldwide palette is going to do a better job at any cuisine than whatever Gate Gourmet at IAD knows how to do.
In general flavorful food and liquids tend to hold up better on airplanes, so looking at the entrees above Moroccan stews, Middle Eastern herbs, Indian spices, and Asian umami flavors all sound like winners to me.
Not sure if IAD is the best comparison, as it’s a pretty diverse area as well.
vipanem- really?
Yet somehow UA still believes it is acceptable to serve a salad, appetizer, and entree at the same time thanks to their cost cutting measure of reducing the number of crew onboard to the legal minimum. As a result, the entree is guaranteed to be lukewarm at best by the time you’re through salad and appetizer.
It’s honestly pathetic and shows how little they care about passengers once they’ve bought the ticket. The food might look better, but it’s all relative and it’s not hard to improve on the trash they’ve been serving since early 2020.
I’ll be sticking with the competition wherever possible from now on, especially if Middle Eastern or European airline options are available.
At least they’re back to serving an appetizer at all and the desert is back to being served separately.
But yeah, still lagging behind the non-US competition.
It must be a maddening problem for you! To think, they would serve a sumptuous meal all at one time?!! Such an injustice!! You should call the police and have them meet the plane when it lands!!
Spot on Michael and “sublime” superlatives of such premium economy grade fare in business class undermines the power of this blog to instigate change
Please send an email to corporate expressing your delight!
Glad to hear of the improvements. I’m flying Polaris from EWR to Tokyo later this month. Have you had recent positive catering experiences out of the Newark hub?
I don’t care how much y9u fly or how much your ticket cost, if y9u are expecting Michelin star cuisine on a plane you’re delusional. These food reviews of airline food blow my mind. Sad.
still is only an O quality meal on Emirates, not a J meal
I tried Polaris recently Frankfurt-am-Main to San Francisco. $5000+ fare with an abrasive unsmiling stewardess with a chip on her shoulder. Didn’t have what I wanted they’d not catered enough meals. Why is this so difficult? I can go into any diner in America and they’ll have everything on the menu available for $10. I lodged a complaint and got a $150 voucher so I can be disappointed again on a future flight. The smart money is buying the cheapest because then when the flight is crap you can console yourself that you didn’t overlay.
It’s unfortunate that Polaris has cranky and often lazy flight attendants and crappy food; it’s getting old and I’m tired of the Covid excuse for all their shortcomings. I’m flying Polaris DEN to LHR next month and the trip will push me over a million miles. Looking forward to the milestone so I can have the freedom to fly other airlines and not worry about chasing miles.
Not buying it. That all looks like it was plated at a Marriott-run cafeteria.
Now show us the economy which is a disaster. They replaced the nice ice cream with Milk cookies which I find gross.
1) Good food on flights is a combination of the airline being willing to pay for better food and also making good choices for things that are essentially reheated or finished on board. There’s a reason most folks (not the writer of this blog, but that’s a palate thing) enjoy stuff like curry on airplanes – it often tastes better reheated than fresh. Same with a slow cooked dish like tagine. The best meal I ever had on an airplane was Monkfish curry in AA F, precisely because monkfish and curry really withstand reheating well.
2) That isn’t Israeli couscous. Israeli couscous is the thicker style, often called pearled couscous. This is the Moroccan style, which is individual grains of wheat.
SORRY, I AM NOT IMPRESSED. LOOKS LIKE EWR TO LAX. IF THEY ARE ACTUALLY TRYING TO COMPETE WITH EMIRATES THEY ARE FAILING MISERABLY!
OK GENE
We’re all guilt of superlative over every now and then. Sublime stretches credulity just a bit. Particularly given the steak was saved from the crematorium oven at the last second.
You’re usually right on point with most posts – This review seems more a function of diminished expectations than United delivering something objectively sublime
I have been mostly very happy with UA”s Polaris meals over the past several years. Their steaks are always my preferred option and I feel they are always perfectly prepared. All this talk about the “slop” being served on United is, in my opinion, just talk by people who once had a “bad” experience. And yes, for the naysayers out there, I have eaten on Singapore Airlines, Emirates, KLM, Air France, Swiss, Thai and dozens of other airlines and can say that Polaris is every bit as good overall as any of them. BTW, my two best meals were a lasagna on, surprise, Alitalia back in the day, and a wonderful chicken dish on low-cost Air Asia. Some people are just critical for the sake of being critical.