Call me adventurous (or stupid), but I will often order fish on an airplane. This week’s Meal of the Week looks back to the best fish I’ve ever had on a commercial flight.
I don’t kid myself that fish is the “healthy” option. In fact, I think it’s a safe guess that airline fish is farm-raised, filled with who knows what, and generally bottom of the barrel. Even so, it is often the healthier option and I just like fish.
This flight took place in April 2009 from New York (JFK) to San Francisco (SFO) in first class on United Airlines. At the time, United still served JFK and offered three-cabins of service aboard specially-configured Boeing 757-200s.
Service began with warmed mixed nuts and choice of drink.
The appetizer included shrimp and a chopped wedge salad with walnuts and parmesan cheese.
Fish is usually only an option in premium cabins and is generally served with rice or noodles. For this flight, the salmon was served with white rice and sugar snap peas. The salmon turned out to be tremendous, still ranking as the best fish meal I’ve ever had on a plane. It came out moist and full of flavor without being too fishy. The warmed bruschetta added a tremendous tangy flavor.
I had to pinch myself. How could airline fish be so good?
The meal was not over. An ice cream sundae followed and a hot cookie with milk before landing.
I miss the good old p.s. days.
CONCLUSION
I’d say a very close runner up was halibut I enjoyed in SWISS First Class. That was an amazing meal as well, but the United salmon actually topped it. I will continue to order fish, when available, on airplanes. It may not be as safe an option as pasta, but it is certainly safer than beef or pork, which is so prone to being overcooked.
> Read More: Fish + Pasta = Delicious in SWISS First Class
2009? Dude. You write well, but I’m sick of clicking on your links to read ancient history. I’m done with your blog.
You miss the point of the weekly “Meal of the Week” post, which is to revisit historic meals.
See here for more explanation:
https://liveandletsfly.boardingarea.com/2016/12/14/swiss-first-class-steak/
Maybe rename the feature “Meal Flashback of the Week” so it’s clear? Or “From the Culinary Archives”?
Perhaps. Thanks for your suggestion.
But I’ve learned that it is impossible to please everyone. Even so, I’ll do my best to bring to ensure people never feel duped clicking onto one of my stories.
Totally what I was thinking. 9 year old news?
It’s not news. It’s a feature story that appears every Saturday on the blog. Sometimes the meal reviews are a day old, sometimes 20 years old. The point is to focus on airline meals, not current events.
I remember when United let you special order a seafiod meal. In coach.
My first-ever United premium cabin meal had a shrimp appetizer. But it was served as a separate course before my steak entree. At lunch. Domestic. Sigh..
Those were the days.
Paging Dr. Rumack…
Stop calling me Shirley!
@Matthew — Oh, the good ole days. I loved p.s.
Oh the good old days is right! I surely miss those $330 ONT-TPA A fares…!
Matthew I so enjoy all of your articles! I had only been flying premium economy to go on mission trips the past 2 years to the Philippines. In April I was invited to Israel and to my surprise my AA flights were upgraded by a friend to business class.
Now I am hooked!!!!! I have already booked business class for Kenya in November and to Manila next February. I am so looking forward to the flights which wasn’t the story before I experienced business class! I look forward to every article! Hopefully I will soon begin to gain a better understanding of points and miles!!!! Either that or I need to win the lottery!!!! Thank you for the great articles!!!!
Thank you Andrea for your kinds comment!
Great post, Matthew! I certainly miss the days of real salt & pepper shakers – p.s. really was the best.
Sam, have you checked out the Newark Polaris Lounge yet? Those same salt & pepper shakers are present at every table in the a la carte dining room!
I was happy to see this review considering how other airlines are nickel and diming even first class passengers. If United is smart and can return service to what it used to be for first and business class passengers, they can win the game. American airlines which is now being managed by US Airways, has cut back on the jaw dropping service they offer in first and business. It feels mediocre. It’s now a large budget airline. Keep it up United..
Did the United team who came up with p.s. service disappear after the merger? I really wish they would bring them back. I’m so tired of flying Continental. I’ve started doing everything I can to fly on Airbus planes so I get a pre-merger United crew. The difference in customer service is unbelievable. Do you notice the difference?
Sadly I do. There are bad apples from the pre-merger United side and gems on the ex-Con side, but I find that pre-merger United crews are constantly better. United has also hired a lot of new FAs, however, who are terrible. These beautiful young people who are the laziest, most arrogant FAs I’ve seen. Unbelievable, when there is so much competition to be a FA.
I know there are bad apples on both sides but overall I get better service from the pre-merger United crews. I feel like the Continental FAs do what they have to do as quickly as possible and then are done for the rest of the flight. One time, while flying in economy, I went to the back after they were finished with the service to get some water and the dude was asleep…the other was in the front yapping with the first class FA! I took a photo of it in case I ever ran into Oscar so he could see the sadness.
…and yes! The new ones are worse! Arrogant and attitude. So annoying.
The best fish I’ve ever had in flight was on United as well. LAX to NRT in Nov 2016. It was turbot, cooked perfectly and actually one of the best fish meals I’ve had in my life….and I’m somewhat of a “foodie”.