FJI: Fiji Airways [Business, International, Long-Haul]
Truly tender beef short ribs over the Pacific Ocean!
Soon after the announcement for boarding was made, my BFF and I exited the Tabua Club Lounge and made our way to the priority lane at the gate. We were greeted with a warm smile by one of the graceful flight attendants. I was so excited of what lay ahead for the next 10 hours, even though I was feeling somewhat gloomy that I'd be leaving Fiji soon.
Pikachu enjoyed his dinner while watching Tom and Jerry, which I used to watch a lot as a little boy.
Welcome Drink
Signature Serve Cocktail - Taste: 8/10
I decided to go for the signature cocktail of Fiji Rum Co. that was poured over smashed maraschino cherries and orange slices. The aromatic coconut rum made a good complement to the sweet cherries and the mildly sour orange slices.
FJ Meal #1
Duo Canapés - Taste: 8/10
The late dinner service began with a Vietnamese-inspired spring roll and a curry tartlet. The former had tender chicken breast mixed with fresh herbs and sprinkled with shredded coconuts, while the latter was tangy enough without being spicy at all.
Seasonal Fresh Garden Salad - Taste: 7.5/10
The assorted vegetables - lettuce, long beans, cucumbers, tomatoes and corns - were acceptably fresh. They came with orange and dill vinaigrette, which would be better if only it were tangier.
Bread
The white and wholemeal bread slices were soft and airy. The butter on the side was hard when it came to the tray table.
Slow Braised Beef Short Ribs with Tamarind Jus - Taste: 9/10
The beef main course was stunning, featuring fork-tender beef short ribs that were full of flavours with an adequate amount of fats. The marquis sweet potatoes were executed well, but I've got to admit that I didn't really like the tamarind sauce as it was too sour for my liking.
Grilled Marinated Chicken Breast with Tomato Cardamom Jus - Taste: 5/10
Having tried the beef first, I was really disappointed with the chicken main course as the white meat was quite tough and dry. The tomato and cardamom sauce did help moisten it a little bit. Having said that, the seasoned Basmati rice with raisins was well-cooked and aromatic.
Mango Coconut Cheesecake with Cream - Taste: 7.5/10
The cheesecake was pretty rich and creamy with, although it could be just slightly less sweet. It did exude a nice aroma of ripe mangoes, but I almost couldn't detect any coconut taste.
Others
A platter of cheese, grapes, dried apricots and salted crackers was also available in place of or in addition to the dessert aforementioned.
Beverages
The list of beverages may not as big as those in major airlines, but the airline does serve a fair variety of beers, wines, spirits and liqueurs, along with non-alcoholic beverages that includes Fanta Pineapple. I requested for a glass of apple juice during the meal, as well as a glass of hot chocolate at the end of it. The chocolate drink used too much vanilla milk powder though.
FJ Meal #2
Fruit Appetiser - Taste: 7/10
Apple, orange and watermelon cubes were offered. All of them could be fresher, but they were packed enough with natural sweetness.
Rice Congee - Taste: 8.5/10
At first glance, the Chinese style congee didn't really whet my appetite. However, I was sold after a spoonful of it. While it could be slightly thicker, the congee was bursting with flavours, having sliced chicken, mushrooms, ginger strips, spring onions and wanton skin in it.
Coconut Bun - Taste: 7/10
While the bun wasn't as soft as I'd love it to be, it had a fair share of shredded coconuts that made if fragrant. Pika's advice: You can also choose croissant, white toast, brown toast or any combinations that you like.
Yogurt
I've got no idea whether we can choose the flavour that we want, but I was given a cup of mango yogurt. My BFF got the same flavour too.
Complete Set of Hot Items - Taste: 7.5/10
The purported cheese omelette wasn't that cheesy, but it still retained much of its moisture. While I couldn't find any faults with the grilled chicken sausage, marquis potato and ratatouille (French stewed vegetable dish), the creamed spinach was somewhat bitter.
Hot Cakes with Berry Coulis - Taste: 7.5/10
Despite its messy appearance, the hot cakes with thick berry sauce were decent. Drizzled with maple syrup, they had a level of sweetness that was right for me. The accompanying berry cream didn't do much to heighten the overall taste though.
Beverages
Apart from a glass of apple juice, I'd actually indicated my preference for hot lemon green tea. However, the flight attendant apparently forgot about it, but I didn't make a fuss about it. When she made her rounds offering hot coffee and tea, I requested for the latter, which turned out to be quite robust.
Melon's Rating
Taste: 7.5/10
Ambience: 8.5/10
Service: 7.5/10
Overall: 7.5/10
I wonder if the airline has got any snacks for those feeling peckish in the middle of the flight. Anyway, there are certainly rooms for improvement in terms of service and food quality. Despite that, I did enjoy the flight, being able to catch around 200 minutes of undisturbed sleep.
I suppose you can tell from my expression that I was so tired that night. The picture shown above was taken just before I stepped into the dream land.
As you can see, Melon also managed to rest well during the flight. :)
Fiji Airways
Business Cabin
Airbus 330-200
*No separate price given as meals are included in the ticket price.
Have a nice meal,
Cliff(y)
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