PHI: Philippine Airlines [Business, International, Short-Haul]

Yummy Filipino dish: Beef Paksiw sa Toyo!

Sit back and relax in the Philippine Airlines' Mabuhay (Business Class) Cabin. Take a look at the menu booklet given by the flight attendant, and soon you'll be asked personally what would you like to have for your meals later on. "What would you have for your main course, Mr. Anderson? Any drinks?" Hmm, I'll talk about the breakfast first and then dinner, featuring two main courses each as I shared the food with a friend.

 

PR Meal #1

Fresh Fruit Bowl

Melon, cantaloupe, mango and grape were in the bowl. All were fresh and pretty much juicy.

Beef and Chicken Pastrami with Edam and Camembert Cheese - Taste: 8/10

Served cold, the pastrami slices were savoury without being overly salty. The Edam cheese was slightly firm, and hey, the cheese was soft, creamy and somehow tasted better than those of the same variety which I've had previously onboard.

Cheese Ensaymada - Taste: 8/10

The cheese ensaymada was my choice of bread. Having quite a rich, buttery flavour, the ensaymada itself was adequately sweet, balanced in taste by the mildly salty grated cheese. It'd be perfect if it could be fluffier.

Fish Saté with Fried Egg and Nasi Goreng [A] - Taste: 5.5/10

Three choices were offered for the main course: [F] for Filipino, [W] for Western and [A] for Asian (sometimes [C] for Chinese). Hmm, an Indonesian dish, eh? Sadly, while the fish was pretty tender, the sauce, which was supposedly a peanut sauce, didn't really have a distinctive taste. The fried rice was almost completely bland. The mushrooms were juicy though.

Spinach Lasagna with Veal Sausage, Bacon and Baked Beans [W] - Taste: 7.5/10

At first, I thought the spinach would be spread in between the lasagna layers, but apparently it was served separately on the side. Although the lasagna was pretty chewy, it could be creamier. Having said that, the pale-looking tomato sauce actually had a nice sweet and sour balance. The rest were pretty much edible, and the best were, again, the juicy mushrooms.

Beverages

A range of alcoholic beverages was offered, with items such as Martini Rosso, Johnnie Walker Black Label, Grand Marnier, Charles Heidsieck Brut Reserve and Manila Beer, in addition to the usual list of hot and cold non-alcoholic beverages. I only asked for a glass of mineral water at first, and then a glass of ginger ale after the meal. By the way, I wonder where did the signature welcome drinks (mango smoothie and Pinoy Fiesta cooler) go? I only had a cranberry juice soon after I was seated.

Pika's advice: Whenever you see an after meal treat next to coffee or tea in the menu, such as the Cebu Best Mango Chocolate (I'll talk about it below), but you don't see it on your tray (just like in the first picture of this review), ask for the coffee or tea after your tray has been cleared. You'll soon get your cup of hot coffee or tea, together with the sweet little treat!

 

PR Meal #2

Asian Squid Salad, Papaya Salsa and Salad Greens - Taste: 7.5/10

The vegetables were of adequate freshness, and it was a delight to have them with the balsamic vinegar with olive oil provided. The salsa wasn't bad, although it could be tangier, and the squid wasn't overly chewy.

Sesame Bread - Taste: 7/10

The bread was pretty aromatic, but not entirely soft. Well, at least it wasn't hard. You can always request for others, such as garlic bread and ciabatta slices.

Pistachio-Crusted Sea Bass in Lime and Lemon Velouté and Roasted Onion and Potato Gratin [W] - Taste: 8/10

The sea bass was firm, but tender, well-contrasted in texture by the pistachio crumbs on top of it which definitely added crunch to the dish. The sauce was only slightly acidic, but it was indeed velvety and pretty flavourful at the same time. Lastly, the potato gratin was nicely soft and creamy, but tasted kinda monotonous. I used the mixed herbs and dried chili inside the condiments package to make the main course more enjoyable.

Beef Paksiw sa Toyo with Pandan Steamed Rice [F] - Taste: 8.5/10

The best main course happened to be the Filipino dish; no surprise, I guess. The beef slices were cooked till tender with the right amount soy sauce and vinegar to give a tingling sweet and sour sensation. Slices of ginger made the dish even more appetising, and wow, quail eggs (which weren't over-boiled)! The steamed rice hardly had a pandan aroma though.

Apple Frangipane with Vanilla Sauce - Taste: 8/10

The expected aroma of almond was present in the frangipane filling, and the taste was complemented by the sour apple. The crust was pretty milky, buttery and crumbly. The vanilla sauce was quite fragrant, but it could be a bit sweeter. Hmm, it was a pity that the size was pretty small.

Cebu Best Mango Chocolate - Taste: 8/10

Oh, the treat which has made some people go crazy happened to be served right away. It was chewy and yummy, but perhaps it wasn't as good as how I had imagined it before. Well, it wasn't overly sweet, but the dark chocolate somewhat masked the aroma of the dried mango.

Beverages

Again, I didn't ask for alcoholic beverages since I've drunk too much lately. I requested for a glass of orange juice at the beginning, and then a cup of mint tea to go with the mango chocolate.

Melon's Rating

Taste: 7.5/10

Ambience: 8.5/10

Service: 8.5/10

Overall: 8.5/10

I was greeted with a warm welcome when I entered the aircraft. Service was great, almost always with a smile, but perhaps the flight attendants could be more attentive during the flight. Oh, if I may ask another question, why they didn't serve Bircher muesli for breakfast the other day? :/

As a bonus, before I end this review, I'll show you a photo of Pikachu and Melon sleeping together on the 60" lie-flat bed!

Philippine Airlines

Business Class Cabin

Boeing 777-300ER

http://www.philippineairlines.com/

*No separate price given as meals are included in the ticket price.

Have a nice meal,

Cliff(y)