KSA: Saudia [Business, International, Long-Haul]
Pick your favourite: mixed fruit juice or vanilla date smoothie?
The transit at King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia didn't seem interminable, thankfully. About ten minutes after my BFF and I walked out of Alfursan Lounge, the boarding call for the flight to Jakarta, Indonesia was made. Let's take a look at the food and drinks served onboard.
No matter how sleepy I was, I wouldn't want to skip the meal service, of course.
Welcome Drinks
Remember the enjoyable mixed fruit juice that also appeared in the previous flight? In addition to that, there was vanilla date smoothie that was adequately thick and airy, but I felt that there could be more dates in the concoction.
Arabic Coffee & Date
Who could resist the temptation of Sukariya dates? I couldn't for sure, so I had two more pieces onboard, along with a cup of the fragrant Arabic coffee.
SV Meal #1
Fresh Mixed Salad - Taste: 7/10
I found the leafy greens to be less crisp than those I had in the previous flight, but they were by no means stale. I chose the tangy Italian dressing to go with them.
Traditional Arabic Mezze - Taste: 7.5/10
Hummus (Levantine mashed chickpeas) and stuffed vine leaves made another round of appearance. Something different was the moutabal (Levantine mashed eggplants) that was mixed with olive oil, sesame paste and seasonings.
Western Appetiser - Taste: 6/10
While the description made my mouth water a little bit, the actual dish wasn't particularly inspiring. A piece of rolled smoked salmon was accompanied by pan-fried artichoke, which wasn't that fresh. Sitting on top of mango chutney was a not-so-bouncy grilled scallop.
Bread
I was delighted to see garlic bread being offered, which turned out to be the best item among the appetiser dishes.
Harira Soup - Taste: 7.5/10
Traditionally consumed only on special occasions or during the holy month of Ramadan to break the daily fast, the Moroccan soup consisting of chickpeas and coriander leaves as two major ingredients came to the table piping hot. Drizzled with lemon juice, it was moderately refreshing.
Cream of Seafood - Taste: 8/10
Equally delicious was the cream of seafood, which was thick enough for my liking with a nice tang of the sea that was accentuated by lemon juice. Swimming inside were bits of fish, shrimps and squid. The breadstick that came with each of the soup bowls didn't have much flavour though.
Fish Sayadia - Taste: 8/10
Once again, the Middle Eastern main course would probably not win anything in terms of presentation. Having said that, the Basmati rice cooked with spices and caramelised onions tantalised my taste buds. The two pieces of baked fish were pretty succulent.
Chicken Breast Stuffed with Bulgur - Taste: 7/10
Stuffed with tabbouleh (Levantine salad featuring cracked wheat mixed with herbs), the chicken breast was pan-fried to give it a somewhat nice char outside. The brown sauce was too thick for my liking though. The white meat was accompanied by roasted potatoes and a few vegetables.
Chocolate Hazelnut Torte - Taste: 8/10
Three dessert choices were offered: the cake shown above, fresh fruit platter and ice cream. Both of us went for the flourless chocolate cake with a layer of dark chocolate sauce and hazelnut praline. Here's the one word to describe it: decadent.
Beverages
Not wanting to have anymore sweet drinks before going to bed, I requested for a cup of tea to go along with my cake and a glass of mineral water.
Wake Up Juice
After supper, I watched a movie to let the food digest and subsequently slept for about four hours. When I woke up, one of the flight attendants came to offer a drink. I opted for the pulpy orange juice.
SV Meal #2
Fresh Seasonal Fruits
My breakfast began with a small plate of fresh cantaloupe and papaya slices, as well as red and green grapes each.
International Cheese
I'm not exactly a cheese connoisseur, but I believe I was presented with cheddar, emmental and cream cheese with two walnuts and a red grape.
Pastry
I relished the moist chocolate muffin that was dense enough, but still airy. I also took a roll studded with chocolate chips, which I felt could be fluffier.
Seafood Fried Rice - Taste: 7/10
Have you ever had Chinese style fried rice prepared with Basmati rice? That was my virgin experience, which was actually not too shabby. The aromatic rice was cooked with eggs, three shrimps, a few small chunks of fish and spring onions.
Cheese Omelette - Taste: 5/10
The omelette didn't look fanciful as the outer layer was a tad dry, but it actually had an adequate amount of melted cheese inside. It was also unfortunate that the accompanying potatoes and mushrooms were dehydrated.
Beverages
Besides a cup of coffee with brown sugar, I also had another glass of mixed fruit juice (not shown) before the aircraft started descending.
Melon's Rating
Taste: 7/10
Ambience: 8/10
Service: 9/10
Overall: 8/10
The food wasn't the strongest point, but the service rendered was top-notch. Pika's advice: Do let your flight attendant know should you with to avail the dine on demand service up to an hour and a half prior to landing.
Saudia
Business Class Cabin
Boeing 777-300ER
*No separate price given as meals are included in the ticket price.
Have a nice meal,
Cliff(y)
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