Did you know that Philippine Airlines (PAL) updates their menu every quarter?
Earlier this week, I got to tour the PAL Inflight Catering Services facilities and then tried their new Business Class menu! The latest menu was developed with Chef Fernando Aracama, who is known for his passion for Filipino cuisine. Chef Ferds also has his own restaurants, the ones I am familiar with are Aracama and Early Night in BGC.
PAL INFLIGHT CATERING SERVICES
We were not allowed to take photos, so we just toured the facilities. They were very strict with hygiene, and we all had to wear coats, hairnets, shoe covers, the works!
We saw how some of the food was prepared, and how the food trolleys are packed and ready to be loaded on to the plane. There are very strict rules that they need to follow, and they have inspections at certain steps, and some of the trolleys are even required to be padlocked.
The facility was also kept at a certain cold temperature so that all the food stays fresh.
PHILIPPINE AIRLINES’ NEW BUSINESS CLASS MENU
After our tour, it was time for lunch!
The menu was developed with Chef Fernando Aracama, and he explained each dish as they were served.
We also experienced Business Class service from the beautiful ladies of Philippine Airlines.
The Menu:
Ensaladang Pako: This almost did not make it to the menu! They were worried about not having a steady supply of pako (fern), but thankfully, they were able to find a steady supply. I love the dressing, and all the other ingredients in the salad just make for a nice medley of flavors.
Laswa: This is inspired by Chef Ferd’s mom who used to just collect vegetables around and about their provincial home to make this kind of soup. The squash flowers are filled with some ground pork. This is a very flavorful but light shrimp consomme, really good.
Coco Cream Prawns in Fresh Turmeric Sauce: For the entree, I chose to get the shrimp curry. The creamy curry sauce was just wonderful – lusciously creamy with just the right amount of turmeric-based curry. I can definitely taste the curry spices, but it’s not too strong as to be overwhelming. Slightly sweet.
Chicken with Mushroom in Black Truffle Cream Sauce: Looks delicious, but I wasn’t able to try this because I chose the Shrimp entree 🙂
Yogurt Cheesecake with Creme Anglaise and Milk Crumble: It was a bit too sweet for me, but I still finished the entire serving 😀
Carmen’s Best Ice Cream: I got the Salted Caramel, of course.
Cheese Platter: Blue Peppato, Mango Goat Cheese and Gouda, all from Malagos Farms, served with some crackers. I couldn’t stop making papak the mango goat cheese (chevre). It’s creamy and tangy, and sweet and sour from the mango.The Mango Chevre is the cheese exclusively served on PAL’s Business Class.
PREMIUM PHILIPPINE SNACKS
Aside from supporting Malagos Farms, Philippine Airlines also supports other Filipino businesses that produce premium products. These are just some of the goodies that are served in Business Class:
I’ve tried some of them and I am currently addicted to Pinky’s Goodies Butterscotch Bars and the Oh So Healthy Fruit Crisps 😀
Next time you’re planning for a trip, think about flying with Philippine Airlines, the country’s flag carrier. You may be surprised to find out that some of their fares can match the prices of so-called “budget” airlines, and on top of that, you also get better service, food, baggage allowance, and more!
#flyPALeats
