9.268

30 (Sun) September 2018

Malabar Grouper

with jasmine rice, bok choy, and spicy garlic sauce

3.5

on Etihad Airways EY 424

-En route to Manila-

solo

Mission to Jordan, Day 8 (see previously 9.267 Dukkah-Spiced Salmon) – personal deviation.

In Aqaba.  Previously in Amman to attend a Meeting of the Regional Parliamentary Working Group on Universal Health Coverage in the Eastern Mediterranean Region – Tue to Wed.  Extending my stay in country for a couple extra days to dive in the Red Sea.

On my way home.

BEST IN CLASS – an on-going ranking of dining experiences on business class flights

1. Qatar Airlines — MNL > DOH > DME (5.279 Assorted Hot Mezzah); DME > DOH > MNL ( (5.286 Chili Mango Prawns)
2. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines — GVA > AMS > ICN (6.311 Beef & Beetroot Meatballs)
3. Asiana Airlines — MNL > ICN (2.036 Shin Ramyeon…); ICN > MNL (6.048 Ssambap); MNL > ICN (6.305 Chicken Congee); ICN > MNL (6.321 Ssambap)
4. Singapore Airlines — MNL > SIN > BNE (6.237 Coconut Panna Cotta); BNE > SIN > MNL (6.243 Ggongchi Kimchi Jjigae)
5. Etihad Airways — MNL > AUH > AMM (6.154 Shakshouka); AMM > AUH > MNL (6.160 Zaalou-Crusted Chicken Breast); MNL > AUH > AMM (9.261 Prawns Machboos); AMM > AUH (9.267 Dukkah-Spiced Salmon); AUH > MNL (9.268 Malabar Grouper)
6. Korean Air — ICN > NAD (5.175 Prestigious Repast); MNL > ICN (6.021 Bibimbap); MNL > ICN > NAD (6.101 Coconut Carrot Cream Soup); NAD > ICN > MNL (6.111 Asparagus Cream Soup); ICN > NAD (6.314 Bibimbap); NAD > ICN (6.319 Seared Seafood…); MNL > ICN > JFK (7.032 Manhattan); JFK > ICN (7.039 Sauteed Cod Fillet); ICN > MNL (7.041 Gom Tang); ULN > ICN (10.061 Stock Soup of Bone and Stew Meat)
7. Thai Airways — MNL > BKK > DEL (7.306 Fried Black Cod …); DEL > BKK > MNL (7.313 Braised Pork Balls)
8. Philippine Airlines — MNL > MEL (5.335 Chicken Tausi)
9. Deutsche Lufthansa — ICN > MUC > GVA (6.307 Chicken in Cream Sauce)
10. Cathay Pacific Airways — HKG > MNL (5.182 Har Gao)
11. Fiji Airways — NAD > HKG (5.181 Sliced Roast Lamb)

AMM = Amman / AMS = Amsterdam / AUH = Abu Dhabi / BKK = Bangkok / BNE = Brisbane / DEL = New Delhi / DOH = Doha / DME (Domodedovo) = Moscow / GVA = Geneva / HKG = Hong Kong / ICN = Incheon / JFK (John F Kennedy) = New York / MEL = Melbourne / MUC = Munich / NAD = Nadi / SIN = Singapore / ULN = Ulaanbaatar

The malabar grouper was excellent.  Somehow, the deep-fried fish retained its crisp, as if just cooked.  The garlic sauce was perfectly seasoned.  First time in flight that I wanted more rice.

With this meal and the prior (see above), Etihad Airways has earned a bump up to number 5.  Korean Air, which doesn’t seem to try very hard these days, drops to number 6.