4.301

2 (Sat) November 2013

Arabic Spiced Chicken Kofta

1.5

on Etihad Airways Flight 873

-Incheon en route to Cairo-

solo

Conference in Egypt: Day 1 of 7

In transit. On my way to Cairo, where I will be attending the 1st Expert Consultation on Public Health Law in the Eastern Mediterranean, hosted by the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean.  First time in Egypt, first time in Africa.

DINNER 1

Earlier in the evening, before heading off to the airport, I had dinner at Pyeongyang Myeonok.

As per my standard pre-flight ritual, I’m comforted by the thought that mul naeng myeon could be my final meal should anything go wrong – a morbid practice but really just an excuse to eat MNM.

DINNER 2

A few hours later – technically, a few hours earlier, as I was flying in reversal of time zones – it was dinnertime all over again on the plane.

Kofta is a meatball, commonly found in cuisines from India to the Middle East.  Depending on the specific dish, the composition of the meatball (e.g., chicken, lamb, lentils, sometimes beef or pork), cooking method (e.g., braising, grilling), sauces (e.g., tomato, none) vary.

On Etihad Airways, the kofta was more of a patty, comprised of ground chicken and onions and some kind of filler, pan-fried then topped with chunky tomato sauce, accompanied by potatoes and green beans.  Not so good.

MIDNIGHT SNACK

Another few hours later, still wide awake, I partook of the snack offerings.

Options were limited to chicken-flavored Cup Noodles and tomato and cucumber sandwiches.  Not good.

BREAKFAST

After a brief layover in Abu Dhabi, we boarded a second flight Cairo.

Breakfast consisted of fish in curry, butter couscous, and zucchini in tomato sauce.  Not so good.

(For more details re food, see WHAT)

(For more details re venue, see WHERE IN THE WORLD)