Vincewy From Taiwan, joined Oct 2005, 635 posts, RR: 0 Posted (2 years 5 months 4 days 3 hours ago) and read 13631 times:
I’m getting a head start with this trip report, even though it’s not completed yet, I’ll list the meals options with certain pics many can’t get to unless you book those flights. I thought this trip will be worth reporting especially with opening of new LAX lounge for non-alliance airlines
My itinerary –
EVA Air LAX-TPE BR 0011 Sept 17th 773 Class:J (Premium Laurel)
EVA Air TPE-LAX BR 0016 Sept 25th 773 Class:ED (Elite)
Before boarding Premium Laurel Class, you can choose meals, the standard options for BR0011 are
Dinner:
Beef Fillet with Mushroom Sauce
Black Cod with Vinegar Sauce
Black Chicken
With Premium Laurel, Super First, and Super Business, you can also special order your dinner, additional options out of LAX are:
Braised Abalone Fish Maw and Sea Cucumber
Marinated Chicken Breast with Olives, Pine Nuts and Raisins Relish
Beef Sukiyaki
Seafood Congee
Chicken with Mixed Vegetable in Tofu Bowl
Lamb Shank Braised with Herb Sauce
Pan Fried Scallops with Duck Liver
Lamb Stew in Indian Masala Style
Hot Refreshment (2nd meal before landing a.k.a. breakfast):
Smoked Chicken with Sun-dried Tomato Dressing
Taiwanese Five Grain Congee
Shiao Bing and Stir Fried Egg with Spring Onion Served with Soya Milk
For meal inquiries of Super Business, Super First, and Premium Laurel, please visit:
I've selected Lamb Stew in Indian Masala Style + Taiwanese Five Grain Congee, and I’ll follow up with photos of my actual trips (both sectors), including the lounges (I also plan to use pay-per-use lounge at TPE offered by the More Group)
Airbus3801 From United States of America, joined Apr 2004, 1078 posts, RR: 7 Reply 2, posted (2 years 5 months 3 days 20 hours ago) and read 13139 times:
The presentation of the food is bar none the best I have seen on a trip report here. Excellent.
Time passes, no matter how slowly and painfully it seems, it passes
Pilotfox From United States of America, joined Feb 2006, 402 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (2 years 5 months 3 days 1 hour ago) and read 12222 times:
Is the elite class the old evergreen deluxe class? I will be flying SFO-TPE-HAN and SGN-TPE-SFO in March and I thought I read they will be changing the evergreen deluxe class by then. Does anyone have info on this?
Vincewy From Taiwan, joined Oct 2005, 635 posts, RR: 0 Reply 6, posted (2 years 5 months 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 11753 times:
Quoting Pilotfox (Reply 5): Is the elite class the old evergreen deluxe class? I will be flying SFO-TPE-HAN and SGN-TPE-SFO in March and I thought I read they will be changing the evergreen deluxe class by then. Does anyone have info on this?
Technically, yes, but from what I've heard, it's in reality downgraded to almost like economy (I had to fly with economy earlier this year because I was in a hurry) which was vastly improved, such as large screen (744 had one) plus IFE, more leg rooms. Aisle seats feel almost as comfortable as previous Deluxe. I'll try the Elite for the first time and draw the conclusion (comparison with old Deluxe) later, but the New Economy is certainly better than SQ, MH, and CI when it comes to leg room (can't say that for sure about the foods and services), you can read feedbacks from those 2 topics at flyertalk.com
BTW, if you fly out of SFO in Super First, you can still choose some real good meals like (those really make me drool)
Dry Cooked Lobster with Garlic and Scallions
Roasted Duck Noodle Soup
Out of TPE (First Class on 744s) and NRT, you can also get the most coveted option -
"Din Tai Fung" Juicy Pork Dumpling
One last thing, my TR will emphasize on lounges and cabins, rather than those 2 airports and cities since many are familiar with and don't need to waste my time putting photos.
UAL747 From United States of America, joined Dec 1999, 6664 posts, RR: 35 Reply 7, posted (2 years 4 months 4 weeks 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 11177 times:
Do they actually put different flowers on each course place setting? If so, now THAT's attention to DETAIL.
SQ772 From Singapore, joined Nov 2001, 1772 posts, RR: 4 Reply 8, posted (2 years 4 months 4 weeks 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 10884 times:
Quoting UAL747 (Reply 7): Do they actually put different flowers on each course place setting? If so, now THAT's attention to DETAIL.
If you looked at the URL of each of the pictures posted, you'll realise that these are merely EVA corporate photographs of their meals... not what was actually served on board Vincewy's flight. The flowers are merely decorations for the sole purpose of the photoshoot, and unlikely something that one will find onboard the flight.
SIN7 From Singapore, joined Jun 2007, 120 posts, RR: 0 Reply 9, posted (2 years 4 months 3 weeks 6 days 18 hours ago) and read 10611 times:
Quoting SQ772 (Reply 8): these are merely EVA corporate photographs of their meals... not what was actually served on board Vincewy's flight. The flowers are merely decorations for the sole purpose of the photoshoot, and unlikely something that one will find onboard the flight.
That's right. I've seen how these corporate pics were taken. The chefs are there to assemble the food first. Then comes the food artist who would do some final touch up with oil, colors and whatever painters uses. These just become inedible exhibits for the photo take that can last 45 min for just one plate. The food is cold and some ingredients are left raw and uncooked to retain its color and freshness for the pic. The real stuff for pax consumption assembled on board by FAs (not chefs) with galley restrictions and reheating will never look like those pics. Don't think airlines will ever place different flowers for different meals. Many will find items that can be taken away to reduce cost.
Vincewy From Taiwan, joined Oct 2005, 635 posts, RR: 0 Reply 10, posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 3 days 7 hours ago) and read 10078 times:
OK, I need to bump this thread so it doesn't get archived, my trip is completed, and I'll be posting the pics, most of them are food related. My feedbacks will be mixed. Due to certain religious reasons (every first and fifteenth of a month on lunar calender), I had to request vegetarian option during the return trip BR0016.
Vincewy From Taiwan, joined Oct 2005, 635 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 1 day 16 hours ago) and read 9426 times:
OK, my report is here.
Sept 17th, 2007, BR0011, Premium Laurel.
Since most of us are familiar with LAX, I won't spend too much time about the airport. As we all know, checking in with luggages at LAX is a big hassle as you go to the screening area for the luggages to be scanned. One big advantage flying C/J/F is, once you check in, someone will take your pieces of luggages and scan them along with airline crew, big time saver! The airport staff then told me to go to lounge after that part was done.
The non alliance lounge was on north side, 4th floor, you can see what airlines use this lounge here
I don't feel very comfortable taking picture of the main lounge as there were too many people, but go to EVA Air's website you'll be able to see the setting. I was looking forward to the foods/snacks/beverages offered, but rather disappointed, unless you enjoy alcohols (I'm relatively dry)
Beverage sections
Check out the beers and champagnes.
Fruits, sandwiches (focaccia breads), and cup noodles
Coffee, tea, pastries and cereals
The remaining areas (chips, crackers, peanuts, wines, and cheese)
As I said, you'll enjoy the lounge if you like alcohols, so I didn't stay as long as I planned. Also the lounge doesn't have internet access unless you have your own laptop, another minus for me. Overall, it's very crowded, even during the later afternoon period between 2 main clusters of departures/arrivals of Asian/European flights, the only other flights using this lounge around 3-5 pm were Swiss, China Airlines and El Al, I can't imagine the condition here later in the evening.
Going to the gate, I can see the plane filling up supplies and foods
Next to the gate, Swiss
As we got aboard, this is how the seat looks like along with the kits
To my dismay, the IFE is identical to Elite and Economy, just bigger screen
As we departed, you can see the interactive screens
Now the meal services begin, we were handed the menu, as I've preordered the first meal, I was really looking into the lamb masala, but first we all got the appetizer, Prawns and Baby Artichokes with Tapenade Dressing
Now the main course, lamb masala
Here's the shocker, the accompanying veggies should've been chana, and not enough rice to complement the lamb, the biggest shortfall was lack of nan bread, ouch! I'm not connoisseur of Indian food, nor am I picky, but they could've easily added couple pieces of nan. The lambs were, however, very good, just like the lamb masala in Indian restaurant. I also observed the foods served of my fellow passengers, black chicken, cod, and beef were identical to the pics on their website.
Followed by fresh fruits (you can also get cheese and crackers) and later they also served mid flight snack
Finally, the breakfast, Mixed Grain Congee, ironically, this is the best meal for me (opinion of course)
Also some feedbacks about the seat, while the seat pitch is generous, longer than previous Super Business, I had trouble sleeping due to the flat design on the back, and it's not 100% flat bed, making it even more uncomfortable than previous Super Business, as the lower back portion of the seat (of Super Business) was angled to conform with your body shape.
More to follow with the return trip BR0016 (sorry for the type on the title)
SIN7 From Singapore, joined Jun 2007, 120 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (2 years 4 months 2 weeks 17 hours ago) and read 9094 times:
Thanks for the pics. I
Quoting Vincewy (Reply 12): Here's the shocker, the accompanying veggies should've been chana, and not enough rice to complement the lamb, the biggest shortfall was lack of nan bread, ouch! I'm not connoisseur of Indian food, nor am I picky, but they could've easily added couple pieces of nan.
You're right the rice is too little for a curry dish. Sometimes times non-asian caterers don't know that rice / noodles is the main staple to accompany the meat. This is unlike western dishes which the meat takes the center plate. Looking at the plate it sure seems the lamb curry was the main event. Very few airlines pull through a good Indian meal with proper Indian accompaniments. As you mentioned there should be a bread item (nan, pratha or chapatti). There should also be yoghurt, papads and some raw vegetables such as cucumber, tomatoes, lemon and a chutney. Most Indian airlines have good Indian meals. The non-Indian airlines which do serve good Indian meals with proper accompaniments even in EY are SQ (yoghurt, chutney, indian breads and even the fragile papads) and MH (it depends on your luck though,sometimes its catered, sometime not). SQ has brought the notch higher with FRCL Indian meals by serving in the traditional silverware thali and even Iassi drink with the meal (check out SQ's website). Not sure if Air India does this.
Quoting Vincewy (Reply 12): The lambs were, however, very good, just like the lamb masala in Indian restaurant
Can't go wrong with Indian curry. Most Indian curry dishes travel well on flights.
Did you specially ordered this or was it one of the choices on the flight?
Quoting Vincewy (Reply 12): the breakfast, Mixed Grain Congee, ironically, this is the best meal
Once I checked in, I went upstairs and entered the lunge on the fourth floor at TPE T2, this is where all the lounges are located in T2, you can see that they have Wii console inside
One advantage of this lounge is the shower facility which BR lounge doesn't have, and More T2 doesn't serve noodle soup on demand, where T1 lounge does, a big minus, other items are just like everyone else, cup noodles, congee, steam buns, ice creams, drinks (alcoholic side only beer). However, there're magazine racks, internet stations (many units), and 3 rest areas like this, each has a name, you can visit their official website again for details.
Now to the boarding gate, since most of us are familiar with TPE T2, I won't go over too much here, as years go by, I notice there're more shops/cafes now than before.
I've requested vegetarian options for both meals, as we got on board, we were handed the meals, the dinner is pasta with veggies, mushroom, and tomato sauce.
I shall say the main course is quite bland, even though I didn't expect them to be palatable as BR doesn't have reputation for providing the best meals (CI actually does better, of course so do SQ and CX). Second meal (breakfast) was much better, spinach omelette with hash browns, this one actually tastes very well, better than standard western breakfast they serve for others (eggs, sausage, and hash browns - too greasy for me)
Now the main shortfall of Elite Class, unlike what you most hear, I'm perfectly OK with seat pitch and width, but I have hard time sleeping due to little to no reclining of the seat, worse than trains in Taiwan, I may consider using Economy next time if the price difference continues to widen. Nonetheless, it's still a good value and the services are still way above domestic US flights, they did circle around with juices during regular flight.
Well, this completes my trip report, I know it's shorter, but it's much less glamorous
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