KLM’s “Deluxe Meal Box” In Intra-European Business Class

While SAS just announced it will serve multi-course business class meals on porcelain dishes on intra-European routes, KLM serves boxed meals on its intra-European routes it calls a “deluxe meal box.”

Taste Test: KLM “Deluxe Meal Box” In European Business Class

I was flying from Prague (PRG) to Amsterdam (AMS) in KLM Business Class, the first leg of my journey to Los Angeles. The flight left at 6:30 pm and dinner was served onboard the short journey to Amsterdam Schiphol.

It has been many years since I’ve flown in business class on a short-haul KLM flight. Meals are now served with 100% disposable dishes, plates, and utensils, all found inside a fancy blue cardboard box with the KLM logo embossed in gold in the center. The box, designed for KLM by Dutch designer Marcel Wanders, is full of intricatae details.

Lifting up the box, I found a menu card on top which explained the contents of the box:

Main Course
Teriyaki soba noodle salad with soy beans, oriental vegetables, and plant-based teriyaki beef. Topped with spring onions.

Served with moon crackers, bread and butter, and a selection of macarons

The bread roll was warm, the rest of the meal cold.

Lifting up the plastic covers, I found a very attractive salad, though I’m not sure about “moon crackers” side dish and the macaron cookies were tasteless…

I like eating fresh food (that’s a relative term of course, when talking about airline food) and so the idea of a freshly-made salad on a short 439-mile flight is appealing. I’m not a fan of soba noodles, but this was a very acceptable dish.

Even so, I’d love it served in a ceramic bowl with metal eating utensils…even if the net cost of washing these costs more than throwing away all this plastic, I just hate all the waste. At least the “silverware” is plastic and not paper…

I appreciated that sparkling water was served in a 50 mL bottle–I stayed hydrated and did not have to ask for any drink refills–but my favorite part of the service was the “strawberry sunshine” smoothie, which was very refreshing (just the right balance of strawberry and orange).

I was warned about how bad KLM meals are on intra-European flights and did not find that to be the case, though I do wish that KLM served meals more sustainably. A fresh salad is not bad, though it would be even nicer if there was a choice of two.

Each week, my Meal of the Week feature examines an airline meal from my travels over the years. This may be a meal from earlier in the week or it may be a meal served over a decade ago.