Enhancing the Onboard Experience with AirAsia's Santan Food Festival

Inflight meals were usually a hit or miss affair, you never really know what to expect with each and every flight. Not anymore.

AirAsia recently showcased their wide range of inflight meals at the Santan Food Festival, the first and largest inflight food tasting event in Asia. Inspired by the rich culinary heritage of the region, AirAsia's inflight meals reflect the diversity of flavors, with iconic dishes from Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore, India, Japan, China, and South Korea. Santan, which means coconut milk, is the unifying ingredient common across the region, adding its distinctive creamy and savory richness to many of the region's dishes. Bold, real, fresh, and authentic flavors are what guests and customers can expect with AirAsia, adding yet another layer to enhance the onboard experience. 

Continuous innovation is a signature trademark at AirAsia, constantly changing the game to provide a better onboard experience for its guests and customers. The new Santan-inspired menu is another step in that direction (for more on AirAsia's Santan Food festival, check out my other post on my food blog at Celebrating Asian Flavors with AirAsia's Santan FoodFestival).

"Food is a great unifying factor across the region," explained AirAsia Group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandez. "What we are doing is bringing the wonderful flavors of Asean into Santan to create a unique food experience, with the vision of replicating the on-ground gourmet experience onboard. The flavor profile and pricing of inflight food has been a challenge but we believe that with Santan, we can create the first restaurant brand in the sky that is both tasty and affordable," added Tony Fernandes.

The regional variations of coconut milk-infused cuisine offer a tempting array of comforting dishes, think of it as a flavorful upgrade to the usual inflight meal. The rich blend of spices add that flavorful punch, tempered by the soothing and creamy notes of the coconut milk. Representing the very best of the region, AirAsia's Santan meals offer both value and flavor that sets AirAsia apart from other carriers in its class. 

AirAsia's popular Uncle Chin's Chicken Rice is just one of many satisfying meals, with richly seasoned rice topped with slices of delicately roasted tender chicken and served with Uncle Chin's secret chili, garlic, and ginger sauce. The subtle yet rich notes of the chicken are kicked up a notch by the spicy sauce, rounded out by the soft and fluffy steamed white rice. Just what you need on your next flight with AirAsia.

Pad Thai with Prawns, Thai Green Curry with Rice, Chicken Adobo, Nasi Lemak, Korean Kimchi Stir-Fried Chicken, Miso Chicken with Garlic Rice, Nasi Kuning Manado, and Roti Jala with Chicken Curry, each one prepared with the finest and freshest ingredients. Along with sandwiches, chicken wraps, and Kid's Meals, AirAsia's got it covered to satisfy any craving.

AirAsia's Thai Green Curry is a personal favorite, an aromatic dish with authentic Thai spices and soft steamed white rice. On the flight to Kuala Lumpur for AirAsia's Santan Food Festival, this dish offered a tasty preview of the wide range of culinary offerings. The distinct flavors, from the spicy heat of the chili and spice blend, the delicate yet savory notes of the tender chunks of chicken, and the subtle sweetness of the fresh vegetables come together in a seamless blend. 

The Korean Kimchi Stir-Fried Chicken is another dish with bold and upfront flavors, with the sharp notes of kimchi coating your palate with its richness.

The comfortingly familiar noodle dish, Pad Thai with Prawns, is another satisfying meal, combining textural and flavor contrasts common in Thai Cuisine.

Served fresh and hot, you get to enjoy all the flavors at its flavorful peak.

During AirAsia's Santan Food Festival, sampling portions of their inflight menu were served, like the tasty Miso Chicken with Garlic Rice...

...and the South Indian Delight, a traditional Indian dish.

Ditch the usual bland and soggy inflight meals, and go for a flavorful upgrade with AirAsia's Santan meals. Guests are encouraged to pre-book their meals to enjoy greater savings with the Santan Combo Meal and choose from a wider variety of meals. Guest who pre-book will be assured of meal availability and enjoy priority meal service onboard. 

There's always something to look forward to on your return flight back home via AirAsia, like a comforting meal to cap your onboard experience with AirAsia's new Santan meals. Let AirAsia take you to your next destination, and savor the flavors of Santan to kick-off your journey...

You can follow the AirAsia Santan journey through the hashtag #AirAsiaSantan and #SantanFoodFest or the latest AirAsia news, activities, and promotions on Twitter (twitter.com/AirAsia) and Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/AirAsia/).

Solo Expeditions is now on Facebook and Instagram, check out my FB Page at https://www.facebook.com/SoloExpeditions/ and scroll through my IG Feed at https://www.instagram.com/dudeforfood/ for more updates on cool destinations and good eats and enjoy the ride...