The in-flight menu on long-haul flights is an important part of the overall experience of a long journey. I had the opportunity to try the Turkish Airlines in-flight menu on a long-haul flight from Istanbul to Mauritius, which lasted over ten hours.
The departure from Istanbul was around 2 a.m., and I boarded the plane directly from the local airport lounge. Shortly after takeoff, the cabin crew distributed hygiene kits, blankets, and headphones for listening to music or watching movies. The hygiene kit included a toothbrush and toothpaste, warm socks, earplugs, and lip balm. At the same time, printed menus with information about the meals served during the flight were handed out to all interested passengers.
For the evening meal, hummus was served with a warmed baguette and butter, along with a salad with lemon-olive dressing. The main course was chicken “Café de Paris” with grilled zucchini, eggplant, red pepper, and butter rice. Alternatively, passengers could choose Italian pasta penne with tomato sauce as the main dish. For dessert, mascarpone with forest fruits was served. Bottled water was provided, and passengers could select from poured drinks such as Coca-Cola, Sprite, juices, small bottles of red or white wine, or cans of beer. Each passenger also received an additional bottle of still water.
🇹🇷 Tip: Book your private transfer from Istanbul airport in advance to save time.
For breakfast, Turkish Airlines once again served their traditional scrambled eggs with grilled tomato and toast with cheese and a slice of turkey ham. However, the scrambled eggs clearly showed that they had been prepared over eight hours earlier. The difference compared to freshly prepared scrambled eggs on a short Turkish Airlines flight was significant. The main breakfast was complemented by a selection of cheeses with marinated Turkish olives and thick muesli in milk. A warmed baguette with packaged butter, jam, and water was also included. Coffee, tea, or water were served with breakfast.
The return flight to Istanbul departed in the evening from Mauritius’ Sir Seewoosagur Ramgoolam airport. The journey was made special by the fact that we traveled on the “Kushimoto” aircraft, which featured a special historical livery. The colorful design of the aircraft celebrated 125 years of friendship between Turkey and Japan. Once again, passengers received hygiene kits, blankets, and printed menus with information about the meals to be served on board.
For dinner, a vegetable salad and a delicious eggplant spread with a warmed whole-grain roll were served. Passengers could then choose between excellent chicken biryani with fluffy rice or, alternatively, Italian pasta penne with tomato sauce, zucchini, and eggplant. Dessert was a coconut panna cotta. The meal was complemented by poured non-alcoholic beverages, wine, or beer.
For breakfast, fresh fruit, yogurt, pancakes with pineapple compote and raspberry sauce, and a warmed roll with packaged butter, jam, and water were served. Non-alcoholic beverages, coffee, and tea were also available. However, it was again clear that the breakfast had been prepared many hours earlier. Unfortunately, this is a common issue on long-haul flights with little to no solution.
The Turkish Airlines in-flight menu remains one of the tastiest I’ve ever had. The in-flight menu is included in the ticket price on Turkish Airlines flights.
What meal do you enjoy most while flying?
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