來自杜拜的阿酋航空(Emirates Airlines)，經濟艙的飛機餐，算是 2009年我所有搭過的航空公司中，個人評價最高的。打敗了同一年搭過的英航，维京航空，卡達航空，衣索匹亞航空，Etihad 航空，巴西TAM航空， 奧地利航空，長榮航空，華航等跨多週的國際航空公司。也因此，在安排 2010年的第一趟重要行程時，很希望能再有飛阿酋航空的機會 (多飛一些，我也有機會成為阿酋 Skyward 里程計畫的『銀卡會原』)。11月時看到阿酋航空所有印度的航線都在打折。不但經濟艙超便宜，連商務艙都推出了不錯的票價。因為搭商務艙，阿酋還會派專車到府接送 (我家離杜拜機場至少 150 公里)，非常方便。決定再度『浪費』一下，成就了我搭阿酋航空近三年來，首度搭他們商務艙的經驗。
遊杜拜到新德里只有兩個半小時的航程，比台北到曼谷還要快，因此老實說，並沒真的享用到太多機上餐點。基本上，去程是晚餐；由孟買到杜拜的返程則是午餐。
上圖：起飛後通常會先送上一盤花生，腰果之類的。因為我在阿酋機場貴賓室已經喝了一，兩杯酒，因此沒有在送上花生時點杯雞尾酒，只叫了杯礦泉水。
[Emirates Airline: from Dubai to Delhi/ Business Class]: A plate of mixed nuts right after taking off. Well, I think I had too much wine at VIP Lounge, so I only ordered a glass of water (instead of a glass of champagne).
[Emirates Airline: from Dubai to Delhi/ Business Class]: This flight is only about 2 & 1/2 hours, so the whole service seemed rushed. There is also no real movie on demand to choose (only regualr TV shows on various channels, damn!) Unlike other business class I took before, the meal did not come out one by one. Instead, it was brought in on a tray...(The one on the upper left corner is actually the desert)
上圖：明蝦及干貝沙拉 (Gulf prawns with sea scallops)。根據菜單的描述：marinated Gulf prawns and sea scallops, served with a creamy potato chive salad and sweet chili sauce. 兩尾小明蝦 及兩塊干貝，份量不大，吃起來恰到好處。生菜上那白白的馬鈴薯沙拉 (a creamy potato chive salad)，味道有點怪怪的，算是德式馬鈴薯沙拉的改良版。這道開胃菜整體上算不錯。
[Emirates Airline: from Dubai to Delhi/ Business Class]: There are three appetizers to choose. Instead of "Cream of mushroom soup" (which I think I just had it at the Lounge) or "Chatpatti doodhi" (for whatever reason, this sound like a desert to me), I chose "Gulf prawns with sea scallops", served with a creamy potato chive salad and sweet chili sauce. There are practically only two prawns and one scallop. And they are a little too cold....
上圖：主菜 (main course) 也有三種選擇，兩種是印度式 (一素一葷)，一種是西式。印度式的有：1) Kadhai murg，基本上算是咖哩雞加特製的調味飯; 2) Mutter paneer - paneer 是印度式起士 (吃起來有些像豆腐)，這一道是素的。但因我一想到我到印度旅遊四星期，搞不好每天都在吃咖哩，想一想飛機餐還是點西式的好了，最後叫了： 3) 烤鮭魚排 (Grilled salmon fillet)。
阿酋的商務艙，除了提供一本英文，印度文 (Hindi)，阿拉伯文三語的菜單外，竟還多印了本『酒單』(Wine List)，介紹機上提供的紅酒，白酒，香檳，及飯後的波特(Port)甜酒。因為點海鮮，我決定點白葡萄酒，叫了 2007年的加州的 Pinot Grigio。因不想喝太多久，酒單上列的六種酒 (兩紅，兩白，加上香檳與波特各一種)，也只喝到這個。
[Emirates Airline: from Dubai to Delhi/ Business Class]: There are also three main courses to choose. I avoided the Indian ones "mutter paneer" (cottage cheese with green peas on rice) and "Kadhai murg" (chicken in tomota gravy with coriander..) because I think I would have tons of Indian food in the following three weeks. I chose "Grilled salmon fllet".
They even printed a separate wine menu. Since I ordered salmon, I went with a 2007 Pinot Grigio from California (so "Sideways" of me!)
[Emirates Airline: from Dubai to Delhi/ Business Class]: Grilled salmon fillet as main course. On the printed menu, it described "fresh salmon fillet with a butter caper sauce, served with steamed new potatoes, turned carrots and sauteed spinach." Well, it was nice but not outstanding. In fact, I remember I had similar dish (salmon) on Qatar Airways from Rome to Doha about 16 months ago (please see 2008 in-flight meals). That one on Qatar Airways tasted better (and it was in economy class)
上圖：飯後甜點及咖啡。甜點是已經在我餐盤上待了一陣子 的 Shahi tukda。根據菜單描述，是：a rich cardmom and saffron milk sauce with sugared toasted bread。"bread"? 基本上，算是泡在煉乳里的甜饅頭吧！
[Emirates Airline: from Dubai to Delhi/ Business Class]: Having desert and coffee. The desert "Shahi tukda" (described as "a rich cardamom and saffron milk sauce with sugared toasted bread"...bread? what bread?) had been on my table all this time when I had my appetizer and main course (see earlier picture).
Well, Emirates is a great airline and their lounge is first-class. However, the food in Business Class is a little sub-standard. Maybe that's why I could get such a good "discount" price?
上圖：返程由孟買起飛不久後，送上的午餐。開胃菜仍是有三種選擇：1) Dahi bhalla (印度是素食); 2) 蜂蜜檸檬烤雞 (Honey lemon chcken); 3) 胡蘿蔔濃湯 (Carrot and coriander soup)。這時的我已經 (在印度旅遊了四週後) 吃印度菜吃得很習慣了。於是決定點印度式的 Dahi bhalla。
[Emirates Airline: from Mumbai to Dubai / Business Class]: Why was I still eating....
上圖：Dahi bhalla 是：lentil dumplings soaked in seasoned yoghurt, served with sweet and sour potato relish。Dumpling (餃子)? 所謂『扁豆餃』是最上面那個白白的，淋上了 一堆酸酪乳，吃起來很奇怪。感覺有點過甜，不太像開胃菜，反而比較像甜點。墊在下面的馬鈴薯沙拉也過甜了一些。感覺這道開胃菜雖說是印度菜，卻很不道地。當初應該叫胡蘿蔔濃湯的。
[Emirates Airline: from Mumbai to Dubai / Business Class]: Two appetizers to choose. I did not choose "Honey Lemon chcken", instead, I chose Indian styled (and vegetarian) "Dahi bhalla". It is "lentil dumplings soaked in seasoned yogurt, served with sweet and sour potato relish." The whole thing basically is too sweet (though it looked nice in its presentation). the "dumpling" was little too soggy. I did not finish it.
[Emirates Airline: from Mumbai to Dubai / Business Class]: There are again 3 main courses to choose 1) Gosht rogan josh (basically a lamb curry); 2) Paneer lababdar; 3) Chicken forestiere (the "Western choice"). Well, I chose No. 2 - something I might have had hundreds of times already when traveling in India.
The verdict: it was not spicy enough...too mild! (and I now becoming an Indian?)
上圖：甜點 Rasmalai。一樣是 cottage cheese 做的。咦？好像和剛剛的開胃菜吃起來差不多啊？
[Emirates Airline: from Mumbai to Dubai / Business Class]: The desert - Rasmalai. As described in the printed menu: "Cottage cheese dumplings in a rich sweetned milk sauce." Well, this tasted not that different from the "Dahi bhalla" (appetizer) I just had...Maybe, I really had had too much Indian food at this point :-(
在幫阿酋航空的經濟艙飛機餐寫了那麼多好話後，這回搭他們的商務艙，反而感覺有些失望。很多地方都沒料想得好。這時候突然想到，阿酋的商務艙是不是本來就沒有弄得特別豪華，基本上走半經濟艙，半商務艙是的服務( or...像台灣的豪華經濟艙路線)，所以我才買得到那麼便宜的票？阿酋的歐洲線商務艙可是動輒要十萬台幣以上啊！(印度線則不到台幣三萬)
最後，阿酋商務艙亞洲內陸中短程線的評分： B+
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