Korean Air and Seoul/Incheon Airport: Better the 2nd Time Around

Korean Air

I looked forward to finally tasting the famed Korean Air Bibimbap on the journey back to the U.S. after my failed attempts at ordering it on the way to Shenyang. The in-flight dining experience did not impress me last time, and I was waiting to be underwhelmed again.

It turns out that their food is better heading out of Asia.

The breakfast from Shenyang to Seoul/Incheon was a kind of chow-mien with beef, a carton of chilled tofu with a Korean sauce, pineapple, and coffee. The noodles were not very good and the beef was tough, but the tofu was great but not something I'm used to eating in the mornings.

Noodles with Beef, Tofu, Pineapple, & Coffee; Tofu with a Korean Sauce

When I arrived at Seoul/Incheon airport, I made a mad rush to the line of restaurants upstairs in the international terminal because I missed the chance last time. Boy, was I happy! I ordered cold beef noodle soup and stewed beef short ribs. The buckwheat noodles were very elastic from floating in chunks of iced broth. They were topped with pickled daikon radishes, a hard boiled egg, cucumbers, beef slices, and slivers of Korean pear. I enjoyed slurping the refreshing noodles. The beef short ribs were extremely tasty and tender and the restaurant did not skimp on meat. Usually, it is easy for restaurants to cheat customers out of the pricey meat with a bunch of fat and bones. These were lean and lacked substantial amounts of bones. Delicious and honest food!

Restaurant in Seoul/Incheon Airport; Beef Short Ribs and Cold Beef Noodle Soup

Cold Beef Noodle Soup; Beef Short Ribs

On the plane from Seoul to LAX, I finally satisfied my curiosity by getting my hands on the bibimbap. The tray came with the steamed rice and the bibimbap toppings in separate bowls. You have to dump the rice into the toppings bowl and mix everything together along with a tube of spicy paste and sesame oil. It was a very good meal, but not as exciting as I imagined. It's more like comfort food, something not meant to knock your socks off, but comfortable and homey.

Bibimbap with clear seaweed soup, spicy pickles, and mochi

Bibimbap Before Rice; Bibimbap After Mixing

Breakfast was a dull and safe rice porridge with seto fumi furikake (rice seasoning) and spicey pickled radishes, but still not too bad.

Rice Porridge with Seto Fumi Furikake

Korean Air Food

My journey to Shenyang, China was dotted with a stream of bad plane food. I had such high hopes for Korean Air after reading about their award winning Bibimbap, but being a luckless gal, the stewardess apologized that they just ran out of Bibimbap for my first Korean air meal. I was stuck with a bland pot roast with extremely stinky steamed carrots and brocolli.

Pot Roast

For the next meal on the 14 hour flight from Dallas to Incheon/Seoul, they offered a choice of pasta or chicken. I picked chicken and got utter crap. Why serve fried food when it has to be heated by steam? The batter on the chicken became flour mush on the chicken, which made the entire dish inedible. As odd as this combination is, the side of lox and potato salad was the only tolerable item pictured here.

Fried Chicken with a side of smoked salmon and potato salad

I told myself that I can treat myself to delicious Korean food at the Incheon airport, but of course, my departing terminal was at the farthest end of the airport. I passed by amazing Korean food vendors, none of which allowed to-go orders. I had to make do with a Chicken Bulgogi Burger from KFC. Woe is me.

KFC Chicken Bulgogi and Peach Iced Tea

On my short flight from Incheon to Shenyang, Korean Air decided to torture me with another meal of tasteless porridge and a scary looking shrimp salad. I took one bite of each and stopped. There was no way I could subject myself to this food anymore.

Beef and Dates Porridge with Shrimp Salad

I hope my return flights on KA will be better. Please just let me taste the Bibimbap!!!!!!