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Airline Experience: ChinaEastern (MU)

I consider myself pretty well traveled, at least within the last 3 or 4 years. For me, the journey of getting to my destination is just as important as the destination. I actually enjoy getting on a plane. Believe it or not, I get a 'high' every time the plane takes off the run way. If I don't fly somewhere every 3-5 months, I'll get withdrawal symptoms. Okay, I digress...

Every airline has its ups and downs service wise, and also pros and cons in terms of its hard product (aircraft configuration, in-flight service, route, schedule, etc...). However, there's one airline I vow to never fly again, ChinaEastern (MU), due to the following reasons:

1) Seat configuration in Economy/Coach Class is ridiculously tight. They sure want to pack in as many passengers as they possibly can without violating laws and regulations. Both tray space and leg room are the worst I've ever experienced, even worse than Air China.

2) In-flight meals are terrible. I wish I've brought my own Nong Shim cup noodle on to the flight. In fact, I saw people taking it out of their backpack and eating it. Just ask the FA for some hot water. It's 1000 times better than their garbage fried rice and chow mien.

3) No entertainment system or in-seat power on long-haul flights. Imaging going from JFK-PVG, 15 hours in the air with out AVOD or power? Lord have mercy. It's tough, my laptop can only hold out for 5 hours max. And did I mention the sears are extremely uncomfortable, good luck of trying to get any sleep in it. 

4) Rude staff and not exactly nice fellow passengers. Maybe the airfare is usually cheaper and generally sold through asian or more specifically chinese travel agencies, MU flights tend to be fully loaded. You have too many passengers lacking basic flyer etiquette. They have too many (or too big of) carry-ons, they don't sit in their assigned seats, they speak like they're shouting, they block the aisle, etc... Flight attendants get frustrated over a few ill-mannered passengers, and this ruins things for everybody.

Usually, Asian airlines offer a much better product and services than the U.S. carriers. Singapore Airline, Cathay, Thai, and Korean are consistently rated as the best in the industry. But I will avoid carriers of Mainland China like the plague if you are flying coach due to lack of seat comfort, inedible meals, poor if not nonexistent entertainment systems (AVOD), and rude staff/novice fellow passengers. However, if the $ difference in airfare justifies your decision to fly with them, by all means go with it and experience it for yourself. To me, my personal comfort is worth no less than $200 on a 15 hour flight even if I need to connect somewhere. And considering I can earn better rewards with the other airlines, I just do not see myself on another MU flight for a long while. Sure MU has its own FFM program, but it ain't worth bothering given my travel pattern. Unless they have a mistake fare like JFK-PVG for $99, then maybe, just maybe, I'll bite.

MC Event: Locande Verde

This is the first MasterCard dinning event I was able to get in. The competition was fierce, so I was really excited to be one of the lucky few. The best part? It's a fried chicken feast, something not available on Locande Verde's regular menu. I've heard a lot of Locande Verde and its Michelin Starred chef Andrew Carmellini. This is my first taste of AC's culinary skills. Menu first.

Appetizer - shrimp was large, sweet, and fresh. If I had to be picky, I would prefer to have the head removed, so eating it would be easier. The sauce actually tasted like salsa, not very memorable.

Sides - I'm not a veggie person, the salad was alright, and the collard green reminded me of a very traditional Chinese dish. The mashed potatoes and the honey biscuits are absolutely the best I've ever had in my life. Yup, you heard me right, the best I've ever had. So smooth and buttery, I can eat them every day.

 

 

 

Main - The fried chicken was piping hot, perfectly fried, juicy inside, and crispy outside. My only and biggest complain? It's under seasoned/marinated. In a way, it tasted kind of bland to me. My dinning companion agreed with me. But we also wondered if it's because both of us have a salt heavy diet, our taste buds ain't easily stimulated no more. However, others who attended the event seem to agree with us on the lack of seasoning part, so obviously there's room for improvement.

Dessert - I don't really remember the names of the two pies offered. One is banana cream something with shaved almond and shredded coconut. The other one is honey blueberry something served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. I liked the banana cream better because it was lighter, the blueberry was overly sweet, like a sugar bomb.

I had great expectations about the fried chicken at Locande Verde, especially since they were ranked #3 on New York Magazine's "Nine fried chickens to eat before you die".  I mean, they were good, don't get me wrong, but I wouldn't consider it 'to die for' good. The mashed potatoes and the biscuits, on the other hand, were right on point. Unfortunately, they ain't available on the regular menu either. However, rumor has it that Andrew C. is planning a new restaurant featuring his fried chicken. I would definitely go there just for the sides and maybe give the fried chicken another go.

Hhonors Account Reinstated

I have accumulated some Hilton Honors(HH) Points from a previous life. Yet due to a number of factors, I no longer stay with them. In fact, my last stay at a Hilton was in June 2009. This past weekend, I don’t know what made me check on my HH account, but I’m glad I did because I discovered a shocker. I was not able to log in as my account is 'no longer active'. This of course spurred a moment of panic within me. Then I looked up Hilton’s expiration policy on points. Voila, points expire after 12 months of inactivity. Somehow, I thought it’s the standard 24 months like most pf the other programs. Really wanted to kick myself that very moment.

So what to do now. No way I’m gonna let it go without a fight. I sent an email to HH Customer Service pleading my case. Then as impatient as I am, I called them up, begging them to reinstate my account and give back my points. The CSR said I’ll need to have one paid stay within the next 60 days with Hilton, then call within 3 days to have my points re-deposited into my account. Okay, I think that’s pretty fair considering I’m the one that dropped the ball. But then it occurred to me, in this great city I live, hotel is not cheap. I suppose shelling out a few hundred to for these points is worth it. So I made a random reservation and gave up, but still secretly wishing that the HH Email Team would come up with something more favorable.

Lo and behold, 2 days later, I received a response from HH Customer Service, Saying that they’ll credit back my account as an one-time courtesy. OMG, my prayers worked, thank you God.

Moral of the story, never give up without trying. Try different alternatives, you never know...

Yummy Chicken Nuggets

During my layover at CVG last Friday, I got the Chick-Fil-A nuggets as a mid-day snack. I love CFL, too bad they don’t have a presence on the east coast. The nuggets were tender, juicy, and perfectly seasoned the way I like it. It was the best Chicken Nuggets I’ve ever had, period. Maybe the best airport food I've had in years. They were real chicken meat from the breast or perhaps the thigh, not the mushy & mashed up kind you get from McDonald’s & Wendy’s. I don’t know if they were fried or not, they certainly didn’t look like fried, at least not heavily with coating. All in all, I think the quality and the taste along justifies its price tag, 2X of McD’s yet nugget size is half of a McD’s. I devoured these and almost went back for more. But I refrained, for my belly’s sake and knowing there’s Biscoff Cookies to be had on my next flight…

MC Event: Nobu Next Door

Went to Mastercard's Event at Nobu Next Door tonight with my good buddy Jin. Here's the menu. The meals are served family style except the dessert, so what you see is not what I had all to myself. Although I wish I did.

First up, the appetizers. The sashimi is alright, a bit too vinegary for my taste. The spinach salad on the other hand, was perhaps the best salad I've had in a long time. I've never been a salad person, but I definitely this one.

Next comes the mains, the signature black cod with miso was fork tender. I'm a big fan of the fish, but not so of the sauce, a little too sweet here covering up the umami of the cod. Beef filet was seared to medium-rare, it's a good cut of meat, perhas a bit underseasoned. Or tmaybe here's something wrong with my palate?

Third course is the Sushi, we got Salmon, Yellowtail, Hamachi, and Tuna. The rolls are shrimp with asparagus and yellowtail with scallion, I think. I'm not entirely sure. These are fresh, and you can't go wrong with fresh fish with well-seasoned sushi rice.

The dessert includes a decadent Chocolate Souffle and home-made Green Tea ice-cream. How can one say no to such combination? Alright, I admit I like the Green Tea ice-cream better because of my Asian pride.

All in all, it was a great meal. Hey, it's free, I really can't complain. Nothing tasted bad, but nothing WOWed me either. The salad was my favorite dish of the night. The sauce/seasoning in the entrees are a bit too sweet for me. It's just me though, I like things salty, MSG laden, and with a spicy kick. Think Szechuan.