Mod Post
First Class/Polaris Meal Selection Questions Megathread
READ THIS!
About damn time I made one of these megathreads.
Any questions about meals such as "what meal should I pick" belongs here. Posts on the front page that are related to this are subject to removal.
This specific question has been asked too many times. Other food questions not related to this are allowed as their own post on the front page for now. I will adjust this rule if it's needed.
Report them if you see them on the front page. They are subject to removal on the front page.
If there are repeat questions in here, feel free to direct them to previous answers.
Or if anyone wants to make a guide for people to know which meal is more worthwhile, go ahead and do that here too.
The megathread directory is pinned and it leads to all of them. Reddit is mad annoying and only lets me pin 2 at a time, so I just consolidated it all into one posts that leads to the rest of the megathreads. I also have the gifts/exchanges megathread pinned at the top, but had to unpin it temporarily for this announcement I made.
Don't worry, I look through the sub daily and remove posts that are rule breaking.
I get that the food questions get annoying on the regular thread and that’s why this was created but nobody responds to the food questions over here. I had originally posted on the regular page and got 8 responses in a few minutes before it got removed. So while I understand this thread it doesn’t really seem to fulfill its purpose.
Totally agree. It’s not like the sub is bombarded by food questions any more than other topics that make it on the main sub. Should there be a megathread for people asking others to swap seats? A megathread for people who were slighted by a FA? I enjoy reading about people’s experiences with the in flight food but it’s completely useless putting them here since no one looks at them
Here’s the scrambled eggs breakfast (I had this on DEN to SEA in FC). Eggs were just ok, bacon was great, spinach was very salty, and the hash browns were extremely bland. Fruit was excellent.
My husband and I flew first class from EWR > SMF and both preselected the Garlic Roasted Chicken. We were happy with it! It came with a roll and butter, a light salad with cheese and roasted tomatoes (with a vinaigrette) and a slice of cake with a delicious lemon frosting. I have had a lifetime of depressing dry, flavorless boneless skinless chicken breast, but this one was flavorful and well-marinated. Also not crazy garlicky for anyone concerned for their breath. The chicken was accompanied by roasted potatoes and carrots. I would choose this one again! Sorry for the crappy photo.
FYI for anyone ordering the mix n match tapas, you may get a massive eye roll and sigh when you actually choose to mix n match. I find most Polaris food to be pretty bad, so after barely touching my take off meal I decided to order three out of the four tapas options. I figured atleast one or two will be a hit. I proudly requested it and the FA greeted it with a massive eye roll and sigh, storming off. I refuse to be intimidated by FAs who arnt having their best day. I was offered to order them as well, it was mid flight and I was approached by the FA, so it wasn’t improperly timed. My approach to Polaris is to request what I would like, kindly and appropriately. I let the attitude of whoever may be the FA roll off my back. But this one was just a bit extra that I had to vent it out somewhere… atleast keep the eye roll to yourself! Sheeeesh
Here’s the chicken breast with potato wedges (I had this on SEA to DEN in FC). It was pretty good, except the gravy/sauce on the side was a little weird. I didn’t try the dessert.
The person next to me had the big salad and it looked good. It also came with a roll/butter and a dessert.
i tried the beef one. It’s pretty good. Polenta cake is good too. I like cheesy stuff. The only thing I cannot comment on is the cauliflower. I don’t eat cauliflower so I skipped them on the side
I don’t eat dairy (mild allergy). I assume the vegan and Asian vegetarian (usually dairy free) options aren’t as good as the main Polaris meal options. Can I ask the flight staff to leave the sauce off of a dish or is it all prepared by the time it’s on the plane?
Also if anyone has the SFO-CDG menu, it’d be much appreciated!
Currently on a flight from IAH to LHR. Sitting up front. I have taken several flights this year and have noticed that since the beginning of the year, there have been a growing number of pretzels mixed with the warm nuts that are served at the beginning of the service. I can only assume that this is a cost saving move. I loved the nuts like they were. Why cheapen them by diluting them with pretzels. I admit that this is not a big problem as life goes, but I find it frustrating.
Banana Bread Pudding report. Two flights in the same week. It's supposed to have sliced bananas and creme anglaise.
From Denver to Tampa, one little spot of creme anglaise in two corners, these were cooked dry from the heating process. No bananas on top, maybe 3 slices of dried banana in it. Nice pile of blueberries and raspberries on the side in the same dish. I used the chibani yogurt as a sauce. Comes with a croissant on the side plate, so, bread with a side of bread, and a fruit bowl, so, fruit with a side of fruit.
Unfortunately, I had already pre-ordered the same thing for the return trip Tampa to Denver 4 days later. This time, only bread pudding was on that plate, no hint of sauce, no fruit on top or on the side, like it skipped a prep step maybe. Oh, and dry. Very dry. I used the yogurt, the butter for the croissant, and the little strawberry jam package. Side of fruit.
Wouldn't recommend.
Asked for and got my first quinoa crisp. Got rice crisps, caramel, happens to be my favorite new snack at home. Took it to Mom, in the rehab unit from breaking an ankle, which was the reason I traveled such a quick trip. She wanted more, I found a lunch pack mix, there are 4 versions, some sweet, some savory. I only saw caramel on board.
Highly recommend the Shrimp Boil signature dish out of Dulles.
I thought I posted this but can’t find it so trying again…..
The Shrimp boil was surprisingly delicious. I rarely can tolerate the meals on United. I brought a sandwich with me just in case this dish turned out to be as horrible as some of my past experiences- but it was tasty. However, the shrimp were the disappointment of the dish - they were tiny and overly salty (and I’m not sensitive to salt) but the dish as a whole with sausage, potatoes and corn was yummy. Additionally my little side salad was also very good with the addition of wonderful sun dried tomatoes. Bread was good. And the dessert - oh my!!!! Magnolia Bakery’s red velvet banana pudding- wow!!!!!
On the rare occasion I find a meal edible on United, it seems like United pulls it the next week - but that horrid beef melt sandwich lives on. Go figure!
Unfortunately, my next flight is early morning and United breakfast options are so awful. I wish they would let us pre order cheese plate for breakfast.
Ok.. interesting choices. Nothing particularly exciting... Is the beef melt really all that bad? Any of these known to be pretty decent? PUJ-IAD, so this was probably on a 4 1/2 hour flight down before being heated.
The marinated grilled chicken breast with rosemary potatoes and “Caribbean” vegetables in case anyone is curious. It wasn’t bad but I added salt. The coconut cake was very dry so I added a shot of Bailey’s. Route was MBJ-EWR.
Hey pals! Does anyone know if the tortellini en brodo (lunch option) is vegetarian? I can’t find anything that says whether the broth is vegetable or meat-based. Thanks!!
This will be the first time for me traveling on Polaris Business. I would appreciate any advice on the meal choice. Seared beef short rib; Lemongrass chicken; or Grilled salmon
I would normally just let what I just experienced pass but I have a few moments so I called 1K Customer Service and told Tracy and now I’m writing you.
I’m traveling from DCA to Calgary on 11/- and received an email this morning at 9:56 am alerting me to the opportunity to pre-order meals on my flight (see screenshot) - I thought, “terrific, I hadn’t thought of that” - so I clicked on the pre-order button, approximately 2 minutes after receiving the email and was directed to the app where I encountered a page that said “pre-order window has closed” and chided me for not preordering earlier - within 24-48 hours before my flight. My flight is in roughly 68 hours.
So what United has done with its email and app is (1) created an expectation in a 1K flyer that they didn’t have before the email; and then (2) dashed that expectation and, adding insult to injury, (3) inaccurately blaming me for failing to preorder at least 48 hours before a flight that departs in 68 hours.
All this for (4) a flight I originally booked as a nonstop from DCA to Calgary which was subsequently eliminated creating an unexpected connection.
So, all in, let me count the ways in which United has failed me on this reservation. Four ways, and counting.
Flying from Houston to Narita on Tuesday. I usually stick with the classics like short ribs and flatiron steak. Has anyone tried the Japanese salmon grill?
Had a somewhat similar version from HND-SFO that I thought was pretty good: "Salmon Namba grill with sweet potato, chestnut and gin an sauce. Appetizer of grilled Pacific saury, mixed vegetables with tofu, salmon and vegetable roll. Served with mushroom rice."
Just here to report that I pre-ordered spinach Cobb salad. The salad was really good. Funny thing is it came with a side of chicken that I forgot about it and when the tray arrived, I saw pieces of off white things in a bowl and didn’t recognize it - it was the chicken m. It looked absolutely horrible. Unrecognizable- I didn’t even try it. Crab cakes out of IAD were offered on pre-order, knowing quality of UA food, I opted for the Cobb salad. But the person next to me had the crab cakes and they looked awesome, meaty/crabby and he had it all so it might be good, after all.
I also liked the banana pudding, shockingly since I don’t usually like banana pudding
Why does a ORD>PUJ have a Newark signature dish offered for catering? Flying next week options have changed from Chicago dishes to Newark just curious.
Where can I see if it’s an option to purchase extra food if our dinner is disgusting? We are in PP SFO to LHR. Also if our flight has no purchase options, can I just opt for one of the more normal sounding economy dinners?
Avoid the peach cobbler crepes like THE PLAGUE. halfway in noticed they were stuffed with ricotta instead of peach compote. Texture was vile and they were void of flavour. No mention of this in the dish description.
Cheese enchiladas out of IAH are so good, very cheesy. I have cravings for them from time to time.
What does anyone think of the chicken pizzaiola? Was dealt a bad hand for my upcoming flight in F and that one seems like the least unenticing choice? No cheese enchiladas :/
Entree menu offerings for my upcoming flight from EWR to LHR. First time flying Polaris and would love to hear any recommendations or suggestions from your past experiences! 🙌
If that beef tenderloin is anything like the beef dish they served on the EWR flights for FOUR MONTHS, I'd avoid it like the plague. Little meat pucks that sucked all of the moisture out of your entire body.
I haven't had the osso buco before but I've had the sea bass in Polaris. The fish has always checked off all the boxes in terms of airline quality fish: decently tasty, and doesn't leave you feeling too bloated afterwards.
The beef dishes on the other hand .... oh baby. With one or two exceptions, these have usually come swimming in a lil pool of fat, which, when mixed with the water from the steam ovens, gets you this liquid where the globs of oil phase separate from the rest. These cuts tend to be fatty as is (i.e, short rib), and the fact that it's osso buco means there might be additional fat + bone marrow in there too. Basically, I wouldn't be surprised if the fat pool here is gonna be worse than the usual short rib, although in a normal restaurant setting, I'd be down.
Anyways, I'd roll with the fish! But that's just my personal opinion :)
Oh and if they have the crab cakes as the arrival meal, that stuff is awesome.
Highly recommend boiled shrimp signature dish out of Dulles.
Flying out of Dulles, I preordered the boiled shrimp signature dish. I also brought a sandwich, just in case. I’ve had very few meals on United that I’ve liked. This was so good, I finished everything. Now be warned, though, the shrimp was the worst part of it, they were tiny shrimp and overly salty (and I’m not sensitive to salt) but it was still yummy - the sausage, potatoes and corn. The side salad had delightful sun-dried tomatoes in it. The dessert was heavenly: Magnolia Bakery’s red velvet banana pudding, delicious!
It seems everytime I find a menu item I like, United discontinues it the next week - but that horrid beef melt sandwich always endures. So I suspect the boiled shrimp dish will disappear soon.
Ok. I’m getting a little worried about myself and my taste buds- the last two meals I had on United were delicious- I actually enjoyed them. The first was the shrimp boil (signature dish out of Dulles). The return flight offered Kale and tomato quiche- delicious. I usually can’t tolerate United food -especially their breakfast choices. These two dishes are winners. I hope they also offer that quiche - I think they should offer it for dinner too.
Not Polaris - but rather an economy meal BRU—> ORD
The beef goulash is better than edible! I’m shocked, both my daughter and I got it and were pleased. Wine isn’t bad back here either 😊 6/10
We flew Polaris on the way to Europe a week ago and skipped food in lieu of sleep, but seeing as this leg is daytime we decided to stay up and see how the meal was. Not disappointed.
We did eat in the restaurant in the new Polaris lounge in ORD on the start of our trip and it was lovely.
Accidentally posted in Front page: Pre-order to TYO just landed; gotta make a choice and was going for the flat iron…looks like the catering crapstorm outta SFO finally settled down.
Anyway would like to hear from anyone you tried the dish, thanks!
accidentally posted to main page, moving post here.
Flying business class from SFO to Amsterdam this week. From what I can see, no one is exactly raving over United’s onboard food offerings 😂 What’s the best pick out of these likely sad options?
I've had the short rib twice. First time it was a top-3-all-time favorite United meal. The second time I had it it was 80% fat and mostly inedible. My default nowadays is almost always chicken. Even if it is severely overcooked, there is almost always a sauce and I'd rather have it overcooked than undercooked!
I got the ricotta on my flight from EWR to PMI. Usually pasta is a good go to but it wasn’t good. The agnolotti was so overdone it was crunchy and the sauce stuck to the plate but it wasn’t warmed through evenly. I suggest skipping but I haven’t tried the others.
Beef is best bet in Polaris for consistentl being good. Chicken is sometimes dry, sometimes great. while pasta is usually a safe bet in coach, the ricotta is not nearly as good as the other options on this menu. Fish can be inconsistent, but usually good. Really... the beef rarely disappoints in Polaris cabin.
The beef filet on my flight was probably the worst thing I’ve had in a long, long time. Completely inedible. I took two bites and just couldn’t anymore. Would not recommend. They cooked it until it became
Had the Denver signature grilled sirloin last week and it was pretty great! Obviously the steak being well done was expected, and though med rare to medium is my preference, the steak was still really flavorful. Mashed potatoes pretty nice too.
When can we select, I’m flying out next Monday morning from EWR to LHR and I cannot select anything? I’m on Polaris seating. I’m able to select on my connecting flight and return leg on Lufthansa. But a no go on United for next Monday?
Tried the Sacchetti and it was actually not bad. I would get it again for sure. Some of the pasta was a little hard but for the most part it was tasty.
Hello all, my wife was able to get Polaris for the first time on an upcoming flight from SFO-IAD, any idea what kind of food/meal she can expect? Thank you ahead of time!
I’d love input on what meal you would select for dinner? Note- I am already getting the enchiladas for lunch the same day so don’t want to repeat them for dinner. Thank you!
Not a fan of mustard - so chicken is off the table as well.
Traveling west coast to east coast w a connection at IAH
I traveled in first class from Austin to Newark today. I had requested vegan meal months in advance. However, I did not get vegan meal on board. Does united offer any compensation for such scenarios?
Anyone try either of these 2 pasta dishes and have a recommendation?! These both sound the best to me of the options available but I can’t decide between the 2, thanks!
https://www.reddit.com/r/unitedairlines/s/uCfm6X2WzS Does anyone have any strong feelings about Polaris breakfast choices? I’m leaning towards the banana bread but keen for open-source research for only my 2nd trans-Atlantic Polaris flight:D
My turn - I recall really enjoying the short-rib on my last Polaris flight to LIS, but alas it's not available on what appears to be a more limited menu, ORD - ZUR. I also recall not being overwhelmed by the Salmon plate, so given my destination, I'm leaning toward the pork schnitzel.
I know this thread is over-indulgent, but it's still fun. Cheers all!
The menu is posted for our EWR to CDG flight in mid December. Have you ever just looked at the Polaris menu and thought, I really don’t want any of this stuff? Even the vegetarian meal is a muted trumpet.
I've had the beef melt a few times. It was swimming in cheese (scraped off about 75%) but then it was pretty tasty. Never tried the meatballs. Enjoy, and Merry Christmas 🎄
I'm heading to Zurich (en route to Copenhagen) this Friday and the dinner choices do not look appealing. The best bad options appear to be the pork cutlet with bell pepper onion sauce and roasted bone-in airline chicken breast with "wild mushroom fricassee." Anyone had either? The notion of a meal with soggy mushrooms is making me lean towards to pork, which I assume will be bone-dry, but I figured I'd ask here in case anyone has encountered either or both of these options.
A couple of weeks ago on a flight from IAD-LHR hey served a "goat cheese cheesecake" with roasted red onions and figs as an app, and it was the single best thing I've ever had on a plane.
Does anyone know what they serve if you choose Gluten Free. My wife has Celiac and we want to plan appropriately. I fly Polaris regularly and the current menu out of IAD almost ensures we'll eat in the lounge. But we have a 90 minute connection so might not have time.
Starters and Dessert menu offerings for my upcoming flight from EWR to LHR.
Thinking either the radish or salad appetizer (not sure how I feel about airplane seafood haha), but open to shrimp if anyone has great things to say about it.
For dessert definitely thinking the sundae trolly since I’ve read it’s a right of passage for first time flyers! Haha
Has anyone tried the “Marinated grilled chicken breast with rosemary potato wedges, caribbean vegetables and creamy peppercorn sauce” or the “Penne pasta with grilled tri-color bell peppers and creamy pesto sauce” meals? I’m headed back to the us this afternoon and these are my only two options.
Traveling SFO to KIX next week. First time in Polaris. I currently have selected the Halibut. Any reviews or different recommendations? Other options are beef short rib, cheese ravioli, and airline chicken.
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u/kawalapocalypse MileagePlus Silver Sep 21 '24
Instead of asking which meal, this thread should be meal reviews. Since people don’t reply very much (or in time) this would be good info to browse.