We had the pleasure of flying on JAL Vancouver to Tokyo for our most recent trip. We flew ANA last time and found the food to be excellent. However, we found the seats on JAL to be much better than ANA (don’t ever let anyone tell you 47cm of leg room doesn’t make a difference on flights). However, as foodies, we’re always curious about food as well! Here is our review of the food we ate on the plane.
JAL SKY TIME
Unfortunately, there wasn’t any corn soup on this flight like with ANA! However, JAL did have a special “JAL Sky Time” drink that’s supposed to be kiwi flavored. We tried it out and we’re not sure if it actually tastes like kiwi. However, we were both so thirsty it was such a refreshing drink. The drink is a bit yellow-ish in tint.
LUNCH
Soba Noodles 
Soba Sauce 
Fresh Fruits 
Fresh Salad 
Miso Soup 
Mario’s Gelati
Howie was super excited to see the soba noodles especially since it came with a cute sauce bottle! We wish that JAL had gone the extra mile and added some egg and seaweed like ANA does.
The fresh fruits, fresh salad were both standard. The Coleslaw was watery at the bottom and not very tasty. They should have served potato salad instead.
While there’s no corn soup even for the meal, you can ask for miso soup. There’s no tofu in it and it’s lukewarm but if you’re craving for a soup then it’ll do.
We loved the little Mario’s Gelati cups that they handed out for dessert. Even though our flight was full, I saw some passengers asked for another and they got one. JAL must stock extras for their flights so if you want another, try asking!
Black Bean Chicken with Egg Fried Rice 
Braised Pork with Sweet Soy Sauce
The Black Bean Chicken with Egg Fried Rice was okay. The chicken was tender and full of flavor. The black bean sauce tasted exactly like it does when we order it from Chinese restaurants. The fried egg rice was slightly too dry and we had to mix the black bean sauce with it.
Our issue with Braised Pork with Sweet Soy Sauce is that the pork should have been cut into smaller pieces. The inside wasn’t very flavorful and it was a bit dry. However, the sauce was delicious. We loved the delicate mix of the savory and sweet. We were also delighted that there was a piece of daikon and egg in the meal.
BREAKFAST
Hot Tuna & Mozzarella Sandwich 
JAL Wine
When we saw Hot Tuna & Mozzarella Sandwich on the breakfast menu we really had our doubts. Could this even be tasty after 8 hours on an airplane? We were pleasantly surprised to see that this was yummy. It has lots of cheese and some celery to add a bit of crunch. The bun was slightly sweet which was a nice touch.
The breakfast comes with fruit, yogurt and a drink of your choice. And yes, Howie ordered a bottle of red wine for his “breakfast” because it’s our vacation!
Overall, our food on the JAL Vancouver to Tokyo flight wasn’t as good as the experience we had on ANA. It wasn’t the worst airplane food ever though and our comfy seats made the entire journey very pleasant.
If you want to see more of our Japan pictures, check us out on Instagram!
