Just a quick update on our recent trip to Phuket. (This is for the return trip - outbound was just drink and sleep
)Over the years we've ben lucky enough to travel to 'The Land of Smiles' in excess of 30 times. We've tried Emirates, Air France. KLM, China Airlines, Royal Brunei etc, and, more recently, due to good business fares Turkish. This time, as the price was right, and i prefer direct to BKK it was back to our favourite route with EVA. (The only direct routes to BKK are out of Heathrow)
This is a 1pm flight ot of BKK, so after a short hop up from Phuket in the morning we settled in the very nice EVA lounge. This is comfortable, good wi-fi, plenty of food choices (although mainly Asian there are sandwiches, pizza, magnums, svenssons ice cream etc) and good spirits etc. Final bonus being a smoking room within 3 minutes!
Boarding was orderly and soon settled into the comfortable seat. (I'm 6'5" and my feet only just touch the foot rest when seat is upright) The TV is large with a reasonable selection of movies, I watched the Churchill film on the way out and `Detroit' on the way back (good but harrowing). Champagne was offered, Veuve Clicqot, and away almost on time.
The natty `Rimowa' amenity kit, slipppers, pillow and duvet are already in situ with pyjamas offered along with `fiji' water. The bed topper is in the overhead but crew are pro-active in offering assistance with this should you require it. Although this is an early afternoon flight most want to sleep part of the journey so after dinner the lights are dimmed. For me its meal/movie and sleep.
I'e tried to upload photoes of menus and meal without success (1st world mac issues
) so here is the detail:Dinner:
Assorted breads with butter and balsamic
*
Amouse bouch
A couple of small appetizers with serrano ham, asparagus and salmon
*
Hors d'ouvre
Terrine Foie Gras and Champagne with Apricot and Balsamic Pearl
*
Soup
Zucchini Potato Soup
*
Salad
Mixed Sald
*
Main
Braised Mustard and pesto Beef Cheek Potato Parmentier with Seasonal Veg
or
Wok Fried Chilean Seabass with spicy bean sauce, mixed veg, speamed rice
or
Chicken Thigh marinated with coconut herb sauce, mixed veg, garlic fried rice
I pre-ordered this from the larger pre-flight menu:
Pan fried Beef fillet with oletus sauce and caramelized onion eryngi mushroom ragout with duchess potatoes
*
Sweet
Emmental, Taleggio, Blue, Camembert cheeses with crackers, dates and walnuts
Fruit
Ivory Truffle cake
Ice cream
Overall not a bad spread, and, after a good 7 hours sleep, the following `refresher' meal:
Chinese style:
Chinese plain porridge
Traditional Delicatessen
Stir Fried Kailan with Lotus root and fresh black fungus
or
Pan fried egg with minced pork and basil
Fruit
Western style:
Assorted cheese with ham
Breads, Cereals, yoghurts, muesli.
Chicken thisg Penne paste with cheese
or
Smoked Salmon Toast casserole served with baked apple wedge (I pre-ordered this, wish I had'nt.... basically a weird quiche!
Fruit
We landed in London slightly early but had to wait a while for a gate but passport queue was light and bags came off 1st, 3rd and 4th so a good result, then the 3 hour drive back up to cold Lincolnshire, from 35 deg to 3 deg in 24 hours
.Overall another goof flight with EVA, staff brilliant and attentive, product good and nothing I can really fault. We will be back with them again even if the price is a little higher than Turkish, Finnair etc.
Cheers
Kev
