When we heard that Nok Air had introduced a spendy lobster dish onboard, we had so many questions. The first one was: why?
Here’s the thing. The budget airlines of Southeast Asia — AirAsia, Nok, Scoot, Thai Smile, Tigerair, and Lion, for starters — offer short-haul flights around the region, often for under THB3,000 (US$92) roundtrip and half that for a one way trip. We’ve paid as little as THB1,000 (US$30) to get to Phuket, Khon Kaen, or Siem Reap from Bangkok.
What you get onboard is not luxury. The planes are often shabby, not too clean, and provide no amenities unless you consider buying a THB40 (US$1.2) water, a THB100 (US$3) can of beer, or a THB150 (US$4.6) plate of noodles an “amenity.” It’s no matter, really, because the regional flights mostly clock in at about an hour, which hardly gives you enough time to scarf some noodles or kill a brew anyway. We’re thankful they exist, and we’ve come to terms with the spartan experience they yield.
That aside, we were surprised to learn that Nok Air had boldly introduced a luxury meal online. But we had to try it.
The Lobster with Stir-Fried Chilies and Salt on Rice, at THB390 (US$12), might be almost half the cost of a one-way flight and is more than double the cost of their second priciest meal (the also-intriguing Salmon Lasagna with Mashed Potato for THB175/US$5.4).
We weren’t sure what to expect as our lobster was delivered. But… it was surprisingly delicious. Better than some lobster we’ve had at Bangkok’s five-star hotels, even. It’s not large, but it’s tasty.
Simply a lobster tail over white rice, the sauce is what makes the dish — a spicy, salty, rich and savory paste that also included basil, garlic, pepper, and ground shrimp. We were wowed and finished the entire dish.
Though Nok Air staff was not able to confirm the provenance of the lobster, the texture made us think it was from Phuket.
After the flight, we needed to get some answers about the unusual decision to introduce this decidedly non-utilitarian meal on budget itineraries. So we spoke to Nok’s Peeratach Wiriyasatien.
He told Coconuts that, so far, interest in the dish had not been very high, probably due to the price, but they hoped to introduce premium dishes since they understand that passengers of varying income levels and lifestyles use their airline.
He called the dish “chic” and said that, like us, trying it on Nok was his first time eating lobster on an airplane, which is, in itself, a bit of a luxury experience, if you think about it.
He said that even passengers buying low-cost tickets should have access to high-end services. We’re into it.
Reader Interactions