Photo: Food tasting with AirAsia X’s Azran Osman-Rani (2nd right) and Chef Shingun (2nd left)

All that changed with the arrival of AirAsia, the region’s largest low-cost carrier, who knew that the way to every traveller’s heart is not just through low fares but through food too. So departing from the norm it offers mouth-watering fares such as chicken rice, nasi lemak, fried noodles and nasi briyani on board all its flights. They became instant hits.

Recently Firefly, Malaysia’s community airline, also beefed up its menu with the introduction of hot and spicy dishes. (Read article).

Now AirAsia X, AirAsia’s long-haul low fare affiliate, goes even a step further. Apart from Malaysian and Asian fares on its flights it is now offering the local delicacies of the destination it flies to as part of its menu extension, which features delicious local dishes.

The airline is collaborating with Chef Shingun, an upcoming Korean celebrity chef, to offer special Korean cuisine on the Seoul-Kuala Lumpur flight.

On the menu are three new Korean dishes, which are part of Chef Shingun’s secret recipes – Korean traditional chicken and dry pollack stew (a dish of former Korean kings), chicken breast sweet pumpkin cheese croquette, and mushroom tofu steak with old kimchi.

These dishes are available on the Seoul-Kuala Lumpur flight since May 26. They will be served on the Kuala Lumpur-Seoul sector in July.

Azran Osman-Rani, AirAsia X CEO, said the partnership with Shingun embodied the airline’s adventurous spirit and  showed its openness to new ideas based on customers’ feedback.

“This is the first time internationally that we are collaborating with a celebrity chef. We hope that this move, if successful, will allow us to replicate the same in other new markets we fly to,” he added.

Shingun believes the new partnership can help boost tourism. provide international exposure and enable people from all nationalities to try Korean dishes, which has become very popular in Europe.

We may add the popularity extends to Asia too, especially in Malaysia where a large part of its population are going ga ga over most things Korean, with the young swooning over K-pop made popular by teen bands like Wonder Girls and Asia Super Junior, while their older counterparts are mesmerised by Korean dramas on TV.

It is no wonder that Korea is becoming a popular destination among Malaysians and other countries in the region with such offerings. We are sure that AirAsia X’s latest addition of Korean food to its in-flight menu will not only help in boosting its ancillary revenue but also in promoting Korea as a must-visit destination.

• Photo courtesy of AirAsia X