SUBANG, Oct 30 (Bernama) -- In a continuous effort to delight customers, Malaysia Airlines together with its in-flight caterer, LSG Sky Chefs Brahim, held a Middle Eastern food tasting session recently for selected customers under its 'Friends of MH' programme.

The session was organised to gather feedback on its proposed new Middle Eastern menu which was developed in close consultation with guest chefs, Chef Pierre El-Kossaifi from Lebanon and Chef Oscar Villegas from the United Kingdom.

The new Middle Eastern menu was prepared after an intensive 5-day workshop which involved menu discussions, research & development, food sourcing in the local markets, test preparations and the actual cooking of the dishes.

Mini sensory tests were held to further improve on the taste and consistency of dishes developed before the presentation to customers.

"With globalization, travellers are becoming more particular about the kind of meals they are served in-flight," said Malaysia Airlines Director of Operations, Captain Mohamed Azharuddin Osman.

"This initiative is aimed at meeting our customers' expectations through a stronger focus on route specific needs. For this particular route, the aim was to improve the authenticity of Middle Eastern cuisine served onboard.

"The Middle East market is a key market for Malaysia Airlines especially in the leisure, student traffic and medical tourism segments. In line with our aim to deliver what matters most to our customers, we strive to offer exceptional standards and quality of in-flight food and beverage.

"In addition, our passengers from the Middle East can travel with peace of mind on Malaysia Airlines because we ensure that all food products used in in-flight catering are set along the 'halal' benchmark," he added.

The food presentation showcased an array of meals which included Baby Lambshank cooked Iranian style, Chicken Kabli, Lamb Biryani cooked Arabic Style and Fish Sayadieh, which proved to be a favourite amongst the customers.

Once the feedback is collated and analysed, further improvements will be made before the dishes are uplifted onboard Malaysia Airlines’ aircraft flying the Middle Eastern routes. The enhanced menu is targeted to be served onboard from February 2010 onwards.

Malaysia Airlines currently operates direct flights between Dubai and Kuala Lumpur, five times a week, and via Karachi twice a week. It recently increased the frequency of its direct flights between Istanbul and Kuala Lumpur to three times weekly.

It also offers three weekly flights between Dubai and Beirut and four weekly flights between Jeddah and Kuala Lumpur. The carrier also has code share flights from Abu Dhabi, Cairo, Bahrain and Doha to Kuala Lumpur.

-- BERNAMA