One day in mid-November, on a flight from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi in Economy class, I was surprised when a cabin attendant offered passengers two options for lunch: rice served with stir-fried pork, perilla and eggplant; or Thang Long fishcakes.

I decided to try the Thang Long fishcakes with stir-fried rice vermicelli, as it was the first time I had seen this dish on a flight.

The fishcakes combined with the distinctive taste of spring onion, dill, ginger and turmeric was a familiar yet fresh and unique sensation. Che with tapioca pearls and pandan leaves was served for the dessert, pleasant and not too sweet. Even though I travel often and have experienced all kinds of flight classes, I couldn’t help feeling surprised at my experience on Vietnam Airlines. While various airlines are cutting back because of the pandemic, Vietnam Airlines is restoring many of its services, including hot in-flight meals.