Hawaiian Airlines vs. Air China — Tastes Better?

Flying from the U.S. to Shanghai with a transfer at Narita (NRT): first Hawaiian Airlines, then Air China. This kind of interline ticket between the two is pretty rare, so I got a unique chance to directly compare their inflight meal services.

✈️ Hawaiian Airlines (U.S. → Narita) 🌟

Hawaiian Airlines served two meals on this segment.

1️⃣ First meal: choice of rice or pasta.

The pasta seemed to be vegetarian, so I skipped it and went with rice. The rice came with chicken, edamame, and corn. The chicken tasted a bit like braised chicken—nothing amazing, but acceptable.

The tray also included a small salad, a mini cake (which I didn’t eat), and crackers (you could pair them with cheese). Very Western-style overall.

2️⃣ Second meal: again, rice or pasta.

I chose rice again. This time it came with meatballs, and the rice was more like soy-sauce fried rice. Flavor-wise, still just okay. The sides were simple—only a fruit cup with watermelon and cantaloupe, which was light and refreshing.

✈️ Air China (Narita → Shanghai) 🌟

Air China’s meal on this leg felt much more Asian.

There were two options: Japanese-style teriyaki chicken rice, or Chinese-style beef rice. Since I’d already had chicken on the previous flight, I went with the beef.

The beef was fairly tender, with a rich, savory-sweet sauce, plus a small portion of vegetables. The “salad” was actually more like a cold appetizer—something jellyfish-like—very refreshing.

In addition to the bread roll, there was also Häagen-Dazs ice cream. I only had a few bites. As a kid, Häagen-Dazs felt like an unattainable luxury; now, tasting it again as an adult, that childhood sense of wonder is long gone.

📖 Conclusion:

From a Chinese palate perspective, Air China’s meals > Hawaiian Airlines’ meals. Better flavors and more variety overall.

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