Shumai with plain congee and instant noodles served on the tray — 10 of the most disappointing in-flight meals

Reporter Zhou Youzheng / Compiled report Photos / All screenshots fromthe Thrillist website

Aside from enjoying food, drinks, and activities at their travel destinations, many passengers also look forward to the meals served by airlines during the flight. However, the in-flight meals that end up on their trays aren’t always satisfying—some are even laughably bad. The travel website Thrillist has compiled a list of the “10 most disappointing in-flight meals,” hoping passengers can hold back their frustration and enjoy these “delicacies” anyway.

1.Singapore Airlines: Chicken and Bean Congee
This bowl of congee contains chicken and beans, and might seem more nutritious than your favorite petroleum-based jam. But a slice of toast might offer just as much nutritional value.

2.Philippine Airlines: Mysterious Meatball Meal
This mysterious meatball could be a childhood favorite for some—an unidentified coffee-gray lump of meat served with sweet rice. This curious dish is offered on Philippine Airlines flights to Singapore.

3.Adria Airways: Tuna Sandwich
This unusual sandwich might come from the unluckiest recipe ever: a round bread halved, slathered with a golden-yellow sauce mixed with corn kernels, and sprinkled with sparse bits of tuna.

4.Ryanair: Hamburger
This off-putting-looking burger consists of a slice of beef and a slice of white bread, accompanied by a red-and-yellow concoction that might be ketchup (or cheese sauce)? Hopefully, passengers won’t get too upset seeing this in-flight meal.

5.Cathay Pacific: Super Clean Potatoes
In life, you often hear people described as cool, smart, or beautiful—but usually, they aren’t. If the flight attendant insists these are clean and delicious potatoes, let’s hope you won’t be upset.

6.Air China: Shumai and Plain Congee
This is Air China’s breakfast soup course, where two shumai are swimming in a vast sea of white sludge. Thanks—maybe it’s time for a coffee now?

7.Jetstar: Scrambled Egg Omelet
There seems to be something unidentifiable wriggling on the plate—is it an undercooked omelet? Maybe you should poke it with a fork to make sure it’s safe.

8.Lufthansa: Cucumber and Cheese Sandwich
There’s nothing more disheartening than biting into a sandwich with such meager ingredients. Yes, this sandwich really only contains a few strips of cucumber, a tiny bit of butter, and a slice of cheese.

9.All Nippon Airways: What You Think It Is, We Think It Is Too
Take a closer look—if you lean in, that brownish sludge on the plate, along with the stray green beans nearby, are they cookie ingredients?

10.AirAsia: Hot Instant Ramen Cup Noodles
Serving hot instant ramen in a cup—maybe they want you to take the cup home as a souvenir.