Few of us have ever had a memorable airplane meal. But once upon a time, it was possible to have good food, even in coach. Air France was reliable for crusty baguettes and decent wine, and Cathay Pacific was one of the first to hire chefs like Ken Hom to develop in-flight menus; one of his contributions, offering passengers snacks on long-haul flights, was soon picked up by other Asian carriers, who began offering instant cup noodles, fruit, and candy bars on demand. In the 90's, Korean Airlines began serving a vegetarian version of a national dish: Bibimbop. Comprised of rice, vegetables, and gochuchang (Korean pepper paste), it was the perfect answer to growing requests for vegetarian options, all while keeping food costs low in the wake of the Asian financial crisis. And there was brilliance in putting single serving sauces into mini paint-size tubes. But with airlines in constant fiscal trouble and security measures questioning whether a plastic fork and butter knife constitute weapons, the quality of food has gone down faster than the Titanic. Now when I know I have to fly, I often make the Bibimbop recipe that appears in our May issue. It's perfect at room temperature, won't offend the neighbors (if you leave the kimchi out, anyway), and goes down easy.
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