KUALA LUMPUR — There’s no question that airplane food has gotten a bad rap over the years. From wilted greens and mystery meat, to questionable looking gravy and rock-hard butter, in-flight meals have left plenty to be desired. But there’s one airline that has such complete faith in its food that it’s opening a standalone restaurant in one of the world’s most celebrated food-centric cities.
AirAsia’s in-flight menu brand, Santan and T&CO has launched its first Asean fast food restaurant in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia featuring an array of Asian dishes and coffees all at super affordable prices.
According to Catherine Goh, general manager of Santan Restaurant and T&CO, the restaurant was launched in response to the growing appetite the airline has seen for its in-flight menu. It’s growing so much, in fact, that AirAsia plans to open five other Santan restaurants by the end of 2020, as well as 100 franchisee-operated restaurants and cafes within the next three to five years around the world.
Air Asia เปิดร้านอาหารลุยธุรกิจใหม่ หวังเพิ่มรายได้แบบ non aero
โดยอาหารที่เสิร์ฟนั้น จะมาจากครัว Santan menu and T&Co coffee แบบเดียวกับที่เสิร์ฟบนเครื่องบิน เช่น Nasi Lemak เครื่องดื่ม ของหวาน
ราคาเริ่มต้นที่ $3
ทางสายการบินมีแผนที่จะหวังขยาย 100 สาขาทั่วโลก ภายใน 5 ปี pic.twitter.com/qL5kkdm5af
— บ้านนอกหัดนั่งเรือบิน (@BannorkAviation) December 5, 2019
In-flight meals for everyone!
“The opening of this flagship restaurant is the beginning of something great for the Santan and T&CO brands. We have seen a significant appetite for our in-flight menu offerings beyond our flights across the region and this is our answer to that demand,” said Goh.
Not only does the food look promising, but it’s served using some pretty high-tech gadgetry. The restaurant and café features a smart menu equipped with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, which is able to recommend dishes based on time, past ordering patterns and demographic taste.
Customers can also order directly from santa.com.my as well as T&CO’s mobile app to satisfy their in-flight cravings. And judging by the dishes that are on offer – Pak Nasser’s Nasi Lemak and Uncle Chin’s Chicken Rice, for example – you’ll want to get your plane-food fix right away.
