It is like an old joke. You know, the one about the horse that walks into the bar… The kind of joke that makes your eyes roll before the punch line?

Airline food? Why is it so bad?

Yet, Asian frequent flyers may have brighter gastronomic horizons for future flights.

This past week, on the sunny island of Jeju-do (Korea’s Hawaii), chefs from various airlines, including Korean Air, Asiana, and TKJ (a subsidiary of Japan Airlines) gathered for a culinary competition.

Out of a final three including lobster in a fish egg sauce, fresh water fish in a mushroom sauce, and chicken in a miso sauce, the undisputed king of cheap and easy, chicken, won.

Winner, Japanese Chef Masaru Morita from TFK, spoke with the humility of an iron chef.

“I tried to give an international touch to the food for international passengers and take taste and economic aspects into consideration. I believe judges highly evaluated those points,’’ he said in The Korea Times.

Though flying times between major North Asian are cities relatively short, meals are guaranteed on every flight. On a recent flight to Shanghai to Seoul, I was served what had to be hands down the most foul airline food I’ve ever tried to eat.

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How about you? I want to hear it. Bests? Worsts?

My trans pacific flights on United have always greeted me with fantastic Indian curries (when ordering vegetarian ALWAYS go for Indian vegetarian). Yet, let me complain. Never, ever do you get dessert when you order veggie. Why? Really, stuck in a pressurized, stale air cabin, in seat 42F, with the screaming baby in front of me, and Mr. “lower and raise my tray table 500 times,” behind me, for 12 long hours, what about this situation would suggest that I wouldn’t enjoy a cookie, or square of dense, frosted chocolate cake. Screw the fruit cup.

I will say though, vegetarian or special meals get delivered first.

For more Inflight meals, the good, the bad, and the ugly, read on

CNN on hidden costs.

MSNBC on pay up or bring your own.

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