(TAN): Cathay Pacific is bringing new delights to its inflight “Hong Kong Flavours” concept with menus created together with Michelin-starred local restaurant Duddell’s to celebrate Hong Kong’s culinary heritage, the airline said in a news release.
Both Cathay Pacific and Duddell’s are home-grown brands and renowned leaders in the hospitality industry, with the collaboration born out of a passion for food and an appreciation of the city’s gastronomic traditions. The promotional menus bring a fresh and curated interpretation of much-loved local specialties, highlighting the two brands’ commitment to elevate the food culture of Hong Kong.
Cathay Pacific General Manager Customer Experience and Design Vivian Lo said: “We are very excited to partner with acclaimed restaurant Duddell’s, who shares our core values of thoughtfully curated dining with warm service, to showcase this new culinary experience for our premium customers. We want to deliver delightful dining experiences for our customers by focusing on the details that matter, and this ethos is at the heart of every single dish we developed together. As Hong Kong’s home airline, we place great importance on serving our customers with authentic local culinary delights through our ‘Hong Kong Flavours’ concept, while also showcasing the diverse range of cuisines our city has to offer.”
JIA Group CEO Yenn Wong said: “Duddell’s, one of our popular outlets amongst tourists, has an outpost at Hong Kong International Airport, making the partnership even easier as having an outpost at the airport aids in spreading and fostering Hong Kong’s food culture to the international crowd. As Duddell’s serves Cantonese cuisine, the theme is unquestionably Hong Kong-inspired. We want to create and bring Hong Kong’s traditional flavours, with easy access, to different parts of the world. The team has curated an extensive menu that caters to First and Business class, from appetisers through to desserts.”
[ALSO READ: IHCL inks deal to open a Vivanta branded hotel in Thane, Maharashtra]
First class
As part of the “Hong Kong Flavours” concept, First and Business class customers travelling on select Cathay Pacific flights departing from Hong Kong can enjoy the new promotional menus with refreshed selections of dishes throughout the year. First class customers begin their culinary journey with one of a selection of appetisers, among them chilled abalone and cucumber with black vinegar, or minced pork with mixed vegetables and pomelo, served with lettuce wraps and prawn crackers.
They then move on to a choice of exquisite main courses. The red braised Iberico pork belly with radish takes its cue from the Shanghainese classic braised pork belly and features premium Iberico pork belly simmered in a sweet, sticky glaze of soy sauce, sugar and our chef’s special blend of Chinese spices. The wok fried lobster in white pepper sauce with spring onions and ginger is inspired by the Chinese banquet classic and crowd favourite dish in local seafood restaurants, with a nod to the Singaporean specialty of white pepper crab. Pair this with a glass of Champagne for extra indulgence.
The meal concludes with dessert. One of the highlights is a light, refreshing and cooling chrysanthemum and longan jelly. The dessert combines the delicate, floral aroma of chrysanthemum flowers and the mild sweetness of dried longan, both of which have been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for their health-promoting properties.
[ALSO READ: Vistara to operate five additional weekly flights between India and Mauritius]
Business class
For Cathay Pacific customers flying in Business class, “Hong Kong Flavours” offers newly designed starters that embrace an interesting twist on some popular Chinese classics. Among these are drunken prawns with aged Huadiao wine, and shredded chicken and jellyfish salad with sesame dressing.
For the main course, customers can enjoy dishes such as steamed halibut with cordyceps flowers, aged mandarin peel and preserved black olives, which is inspired by the cuisine of Shunde in Southern China. Steaming helps the fish retain its sweet and delicate flavour, while the cordyceps provide a slightly chewy bite. The fish fillets with pickled mustard greens in hot and sour rice noodle soup is another delicious option that is available throughout the flight as a light meal or snack, and is a lighter interpretation of Sichuanese spicy and sour poached fish with the addition of silky smooth rice noodles.
The Cathay Pacific “Hong Kong Flavours” culinary experience comes to an indulgent finale with a choice of dessert. Particular standouts include ginger milk pudding that draws from the Cantonese dessert of ginger milk curd, or strawberry yoghurt pudding that takes its cue from the sweet, tart Beijing-style yoghurt.
