All Nippon Airways (ANA) serves a national treasure banquet in the sky — savor the Meat-Shaped Stone and Jadeite Cabbage from the Forbidden City onboard

▲ ANA and Regent Taipei’s Classic National Treasure Banquet is available in ANA’s business class starting in June.

Reported and photographed by Chen Rui-Zhong, Taipei

Since the beginning of this year, Taipei’s Regent Hotel and ANA have collaborated to launch business class meal sets rich in Taiwanese flavors on Taiwan–Japan routes. Following the first quarter’s Regent Champion Beef Noodles,starting in June, business class passengers can also enjoy the “Classic National Treasure Banquet” from the Regent Taipei’s Palace Museum branch. Thanks to the chefs’ skillful craftsmanship, delicacies such as the Meat-Shaped Stone and Jadeite Cabbage are transformed into exquisite in-flight dishes..

▲ The Meat-Shaped Stone is crafted using pork trotter meat.

To emphasize their dedication to new dishes, Regent Taipei and ANA specially turned an entire airplane into a launch venue for the first time, showcasing the authenticity of enjoying these meals onboard.

▲ Regent Taipei General Manager Chiang Shih-Tung (left) and ANA All Nippon Airways Taiwan Branch General Manager Shimizu Kazunori (right) jointly presided over the new dish launch event.

The Classic National Treasure Banquet’s appetizers include ingredients such as Jadeite Cabbage, green bamboo shoots, five-flavor abalone, and scallops. The lifelike Jadeite Cabbage even uses sakura shrimp instead of grasshoppers and locusts to fully present the true appearance of the jade-carved dish. Another dish, the Meat-Shaped Stone, is made from pork trotter meat with a balanced fat-to-lean ratio and springy texture, meticulously carved with fine knife skills. For passengers who love antiques and history, it offers an even richer flavor experience.

In addition, to match the festive atmosphere, ANA will also serve crystal red bean zongzi with meals onboard, allowing international travelers to experience Taiwan’s charm once again through historical tradition and cuisine.

▲ The exquisitely delicate Jadeite Cabbage.

Shimizu Kazunori, ANA All Nippon Airways Taiwan Branch General Manager, stated that ANA has been operating Taiwan–Japan routes since 1994, marking 20 years this year. This year’s collaboration with Regent Taipei marks ANA’s first cross-border partnership of its kind, and they hope to continue offering more passengers the chance to enjoy Taiwanese cultural flavors in the sky.

▲ The full spread of the Classic National Treasure Banquet.

Regent Taipei General Manager Chiang Shih-Tung also noted that besides savoring refined Taiwanese cuisine in the air, from June 24 to July 31, the Regent Champion Beef Noodles — which won first place in the 8th Taipei International Beef Noodle Festival — will also be available at ANA’s Suite Lounge at Tokyo Haneda Airport, giving more passengers traveling through Haneda the opportunity to taste authentic Taiwanese food.

▲ ANA specially turned an entire airplane into an event venue for the new dish launch.