Regent Taipei Teams Up with ANA to Take Jadeite Cabbage & Meat-Shaped Stone “to the Skies”

▲The famous Meat-Shaped Stone and Jadeite Cabbage from the National Palace Museum have also been turned into dishes served on ANA flights. (Photo / Reporter Chen Ruizhong)

Reported by Chen Ruizhong / Taipei

On November 7, Regent Taipei and ANA launched their first-ever cross-industry collaboration, designing three distinctive five-star in-flight meals themed around Taiwan’s major traditional festivals—Lunar New Year, Dragon Boat Festival, and Mid-Autumn Festival—for business class passengers traveling from Taiwan to Tokyo in January, June, and September 2014. These special meals combine Regent's signature Beef Noodle Soup, the Forbidden City Regent Imperial Banquet, and festive desserts such as Eight-Treasure Taro Paste, Zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), and Mooncakes, showcasing the unique flavors of Taiwan.

Chef Tsai Kun-chan of Regent Taipei explained that creating in-flight meals involves more than just balancing color, aroma, and taste. It also requires careful consideration of ingredients, temperature control, plating, and even how altitude affects passengers’ sense of taste. Yan Xiuwei, PR and Planning Manager at ANA Taipei Branch Sales Department, noted that this joint effort by Regent Taipei and ANA aims to offer business class passengers an “in-flight kitchen” experience, while also allowing international business travelers between Taiwan and Japan to savor representative Taiwanese dishes.

▲The January edition to be launched isthe Regent Champion Beef Noodle Set Meal. (Photo / Reporter Chen Mingren)

After three months of preparation and refinement by Chef Tsai Kun-chan, the January “Regent Champion Beef Noodle Set Meal” features a main dish of boneless short rib beef noodles, accompanied by appetizers such as dried mullet roe, plum chicken, water chestnut kernels, and pickled mustard greens, with Eight-Treasure Taro Paste adding a festive Lunar New Year touch.

▲The famous Meat-Shaped Stone and Jadeite Cabbage from the National Palace Museum have also been turned into dishes served on ANA flights. (Photo / Reporter Chen Mingren)

The June edition, the “Classic Imperial Banquet,” centers around a protein-fried rice main dish, with appetizers including salt-and-pepper long beans, braised eggplant, and bamboo shoots, plus two classic dishes: Jadeite Cabbage and Meat-Shaped Stone. The meal concludes with a crystal red bean mooncake, perfect for the Dragon Boat Festival.

▲The Mid-Autumn Reunion Meal uses a variety of seasonal ingredients, with a creamy custard mooncake enhancing the festive mood. (Photo / Reporter Chen Mingren)

The “Mid-Autumn Reunion Meal” will be available in September. The menu includes candied chestnuts, osmanthus pumpkin, tomato with red wine, garlic squid, paired with dry-braised shrimp balls in sweet rice wine, golden fried rice, and the essential Mid-Autumn Festival treat: a creamy custard mooncake.

These three special meals will be served daily in 2014 to business class passengers on ANA flights from Taipei Songshan to Haneda and from Taoyuan to Narita in January, June, and September respectively.