Renowned chefs collaborate with airlines to bring Sichuan cuisine to the skies — even dry-braised shrimp balls are now available on flights

Reported by You [Name] / Compiled report

Hotel cuisine can now be enjoyed at 30,000 feet. Hotel operators in Kaohsiung have partnered with a Hong Kong-based airline to jointly launch an in-flight gourmet event starting October 1st. On flights from Kaohsiung to Hong Kong, first-class and business-class passengers will be served meals meticulously designed and guided by the hotel’s Sichuan cuisine restaurant, bringing signature dishes to new heights.


                    ▲Sichuan cuisine can now be savored in the air. (Photo provided by Cathay Dragon)

Huang Wenjie, General Manager of Cabin Service at Cathay Dragon, said that this series of authentic Sichuan dishes will offer travelers a new flavor experience. The selected in-flight gourmet menu includes dry-braised shrimp balls, garlic butter crab legs, fermented soybean steamed cod, spicy beef short ribs, Sichuan-style spicy pork ribs, garlic and golden sand sauce stir-fried scallops, spicy chicken balls with wood ear mushrooms, and Dongpo-style spicy beef brisket. These dishes will be served in first class and business class on Cathay Dragon flights from Kaohsiung to Hong Kong starting October 1st.

Wen Zhenfa, Deputy Head Chef of the Sichuan Cuisine Restaurant at Kaohsiung Evergreen Laurel Hotel, explained that Sichuan cuisine is known for its diverse flavors. To ensure the dishes maintain their taste after being reheated on the plane while also preserving their visual appeal, he personally visited the airline's catering facility to understand the cooking and preservation processes before finalizing the menu. From nearly a hundred dishes, a suitable selection was made, with multiple adjustments to ingredients and seasoning ratios to suit the unique taste environment at altitude. He even tested the dishes himself by role-playing as a passenger, continuously refining them before finalizing the recipes and training the airline’s catering team. He then closely supervised the flavor and quality throughout. The entire preparation process took three months.