BLACK SHEEP’S BACK, INFLIGHT
THE CULINARY ADVENTURE FOR ECONOMY CLASS PASSENGERS CONTINUES.
LAST YEAR, CATHAY PACIFIC teamed up with Hong Kong hospitality group Black Sheep Restaurants to transform the Economy Class menus on long-haul flights from Hong Kong. The focus was to create contemporary dishes packed full of flavour that reflected the adventure of travel. With 25 restaurants under its belt specialising in regional cuisines across the globe – including two with Michelin stars – Black Sheep Restaurants was a natural choice, and passengers have been tucking in to upgraded meals such as the tarragon chicken with smashed minted peas and mashed potato, and the Thai-style chicken satay with coconut rice and charred gai lan. This month, there are new dishes on the menu, and this time regional passengers flying to Singapore, Bangkok and India will also enjoy the upgraded flavours. With so many styles of cuisine available to draw on, the diverse new options include influences from Black Sheep Restaurants’ South East Asian bar and kitchen Chôm Chôm, subcontinental spicing from Rajasthan Rifles and Hotal Colombo, Middle Eastern subtlety from Maison Libanaise and classic Italian flavours from Associazione Chianti. This translates to dishes such as a Ho Lee Fook twist on a Malaysian-inspired prawn laksa fried rice, featuring fragrant laksa rice with egg and bean curd, served with prawns, pak choi and garnished with crispy shallots – every mouthful transporting you to South East Asia. Rajasthan Rifles brings its influence to bear on the rich indulgent flavours of a chicken korma with cumin pulao, made with cashews, cream, mint and bold South Asian spices. Taking its cue from Maison Libanaise is a hearty za’atar chicken with roasted harissa cauliflower and mashed potato, serving up the bold, comforting flavours of Lebanon. Bernard Mills, Cathay Pacific’s Head of Customer Experience Food & Beverage and
WE ARE EXCITED TO INTRODUCE MORE ADVENTUROUS FLAVOURS
Hospitality says: ‘Middle Eastern cuisine is becoming increasingly popular so we’re excited to
introduce more adventurous flavours.’
There’s also a focus on vegetarian options,
which reflects the growing trend for meat-free eating, without sacrificing flavour or satisfaction.
Black Sheep Restaurants’ soulful Tuscan trattoria, Associazione Chianti, pairs creamy corn polenta with mushroom ragu, roasted garlic, shallots
and butter. Elevated with white wine, cream and porcini for depth, the dish is finished with a sprinkle of parmesan.
Another meat-free option will be a vegetable curry cooked up by the minds behind Sri Lankan canteen Hotal Colombo. The dynamic Malabar
style curry is packed with seasonal vegetables and cooked in a creamy blend of coconut milk, shallots, fragrant curry leaves and spicy ginger,
served with fluffy lemon rice.
Mills adds: ‘We really wanted to strengthen our
South Asian offering to make the most of Black
Sheep Restaurants’ huge repertoire of cuisine and
to experiment with offering these dishes on some of our long-haul routes.
‘We are using flavour profiles and spices
that we haven’t used before, something a little unexpected that will hopefully delight our
customers.’
And that’s exactly the point. Rather than
replicating a restaurant experience, the collaboration is all about adding thought
and flavour to food. Black Sheep Restaurants’
founding partner Christopher Mark says: ‘The design and intent of these dishes has one aim
– to add that “chef’s touch” to dishes that can
sometimes get lost in the production process. Working with Cathay Pacific has caused us to
focus even more on this goal, to make the food
delicious and satisfying. On our budget we can’t delight people by shaving truffles on something – we need to go deeper.’
And with new dishes being rolled out every quarter, there will be plenty to keep appetites
whetted. Mark concludes: ‘We’re working on tons
of recipes at the moment and I think it’s going to
get even more exciting.’