Cathay Pacific has a new food partner – in the form of Hong Kong-based Italian restaurant Pirata, to offer a taste of the restaurant’s home-style Italian fare in the skies.
The menu is now available onboard selected flights for passengers travelling in Premium Economy on selected medium- and long-haul flights departing from Hong Kong.
Staters include vegetable-laden items like the Caprese with tomato and bread salad, respectively combining two well-loved classics from Campania and Tuscany.
For a taste of the land and sea,“Vitello” tonnato – roast beef with tuna and caper sauce, or the tuna and saffron orzo salad is offered.
There is also a baby octopus and crushed potato salad is a dish of timeless tradition, with tender baby octopus braised with tomatoes, black olives and a dash of chilli, served over a bed of lightly crushed potatoes.
For the main course, they offer pork saltimbocca with mushroom jus, our adaptation of a Roman classic that showcases pork loin wrapped in Parma ham and layered with provolone and sage.
There is also chicken pizzaiola with roasted zucchini and saffron rice, which serves up juicy and tender pieces of chicken topped with an oregano-infused tomato sauce and melted mozzarella.
Additionally, the Calabrian-style orecchiette pasta with Italian sausage, spicy ‘nduja and cherry tomatoes is a comforting dish that brings together orecchiette pasta with a creamy sauce that provides just a hint of spice. Meanwhile, the classic Italian meatloaf with marinara sauce is a nod to Pirata’s signature M.M.M meatballs blending ground beef and pork and paired with sautéed spinach and creamy mashed potatoes.
In Quotes
“We are very pleased to be partnering with Pirata in Premium Economy to bring our customers more new and exciting culinary delights when they fly with us. This collaboration underpins our commitment to enhance the inflight customer experience by working with renowned Hong Kong dining brands that share our care and passion for delivering exceptional cuisine.
“This carefully curated selection of dishes channels the spirit of Italian cuisine by focusing on sophisticated simplicity, traditional flavours and quality ingredients, bringing the rich and vibrant tastes of Italy to the skies.”
Pirata Group Chief Executive Officer Steen Puggaard said:
“It’s an honour to be able to bring to the skies the warmth and comfort of Italian family gatherings, which are hallmarks of our flagship restaurant, Pirata. With this specially curated menu, we hope passengers will feel and taste a sense of unity and togetherness, even at thousands of feet in the air.
Food is something everyone remembers
In an upcoming trip report segment, I’ll go into why a poor food experience and soft product let an airline down. You can have the greatest hardware and hard product loaded, but people remember food and the soft touches that make the difference.
Cathay Pacific has gone for something rather comforting in the air in this case, whilst showing off the cuisine of Hong Kong – with the many tastes that the territory has.
It’s also interesting that it’s a comparably limited deployment, with the food options being offered only in Premium Economy. It could be down to a mixture of issues (be it supply chain, or just wanting to try an idea before rolling it out to a wider audience).
We’ll have to see how it works in the real world.
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