Cathay Signatures: favourite dishes to pre-order for your next flight

A bowl of wonton noodles that remind you of wrapping dumplings with Mum. The aroma of braised beef that takes you back to your favourite dai pai dong. Some of our most powerful sense memories relate to food. Now, with the introduction of Cathay Signatures, we are bringing First class and Business passengers the chance to relive delicious memories of flying with us.

Comprising eight delectable dishes representing a range of cuisines, the new Cathay Signatures collection, which launched on selected long-haul routes in July, offers more choice beyond the standard inflight menu. Available for pre-order on the Choose My Meal platform, Cathay Signatures include dishes that have proven popular over the years.

“With over 70 years of connecting passengers around the globe, we have a collection of recipes that are known favourites,” says Cathay’s Head of Dining and Hospitality, Bernard Mills. “In addition to allowing our passengers to pre-select their meal from the inflight menu, we wanted to extend that choice to our range of Signatures and to assure our passengers that these dishes will be available on their next journey.” 

Hong Kong flavours

Some of the best-loved plates are from the Hong Kong Flavours portfolio, which foregrounds the ingenuity and diversity of Cantonese cooking. The menu has brought dim sum and congee to the skies, along with elegant regional specialities created in partnership with Michelin-starred restaurant Duddell’s. 

Hong Kong Flavours has done so well that we’re bringing back one highly requested dish that we know customers love: wok-fried seafood in a flavourful lobster broth, infused with ginger and spring onions for a warm and aromatic finish. This is served with a mixture of steamed and crispy rice.

With its fresh ingredients, vibrant flavours and textural contrasts, the dish encapsulates Cathay’s attention to detail. As Mills explains, “A good meal is sensory, so we ensure that dishes incorporate texture and flavour, are well-presented and are delivered by our service team with warmth and thoughtfulness.”

The seafood dish is joined by three more plates in the Hong Kong Flavours series. “We love our home city, so it is important to us that we champion the best of Hong Kong cuisine,” says Mills.

Brimming with nostalgic appeal, the conpoy, scallop and prawn wonton is a luxurious take on comfort food. The juicy dumplings are paired with smooth rice noodles in a delicate broth of dried flounder, pork bones and shrimp shells.

Another Cantonese classic is the braised abalone with conpoy, shiitake mushroom and shrimp roe, served with fragrant jasmine rice. This dish is unique for its incorporation of soft pomelo pith, which soaks up the rich flavours of the sauce.

Perhaps the most complex dish to prepare and assemble is the baked crab shell – a gem of the banquet table. Chopped crab meat, onions and mushrooms are blended with a creamy sauce and packed into the shell, then covered in panko breadcrumbs and baked until crispy and golden. This culinary delight is paired with a simple yet elegant conpoy and egg white fried rice to balance out the robust flavours of the main dish. 

Global influences

It’s not just our home city’s flavours in the spotlight. Cathay Signatures encompass a variety of cuisines to appeal to different tastes and dietary needs.

“As a global airline, we understand that food connects people with cultures,” Mills says. “We therefore ensure that our menu features the diversity of the routes we fly to, accommodating the diversity of our passengers and individual preferences.”

Two exquisite dishes from our partnership with Michelin-starred French restaurant Louise are making a return as Cathay Signatures. Taking inspiration from North African cuisine, the lamb shoulder confit is prepared in a spicy jus seasoned with ras el hanout and pine nuts. The hearty main course is served on a bed of bulgur pilaf accentuated by mint, coriander and dried fruits.

For a lighter option, the steamed halibut with a smoky chorizo sauce is a firm favourite. The fish is topped with chopped chorizo and a peppery Basque piperade.

When putting together Cathay Signatures, the culinary team considered the growing demand for plant-forward options too. "There is a focus on eating healthier and opting for plant-based meals,” Mills says. “On long-haul flights, our front-end cabins always have a wellness menu option that focuses on clean, fresh flavours with wholesome ingredients.”

A vegetarian option that will delight fans of South Asian dining is the vegetable biryani, accompanied by soft chunks of tandoori paneer, a buttery dal makhani, tangy pickles and warm naan bread. Another plant-forward dish consists of steamed beancurd parcels filled with assorted mushrooms and drizzled with a sweet pumpkin sauce. 

From culinary classics to inventive plant-forward dishes, each Cathay Signature is designed to be a feast for the senses. Next time you fly with us, take your pick of the gourmet fare available on our Choose My Meal platform. You can pre-order from 10 days to 24 hours before departure, and if you change your mind, you can make a new selection or cancel your order. 

Can’t decide what to choose? Mills recommends the wok-fried seafood in lobster broth. “The soup base has a rich flavour and I enjoy the contrast of the steamed and crispy puffed rice,” he explains. “There is also something ‘home-y’ and comforting about having a soup inflight.”

Cathay Signatures is currently available on selected long-haul flights departing from Hong Kong, and we will continue to expand its availability to other routes.

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