China Airlines, the Taiwan-based carrier, added more stars to its in-flight catering yesterday (3/27) by announcing a partnership with MIPON, the Michelin one star restaurant at the Grand Mayfull Hotel Taipei. The new “Starred Taiwanese Cuisine on the Clouds” will bring classic Taiwanese dishes to the skies. The new menu launches on April 1 for all classes on regional routes departing from Taiwan including Southeast Asia, cross-Strait, and selected Japanese and Korean routes. All travelers in Business and Premium Business Class, Premium Economy Class, and Economy Class will have the opportunity to try the authentic Taiwanese flavors crafted by MIPON for China Airlines.


Rice plays an important part of Taiwanese culinary culture. MIPON’s Head Chef Chen Yong-Hua uses time-honored cooking skills passed down from experienced chefs to bring back beloved Taiwanese flavors and present the unique elegance of Taiwanese cuisine. “Local delicacies” are translated into culinary creations while an infusion of Eurasian techniques breathe new life into classic Taiwanese dishes. The result is a veritable kaleidoscope of Taiwanese cuisine that has netted MIPON one Michelin star three years in a row. The latest collaboration on in-flight catering between China Airlines and MIPON drew upon the restaurant’s most popular dishes and in-house menu to produce 15 dishes for all classes. After extensive testing and adjustment based on in-flight conditions, the great hometown flavors of Taiwan will finally be lifted up in the air.


Taking classic Taiwanese cuisine to new heights for all classes

The Business and Premium Business Class menu for China Airlines’ “Star-rated Taiwanese Cuisine on the Clouds” will feature “Abalone and Sous-vide Chicken Breast Salad with Plum Sauce” as the entrée, followed by the main of “Pan-fried Prawn with Mullet Roe Rice.” The salad sauce is a special plum sauce created by Head Chef Chen that perfectly complements the “surf and turf” of abalone and chicken. For the main, wild mullet roe from Chiayi is stir-fried with full-bodied rice and served with flavorful pan-fried shrimp for the true taste of Taiwan. In the future, other dishes will be served in rotation including the entrée “Seafood Salad with Truffle Sauce” and “Cherry Valley Duck and Scallop Salad with Mustard Sauce,” and the mains “MIPON Signature Dish Stir-fried Chicken with Three-Cup Sauce / Julienne Sweet Potato Rice” and “Braised Beef Flank and Tomato with Quinoa Rice.”


The initial launch will also feature other dishes such as the entrée “House Salad with Plum Sauce” and main of “MIPON Stir-fried Pork Neck Meat with Sesame Oil, Plain Rice” in Premium Economy Class, and the main “MIPON Stir-fried Chicken with Sweet and Sour Sauce / Plain Rice” in Economy Class. Traditional sesame oil tossed stir-fried with pork and rice will give the appetite an extra edge. Stir-fried Chicken with Sweet and Sour Sauce is a Taiwanese classic famous worldwide that will fill the sky with a delectable sweet and sour fragrance. Other dishes will be available on future flights on a rotating basis. The entrées “Shrimp Salad with Mango Sauce” and “Chicken and Seafood Salad with Plum Sauce” as well as the mains “Steamed Pork with Yolk / Quinoa Rice” and “Stir-fried Chicken with Black Bean Sauce / Plain Rice” are planned for Premium Economy Class, while mains such as “Signature Fried Rice Vermicelli with Shrimp” and “Braised Pork Meat with Red Yeast Rice / Plain Rice” are destined for Economy Class.