Cathay Pacific collaborates with VEDA by Ovolo
Cathay Pacific has partnered with Hong Kong restaurant to develop new menus promoting wellness, including vegetable masala with green pulao rice
Cathay Pacific has introduced a new contemporary range of plant-based dishes developed in collaboration with Hong Kong-based plant-forward restaurant, VEDA by Ovolo.
“For Cathay, the difference is in the detail. We know inflight dining is something that is extremely important to our customers, and we carefully work with partners to bring them memorable experiences by sourcing ingredients, designing menus and preparing dishes with great attention to detail,” commented Cathay Pacific General Manager Customer Experience and Design Vivian Lo said in a recent statement.
“Drawing inspiration from the breadth and variety of VEDA’s dishes, we have collaborated with VEDA and Ovolo Hotels Executive Chef Raul Tronco to develop a reimagined selection of plant-forward creations that reflect our brand values of thoughtful and progressive, and go beyond the norms of airline vegetarian meals,” he added.
“As a vegetarian, I am very excited to see businesses such as Cathay Pacific embrace wellness and sustainability. When I embarked on this journey, I approached each dish just as I would when creating an item for VEDA,” commented VEDA Executive Chef Raul Tronco.
“Designing a meal to be enjoyed at 30,000 feet comes with its challenges. I had to consider everything from how taste buds are affected at altitude, to cooking techniques. After countless hours of recipe testing, I am really pleased with the result and am confident that the curated VEDA inflight dishes offer travellers variety, vibrancy and incredible flavour.”
The collaboration with VEDA is the first in a series of inflight dining enhancements the airline is introducing, with more for Premium Economy and Economy class due shortly.
From now until June 2024, passengers in Cathay Pacific’s Premium Economy and Economy Class travelling on selected long-haul flights departing from Hong Kong can enjoy the new menus with a rotating selection of dishes throughout the year.
Premium Economy menus include appetizers, with a selection of dishes including Bombay carrot salad with cashews, raisins and cherry tomatoes, an Indian-inspired slaw that features a dressing infused with lime juice, coriander powder and ginger, and Hummus with harissa roasted cauliflower and pickled red onions, with a North African red chilli paste harissa.
These are followed by a selection of main dishes that include a Keralan-style coconut curry with mushrooms, red bell peppers and cumin rice, and roasted vegetable tagine with halloumi cheese and pearl couscous, a plant-forward version of the North African stew that features eggplants, carrots, zucchini and pumpkin slowly cooked with a mix of spices. The Panang dry curry tofu with cashews and coconut rice also features a base of green chilli peppers, lemongrass, shallots, ginger and vegetarian oyster sauce tossed with seared tofu and served with green beans.
A selection of refreshed appetizers has also been introduced to Economy. This includes the purple quinoa tabbouleh, a twist on the traditional Middle Eastern salad with a combination of fresh parsley and mint paired with cucumber, cherry tomatoes and onions. The Mediterranean potato salad is a makeover to a familiar classic with potatoes, hard-boiled eggs and baby pickles tossed in a creamy dressing blending Dijon mustard, mayonnaise and a splash of vinegar.
Main courses include a number of options such as Khao soi — Northern Thai-style coconut curry noodles with mixed vegetables simmered in a creamy, spicy-sweet coconut curry accented with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, green chillies, turmeric and ginger.
There is also a variation of paneer makhani, which has its roots in Northern India. This sees paneer cheese in creamy smoked tomato gravy with cumin rice along with mushrooms, green peas and a variety of spices, including smoked paprika. Alternatively, passengers can enjoy the vegetable masala with green pulao with basmati rice, an assortment of vegetables and aromatic whole spices, along with mint and coriander chutney.
