ANA has announced a new concept for its premium class in-flight meals on domestic flights, “The Premium Kitchen,” which will start in December.
In addition to revamping the menu structure to incorporate passenger requests, plastic containers will be replaced with paper containers and reusable items. At the November 15 presentation, Junko Yazawa, Director and Executive Officer, gave an overview of the new concept.
According to Mr. Yazawa, the premium class in-flight meals currently offered on domestic flights were introduced in November 2017, and a survey was conducted again in April 2022 among passengers, as there had been a major environmental change during that time with the spread of coronavirus. Many of them requested sandwiches for breakfast, which are easy to eat.
On the other hand, the “Lunch and Dinner” menu, which had offered mainly Japanese food, was changed to incorporate elements of both Japanese and Western cuisine in the new concept of “The Premium Kitchen,” since many people requested both Japanese and Western food.
Executive Chef Shimizu, Executive Officer of ANA Catering Service, then introduced the new menu. He said, “Breakfast is a sandwich that emphasizes volume and flavor. The breakfast menu is a sandwich that emphasizes volume and flavor, which should give customers a “feeling of having eaten” more than what is currently offered. For lunch and dinner, he gave the stamp of approval, saying, “The menu offers the delicacy of Japanese cuisine with the satisfying taste of Western cuisine.
The new concept, “The Premium Kitchen,” will be accompanied by a menu card with a message from the chef, which will also include illustrated allergen information in an easy-to-understand manner.
The company, which has been implementing ESG promotion, will also promote its de-plasticization efforts in this new outlet. Plastic in-flight meal containers will be replaced with paper ones, and soup cups and miso soup bowls will be replaced with reusable ones that can be used repeatedly. In addition, container clasps and side dish cups will also be made of paper.
I was able to sample some of the new items on the menu that day, and personally, the thickly baked egg sandwich, which is also very hearty, was the biggest hit. It was the first time I had ever tasted a delicious egg sandwich that was sweeter than I had expected and matched perfectly with the spiciness of the mustard.
The first impression of the lunch and dinner with crab and five-meat chirashi sushi was that it was very colorful. The Japanese elements such as grilled red fish and simmered taro were served with Western elements such as smoked duck and taramo salad without any sense of discomfort. The supporting (?) Iburi gakko (pickled ginger) was a good accent.
Although not included in the tasting, we can also look forward to desserts such as apricot jelly, which Executive Chef Shimizu explained that “we placed great importance on the pleasantness of the mouth feel when you eat it.
© Source travel watch