Alaska Airlines' Updated In-Flight Menu Includes Michelin-Star Offerings

Alaska Airlines is taking the concept of healthy eating to new heights, partnering with a Michelin and James Beard award-winning chef to create health-conscious meals for passengers seated in the first-class cabin on transcontinental flights. The Seattle-based carrier tapped Chef Brandon Jew, owner of Mister Jiu's in San Francisco's Chinatown (one of the best Chinatowns in the world) to develop a fresh concept with bold flavors that stand up to the challenges of preparing and serving meals at altitude. 

Jew's new menu line-up incorporates aspects of his signature take on Cantonese-style dishes with a California twist, with a focus on produce and ingredients sourced from Bay Area suppliers. "With this new menu, I'm featuring local ingredients like Wycen Foods' Lap Cheong, a traditional cured meat made by a specialty San Francisco Chinatown shop; and Stemple Creek, a ranch dedicated to sustainable practices," Jew said in a statement issued by Alaska Airlines. "These ingredients bring incredible flavor and showcase the Bay Area's culinary heritage." 

Jew, who previously collaborated with Alaska Airlines (a major U.S. airport ranked number one for safety) to develop a first-class cabin menu on flights connecting San Francisco (SFO) and New York (JFK) is leaning into that experience to expand the rollout to additional routes including flights from San Francisco (SFO) to Boston (BOS), Washington, D.C. (DCA and IAD), and Orlando (MCO). "I'm grateful to Alaska Airlines for partnering with me in honoring my roots and continuing to bring Chinese food to guests traveling from coast to coast."

A sampling of the dishes Jew created for Alaska Airlines' first-class cabin included Hong Kong French toast — toasted brioche bread soaked in a spiced cream mixture, topped with a rose-water and strawberry compote and served with a coconut-cashew butter sauce and traditional Wycen Chinese Lap Cheong sausage. Stemple Creek Ranch braised short ribs were also a highlight, comprised of a tender short rib braised in a traditional shio koji marinade and served with broccolini and Chow-Fun rice noodles with roasted butternut squash. The tea-smoked soy chicken featured a soy-marinated crispy chicken thigh smoked with traditional tea leaves served with lightly pickled lotus root and a sticky lotus leaf rice with traditional Wycen Chinese Lap Cheong sausage. Offerings will vary by route and departure time.

Jew expressed gratitude to Alaska Airlines for supporting his vision of sharing his Chinese heritage with passengers on transcontinental flights. With the new menus, Jew is building on the experience he gained during the first menu cycle, including the creative use of sauces. "I learned to rely on sauces that are delicious on their own and to create dishes that evoke a sense of place," Jew said in a statement Alaska Airlines shared.

The carrier is also introducing a new main-cabin menu offering, a 100% plant-based and gluten-free option created in partnership with Evergreens. The Seattle-based fast-casual chain with locations throughout the Pacific Northwest including one at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport — where a new retro gaming lounge recently opened — is known for its focus on food prepared with natural, seasonal ingredients. Best Laid Plants, the menu item developed for Alaska Airlines, is a grain bowl with chimichurri tofu, avocado, quinoa and mango habanero dressing. Starting April 30, it's available for main-cabin passengers to pre-order on select flights longer than 1,100 miles.