Cathay Pacific is giving visitors to Hong Kong a chance to sample the city ’s renowned cuisine before they get there. From Braised Abalone to roasted duck, the Hong Kong-based airline has a launched a new inflight menu across all cabin classes inspired by signature dishes found in local restaurants. The new menu is available on flights between Hong Kong and Australasia, Europe, South Africa and North America. “It’s not an exaggeration to say that people from Hong Kong are crazy about food; and as Hong Kong’s home airline, it is important that our inflight dining reflects our heritage,” said Cathay general manager customer experience and design Vivian Lo. READ: Cathay honors $US16,000 premium tickets accidentally sold for $US647. “Our new dishes are inspired by those you find in local Hong Kong restaurants. These neighborhood eateries define Hong Kong’s everyday culinary scene and provide simple yet hearty and delicious dishes for those, like our customers, who are always on the move.”\ Highlights include braised abalone and flower shitake and sum-layered bean curd in first class and roasted duck with lai fun rice noodles in soup in business. For Premium economy passengers there are dishes such steamed halibut with Tai O preserved mustard greens and steamed jasmine rice, while economy class passengers can sample soy-braised chicken with Chinese sausage on jasmine rice.

Cathay has also joined the airline trend to cater to passenger "wellness" by adding dedicated yoga and meditation spaces at The Pier business class lounge in Hong Kong. A 700 square-foot area designed in partnership with Hong Kong-based lifestyle company The Pure Group is dived into two zones: The Body Sanctuary and the Mind Sanctuary. The Body Sanctuary offers video-guided gentle yoga sessions while The Mind Sanctuary offers two types of meditation. Cathay in 2018 also launched "Travel Well with Yoga"  inflight videos offering meditation and yoga.