Honolulu-based Hawaiian Airlines recently debuted a new inflight menu for its first class passengers. The new premium meals are created by an award-winning local chef as part of the airline's Featured Chef Series.

The onboard chef series showcases the next wave of culinary talent local to Hawaii. The carrier said it is an esteemed collaboration with renowned chefs on transpacific flights that underscores Hawaii's vibrant food culture and distinct onboard experience.

What's on the menu?

The new first class menu features meals designed by Robynne Maii, the owner and chef of the Fête Hawaii restaurant in downtown Honolulu. Maii's dishes are currently available until May on flights from Hawaii to the mainland, including Boston, New York, Austin, destinations on the West Coast, and Papeete, French Polynesia.

For brunch, passengers start with seasonal fresh fruits and a warmed croissant with butter and jam. The main entree includes a Hawaiian sweet potato hash, cage-free scrambled eggs with roasted cherry tomatoes, and Canadian bacon with a honey mustard sauce.

During the lunch and dinner hours, passengers are offered a light appetizer salad with baby spinach, cherry tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and kalamata olives topped with a roasted garlic vinaigrette. For the entree, passengers can choose a crispy chicken schnitzel with a lilikoi (passion fruit-flavored) mustard sauce, braised red cabbage, and warm red potato salad; or a zucchini and peas risotto with a basil macadamia nut pesto and roasted asparagus. To finish, an Opera Cake created by Michelle Karr-Ueoka, one of Hawaiian's executive chefs, is offered.

Renee Awana, Managing Director of Product Development at Hawaiian Airlines, spoke to USA TODAY about the carrier's onboard chef series.

"The Featured Chef Series is a perfect way to share with guests a part of what Hawaii and Hawaiian Airlines are all about, which is authentic experiences representative of our unique and flavorful island culture."

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Making the new dishes

The new in-flight food creations took Maii two full days in the kitchen, taste-testing and adjusting the recipes. She told USA TODAY:

"It's challenging to make food that's made ahead of time and reheated on the airlines,"

Maii had to consider the factors in making a meal that would hold nicely, including the ingredients that could be sourced easily and what could be created at a large scale. The chef said the chicken schnitzel, for example, is delicious, cold, or hot. She reportedly used chicken as the protein instead of veal because chicken is easy and palatable. Maii also considered passengers' diets, as the zucchini and peas risotto is vegetarian and gluten-free.

An award-winning chef

Maii began working with Hawaiian in 2018 when she ran a cafe at the airline's headquarters until the pandemic. Last June, Maii won the 2022 James Beard Award for Best Chef: Northwest and Pacific. The achievement made her the first female chef and woman with Native Hawaiian ancestry to win and the first Hawaii chef or restaurant to win in almost two decades.

Hawaiian's new first class menu is the second time Maii has collaborated with the airline to offer passengers a taste of Hawaii.

"It's amazing to be part of that family, it's a growing family but still feels super local, super small," she said. "It's something we're really proud of."

Source: USA TODAY