Etihad AirlineLavish dining programs in first-class cabins on long-haul flights are nothing new, but Etihad Airways, based in Abu Dhabi, has recently gone one step further by bringing chefs from top-rated restaurants on board to prepare meals in the air.
The airline has recruited 100 chefs from restaurants including the Fat Duck in Bray, England, and the Fenix Restaurant in Melbourne, Australia, to make meals for fliers who wish to forgo the premade items on the menu.
Several international flights — including those to and from Paris, Geneva and Sydney, Australia — already have chefs on board, and flights to and from New York will receive one early this year.
The chefs speak with passengers about their food preferences and then use prepped ingredients like beef tenderloin and rib-eye, fish, raw vegetables, grated cheese and eggs to create a meal. The meals (prepared in the typical galley area) can range from salads to soufflés to meats with sauces like béarnaise.