Cathay Pacific serves up cinematic dining experience with Jimmy O. Yang

Cathay Pacific has launched three short films starring Hong Kong-American actor Jimmy O. Yang, humorously highlighting its in-flight dining and Michelin-starred flavours in a cinematic style.

This comes following the airline's recent partnerships with various Michelin-starred restaurants, including Yat Tung Heen, Louise, and Duddell’s, to introduce in-flight dining menu offerings for first-class, business-class, premium-economy-class, and economy-class passengers on selected flights.

To transform in-flight dining into a cinematic experience, Cathay Pacific has featured O. Yang in three gut-wrenching, heart-pounding, and palate-pleasing roles to convey the Michelin-starred flavours available onboard a Cathay Pacific flight.

Titled “The drop” (餓底行動), the first film features O. Yang as an inspector who goes deep undercover, pursuing a lead at 35,000 feet. This in-flight meal presents a challenge to his cover as he strives to maintain his composure while tracking his target. The film highlights sweet and sour pork, which is part of Cathay's collaboration with the nine-year Michelin-starred Cantonese restaurant Yat Tung Heen for its economy and premium economy offerings.

In the second film titled “Jimmy & Jimmy”, two culinary worlds collide when American-born Mr. Chin encounters Hong Kong local Mr. Lee. The film explores the significance of Michelin stars and highlights the competition between their dishes. It features Provençal beef cheek stew, part of Cathay's business and first-class collaboration with the Michelin-starred French restaurant Louise, as well as braised chicken with abalone and matsutake mushroom, offering authentic Hong Kong flavours through its partnership with Michelin-starred Duddell’s for business and first-class service.

In the final movie titled "Entrée to You" (情味了), O. Yang reflects on his ex-lover after tasting a traditional Jiangsu meal, reigniting the feelings that had faded into the past. He wishes to return to find her and asks the cabin crew if the flight can turn back, but his request is denied. The movie features braised prawns with dried shredded tofu and Chinese ham, which are part of Cathay’s Chinese Classics - a new in-flight menu featuring eight great cuisines of China, now available in business class on select flights from Hong Kong to the Chinese Mainland, on rotation.

While the video is promoted on Cathay’s Instagram, it has garnered over 15,000 likes within six hours of posting, MARKETING-INTERACTIVE confirmed. A number of netizens expressed surprise at seeing O. Yang in Cathay’s ad, with some commenting that the video is funny.

MARKETING-INTERACTIVE has reached out to Cathay Pacific for more information. 

Don’t miss: Cathay partners The Coffee Academïcs to elevate inflight coffee experience

Beyond dining, Cathay has also partnered with Hong Kong-based The Coffee Academïcs to launch a coffee blend, enhancing the inflight coffee experience for passengers. 

This collaboration stems from the rise of Hong Kong’s homegrown coffee scene over the past few decades. With endless options available to them, coffee lovers have become more selective about what goes into their cups. For many travellers, inflight coffee can be inconsistent - a challenge Cathay aims to address with this initiative.

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