Though we all wait with bated breath to find out the disposition of Alaska Air and Hawaiian Air’s tie-up, Alaska Air taps Chef Brandon Jiu for new First Class menus on select routes. At the same time, the airline made further investments in an emerging future aircraft design that, honestly, I’m not so enthusiastic about.
For a long time, Alaska Air had partnered with Seattle-based celebrity chef Tom Douglas. However, somewhere down the line, that relationship ended. They never really filled the void after that, instead focusing on a West Coast-inspired menu and featuring certain West Coast brands, such as Stumptown Coffee, Salt & Straw Ice Cream, and Ellenos Greek Yogurt. However, in a limited way, the ambiguity of its cuisine is ending, as Alaska Air taps Chef Brandon Jiu to create First Class menus for select routes.
Alaska Air Taps Chef Brandon Jiu
For those who don’t know, Chef Brandon Jiu helms the Michelin-starred modern Chinese spot in San Francisco’s Chinatown named Mister Jiu’s. I first experienced his cuisine at the Hawai’i Food & Wine Festival and then at his flagship restaurant back in 2018. Chef Jiu’s modern take on Chinese cuisine is fantastic! Moreover, he takes the time to make and ferment a lot of the sauces, condiments, etc. he uses.
At any rate, as I mentioned earlier, you’ll have to spend more on your ticket to enjoy his culinary delights in the air, as Alaska Air taps Chef Brandon Jiu for their First Class menu. Specifically, his dishes will be available only on flights between SFO and JFK. Dishes being served include a breakfast congee with shoyu-cured eggs and braised pork belly with pickled turnip and cauliflower in the morning morning flights, and braised duck leg, sesame egg noodles, and gai lan or roasted black cod topped with ginger-scallion sauce and silken tofu and mapo sauce on a bed of farro and quinoa for lunch or dinner.
I’m not going to lie, those dishes sound amazing! It’s too bad they won’t put them on additional routes, like between Hawai’i and the West Coast. Though, it’s not like I fly first, anyway!
Merger Decision Delayed Until 8/16 8/20
Beyond the fact that Alaska Air taps Chef Brandon Jiu for select first class meals, news out of Alaska as of late is decidedly less good . As the subtitle states, the DOJ has asked for more time again. This time, the extension is much less substantial – just 24 72 hours. However, it’s yet another delay.
What this means is anyones’ guess. I’m inclined to believe that this is a positive sign, as the DOJ could easily just say no and sue to block. However, the fact that they’re extending the review period means that it could still go either way. I imagine this latest delay is so that the two can continue to hash out an agreement on concessions.
Whatever the outcome, I’ll report on in next Monday.
Flight Attendants Reject Preliminary Agreement
Yesterday, the AFA announced that Alaska Air flight attendants had voted to reject the preliminary agreement, which would have seen a bump in pay and boarding pay, among other wins. However, 92.4% of Alaska’s flight attendants participated in the vote, with 68% saying no to the proposed contract, and 32% saying yes. Back to the negotiating table, I guess.
There’s no doubt that a lack of a contract might complicate the proposed merger with Hawaiian, as all unions will need to agree to the combination.
Alaska Air Taps Chef Brandon Jiu, Final Thoughts
There’s been a lot of Alaska news this week. Most hasn’t been so great, but the fact that Alaska Air taps Chef Brandon Jiu for their SFO-JFK First Class menus is exciting. Oh, and in case you’re wondering, those menus will be loaded onto planes beginning on August 28, and run for about a year. Here’s to hoping that they’ll keep the partnership going beyond that and expand it!