Hawaiian Airlines' first class menu is created by this local chef

The schnitzel was thin, crunchy and juicy but not overly heavy, considering it’s a fried piece of meat. Tangy lilikoi (passion fruit) juice is drizzled on top—a Hawaiian touch on the lemon slice—and balances the acid out of the dish.

Schnitzel isn’t my favorite, but this time, I cleared my plate.

This dish is available when you fly first class on select Hawaiian Airlines flights from Hawaii between now and the end of May during lunch or dinner service.

These include flights from Hawaii to Papeete in French Polynesia; Boston. New York; and the West Coast. This list can also be found on flights from Honolulu to Austin, Texas.

When you fly first class with Hawaiian Airlines, you can sample a local chef’s recipe thanks to the airline’s signature chef series. It’s the airline’s way of highlighting local talent but makes it look like you’re eating at a Hawaiian restaurant when you’re actually in the air.

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The other meal option is of the same quality. risotto Inspired by a creamy Venetian dish called risi e bisi – which translates to rice and peas – it’s a hearty version of the classic risotto. Also loaded with zucchini, this risotto e pesce is light (thanks to the lemon zest) and creamy, topped with a dollop of macadamia basil pesto.

Dishes are served with an appetizing salad featuring roasted garlic dressing and buttered rolls. For dessert, passengers get an opera cake by another Hawaiian chef, Michel Carr-Yuka, and Café La Tour.

These two dishes are the creation of Robynne Maii, owner and chef of the restaurant Viti Hawaii Restaurant in the heart of downtown Honolulu. Maii is one of a handful of superstar chefs that Hawaiian Airlines has hired to help create their in-flight menus.

“The Signature Chef Series is a perfect way to share with guests a part of what Hawaiian Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines are all about, authentic experiences that represent the island’s unique and wonderful culture,” Renee Oana, Managing Director of Product Development for Hawaiian Airlines, said.

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Who is Chef Robin May?

Born and raised in Honolulu, Mai is a chef who breaks glass ceilings with her local food.

“I think we just grew up eating delicious food, that’s how we do things here[in Hawaii],” she said.

After living and working in New York for 15 years, May and her husband moved back in to Hawaii to open their own restaurant. She felt that restaurants in New York were losing the hospitality she craved.

“We found ourselves having more fun at home, and we thought, ‘Maybe we can do that,'” she said. “We wanted to create a restaurant where we wanted to eat.”

Although her farm-to-table menu seems simple at first glance, she said, “It’s all about the details.”

In June, Maii wins a race 2022 James Beard Award Best Chef: Pacific Northwest. Not only was she the first Hawaiian chef or restaurateur to win in nearly 20 years, but she was also the first chef and Native Hawaiian woman ever to win.

Mayee said she “still treats” the award, and takes “awards with a good sense of seriousness and humility.”

“More than that, we feel we have to maintain a standard and contribute to society,” she said.

How was Hawaiian Airlines’ first class menu created?

Maii has worked with Hawaiian Airlines since 2018 when she ran a coffee shop in her office called Lunchbox until the pandemic. This is the second time you’ve created an on-board list for the airline. “It’s amazing to be part of that family, it’s a growing family but it still feels very local, very small,” she said. “It’s something we’re really proud of.”

The onboard menu took me two full days in the kitchen, taste testing and fine tuning the recipes. “It’s difficult to make food that is pre-cooked and reheated on airlines,” she said.

She had to consider factors such as what would be good, what ingredients could be obtained easily and what could be created at scale. She said the schnitzel is “delicious cold and delicious hot”. I used chicken as my protein instead of veal because “chicken is easy, palatable.”

I also thought about people’s diets – for example, risotto is vegan and gluten-free.

First class guests order their meals as soon as they are on board.

In the main cabin, passengers also receive a free meal during lunch or lunch service. While a Maii isn’t created by a Maii, depending on the flight it could be a ham and cheese bagel, tortellini with creamy tomato sauce or hoagie with turkey, swiss and spinach.

In or out of the restaurant, Maiye said people often tell her, “We just got back in first class, and it’s delicious.”

Kathleen Wong is a travel correspondent for USA TODAY based in Hawaii. You can reach her at kwong@usatoday.com.

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Hawaiian Airlines’ first class menu is created by this local chef

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