MONTREAL — There’s more to savour onboard Air Canada, thanks to a new partnership with award-winning Canadian Chef Antonio Park.
Exclusively featured on select Air Canada flights to Asia and South America, Park’s meals will be destination-inspired, kicking off on the Montreal-Tokyo-Narita route that links two cities he has called home.
“We’re thrilled to continue showcasing the very best of Canadian talent with Chef Park joining our team of celebrated chefs,” said Andrew Yiu, Vice President, Product at Air Canada. “Apart from elevating our customers’ dining experience with destination-inspired creations on Asian and South American flights, we chose to partner with Chef Park due to his passion for promoting the Canadian culinary scene and his appreciation for fresh ingredients and sustainability.
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Park’s culinary career was first inspired by his Korean mother’s kitchen while growing up in Argentina. He then trained under revered Japanese cooking masters and developed a passion for farm-to-table cooking. He has worked in Japan, New York, Toronto and Montreal before opening his first restaurant, Park, in Montreal in 2012. Park has served as a judge on Food Network Canada’s Chopped and Top Chef Canada, and has been recognized multiple times in Canada as ‘Chef of the Year’.
On his new role with the carrier, Park said: “It’s a blessing and an honour to partner with Air Canada. I’m extremely proud and humbled to be sharing my food with Air Canada’s customers flying at 30,000 feet. It is the perfect opportunity to use Canadian ingredients and Japanese techniques, marrying the two to enhance the onboard experience.”
Park joins Air Canada’s panel of Canadian culinary and wine talent who have designed award-winning food and wine options. They include celebrated Canadian chef David Hawksworth, who creates signature dishes exclusively on Air Canada flights worldwide in Signature Class and the Air Canada Signature Suite; and Véronique Rivest, the carrier’s sommelier who handpicks wines to pair with Hawksworth’s menu. Contemporary chef Vikram Vij also creates Indian dishes for all cabins of service on Air Canada’s Canada-India flights from Toronto and Vancouver.
Following Montreal-Tokyo-Narita, Park’s menu will be rolled out on flights from Toronto to Tokyo-Haneda, Vancouver to Tokyo-Narita, and from Montreal to Sao Paulo this fall. In 2020, his meals will also be available on flights to Hong Kong, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai, Taipei, Sao Paulo (from Toronto), Santiago and Buenos Aires, as well as on seasonal flights from Calgary to Tokyo-Narita and Vancouver-Osaka.
His meal options will be available in Signature, Premium Economy and Economy Class on all flights from Canada to Japan, and exclusively in Signature Class on all other flights departing Canada to Asia and South America, in addition to options by Hawksworth.
