CHICAGO- United Airlines (UA) will debut 30 new dishes on its Polaris international business class starting August 1, developed with Chef’s Table, the brand behind the Emmy Award-winning Netflix documentary series.
The menus were created by 11 globally recognized chefs from four continents, each inspired by the United city they call home.
The chef-curated meals will be served on long-haul flights departing from United’s seven US hub cities, including Chicago O’Hare (ORD), Newark (EWR), Los Angeles (LAX), Houston (IAH), Denver (DEN), San Francisco (SFO), and Washington Dulles (IAD), along with international gateways in London Heathrow (LHR), São Paulo Guarulhos (GRU), and Tokyo (NRT).
United Polaris New Menu Dishes
United has built the program around a single idea: connecting cuisine to place. Each chef designed a multi-course menu that reflects the culinary identity of their home city, giving travelers a taste of the destination they are departing.
The collection spans seasonal California cooking, modern American fine dining, contemporary European technique, and bold interpretations of Asian and Latin American cuisine. Each meal experience features an appetizer, salad, and entrée.
Aaron McMillan, United’s Managing Director of Hospitality Programs, said the collaboration is rooted in a shared ambition to redefine inflight dining.
He noted that United’s global network reaches into many of the world’s leading food cities, which allows the airline to work directly with world-class chefs and adapt their points of view for the realities of travel.
Justin Connor, President of Chef’s Table Projects, said the 11 featured chefs engineered their menus specifically for conditions at 35,000 feet, ensuring that ingredients and flavors hold up despite the altitude.
He added that pairing the dishes with behind-the-scenes content lets passengers discover the personal stories and creative journey behind each meal as they eat.
Chefs and Their New Menus
The new menus represent United’s seven US hub cities and key international gateways in London, São Paulo, and Tokyo.
Los Angeles – Chef Nancy Silverton, Osteria Mozza
An American chef, baker, restaurateur, and author, Silverton won the James Beard Foundation’s Outstanding Chef Award in 2014 and is widely considered the patron saint of burrata in America. She is the author of 11 cookbooks.
- Appetizer: Burrata with braised leeks, mustard vinaigrette, and breadcrumbs.
- Salad: Shaved Brussels sprouts with mint, almonds, and pecorino Romano.
- Entrée: Beef brasato with garlic mash potatoes, salsa verde, and horseradish gremolata.
Newark – Chef Fariyal Abdullahi, Hav & Mar
Abdullahi serves as Chef Partner of Hav & Mar in New York, where she brings together her Ethiopian heritage and global travels through dishes that blend European technique with distinctive flavors.
- Appetizer: Chilled tomato soup with jumbo lump crab meat.
- Salad: Baby gem, endive, berbere spiced pepitas, dried cranberries, pecorino Romano and creamy anchovy vinaigrette.
- Entrée: Ethiopian-coffee glazed short ribs with purple mashed potatoes, sauteed Thumbelina carrots and charred scallions.
Chicago – Chef Jenner Tomaska, Esmé, Petite Edith and The Alston
Tomaska is a 3-time James Beard nominee and co-owner of three acclaimed Chicago restaurants: Michelin-starred Esmé in Lincoln Park, where he combines classical French techniques with artistic presentation; Petite Edith, a French-Midwestern bistro in River North; and The Alston, a steakhouse in the Gold Coast.
- Appetizer: Braised leeks with citrus and charred scallion vinaigrette.
- Salad: Arugula with endive and shaved radish.
- Entrée: Halibut with sauce matelote, smoked onion and bacon lardons.
Houston – Chef Justin Yu, Theodore Rex
Yu, a Houston native and James Beard Award winner, owns Theodore Rex, a relaxed fine dining restaurant in Houston that features French-inspired cuisine.
- Appetizer: Deviled eggs with white soy, aged cheddar and chives.
- Salad: Chicory salad with spiced bacon, chickpeas, cucumber, onion and oregano mustard vinaigrette.
- Entrée: Braised Texas short rib with ragout of mushrooms, red miso and black eyed peas.
Denver – Chef Penelope Wong, Yuan Wonton
A Denver native, Wong honors the diversity that has shaped Denver’s culinary landscape by bringing the flavors of her Asian American upbringing and family memories to her eatery, Yuan Wonton.
- Appetizer: Shokupan bread with smoked trout, lemongrass, Chinese celery and trout roe.
- Salad: Kale salad with fresh cherries, golden beets, grana Padano cheese and honey ginger vinaigrette.
- Entrée: Five-spice duck wontons with duck brodo, Swiss chard and chili oil.
San Francisco – Chef David Barzelay, Lazy Bear, JouJou and True Laurel
Barzelay, a pioneer of approachable American fine dining, owns three San Francisco restaurants: the two-Michelin-starred Lazy Bear in the Mission District, JouJou in the Design District and True Laurel in the Mission.
- Appetizer: Hashbrown, pickled relish, cured trout roe.
- Salad: Peach panzanella with sourdough croutons, Vela dry jack cheese, wild arugula and Napa Cabernet vinaigrette.
- Entrée: Black cod broiled in tomato tare with gold rice grits, smoky tomato raisins, peppers and basils.
Washington, D.C. – Chefs Isabel Coss and Matt Conroy, Lutèce, Pascual and Maison Bar À Vins
Coss and Conroy blend French technique with Mexican influences at Lutèce, Pascual and Maison Bar À Vins, crafting refined seasonal dishes that showcase bold flavors.
- Appetizer: Melon and burrata salad with chorizo vinaigrette and opal basil.
- Salad: Quinoa salad with currants, butternut squash, kale and banyuls vinaigrette.
- Entrée: Braised chicken breast in vadouvan coconut curry.
São Paulo – Chef Manu Buffara, Manu
Buffara is the culinary force behind Manu in Curitiba, where she elevates the bold, vibrant flavors of Brazilian cuisine through a modern lens and responsible agricultural practices, cooking with a deep commitment to stewardship.
- Appetizer: Collard green roll filled with shrimp, fresh heart of palm and served with passion fruit citrus sauce.
- Salad: White bean and celery salad with goat cheese, cheese bread croutons and orange segments.
- Entrée: Brazilian shrimp stew with coconut rice, cashew nut farofa and sauteed okra.
London – Chef Tomos Parry, Mountain and Brat
Parry is the founder and co-owner of three open-fire restaurants in London, including Michelin-starred Mountain in Soho, Michelin-starred Brat in Shoreditch, and Brat x Climpson’s Arch in Hackney.
Drawing from his Welsh and Celtic roots, he blends traditional techniques and cooking styles from northern Spain into his cuisine.
- Appetizer: Grilled beef fillet with thyme, beetroots, Caerphilly cheese and mustard.
- Salad: Lobster with grilled peach, tomato and fennel herb.
- Entrée: Slow-roasted lamb with smoked potatoes, grilled broccoli and green sauce.
Tokyo – Chef Tashi Gyamtso, Jimgu, Enowa Yufuin
Gyamtso is the acclaimed head chef of Jimgu, a farm-driven restaurant where menus are crafted entirely from what the land provides.
- Appetizer: Poached scallop with yuzu-ginger glaze and edamame puree.
- Salad: Napa cabbage and mizuna crunch with shaved carrots, toasted sesame seeds and rice wine vinegar.
- Entrée: Miso marinated sea bass with Koshihikari rice and shiitake mushrooms.
Availability and Pre-Order Window
The dishes will be served onboard from August 1 through September 2026, with a new lineup from the same 11 chefs launching in October and rotating seasonally into 2027.
Each meal will be offered on flights serving lunch or dinner, departing from the chef’s home city that inspired the recipes.
United Polaris travelers can exclusively pre-order the Chef’s Table meals on United.com or in the United app.
The pre-order window opens five days before departure and closes 24 hours prior, giving customers flexible time to explore the menu and choose their preferred meal ahead of their flight.
Storytelling From Plate to Seatback Screen
On August 1, United and Chef’s Table will debut a collection of exclusive original branded content on inflight entertainment systems.
The content takes viewers on a global culinary journey, from local markets to the airline’s test kitchens, and chronicles the creative process from initial menu concepts and ingredient sourcing to recipe testing and final preparation.
Beginning July 1, United will add video podcast episodes from Chef’s Table: Talks to seatback screens.
The episodes feature host David Gelb, creator and director of the series, in conversation with chefs and celebrities about the food memories that altered the course of their creative lives.
Stay tuned with us. Further, follow us on social media for the latest updates.
Join us on Telegram Group for the Latest Aviation Updates. Subsequently, follow us on Google News
