It was really nice to be back in The Wing First Lounge at Hong Kong airport – I hadn’t had a cabana since pre-covid because The Wing lounges were in the part of the airport separated just for flights to the China mainland. So I was interested to see what The Haven restaurant menu was like now the lounge was back open to the entire airport. I visited this lounge in the afternoon and there was a small selection of a la carte dishes available in The Haven restaurant along with a buffet which has cheeses, fruits, cold cuts, salads and a couple of hot dishes. There was also a buffet out in the main lounge area with a range of hot dishes and salads available.
What’s Healthy?
- There were a range of snacks available on both the buffet in The Haven restaurant and in the lounge itself. In The Haven restaurant there were a number of cheeses, walnuts, sourdough bread and fresh fruit available. This is important to have on offer when a lounge provides an A la carte dining option as it makes it easy to have a small snack. When visiting a lounge you may not be hungry, or may have decided to have a meal on the plane instead and so don’t want to order a full meal off an a la carte menu. Being able to choose some light bites that match your appetite is then important. Cheese, wholegrains and fresh fruit that were on the buffet are nutritious options. There was also some smoked salmon available in the cold section of the buffet which is a good source of omega 3 fats (which are considered anti-inflammatory).
- There were also a variety of vegetable and fruit salads available on the buffet in the lounge. These were individually portioned and make it easy to pick one up and have for a snack in the lounge – especially if you are working or taking calls.
- If cold salads aren’t your thing, then there were also a range of hot vegetable dishes available on the buffet in the main lounge. When I visited there was a mushroom and onion dish, roast potatoes and capsicums (peppers). There was also a leek and potato soup, and a chinese cabbage dish available on the buffet in The Haven.
- There were also a number of hot dishes available on both buffets; in the main area of the lounge there was a creamy pasta and a fish dish. While in The Haven restaurant there was a seafood cioppino dish available. I really liked that the pasta, while creamy (and therefore most likely a calorie heavy sauce), only had a small amount of sauce which is good for getting flavour but helping to reduce the calories. The fish pieces also came with a sauce however you could spoon as much sauce as you liked, so you could serve yourself a small amount to keep the dish lighter.
Not so great. Caution.
- The Hong Kong style wok-fried noodles with beef ordered off the a la carte menu in The Haven was delicious. However I have placed the dish in the ‘caution’ section to highlight the lack of vegetables. While this may be a traditional way of serving this dish (and there is nothing wrong with that), it is important to note that the dish is predominantly noodles (a source of quickly digested carbohydrates). When sitting on a plane for hours large amounts of quickly digested carbohydrates may cause blood sugar levels to spike which over time may be detrimental to health. So be mindful not too double up and order another noodle dish, or eat too many other carbohydrate containing snacks or desserts. It would also be good to visit the buffets and add a side of salads or cooked vegetables.
- Desserts and sweet treats were available on both buffets – be mindful of your appetite and not eating them just because they are there.
Final thoughts on Cathay Pacific The Wing First Lounge
A solid food offering in The Wing First Lounge post covid and I enjoyed visiting. It was really good to see you could easily have a nutritious balanced meal. Be mindful not all dishes ordered directly off the a la carte menu will be balanced. You may need a little help from the dishes offered on the buffets to help boost the nutritiousness of the meal. I feel there is a slightly smaller variety of food on offer from both The Haven menu and the buffets since pre-covid.
If you are flying to/from Hong Kong you might be interested in my reviews of Cathay Pacific Business Class (plane food), Cathay Pacific The Wing Business, Cathay Pacific The Wing, First (breakfast), Cathay Pacific The Pier Business, Qantas Hong Kong Lounge and the Amex Centurion.
NOTE: All pictures of the Cathay Pacific The Wing First Lounge Hong Kong Airport food are my own and I review a lounge from the foods and menu I see during my visit. There may be different options available at other times.
