Yuan Wonton
Audio By Carbonatix
We always knew that chef Penelope Wong of Yuan Wonton was destined to take off here in Denver. We just didn’t know it would be literally.
What began as a food truck, then became a brick-and-mortar restaurant, is now taking to the skies. Starting in August, travelers flying business class on United Polaris international routes from select cities will have the opportunity to sample some of the three-time James Beard Award finalist’s food as part of a broader, chef-driven meal program developed between the airline and the Netflix series “Chef’s Table.”
All the chefs involved, representing different United hub cities, contributed an appetizer, a salad and an entrée, for a total of 30 dishes. Each chef’s menu will be offered only on the flights departing from their respective home city. Wong’s contribution to the menu is true to her style of bringing traditional Chinese and Thai comfort food to diners, with a twist.
For the appetizer, she developed a shokupan milk bread with smoked trout, lemongrass, Chinese celery and trout roe. The salad is kale with fresh cherries, golden beets, Grana Padano cheese and honey-ginger vinaigrette. And for the entrée, wontons (of course): five-spice duck wontons with duck brodo, Swiss chard and chili oil. The menu will be available from August to September, after which Wong and the other chefs will introduce new dishes as part of the program.
“This collaboration is about fundamentally redefining in-flight dining, bringing the culinary expertise of ‘Chef’s Table’ to passengers,” says Justin Connor, president of Chef’s Table Projects, in the release announcing the project. “Our 11 featured chefs have crafted menus specifically engineered for 35,000 feet, ensuring ingredients and flavors remain exceptional despite the altitude. … Our goal is for each meal to serve as an authentic reflection of the culinary culture of the city travelers are departing.”
Among the participating chefs is Nancy Silverton, the James Beard Award-winning chef behind LA’s Osteria Mozza, also featured in “Chef’s Table” season three as well as numerous other TV appearances. Others include Fariyal Abdullahi (New York), David Barzelay (San Francisco), Manu Buffara (São Paulo), Isabel Coss and Matt Conroy (Washington, D.C.), Tashi Gyamtso (Tokyo), Tomos Parry (London), Jenner Tomaska (Chicago), and Justin Yu (Houston).
In addition to helping curate the participating chefs, the “Chef’s Table” component of the partnership extends to in-flight programming, featuring exclusive content and video of the chefs in action. According to the announcement, travelers can watch video segments chronicling how each chef developed their menu, documenting the creative process from initial menu concepts and ingredient sourcing to recipe testing and final preparation. The content will also highlight each chef’s personal story, exploring how their roots and regional traditions inspired their dishes.
We’re still waiting to learn whether the third time will be a charm for Wong’s pending James Beard Award bid. She is yet again a finalist for Best Chef: Mountain, a recognition she’s earned every year since 2024, and this year is up against fellow Denverite Johnny Curiel.
The awards ceremony where winners will be announced is set for June 15 in Chicago. Other Colorado finalists include Josh Niernberg of Bin 707 Foodbar in Grand Junction, Barolo Grill owner Ryan Fletter for Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, and the Yacht Club team of McLain Hedges and Mary Allison Wright for Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service.
