All Nippon Airways partners with Noma to serve the 'Inspiration of Japan'

NEW YORK - All Nippon Airways (ANA), Japan's leading airline, and Noma, critically acclaimed as one of the world's "best restaurants," have partnered to offer global travelers the 'Inspiration of Japan'. Motivated by shared core values and a vision to provide their guests with world-class, genuine and heartfelt hospitality, the partnership is a celebration and amalgamation of Japanese culture and cuisine– unveiled through the dining experience at Noma's exclusive Tokyo Pop-Up Restaurant, launching on 9 January, 2015.

Noma Founder and Chef, Rene Redzepi, and his team spent more than a year visiting nearly a dozen cities and towns throughout Japan to draw inspiration for the exclusive pop-up menu. ANA supported Chef Redzepi and his team during his in-depth exploration of the country's culinary secrets through its extensive flight route offerings, which operate a domestic network of 49 Japanese cities.

"Back when I was a young cook, with no money, much less a restaurant of my own, I would dream about Japan. Chefs would talk about the region in hushed, reverential tones—the remarkable devotion to craft, the dizzying variety," said Chef Redzepi. "For this adventure, we've challenged ourselves and started from scratch. We have left our entire pantry at home, in an effort to delve into Japan's landscape and learn about all it has to offer."

As Japan's only 5-star airline, ANA has always been dedicated to finding new and innovative ways to celebrate Japanese culture and cuisine. In 2013, ANA launched their Connoisseurs program, which brings renowned chefs and liqueur professionals from around the world to create unique in-flight dining options for their passengers. In addition to these in-flight services, ANA's partnership with Noma further demonstrates its cultural commitment, supporting a new way to honor and evolve the Japanese dining experience.

"The ANA brand is built upon our expertise of Japan's local cuisine, culture and tradition, and the ability to infuse that knowledge into an inspired guest experience for our global travelers," said Mr. Yuji Hikako, Senior Vice President of The Americas for ANA. "This philosophy of bespoke excellence extends across every aspect of our guests' journey from the comfort of our cabin to the thoughtful nature and exceptional quality of our in-flight meals. We recognize these values in Noma and are delighted to join forces to celebrate Japan, our cultures and values, and diverse cuisine in an authentic and genuine way."

"ANA has been a valuable partner in enabling us to learn about Japan, Japanese food culture and richness of its agricultural offerings. But more than that, for us, ANA represents the best in hospitality and performance in its field. We aim, humbly, to do the very best, and if we can align with an organization that does the same, it is ideal," explains Marc Blazer, Chairman and Co-Owner of Noma.

sourced:traveldailynews.asia