DAVAO CITY – Davao’s award-winning Malagos chocolates are now part of AirAsia’s brand new meal as a special chocolate dish in collaboration with celebrity chef JP Anglo.
Launched on Thursday night at the Koi Café of Malagos Garden Resort here, the new santan in-flight meal, a roasted dalandan chicken with flavored pimiento sauce using the Malagos chocolates will be available starting April 12 on all domestic and international flights with the Z2 flight code.
In an interview at the sidelines of the launching ceremony, Capt. Dexter Comendador, AirAsia Philippines CEO, said he was looking for a truly Filipino dish that he can recommend to AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes.
Comendador said he found the Malagos product fit for a new in-flight dish that AirAsia can offer. Malagos chocolates and cheese are truly world-class, best-selling Filipino products from Davao that deserve the world’s attention, he added.
He stressed that AirAsia takes pride being with Chef JP, Malagos chocolates, and social entrepreneurs who all value a strong, innovative service culture which is the hallmark of AirAsia’s brand of service.
“We value customer experience at all points of the journey – from the purchase of the ticket to leaving the airport, on board, and onto the destination,” he said.
During the launch, Comendador traveled to this city with AirAsia’s food and beverage team to see for themselves and taste the product.
In his message, Chef JP said he was happy to share his first dish specially made for an airline.
“I love it that AirAsia is literally taking Filipino home-grown products and talents to greater heights,” he said.
Malagos Chocolate was a 2-Star Winner at the 2016 Great Taste, ‘Oscars’ of the food world, competition held in London; Silver awardee for Best Unflavoured Drinking Chocolate at the 2016 Academy of Chocolate Awards in London; and Bronze awardee for Best Unflavoured Drinking Chocolate at the 2015 Academy of Chocolate Awards in London.
Owner Rex Puentespina said Malagos makes chocolates from scratch – from tree to bar.
“Our harvest works with other farmers,” he said.
With the AirAsia partnership, Puentespina said he felt honored that Malagos chocolates are now in the airline’s in-flight meal. He said it is also a support to countryside development.
The Puentespinas run the Malagos Cacao Farm of about 30 hectares with different varieties from UF18, W10 and the hybrid of Criollo and Forastero. (Lilian C. Mellejor/PNA)
