United Airlines will lower its tray tables and raise a toast to one of Denver’s best chefs this summer as it begins serving her food to some of its international travelers flying in first-class seats.
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Penelope Wong, co-owner of Yuan Wonton in Denver, is one of 11 chefs from four continents who United is featuring in conjunction with Chef’s Table, a brand that grew out of the Netflix series of the same name. Wong’s journey from food truck to first class began in 2019 and was capped in June when she won the James Beard award for best chef in the mountain region.
The multi-course menu consists of shokupan bread with smoked trout, lemongrass, Chinese celery and trout roe; kale salad with fresh cherries, golden beets, grana Padano cheese and honey ginger vinaigrette; and five-spice duck wontons with duck brodo, Swiss chard and chili oil.
It is only available in United’s “Polaris” seats on nonstop flights from Denver to Rome, London, Frankfurt, Munich and Tokyo, according to information provided by United Airlines. The meal has to be ordered in advance.
“I am truly excited about this partnership with United Airlines and Chef’s Table,” Wong said in a statement. “Sharing my story through a series of tastes and bites allows a glimpse into my internal struggle of growing up Asian American, but just how delicious that struggle can be when embraced.”
In an Instagram post, she added: “To me, Denver is home. As a native, I’ve loved seeing the extreme changes in and throughout the Denver metro city, from the outskirts and all the way up to the foothills and mountains. From the overall character of the people to the variety that is now ever present in what I believe defines the Denver dining culture. Denver has become a sort of melting pot for diversity, and the dining has never been better.
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“Being a part of this project included my own personal trip down memory lane, finding and sorting through old family photos, learning things I never knew about my own parents and their journey as immigrants halfway across the world,” she added. “Sharing these memories with Chef’s Table to tell my story is probably one of the most special moments I’ve been able to experience in my culinary journey. And meeting, befriending, and working alongside the incredible talent in this pool of Chefs is something I will always treasure.”
Wong opened Yuan Wonton as a pop-up and food truck 7 years ago. In 2023, she, along with her husband Rob Jenks and sous chef Ngoc Nguyen, opened a restaurant at 2878 Fairfax St. in Denver’s Park Hill neighborhood.
These menus will be served now through October, “with a new lineup of dishes from set to launch in November and rotate seasonally into 2027,” the airline said.
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