It’s safe to bet that anyone who’s ever flown on Alaska Airlines is probably familiar with its infamous fruit and cheese plate. It’s a crowd-pleasing classic that’s healthy, filling, and not too heavy, which makes it the perfect option for sky-high snacking.

But for those looking for something a little more adventurous — and flying in first class on select routes  —  Seattle’s hometown airline is now offering elevated meals with the launch of its Chef’s (tray) Table program, featuring menus crafted by significant West Coast culinary talents, including Brady Ishiwata Williams, the James Beard award-winning chef and owner of Tomo.

“I’m excited to be part of this program and launch this menu,” Williams said at a recent press event. “We work with Alaska in our guest chef program (Tomo’s Buds). It features multi-course meals based on collaborations with Williams’ food industry friends], so it’s great to see the next iteration of that partnership serving our food at 30,000 feet.”

The Chef’s (tray) Table initiative is an evolution of the Alaska’s 2024 collaboration with Brandon Jew, the James Beard Award-winning chef and owner of San Francisco’s Mister Jiu’s. What started as a singular partnership was so successful that the airline decided to extend the one-off to a continuing program with a rotating lineup of chefs.

“I’m excited to have Brady be a part of this,” Jew said. His first class menu — Cantonese-inspired dishes available for those flying between San Francisco and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City — was unveiled earlier this spring. “I think he represents a lot of the West Coast with what he brings to Seattle. He’s such a fixture here.”

The newly unveiled Williams-designed menu — which is only available in first class on select flights between Sea-Tac, John F. Kennedy International Airport, Newark Liberty International Airport, and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport — includes a breakfast and two dinner options. The former, a mochi waffle with tempura fried chicken, is the chef’s play on the classic dish, infused with the Japan-meets-Northwest flavors he’s known for, such as an apple miso butter and tamari-maple syrup.

Dinner selections are a Klingeman Family Farms short rib glazed with serrano jaew sauce, served with soy and Shaoxing Wine rice cakes, and buckwheat soba noodles in a cold ponzu sauce with thick pieces of ahi tuna tataki on the side.

“We almost exclusively source from artisan purveyors, producers, farmers, and fisher people,” Williams said of Tomo, which is located in White Center. “As much as we could do that for the onboard experience, we did. It’s special to be able to highlight those folks and it really aligns with our values as restaurateurs and Alaska’s values with their dedication to sustainability.”

While Willams’ culinary chops are behind the menu, it is still food served on a flight, which, for the chef, presented a series of challenges, including the fact that human tastebuds are dulled at 30,000 feet (he countered that with acid and umami), and the reality that dishes are prepared hours before each flight, then reheated before serving. An in-air meal will never be the same as a full-service restaurant, but the fact that Alaska Airlines is taking a risk to try new things is a bright spot in an industry increasingly begrudged for its seeming slippage of customer service.

“When you’re talking about hospitality, it’s about how to take care of people in the air, getting them excited to go somewhere or come back home,” Jew said. “Travel starts before people land.”

First class pre-orders for the new menu are available now, with service of the meals beginning on June 5. More information here