For many Taiwanese travelers, a shared ritual before leaving Taiwan is enjoying a bowl of beef noodles at the Taoyuan Airport VIP Lounge — a symbolic way to bid farewell to home. Many Taiwanese expatriates in the San Francisco Bay Area had long wished they could enjoy a steaming bowl of beef noodles at San Francisco International Airport. Now, that wish has come true.
On March 27, China Airlines’ San Francisco branch and Duan’s Kitchen USA announced that beef noodles are now being served at the China Airlines San Francisco VIP Lounge. This makes China Airlines the first airline at SFO to offer beef noodles in its lounge, and the San Francisco location the first overseas VIP Lounge outside Taiwan to serve this dish. For many travelers, it’s an entirely new experience in a U.S.-based lounge.
According to China Airlines San Francisco General Manager Angela Tseng, the airline operates its own VIP Lounge, providing a place for China Airlines passengers to relax. The addition of beef noodles is not only a culinary treat but also a way to promote Taiwanese cuisine, allowing travelers heading to Taiwan to get a taste of it in advance.
Tseng noted that China Airlines performed strongly in 2024, with a fleet of 66 passenger aircraft and 17 freighters, and six North American routes — San Francisco, Los Angeles, Ontario, Seattle, New York, and Canada — totaling 40 flights per week. Many travelers connect through China Airlines’ North American flights to Southeast Asia. The airline’s cabin interiors feature a literary ambiance, with business class offering Michelin three-star Yi Palace cuisine, vegetarian dishes from Yang Ming Spring, and breads in collaboration with world champion baker Yao-Hsun Chen. Collaborating with gourmet brands has long been part of the airline’s strategy.
Duan’s Kitchen’s braised series broth is made from a secret recipe: beef fat stir-fried with Sichuan peppercorns and other spices, then simmered with beef bones for eight hours to produce a rich, aromatic flavor. The beef is slowly braised in the special broth until tender and flavorful, offering an exceptional taste and texture.
In addition to beef noodles, the China Airlines San Francisco VIP Lounge also offers a variety of Taiwanese dishes, including classic Sichuan-style mapo tofu, roasted chicken wings, Taiwanese radish cake, cold appetizers, and porridge with assorted sides. Beverage offerings include Taiwanese specialties such as taro pearl milk tea and Ten Ren Tea’s whole-leaf tea bags, allowing travelers to enjoy a complete Taiwanese culinary experience.
Steven Lee, Director of the Taiwan Tourism Administration’s San Francisco Office, shared that in 2024, 650,000 U.S. travelers visited Taiwan. In early 2025, the number of North American travelers had already reached the annual target. Working with China Airlines, the tourism office aims to promote Taiwan tourism, aligning with the airline’s strategy of expanding to Northeast and Southeast Asia. For example, transit passengers can join the Tourism Administration’s “Half-Day Layover Tour” program, which offers guided group tours or self-guided options. More details are available at: https://halfdaytour.taiwan.net.tw/.
Lee also highlighted another key initiative: jointly sponsoring the San Francisco Marathon with China Airlines in 2025, with the goal of linking it to Taiwan’s New Taipei City Wan Jin Shi Marathon. This would allow runners from both regions to participate in each other’s events, using sports tourism to attract more visitors. Additional future plans include silver tourism and religious experience tours, inviting more people to visit Taiwan.
Rommie, head of Duan’s Kitchen USA, expressed excitement about the collaboration. The refreshed VIP Lounge shows how dedicated China Airlines is to offering quality food to its passengers. Since November 2024, the lounge has been in a trial run, with Duan Chun Zhen providing training to staff on preparing beef noodles. Rommie said it has been a brand-new experience and a great opportunity to introduce Taiwanese cuisine to more travelers, allowing them to enjoy an authentic bowl of Taiwanese beef noodles before boarding their flight.
Tseng added that the lounge currently offers tomato and original-flavor beef noodles, along with Duan’s Kitchen’s popular side dishes, which she personally enjoys. She hopes to introduce more side dishes and additional beef noodle flavors to the lounge in the first half of the year. In addition, the GLN team, which helps operate the lounge, has already launched pearl milk tea and may add more Taiwanese snacks and dishes in the future, further enhancing the in-lounge dining experience for travelers.
On March 27, China Airlines’ San Francisco branch and Duan’s Kitchen USA announced that beef noodles will be served at the China Airlines San Francisco VIP Lounge, making it the first airline at SFO to offer beef noodles in its lounge.
On March 27, China Airlines’ San Francisco branch and Duan’s Kitchen USA announced that beef noodles will be served at the China Airlines San Francisco VIP Lounge.