Food & Beverage Director Chef Damien Le Bihan reveals how science, memory and Southeast Asian flavours shape the airline’s in-flight dining experience
Chef Damien Le Bihan, Singapore Airlines’ Food & Beverage Director, believes in-flight meals should evoke care and calm. With reduced cabin pressure and lower humidity diminishing aromas and dulling flavours, menus are created accordingly.
“Our food is designed to perform consistently at altitude,” Le Bihan explains. “Each dish is developed with the dining environment in mind, carefully tested and refined to deliver comfort, balance and flavour.”
The emotional power of food
Born in Agen, France, but raised in coastal Brittany, Le Bihan’s early relationship with food was rooted in home cooking.
“My first memory of food was my grandmother’s roast beef,” he recalls. It was a dish defined by patience and care. “It was the truest taste of home,” he says. The dish taught him how food can be deeply connected to people and places.
This knowledge was later refined in some of the world’s most exacting kitchens, like Michelin-starred Guy Savoy in Paris. Later, he encountered a different culinary rhythm at Soneva in the Maldives, where dishes were shaped by locality and seasonality, as well as each guest’s unique preferences.
Technical training, he learned, defines skill, but passion determines how well that skill is used. “Ultimately, it’s not just about cooking well, but also about creating moments people remember – meals that carry emotion, memory and a sense of place,” he muses.
Food as an act of care
Passion continues to underpin Le Bihan’s philosophy at Singapore Airlines. A long-time Singapore resident, he often visits wet markets, exploring Southeast Asian produce and imagining how flavours can be transformed into something both familiar and new for the cabin environment.
“A dish must have a reason to exist – whether it’s an ingredient, a memory or a cultural reference,” Le Bihan shares. “Every decision starts with the guest, and we seek to create dishes that are intuitive, comforting and memorable, while still feeling thoughtful and premium.”
This ethos is upheld across Singapore Airlines – from the chefs Le Bihan oversees to caterers and suppliers. With over 50,000 meals served on board daily, rigorous quality control is key.
“Creativity sets the direction, but consistency is built through discipline,” he says. “Once a dish is defined, it must be translated into clear processes, recipes, tastings and standards.”
The result is meticulously crafted food that customers look forward to – from lobster thermidor to chicken rice.
“Our food should feel familiar yet meaningful – something that grounds them during the journey and creates a quiet emotional anchor,” he reflects. “At its best, in-flight dining should evoke care, memory and calm, leaving customers feeling looked after rather than simply well fed.”
