Review of Cathay Pacific flight from Taipei to Hong Kong in Business

Hi everyone! Thanks for stopping by this report.
This review will cover my business class experience with Cathay Pacific's A350 back to hometown from Taipei. Feel free to visit the HKG-TPE report for more Cathay's short haul j-class review.

in-town check-in

Before reviewing the lounge and the flight, I'd like to introduce a special service provided by the Taoyuan airport locomotive.
It was about 4 in the afternoon, I arrived at Taipei Main Station to have the in-town check-in. This service allows me to drop my bags before boarding the train, just like the Airport Express in Hong Kong. Helps to avoid the possible hassle of checking in at the airport. This special feature could also make you free from carrying luggage and bags if you'd like to spend some time in town before later heading to the airport.
I really appreciated their service. However, different from Hong Kong, only passengers flying the carriers from China Airlines (CI, AE) Grp., Evergreen Airlines (BR, B7) Grp., Cathay Pacific (CX, KA) Grp. as well as AirAsia (D7, AK, Z2, FD, DJ) Grp. could enjoy this feature. 
In advance, I would like to grasp this opportunity to thank the staff from China Airlines. Although I was not flying their airline, their staff was very willing to help and assisted me to use the check-in system. Many thanks to the kind lady and the hospitality of the Taiwanese!
The whole check-in process took about only a couple of minutes and I got the printed boarding card and also the lounge invitation card immediately.

lounge experience - cathay pacific lounge

I immediately headed to the custom and went to the lounge once I arrived the airport, the lounge is located at the terminal 1.
Partnering with acclaimed interior designer, ILSE CRAWFORD, to design spaces that focus on creating distinct and the home-like interiors at all Cathay's lounge around the globe, it felt familiar to me when I stepped inside the lounge.
Both the design and the facilities were very similar to Hong Kong's, except the food served at the noodle bar have changed to fit the locals' favor, their beef noodles in soup and minced pork rice were very delicious. In advance, they do provide the popular bubble milk tea at the bar. The staff at the bar was so friendly, I was pleased to have a good chat with the hospitable Taiwanese. That's the reason why I kept traveling to Taiwan in recent years. (I will fly to Taiwan again in the coming Summer and Lunar New Year.)
A point to note, the lounge doesn't contain the shower rooms, since all their flights departing from Taipei are short haul, like Korea and Japan, as a result, the airline doesn't expect us from taking a shower prior the flight.

What an enjoyable time spent with my family! 

boarding

the seat

The herringbone configuration allows all passengers to have direct access to an aisle, and provides increased privacy. Although the configuration is the same as the A330 when I was flying to Taipei, the IFE system had been upgraded with faster rate of response and higher resolution, in advance, the seat provides the second screen, allowing passengers to watch 2 movies at the same time or checking the flight information while you don't want to stop the movie. It's a great design.

menu

Sorry for the bad resolution, they provided a western and a Chinese option on the flight. For the former, it is a grilled chicken breast with barbecue sauce sides with vegetables, whilst, the latter is wok-fried shrimp paste served with jasmine rice and vegetables.
There were no ice-cream or a selection of cheese served after the meal since the flight was only a 1.5 hours hop, heading southwest immediately to Penghu after taking-off thus heading west to Hong Kong, flying above the northern part of the South China Sea.

taxiing

Met EVA AIR's Dreamliner and the Sanrio Characters Jet - Friendship Bow while pushing-back, I have already bought the tickets flying with them, stay tuned for the reviews if you are interested.

takeoff

catering

I selected the roast chicken breast for the main course, surprisingly, the cold plate and the desert are much much better than the flight I flew to Taipei, the peer is very sweet and the taste of ham go well with the mozzarella, whilst, the Mango cheese marble cake taste good. Not to mention the bread, it was hard as stone, I really wondered whether they picked them from the coach class! (Am I too mean? Sorry for that.)
Just before the plane started to descend, I asked the crew whether they are still serving a pie to the economy class passengers but surprisingly he said they have a small meal provided and asked me if I'd like to try, so I go for another meal in this 1.5 hour hop, that's crazy!
As you can see, it doesn't look good, but the taste is fair, at least better than the chicken pie I had tried. It is a chicken and Shiitake mushroom rice, however the sauce is a little bit salty…

landing

Home sweet home, the Pearl of the Orient. Could see clearly the city and the Tsing Ma Bridge, one of the world longest span suspension bridge, connecting the airport and the city. 

Sorry for the second pic., yes it is inverted…