Before embarking on my journey home on Cathay Pacific business class from Taipei to Hong Kong then Cathay Pacific first class from Hong Kong to Los Angeles, I had a chance to stop by the Cathay Pacific Business Class Lounge at Taoyuan International Airport. I had heard good things about Cathay Pacific lounges in general and was excited to check this one out. I’m happy to say that this lounge was excellent and got me off to a great start for my return trip home from Asia.
Lounge Info
- Location: Terminal 1 Level 4
- Hours: 5:20 AM to 8:50 PM
- Eligibility: OneWorld business class passengers, OneWorld Sapphire or Emerald passengers on a OneWorld flight, or Cathay Pacific members with eligible status. Full eligibility rules here.
Layout and Atmosphere
This lounge was a convenient 7 minute walk past security and was super easy to find.
Upon entering the lounge, the biggest surprise to me was actually the size of the lounge. It’s not a very big lounge but despite that, it still felt very cozy and spacious.
The layout of the lounge is simple and is just a long aisle split into 2 main sections. The first section you’ll encounter is the dining area which features the iconic Cathay Pacific noodle bar. After walking past the dining area, you’ll enter the main seating section which has a drink bar at the very end of the hallway.
The overall decor of the lounge was one of my favorite things about it. It reminded me of an older, yet classy interior of an upscale building. The lights in the dining area of the lounge are dimmer than some other lounges and this lighting helps accent the dark brown wood finishing of the furniture.
In addition to this, the darker brown wood contrasted very nicely with some of the furniture that has Cathay Pacific’s signature green color. These design details helped to give the lounge a sense of posh and elegance.
Seating
This lounge had plentiful seating options of various kinds ranging from mini cubicle seats and lounge chairs to more casual options like couches. I’m not sure if it was because my flight was a morning flight but the lounge was surprisingly empty. The majority of guests hung out in the dining area while the main seating area was pretty much empty except for 2 or 3 other guests.
The left side of the seating area featured some mini cubicle seats that came with personal tray tables, personal reading lights, and charging ports at the bottom of the seat. The seat was pretty comfy and was my preferred area of the seating area since it offered the most privacy.
The side opposite of the cubicle seats had a standard dining table with some chairs.
One nice design feature was the Japanese style walls that separated the seating area into smaller subsections.
Overall, this seating area is beautiful and has great seating options for any traveler.
Dining
The main dining area of the lounge is just a large square, with the noodle bar located along one wall and the rest of the space filled with rectangular booths of various sizes.
There is also a smaller dining area nearby the bathrooms that features a drink fridge along with some light snacks.
The noodle bar was my favorite part of this whole section because of how aesthetic it is. It’s always a pleasure being able to see the chefs prepare the food in front of you. This is also where you place your order and pick up your food when it’s ready.
At the left end of the noodle bar is the menu. Since I was there at 8AM, the menu only featured breakfast items.
In front of the menu is a nice array of condiments including cilantro, green onions, and chili. The homemade chili sauce was INCREDIBLE. I really, really enjoyed it and if I could somehow bring that home, I would have in an instant.
After placing your order, one of the workers will hand you a buzzer that will notify you when your order is ready. When it begins to ring, you simply go back to the noodle bar and pick up your plate of food.
Since the menu wasn’t very large, I figured that I had to try all of the food…. which was a big mistake. I ended up eating way too much and it was a struggle to eat more on my flights later on lol.
To start, I had to order the beef noodle soup since I was in Taiwan and that’s one of the country’s signature dishes. I also ordered the congee to go along with it. The presentation of the food was nice since they served the dishes on a serving plate that looked similar to what Japan Airlines uses in First Class.
But in terms of taste, I was extremely disappointed with the beef noodle soup. The broth was decent but not great and although the noodles were thick, tehy had a soggy texture that hurt the overall enjoyment of the dish. Fortunately, the congee was very tasty and I would recommend ordering that.
For the next set of dishes, I ordered the dan dan noodles and the wonton noodles.
The dan dan noodle broth was tasty but I was surprised since they used such a thin noodle. The thinness made the noodles feel a little soggy and flimsy which I felt could have been solved if they used a thicker noodle. Overall, it was still good and I would recommend it if you enjoy a peanut flavor.
The wonton noodle was delicious and was my favorite behind the congee. The broth was homey and delicious and I felt that the noodles had the right chewiness that made it a very yummy dish.
Drinks
In the dining sections, there are fridges full of soft drinks and beers. I appreciated that they also had local Taiwan beer as an option too. These drink areas also have an automatic coffee machine nearby.
If you go to the end of the lounge, there is a bar with a bartender where you can order your choice of drink.
My favorite part about this bar is that you can order milk tea! I’m a huge sucker for some milk tea so if you can offer me that, I’m a happy camper.
I found that the milk tea was not overly sweet and still refreshing. Apparently you can add boba pearls to your drink but I didn’t see them anywhere. Maybe you had to ask the bartender to add it in for you. But overall, it was just a great breakfast drink and I would recommend ordering one if you have the chance.
Amenities
Since this lounge is on the smaller side, there weren’t many amenities. The main amenity is the business center where there are monitors and printers for you to use.
Throughout the lounge, there are signs with instructions on how to connect to the free wifi. I felt that the wifi speeds were good and had no issues browsing social media.
Bathroom and Showers
Unfortunately in this lounge, there were no showers offered. The bathroom was clean and pleasant but was your standard run of the mill bathroom.
Conclusion
The Cathay Pacific Business Class lounge at Taoyuan International Airport is a pleasure to visit. For a lounge that is on the smaller side, it still has a lot to offer from great dining options to ample seating for relaxation. If you have the chance to visit this lounge in Taipei, I’d highly recommend it.
