Nothing wakes me up after a 15-hour long-haul flight from New York quite like having a bowl of freshly-made dan dan noodles, a decadent egg tart (or four), and a hot cup of elegant jasmine tea while taking in views of the majestic mountain landscape of Hong Kong . Those aromatic flavors, that striking blue-green horizon shrouded in mist, all of it reminds me that I’m back in Asia , the region that I grew up in and will always feel like home. It’s a real treat to be able to embrace that feeling of familiarity and belonging—all without leaving the airport.

That’s the experience I had this past winter: On my way to visit my family in Manila , I passed through Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) and spent an eight-hour layover at Cathay Pacific’s freshly redesigned business class lounge, The Bridge. It first opened back in 2013, but then the airline closed the lounge “permanently” during the pandemic.…