Business Class Slop

[Hvr]

Apologies for the delay. Here is a photo of the aforementioned slop. I count three pieces of chicken. Any higher bids?

Had this just been served or been there for awhile? If the latter it is entirely possible that people removed the chicken and left the liquid.

If it had just been served then it is a very paltry serve of chicken and I can understand why you were in a foul mood.

 

[Brettmcg]

Had this just been served or been there for awhile? If the latter it is entirely possible that people removed the chicken and left the liquid.

If it had just been served then it is a very paltry serve of chicken and I can understand why you were in a foul mood.

...or is that FOWL mood?

 

[anat0l]

Had this just been served or been there for awhile? If the latter it is entirely possible that people removed the chicken and left the liquid.

If it had just been served then it is a very paltry serve of chicken and I can understand why you were in a foul mood.

I was thinking the same thing. That looks like it's been there for a while, and everyone's scooped up the meat.

Not sure how you present these things any better. You could put them in a commercial bain marie, i.e. the rectangular metal ones with a spirit burner beneath it, but that doesn't look any better. Putting it in a casserole dish on top of a warmed metal plate might be an idea. If you present the dish much drier (i.e. less sauce so it looks less like slop and more like a hot mixed salad), then it'll be too dry.

Maybe another way to do it is to present the dish in many small bowls on top of a hot plate, so instead of spooning up the dish into a plate you take a bowl instead. I can't imagine this to be awfully practical, but it would be the only option which would look neat from start to end of service.

 

[MEL_Traveller]

I was thinking the same thing. That looks like it's been there for a while, and everyone's scooped up the meat.

Not sure how you present these things any better. You could put them in a commercial bain marie, i.e. the rectangular metal ones with a spirit burner beneath it, but that doesn't look any better. Putting it in a casserole dish on top of a warmed metal plate might be an idea. If you present the dish much drier (i.e. less sauce so it looks less like slop and more like a hot mixed salad), then it'll be too dry.

the length of time it has been there is part of the issue... but lounge staff should regularly monitor the situation and replace as necessary. all part of the rockpool image.*

the cx lounge in HKG used to be a little OTT... they'd only have single or double servings in each container and replace them after one was gone. the lounge was (is) managed by the peninsula, it's partly their reputation.

as for presentation of the above dish... could be individually plated in small bowls, everyone gets a piece or two of the chicken.


* if you are an overseas pax flying business class or with OWE status, thinking about where to eat while you're in sydney or Melbourne... if you're undecided, how does the above food presentation affect your decision? personally I'd choose another restaurant than rockpool on my list (and same goes for some of the food served on board... not all of it is the best influencer in the direction of NP)

 

[Anna]

all part of the rockpool image.*

personally I'd choose another restaurant than rockpool on my list (and same goes for some of the food served on board... not all of it is the best influencer in the direction of NP)

Can someone please point me to some evidence that NP is involved in QF J lounge food? As far as I can tell he is only involved in QF onboard food in international F, J and W (not in Y) and in domestic J & Y.

 

[markis10]

Can someone please point me to some evidence that NP is involved in QF J lounge food? As far as I can tell he is only involved in QF onboard food in international F, J and W (not in Y) and in domestic J & Y.

“Qantas customers will now enjoy Neil Perry menus inflight and throughout Qantas Business
Lounges, with matching wines. Our new menus are more contemporary, seasonal, and adventurous
and will change weekly ,” added Mr Joyce.

http://www.rockpool.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/Media-Release.pdf

 

[Anna]

Interesting. Thanks Markis10. Perhaps "enhanced" since 2010?

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Interesting. Thanks Markis10. Perhaps "enhanced" since 2010?

the evidence is on the qantas website, under 'qantas domestic business class'.there has been no change... the following content is still displayed:

Business Lounge

Relax before your flight in our exclusive Domestic Business lounge, available to Platinum Frequent Flyers and customers travelling in Business. You’ll enjoy Neil Perry designed menus, in-house baristas and island dining offering our Plate of the Day Service.

 

[anat0l]

Can someone please point me to some evidence that NP is involved in QF J lounge food? As far as I can tell he is only involved in QF onboard food in international F, J and W (not in Y) and in domestic J & Y.

I'd say his consulting company has made the decisions of the dishes more than Neil himself, with a possible exception of the island dining experiences (which I suspect are a bit of an adaptation of the process used for the international F lounges and "small / big plates" for onboard J).

Neil does involve himself in the experience process more than just the food, but as you relate it's probably more on the international side rather than domestic, and certainly very little if any in the Economy arena.

Of course, consulting company or Neil himself, Qantas are happy to broadbrush the whole operation with his name (or vv.), in spite of the inaccuracies.

 

[russ]

In response to some questions/comments above:

• I am not sure how long it had been there. Actually, I don't care. All I care is that I walked in, was hungry, that's what they offered me, and when I asked the kitchen staff, they didn't care. It was only when I was walking out of the lounge in disgust to get some food from one of the retail outlets that I mentioned it to the lounge dragon who kindly went into the kitchen and returned with a plate with a much better chicken:slop ratio
• Yes, the title of this thread could also be "J Lounge Slop" but I was a business class passenger who paid almost $2k for a one-way domestic airfare. I figure that if QF wants to charge like a wounded bull for the ticket, then I am going to expect something better than slop. I am a regular at the VA DRW Lounge, so don't expect much, but at least in J class, VA gives me as many M&M's as I can eat!

A few weeks ago, I emailed a baggage complaint to John Borghetti at 8:30pm, and got a response from one of his direct reports at 10:30pm the same night. As a comparison, I emailed a photo of this slop to Alan Joyce last week, but have not received a reply.

 

[lovestotravel]

Feel free to enjoy the endless VA hotdogs if you think that VA is any better!

 

[MEL_Traveller]

Feel free to enjoy the endless VA hotdogs if you think that VA is any better!

that's hardly the point though it's not a race to the bottom.

 

[Timsboot]

Apologies for the delay. Here is a photo of the aforementioned slop. I count three pieces of chicken. Any higher bids?

View attachment 19577

i was looking for the "Yuk" button next to the like button but it is missing. Maybe I need to try from a different browser. The last time I saw an image like that it was at a university after party bathroom

 

[anat0l]

In response to some questions/comments above:

• I am not sure how long it had been there. Actually, I don't care. All I care is that I walked in, was hungry, that's what they offered me, and when I asked the kitchen staff, they didn't care. It was only when I was walking out of the lounge in disgust to get some food from one of the retail outlets that I mentioned it to the lounge dragon who kindly went into the kitchen and returned with a plate with a much better chicken:slop ratio
• Yes, the title of this thread could also be "J Lounge Slop" but I was a business class passenger who paid almost $2k for a one-way domestic airfare. I figure that if QF wants to charge like a wounded bull for the ticket, then I am going to expect something better than slop. I am a regular at the VA DRW Lounge, so don't expect much, but at least in J class, VA gives me as many M&M's as I can eat!

A few weeks ago, I emailed a baggage complaint to John Borghetti at 8:30pm, and got a response from one of his direct reports at 10:30pm the same night. As a comparison, I emailed a photo of this slop to Alan Joyce last week, but have not received a reply.

Well you may not care, but that's a possible rational explanation of the situation. Not that they saw you coming and decided to switcheroo a bad plate so they can deliberately screw you over. Just saying (well, the latter might be plausible but I'm not going to put any money on it, because I doubt an airline is out to get you).

As for the kitchen staff not caring, that is an issue. Good that you raised it with the lounge staff.

Also, I'd expect a baggage complaint to be addressed a lot sooner than bad feedback about a lounge. In any case, you emailed the baggage complaint to JB - why? Had it got that bad you had to raise it that far up, or is everyone just targeting the CEO's office to short-circuit the feedback process?

In any case, JB getting back to you before AJ doesn't surprise me, but that's material for another thread.

 

[amaroo]

VA gives me as many M&M's as I can eat!

QF seem to prefer Jaffas - big jar of them down the back of SYD J lounge.

 

[russ]

Feel free to enjoy the endless VA hotdogs if you think that VA is any better!

I'm not saying VA is better lounge food. I'm saying that VA is $1,000 cheaper for the same route, and frankly (pun intended) I would be happy to eat a few hotdogs to save $1,000. The only reason I was flying QF was that the VA timetable didn't suit me.

In any case, you emailed the baggage complaint to JB - why? Had it got that bad you had to raise it that far up...?

I first tried the VA website on my iPhone. It presented me with a menu to categorise my feedback, then another submenu. It all got too hard for my fat fingers on a small screen. Call me lazy, but as a customer who was annoyed and trying to give them feedback, it felt like they were pushing back a lot of the work on me. It was far easier to just google JB's email address, click the blue link (there is a clickable email link on the VA website) and type in my feedback.

 

[russ]

QF seem to prefer Jaffas - big jar of them down the back of SYD J lounge.

Holy cough!!!! Where!?!!?

Hey, is that avatar your R44? When are we going for a fly?

 

[amaroo]

Holy cough!!!! Where!?!!?

Go all the way down the back and you'll see a coffee/tea self serve station......huge jar of the red beauties.

is that avatar your R44? When are we going for a fly?

I wish! Next time I go back to Huka Lodge:mrgreen:

 

[JessicaTam]

Holy cough!!!! Where!?!!?

Hey, is that avatar your R44? When are we going for a fly?

They are also in the MEL J lounge. And from memory in the ADL QP, too.

 

[russ]

Go all the way down the back and you'll see a coffee/tea self serve station......huge jar of the red beauties.

Thanks! I just found them! I don't frequent that area because of the televisions.