"Island Dining" in the Domestic J lounges: Tips, Timing & Menus

[N860CR]

What service exists during the week? Best I've noticed is the odd person walking around with a tray of something.

 

[medhead]

With all the cough going down today I was extremely surprise to find that they are still doing island dining in the SYD J lounge - Minestrone

 

[richie9x]

Finally I had my first island dining experience. I was beginning to think it was like the Lochness monster or an urban legend. But yes it does exist, just seems to be on at very particular days and times.

I had to work late on Friday so put my normal 6:05pm flight back to 8:05pm. The Melbourne J lounge was very full. It seems there had been a lot of delays due to earlier fog. Also one Sydney flight had been canceled. One of the only free spots in the whole lounge was at the island dining table.

There was a menu on the table. With a choice of minestrone soup or minestrone soup. So I choose the minestrone soup. It was pretty good. But not sure how just offering soup counts as dining.

More than anything one of the best things was getting to know the other people at the table. One guy had spent 6 hours on a plane yesterday getting from SYD to MEL. Also the woman serving was very good - efficient and chatty.

They seem to start from 6pm until a bit after 7pm when they started taking the menus away.

I guess it is a good option to have. But like the other food options in the J lounge at dinner time it felt more like a snack than a proper meal. Especially if you are flying late and will miss the dinner service it would be great to have something with a bit of substance.

 

[medhead]

The minestrone is one of the lessor options. But still as good or better than a Y meal. Some of the other options are good. Get to know the serving person well and they'll sometimes bring you 2 serves.

You've got the times correct. They start at 6 in SYD and wrap up at about 7:30. They also take around bowls of hot olives in SYD from about 4:30 to 5:30. Well they used to, haven't been there at that time for a while.

 

[MrJetset]

Minestrone hardly sounds like a meal. I've always found the J Lounge food at SYD and MEL enough for a meal on the way home. The salads and Domlades are also great if you're there before they offer dinner. Certainly better than any of the food in Y.

 

[samiam]

Minestrone hardly sounds like a meal.

I agree...

Serve yourself from the soup tureen and it's a bowl of soup...

... have it served to you and voila, it's Island Dining.

 

[medhead]

True minestrone is full of pasta and vegetables, so a bit more substantial than soup.

 

[samiam]

True minestrone is full of pasta and vegetables, so a bit more substantial than soup.

I reckon I know how true the minestrone is in the QF Lounge

 

[beardoc]

I asked the people at the front desk of the SYD DOM J Lounge about Island Dining - after discussing it a little more so she could establish we were talking about the same thing, she said she had seen it, but that she didn't know when it was coming back - she hadn't seen it for weeks now.

 

[muppet]

My frustration after reading the Jetstar lounge has a pancake machine, but CBR J lounge doesn't, led me to recall Island Dining.

Ahhh, twas nice that once in the Int J lounge in April or sometime during the eleven seconds it existed.

I have never seen it anywhere domestically. WT? Is this thing real?

I see minestrone...... lame. Is that all it is?

Sorry to be neg, but i was so excited about many things when i finally got the WP...... it certianly turned out to be a lot more W than i thought. (at least it got me the DJ WP upgrades though)

 

[medhead]

I asked the people at the front desk of the SYD DOM J Lounge about Island Dining - after discussing it a little more so she could establish we were talking about the same thing, she said she had seen it, but that she didn't know when it was coming back - she hadn't seen it for weeks now.

Well if she have of been there about 11 hours after you posted this she would have seen me enjoying my island dining meal.

As for the comments about the variety of meals and minestrone. There are a number of meals that are rotated around. Read this thread and you'll see some of them mentioned. The minestrone is a substantial meal compared to the other options and as I said it is not just a watery broth that others would imply.

All these comments as someone who has had island dining just about from the beginning once a week. And I'm on first name basis with the guy who does the serving.

 

[Fantic125]

And I'm on first name basis with the guy who does the serving.

That wouldn't be 'Bruce' by any chance?

 

[muppet]

Well if she have of been there about 11 hours after you posted this she would have seen me enjoying my island dining meal.

As for the comments about the variety of meals and minestrone. There are a number of meals that are rotated around. Read this thread and you'll see some of them mentioned. The minestrone is a substantial meal compared to the other options and as I said it is not just a watery broth that others would imply.

All these comments as someone who has had island dining just about from the beginning once a week. And I'm on first name basis with the guy who does the serving.

Hmmm. Medhead. Reading your posts you seem to be in Syd from 6ish regularly.

Perhaps thats my issue. I'm usually in CBR from 6 - 7.30 or Melbourne at similar times but on weekends.

But then there's some about lunch in MEL J lounge..... hmmm dunno.

Seems like bad luck/ bad timing / wrong ports @ wrong time.

I did get warm nuts a few weeks ago when MEL weather was chaos.

 

[Fantic125]

I did get warm nuts a few weeks ago when MEL weather was chaos.

You're right! I've found the barstools are quite cool when you initially sit down, but I felt quite comfortable when I had finished dining.

I didn't realise that was part of the service!

 

[medhead]

That wouldn't be 'Bruce' by any chance?

Nah, not Bruce.

Hmmm. Medhead. Reading your posts you seem to be in Syd from 6ish regularly.

Perhaps thats my issue. I'm usually in CBR from 6 - 7.30 or Melbourne at similar times but on weekends.

But then there's some about lunch in MEL J lounge..... hmmm dunno.

Seems like bad luck/ bad timing / wrong ports @ wrong time.

I did get warm nuts a few weeks ago when MEL weather was chaos.

That sounds like bad timing alright. AFAIK it is weekdays 6pm to 730-ish only. I have sometimes been offered warm nuts or warm olives between about 430 and 6 but not recently.

Oh and I had a MEL lunch today and it was very ordinary.

 

[N860CR]

It was on offer in the (Very busy) BNE J lounge tonight. Just the min. soup (as mentioned before). Chatty staff member was quick to come and offer it to us, however very oddly remarked "there's only one left" (there were two of us) however then appeared a few minutes later with two and said "I found another". Don't ask me where the soup was hiding! Was quite nice though, and the staff member made a point of running around and filling up people wines which was much appreciated (and seemed to surprise a few customers).

 

[JohnK]

Minestrone soup on offer again in BNE tonight. I declined the offer and the lovely staff member went to get my Pure Blonde from the bar while I was eating the slightly chilli beef.

 

[Fantic125]

Had the opportunity to spend approx 5 hours in the SYD J Dom lounge today, thanks to my 11am flight to ADL being cancelled and re-scheduled to the 15:25 flight.

I was amazed at how busy the J lounge is.

The showers were in constant use (people checking every few mins for availability) and they even ran out of toilet paper in the mens toilets. :shock:

I ended up going to the QP lounge, was given a towel pack as soon as asked and walked straight into a vacant shower cubicle.

Returned to the J lounge and it was still busy. Food selection appeared to be boiled beef, boiled corn and mashed potato.

At least the alcohol selection was more enjoyable than the food....

(Thanks to an understanding bartender!)

 

[medhead]

Caramelised onion, preserved vegetables and jamon tart in SYD T3 tonight.

View attachment 4453

Also had a warm welcome from my mate. He thought I'd defected. Apparently some of his regulars have. Mentioned extra points or similar.


Sent from my iPhone using Aust Freq Fly app so please excuse the lack of links.

 

[medhead]

And now a NPPP - duck and spice

View attachment 4454

Plus a second, not half eaten island dinner

View attachment 4455


Sent from my iPhone using Aust Freq Fly app so please excuse the lack of links.