Spice bar at Melbourne Qantas Domestic Business Lounge

[AustraliaPoochie]

Probably it's due to covid.
SA closed it's borders to larger Mel metro area so less flyers again over the next few weeks between ADL - MEL vv.

 

[sudoer]

Probably it's due to covid.
SA closed it's borders to larger Mel metro area so less flyers again over the next few weeks between ADL - MEL vv.

How would the border situation change their ability to serve a curry instead of cacciatore though....

 

[RichardMEL]

yes because what SA does inpacts everyone else.

More generally though I believe the spice bar area has been used, yes, in these covid times, to serve more general fare.. which is a bit sad but with the buffets gone etc I guess a choice was made to not just offer Asian food

 

[AustraliaPoochie]

Service updates | Qantas

The latest updates to Qantas network, inflight and airport services.

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See under "experience" under Qantas lounges.
If you read it as together, yes, my waffle does not make sense, but read it separately, it does to a certain extent.

 

[justinbrett]

Brisbane lost its Mexican cantina even before covid.

I forget what they renamed it to - but it basically started serving generic non-themed “comfort food”. Now because of covid it’s where all the food comes from.

 

[Ade]

The spice bar had the Sichuan Eggplant last Friday, it was fantastic.

I had this on 1 feb 2020 - it was amazing ... I think I had 2 serves of it

 

[RichardMEL]

Personal opinion only:

The cantina closing (with no offence to anyone) was a good move. I don't think the fare went down too well. I tried a few dishes.. Mexican isn't my go to cuisine, but I gave it a go. I got the feeling it was not hugely patronised (but obviously this is only based on my visits to the lounge seeing people going up etc) and clearly the changing to more generic fare was a response to "feedback" or demand.

However Spice Bar was ALWAYS popular.. people (inc me) going back for seconds etc and sometimes a fair queue.

I think there's a vast difference here between the two.

I would put good money on that by 2027 or whenever things may get back to some sort of normal Spice Bar will be back.

Right now it makes sense to use those facilities to offer food to patrons and have it more generic (as much as I would love it to be SB food) due to lack of buffet options.

I don't ever really recall anyone being super pumped about the Cantina @ BNE unlike the Pizza at PER or Spice Bar @ MEL which both have been very well received in the main imo. I reckon it will return. I sure hope so anyway

 

[justinbrett]

Personal opinion only:

The cantina closing (with no offence to anyone) was a good move. I don't think the fare went down too well. I tried a few dishes.. Mexican isn't my go to cuisine, but I gave it a go. I got the feeling it was not hugely patronised (but obviously this is only based on my visits to the lounge seeing people going up etc) and clearly the changing to more generic fare was a response to "feedback" or demand.

However Spice Bar was ALWAYS popular.. people (inc me) going back for seconds etc and sometimes a fair queue.

I think there's a vast difference here between the two.

I would put good money on that by 2027 or whenever things may get back to some sort of normal Spice Bar will be back.

Right now it makes sense to use those facilities to offer food to patrons and have it more generic (as much as I would love it to be SB food) due to lack of buffet options.

I don't ever really recall anyone being super pumped about the Cantina @ BNE unlike the Pizza at PER or Spice Bar @ MEL which both have been very well received in the main imo. I reckon it will return. I sure hope so anyway

They went from serving Mexican slop to generic slop.

The theme was not the problem. Mexican food is immensely popular in Australia (even if it’s more TexMex than authentic). It was poorly executed.

 

[sudoer]

The theme was not the problem.

Agree, I think a Mexican theme could be great if executed well. Tequila bar anyone?

 

[RichardMEL]

So the key is "slop" then? I mean we all know about the very common (insert sauce) chicken and rice dished up in SYD J for years as being well... sloppy (and the int J lounges suffer from this too) but slop is not what I would call the usual spice bar fare.. and maybe that's why it was so popular?

now SB did provide some noodle or rice dishes for the buffet which were more to the slop side, but still when freshly put out were not the worst things on offer imo (prob my biggest complaint would have been lack of meat and veg compared to say noodles but you find that anywhere).

I still contend that spice bar and pizza overall more popular "themes" or at least executions than the cantina... and well sooner they redo SYD dom J.....

 

[justinbrett]

Brisbane lost its Mexican cantina even before covid.

I forget what they renamed it to - but it basically started serving generic non-themed “comfort food”. Now because of covid it’s where all the food comes from.

The Cantina is back! Beef and Been nachos in the BNE J lounge tonight, just like old times. Probably for one night only I guess. They’re pretty good actually.

 

[DC3]

The Cantina is back! Beef and Been nachos in the BNE J lounge tonight, just like old times. Probably for one night only I guess. They’re pretty good actually.

View attachment 241348

That looks quite good. At least not just beans and rice.

 

[NSun]

I passed through BNE twice last week and got those nachos on both occasions .

If I recall correctly - I remember it was in January 2020 when I first noticed the "Cantina" name had been dropped so it was definitely dropped pre-COVID.

As for Melbourne J lounge, I last passed through in December and the Spice Bar itself seemed business as usual in that you got the meal through the hatch - just no buffet on either side of the kitchen.

 

[justinbrett]

I passed through BNE twice last week and got those nachos on both occasions .

If I recall correctly - I remember it was in January 2020 when I first noticed the "Cantina" name had been dropped so it was definitely dropped pre-COVID.

As for Melbourne J lounge, I last passed through in December and the Spice Bar itself seemed business as usual in that you got the meal through the hatch - just no buffet on either side of the kitchen.

Indeed - around Nov 2019. “The Oven” is the new name. I made a thread about it at the time:

No Más Nachos - Brisbane J Lounge

I'll definitely concede that the beef nachos were getting a little tired at the Brisbane Domestic J lounge - but noticed on Friday night they were gone. Replaced by "The Oven" serving a Beef Ragu and some other vegetarian option. It wasn't terrible but could have just been served up in the...

www.australianfrequentflyer.com.au

 

[flyingfan]

Actually I have some good news here! Qantas posted on its Insta story just the other day that the Spice Bar in MEL had (or was about to) re-open!

Anyone been in there the last couple of days who can confirm?

Posted in this thread as it was OT in the ‘Disappointing QC experience’ thread but right after I complained about no original Spice Bar dishes, I come to the MEL J lounge today and see this:

 

[sudoer]

Posted in this thread as it was OT in the ‘Disappointing QC experience’ thread but right after I complained about no original Spice Bar dishes, I come to the MEL J lounge today and see this:

Good to see some more interesting dishes back! I hope they stick around but the cynic in me expects Qantas to use the lockdowns in other states as a reason to reinstate a lifeless chicken cacciatore or other similarly non-offensive slop...

Edit: I clearly didn't read the whole mains menu before typing the above...

 

[flyingfan]

Edit: I clearly didn't read the whole mains menu before typing the above...

I don’t have any food photos to share as I didn’t want to ruin my appetite at my destination

 

[AIRwin]

My first time trying the Spice Bar before the F lounge opens:

 

[Isolar]

Had the minced pork on Tuesday. Very tasty dish. Could not say the same about the chicken cacciatore in SYD - tasted more like canned fish.

 

[Berlin]

Had the minced pork on Tuesday. Very tasty dish. Could not say the same about the chicken cacciatore in SYD - tasted more like canned fish.

Yes- vast difference in quality between Sydney and Melbourne domestic. Not only the decor and furnishings of the lounge, oddly more so the quality of the food.