SYD First Lounge Kitchen Reno -modified menu

[Colster]

I read a "few" weeks being more than one and less than four.. otherwise a couple of weeks (if 2)? Anyways, I am needing it to be operational on the 26th of Feb for myself and the missus... her first Flounge time...

 

[Sprucegoose]

Well done markis10 for 25K posts and your excellent contributions for so long.

well said on the verge of your 2000th post.

 

[Red Roo]

Would Red Roo be able to give us some estimates of when the renovation will be finished??

On Tuesday 28 January 2014, the Sydney First Lounge kitchen commenced flooring maintenance works.

This project is being managed across 2 stages and expected to be completed in approximately 2 weeks. We’re almost there with stage one.

As some of you have already mentioned (and illustrated), Neil Perry and the Rockpool team have developed a revised menu for this period. It still includes some of our most popular dishes, however also has a few new exciting additions.

Thanks for your patience during this time, and please do let the team know if there's anything they can do to make your visit more comfortable.

 

[ageshell]

For those that may be interested re status of kitchen renovations at SYD QF First Lounge I can advise that following a visit (my first) yesterday with the family it appears a revised lunch menu was still being offered. Lounge staff indicated renovation works should be complete by end of next week.

Thoroughly enjoyed the salt & pepper squid, kingfish sashimi, buffalo mozzarella & tomato, char su pork & deconstructed pavlova. The Mrs was also lucky enough to enjoy a 20min facial /massage. Her comment "when can we visit the lounge again" LOL

 

[JessicaTam]

Good to see the champagne menu is still intact!

 

[anat0l]

I was in the First Lounge this Monday just passed. The renovations were still being done and reduced menu still in place.

If you look behind the kitchen counter, you can see quite a few of the chefs with the pass behind the counter frantically pulling dishes together. There's a bank of at least four press toasters ready to go. The staff say that sandwiches have been a very popular order.

The lack of kitchen size and facilities is likely having a noted effect on the speed of service when the restaurant is full. You could see the wait staff doing the best job they could to keep the service in order - full credit to them.

Full complement of alcohol is still present, including my favourite Champagne Taittinger and the dessert elixir, Noble One.

I had the kingfish sashimi, salt and pepper squid, cha siu pork and pulled Wagyu sandwich. All polished off with the deconstructed pavlova. Comments on the food:

• Kingfish was nice and fresh, it was nice sashimi, but I felt that adding all of the accompaniments to the fish detracted away from tasting it. To promote the kingfish, maybe the fish should've been sliced slightly thicker and the cucumber left off, possibly also the leaves.
• Salt and pepper squid - no comment here - crunchy coating, succulent squid, tangy sauce and creamy mayonnaise... has always been perfect; no different here. Marked menu mainstay for a good reason.
• When I ordered the cha siu pork, I wasn't expecting there to be a side of rice with it. My fault. With another dish and dessert to come, I didn't pick much at the rice. The cha siu itself tasted good and prepared with a good recipe, but it was a bit dry. Either the dish had dried out for a while before serving, or more sauce (black vinegar). I'm not sure how people like their quantity of rice, but for me, if I ate the rice with the cha siu, I'd be thinking it's all just a bit dry (it's not unacceptably dry, mind). The pickles going with it were a nice accompaniment.
• I wasn't expecting to eat all of my wagyu sandwich, but it tasted so good. Really tasty and unexpectedly moist.
• The deconstructed pavlova is a dish we've all come to love and wish would stay on the menu persistently. Eating this one reminded me just why we love it. The addition of gelato in this one was a nice touch. (The menu said somewhere in the dish there was marscapone... now I'm trying to work out where it was...). I was chatting with another passenger also enjoying a pavlova and we both agreed - texture, taste, sweetness, freshness from the fruit... and to be honest, likely a dessert easier to prepare in the reduced kitchen environment.

I also managed to get a spa appointment for a massage. The self-serve options seem to be a lot more sparing than I remember it.

Just as a statement of how long it has been since I was last here, I only noticed that part of the lounge space near one end of the lounge - the end facing pier B of T1 (not the other end which faces the landside component / observation deck) - has been converted into additional business centre space, with about half a dozen more computers. The chess board that used to reside in the library is gone.

 

[Colster]

On Tuesday 28 January 2014, the Sydney First Lounge kitchen commenced flooring maintenance works.

This project is being managed across 2 stages and expected to be completed in approximately 2 weeks. We’re almost there with stage one.

As some of you have already mentioned (and illustrated), Neil Perry and the Rockpool team have developed a revised menu for this period. It still includes some of our most popular dishes, however also has a few new exciting additions.

Thanks for your patience during this time, and please do let the team know if there's anything they can do to make your visit more comfortable.

Any updates this week? Paging @red roo ... After too much travel last year I am finally getting Mrs Colster there on Weds and would love it to be finished so the normal menu is back. Fingers crossed,

 

[MH_fan]

I'll be visiting the SYD F Lounge this Friday. I hope everything's done by then.

 

[anat0l]

I'll be visiting the SYD F Lounge this Friday. I hope everything's done by then.

Don't hold your breath, but the reduced menu is quite satisfactory. Breakfast may be rather limiting unless you still like Eggs Benedict / Florentine, but all-day the major mainstay missing is the minute steak with cafe de Paris butter. The other selections are alright, with full alcohol complement.

All I would advise is perhaps ordering and eating as early as you can, as the service will be stretched and compounded when the restaurant gets full.

 

[kempvet]

Hope the renovations are finished by Mar 5, but then, I am sure the revised menu will still be worthwhile

 

[Rugby]

I'm looking forward to my first Flounge sunrise on the 7th. A nice egg and bubbles will assist with the early wake up.

 

[crum]

If you look behind the kitchen counter, you can see quite a few of the chefs with the pass behind the counter frantically pulling dishes together.

Was in there on Sunday morning and you couldn't see any chefs. The kitchen area windows looked like they had shutters or a temporary wall in the space and the food was being brought out of a side door.

 

[JessicaTam]

I'm looking forward to my first Flounge sunrise on the 7th. A nice egg and bubbles will assist with the early wake up.

And hopefully the first of many. Enjoy.

 

[anat0l]

Was in there on Sunday morning and you couldn't see any chefs. The kitchen area windows looked like they had shutters or a temporary wall in the space and the food was being brought out of a side door.

OK maybe "quite a few" was an exaggeration, but when I was there, a handful of chefs (or commis) were working the bank of toasters, as well as assembling some of the dishes (especially desserts) before putting them up on the counter, which seemed to act as the pass. There were no customers seated at the bench directly. Dishes were - as you say - also brought out straight from the kitchen.

 

[Colster]

Still being renovated yesterday. The Flounge was super busy but still managed to sip some champagne and fill up pre Deathstar to HKT (787 wasn't that bad actually in star class). The wagyu toastie was enjoyable, as was the squid. Mrs Colster had the lamb (could be better) and the perennial tomato and mozzarella dish. Pavlova was everything it was meant to be.

Next at stop will be BKK EK lounge on the 9th and then Sydney Flounge on the 11th so will update as long as AJ hasn't laid off the Reno and kitchen staff as well.

 

[Happy Trails]

Next at stop will be BKK EK lounge on the 9th and then Sydney Flounge on the 11th so will update as long as AJ hasn't laid off the Reno and kitchen staff as well.

I mentioned in another thread recently that EK BKK was reportedly closed for refurbishment.
I'll be passing on Sunday and will confirm.

 

[burrco]

Currently in the F lounge and actually sad to see the temp menu gone. Don't find any of the current mains overly appealing, certainly not worth the 20 minute wait for a table.

 

[Rugby]

Would a new Autumn menu be on the cards soon?

 

[Princess Fiona]

Currently in the F lounge and actually sad to see the temp menu gone. Don't find any of the current mains overly appealing, certainly not worth the 20 minute wait for a table.

I never usually bother with a table if it's busy and just order at my seat.
Quite like getting a recliner chair and side table with a view.

 

[zainman]

Are the Menus the same for both SYD and MEL F lounge?