Originally Posted by
TennisNoob
No question, UA is history as we can see on the news today.
I think you mis-understood the "push" part. They aren't forcing you but if I'm sitting there with the menu you get your usual NH service. Mr. XXX is there anything I can help explain on the menu? I strongly suggest this option today because we are featuring XXX, or this is my favorite (points to the dish on the Japanese menu). I've only flown NH F 6 times now (which I assume is much less than you) and I don't believe it's an coincidence all 6 times I've had the similar conversation described above.
That conversation is identifiable as an FA pushing their English to the limit and doing a sales job to attempt to cause you to feel cared for. It worked I think :-) She wants you to feel satisfied and the assumption is you know nothing about Japanese food so she is trying to introduce it.
Now in Japanese the conversation is more along the lines of:
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Me: How is the Washoku today?
Her: It's OK, same as last month but at least it is low calorie and not so heavy. If you want I can bring part of that and part of something else.
Me: Oh that's a good idea. I think the starters are all the same so maybe caviar then rice and fish and then I will see how I feel. Maybe I will have curry later.
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No Japanese person I have ever met eats their way through the whole spread of wither the western or Japanese options. It is just not what these folks generally do. The recommendation thing is their attempt to give you some kind of any kind of helpful advice.