Yes, I agree. F & B is only one element of a decent lounge experience - Al Safwa scores highly for me on Exclusivity, Quiet, Design & Ambience.
EK F lounge scores on F & B. Thats it. The rest of the lounge = dated & drab.
While the design of the EK F Lounges is terribly dull, albeit quite typical for the culture (lots of seated areas), the food absolutely blows The Al Safwa out the water.
As a result, and because I usually only have a 2 hour layover, I'm quite content in the EK F spaces.
For any longer though, the Al Safwa and sleeping rooms are the winner.
M