HKG Pier dining what a let down!
#91
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: OSL
Posts: 2,643
T
wooohh. Hold on here.
Whilst i too complained about the F CX lounge in HK lets not get to the point to say it is not worth going to.
If you would spend any time in any lounge my choice would always be in a CX lounge (with perhaps Sydney Qantas F lounge the exception - but generally CX is my place of choice).
It is miles better than any BA lounge.
In fact given the choice I would pick a Gatwick CX business lounge over any lounge in Gatwick or Heathrow business or first. I actually prefer the CX business lounge in gatwick over the first!
So please do go to it. The food is still good (not as good as before but still good) selection of drinks is good and the showers are great!
wooohh. Hold on here.
Whilst i too complained about the F CX lounge in HK lets not get to the point to say it is not worth going to.
If you would spend any time in any lounge my choice would always be in a CX lounge (with perhaps Sydney Qantas F lounge the exception - but generally CX is my place of choice).
It is miles better than any BA lounge.
In fact given the choice I would pick a Gatwick CX business lounge over any lounge in Gatwick or Heathrow business or first. I actually prefer the CX business lounge in gatwick over the first!
So please do go to it. The food is still good (not as good as before but still good) selection of drinks is good and the showers are great!
I notice on this thread lots of vocal people about cx f lounges who list their card status yet doesnt give them access to an F lounge.
#92
This reminds me of an experience of a dish in a Sichuan restaurant on the far outskirts of Beijing (recommended by a local). Oh, that's pretty what are the green things? Peppers. The red things? Peppers. The white things? Peppers. And they added good handfuls of mouth numbing Sichuan pepper to presumably help with the experience. What happened to the fish is another story...
#93
Paid F
Reward F
Upgraded to F
Guested to F lounge
I have done all but the first. I'm not megarich or a sky warrior, I only fly a few times a year but enjoy maximising my experience which is why I enjoy learning from the knowledgeable folks here and trying to share if I can. Negative comments on other contributors seems a little Grinch-like, please try to provide positive advice.
#94
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 6,752
This reminds me of an experience of a dish in a Sichuan restaurant on the far outskirts of Beijing (recommended by a local). Oh, that's pretty what are the green things? Peppers. The red things? Peppers. The white things? Peppers. And they added good handfuls of mouth numbing Sichuan pepper to presumably help with the experience. What happened to the fish is another story...
#95
Suspended
Join Date: May 2006
Location: HKG
Programs: A3, TK *G; JL JGC; SPG,Hilton Gold
Posts: 9,952
the biggest gripe i have for the lounge is the appropriateness of speed. in EVERY aspect, esp in the dining room
#96
Join Date: Nov 2017
Programs: MPC-DM, Enrich-Plat
Posts: 1,310
Which lounge did you manage to get the spicy Sichuan fish ? I would like to try to, or got it western-adapted since then, due to "complaints" ?
#97
Join Date: Jun 2017
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: BA Bronze
Posts: 50
Thanks everyone! I have been reading a lot these weeks regarding Sodexo lounges and I thought the level is close to unacceptable. I guess its probably just the food, or otherwise the whole experience is still above many other lounges. Anyways, cant wait for a lounge hop the day after. Cheers!
#98
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX, UA, Shangri-La, Hyatt, Starwood
Posts: 7,708
Thanks everyone! I have been reading a lot these weeks regarding Sodexo lounges and I thought the level is close to unacceptable. I guess its probably just the food, or otherwise the whole experience is still above many other lounges. Anyways, cant wait for a lounge hop the day after. Cheers!
There is an interesting phenomenon with so much info out there, a lot of magic is lost by the obsessive blog (and FT, to be fair) reading. Of course there is good info too, especially on FT, and why I am faithfully loyal to the forum here but have far less enthusiasm for the blogs. I specifically point my finger at the blogs on all those "reviews" which really lower peoples enjoyment of real life experiences. Of course, the reviewers love traveling in premium classes so will justify the reviews as for the greater good. (ha ha). The truth is it activates some type of addictive, compulsive behavior in people which seems very hard to turn off, almost like an addiction. There is something about expectations being elevated, the magic of surprise and the unexpected being lost, when people obsessively consume information about travel before stepping on the plane or arriving at the destination.
Anyway, the Pier is perfectly fine. It is difficult to reconcile my own issues with the Pier with my recommendation to just "have a good time and enjoy it!" But that's my advice, as two faced as it may be. I'll write something nice in a follow up post.
I will add, a general observation I have is at least a decent amount of whinging comes from some folks, not completely regulars here, who are flying award tickets or el cheapo tickets of some type. I find that an amusing element to this whole business. It's all subjective and anecdotal of course, but it seems to me some people who complain the most and are relentless on compensation et cetera are the ones who may not be paying much at all for their tickets.
#99
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Hong Kong
Programs: CX, UA, Shangri-La, Hyatt, Starwood
Posts: 7,708
Good experience the other day
I've been to the Pier F too many to count, so this is less about the food and more about service.
I had a superlative experience in the Pier the other day. Midday, a very aggressive (in a good way) perhaps Middle Eastern or SE Asian gentleman. I could be getting the heritage wrong here, but hoping someone else knows who I'm talking about? He has a darker complexion but speaks English flawlessly without an accent, I couldn't nail down where he was from. Or maybe southern Mediterranean? Anyway, this guy was doing a fantastic job of checking up on everyone, making sure orders were expedited properly, essentially making sure service was on point. I think I've seen him before and he manages a few of the lounges. Somebody give this guy a raise or keep him around please because the whole drumbeat of the lounge was on point with him in there working hard. Another lady, this one either African or Middle Eastern, was my server and was just excellent. I think she is evenings normally. The food was "fine", I thought my main the chana masala was lovely although I'm not probably a very good judge, but to be honest I don't expect Michelin starred dining in the airport anyway. Kudos to the poster above who brought that up. But hey my appetizer arrived first and a few minutes after ordering, my main arrived a few minutes after I finished my appetizer, my drink came out promptly and was refilled promptly, smiling friendly staff asking if I needed anything else, just everything was on the mark. I don't make a pilgrimage out to the Pier F very often, but this time the service made a real impression on me in a good way.
The whole experience reminded me that when service is on point, it really is a lovely facility. And how much poor service (or just "clueless service") can spoil things.
Now, the wine is still utterly dreadful except for the Champagne. But we all know we can blame CX squarely for the crap wine, not Sodexo. That is definitely a budget item specifically approved by CX if not picked out by them. I've flown CX too long to expect anything out of lounge wines, even in F.
I had a superlative experience in the Pier the other day. Midday, a very aggressive (in a good way) perhaps Middle Eastern or SE Asian gentleman. I could be getting the heritage wrong here, but hoping someone else knows who I'm talking about? He has a darker complexion but speaks English flawlessly without an accent, I couldn't nail down where he was from. Or maybe southern Mediterranean? Anyway, this guy was doing a fantastic job of checking up on everyone, making sure orders were expedited properly, essentially making sure service was on point. I think I've seen him before and he manages a few of the lounges. Somebody give this guy a raise or keep him around please because the whole drumbeat of the lounge was on point with him in there working hard. Another lady, this one either African or Middle Eastern, was my server and was just excellent. I think she is evenings normally. The food was "fine", I thought my main the chana masala was lovely although I'm not probably a very good judge, but to be honest I don't expect Michelin starred dining in the airport anyway. Kudos to the poster above who brought that up. But hey my appetizer arrived first and a few minutes after ordering, my main arrived a few minutes after I finished my appetizer, my drink came out promptly and was refilled promptly, smiling friendly staff asking if I needed anything else, just everything was on the mark. I don't make a pilgrimage out to the Pier F very often, but this time the service made a real impression on me in a good way.
The whole experience reminded me that when service is on point, it really is a lovely facility. And how much poor service (or just "clueless service") can spoil things.
Now, the wine is still utterly dreadful except for the Champagne. But we all know we can blame CX squarely for the crap wine, not Sodexo. That is definitely a budget item specifically approved by CX if not picked out by them. I've flown CX too long to expect anything out of lounge wines, even in F.
#100
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 6,752
I always choose the latest flights, since I never know when I may have last minute dinner engagements, and it was probably around 9 pm? So, a little tired, and really didn't appreciate "the extent" of the warning. I mean, they did say it was "really" spicy. From reading the posts here, it appears the "authentic" Sichuan cuisine I've had in NA perhaps wasn't really that authentic, at least to the level of spicy aspect.
I mean, this dish was spicy! The PF Chang menus' Sichuan dishes use 3 peppers to denote most spicy--this thing would have been 10! LOL
PS - OT, but since we're on CX cuisine, the best airplane dinner I've had was on the 2nd leg of HKG - JFK. On the YVR - JFK leg, I was the only returning pax on F, and, for whatever reason, the filet was high quality (tasted like a 1% usda prime) & actually cooked at the right medium rare, on the rare side. This FA was probably the best I've ever experienced.
Last edited by Visconti; Apr 27, 2019 at 11:33 am Reason: added PS...
#101
Join Date: Aug 2012
Posts: 6,752
PS - The food is fine. I'd even say it's good, unless we compare it to world class Michelin rated restaurants, which seems kind of unrealistic, in my view.
#102
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: NYC/SIN
Programs: CX DM, SQ KF
Posts: 2,170
While not not quite a Simon (I just got to get an Amex Centurion!), she does make a mean cocktail.
#104
Join Date: Jan 2019
Location: VIE/PRG
Programs: FB Platinum, Marriott Platinum Elite
Posts: 1,592
#105
Join Date: Oct 2018
Posts: 481
however aesthetic wise the AS is just too big and I felt I am sitting in a hotel lobby most of the time compared to the more intimate feel of the CX pier
however AS is only f class access or extra payment for J class pax.