Good evening from Changi T3… and a thought has struck me. I’m not sure if it’s the vodka and cola… but a non-important thought.
I was looking the food at the disappointing lounge I’m currently in (and yes – you can have crap lounges at Changi airport – step forward dnata) and one of the things they offer in a premium lounge are… wait for it. Cup Noodles.
So a simple questions to all my readers – do you think cup noodles belong in lounges? I know in some lounges – they’re a big feature (Asiana’s Seoul Incheon lounges spring to mind) .
But with lounges attempting to offer a quality product… do they belong there?
Comments in the box below (although I won’t be able to moderate them – mostly as I’m on a Qatar Airways flight in a bit…).
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In a perfect world, every lounge would be The Wing in HKG, with a made-to-order noodle bar. However, I understand that lounges “need” to offer some noodle product for Asian passengers and, in parts of the world, there isn’t enough Asian traffic to warrant anything beyond a Cup o’ Noodles.
All practicality aside, seeing a Cup o’ Noodles diminishes the lounge experience, even if there is quality food right next to it. If you went to a fine dining restaurant that offered a Cup o’ Noodles, just seeing it on the menu would be a turn-off.
For a business class lounge; yes it is acceptable. For a First Class lounge; no.
Well… some of cup noodles were tasty. So why not?
On a long haul flight from indonesia I brought cup noodles onboard. Ask FA for a hot water, and bam! I got a tasty meal. Some passenger push a button and ask FA for what I got. Sorry bro….
Yes, if no fresh noodle bar available. “Cup o noodles” are fine in the nice lounges.
Its an important thing to have in certain parts of the world, It’s almost has important as having hot water for tea.
Btw, I know there are some high quality and very expensive “Cup O noodles”
To add another facet to the discussion: I agree with Pat that it somehow diminished the experience. On the other hand these cup noodles are really fast to prepare and standardized. Since not everyone with lounge access is necessarily on a business class ticket or if you only have a short flight ahead where there will be no meal service such noodles could really be a saver.
Also, consider people with allergies or other dietary requirements. I know some people with rather rare allergies/dietary requirements. Their live is highly improved by food which simply has an ingredient list on it. They can eat most stuff but not everything. A food buffet is really problematic for them because many dishes might contain something problematic but without an ingredient list they do not know. So when in doubt they opt for packaged food even if it is of lower quality. To give an example: a friend of mine is allergic to chicken eggs. Noodles might contain egg, asian fried dishes might contain egg, desserts might contain egg, etc.
You can also have the same discussion with packaged sweets/desserts compared to high-quality cake pieces. The arguments stay the same.
I’ve wondered this as well, and agree with Pat. Unless you have a proper noodle bar like in HKG, it’s the only real option…
Cup noodles on a menu would be a turn off if I was at an actual restaurant, but I LOVE having the spicy cup-ramen option at regular airport lounges even if there’s other food available. (I think it may be a turn-off only at a first-class lounge since expectations are so high there.)
It’s probably not the most bang for my buck (or the healthiest since it’s just all sodium and carbs) if I was paying for the lounges, but there’s just something satisfying and comforting about a hot, spicy broth when I’m traveling. 😉 I’d just want there to be actual, freshly made food or hors d’oeuvre along with it in case I want something else.
Personally I think that lounges should be making an effort to provide fresh noodles, or none at all, however sadly it doesn’t surprise me that in an airport lounge the are pot noodles. It’s a shame more effort isn’t made but most airport lounges just aren’t very good.
I don’t mind them – sometimes people just want a light(ish) snack, and something they can depend on. (Sort of like being in a city far away from home and going to McDonald’s – yeah, it’s definitely not local, or gourmet, but you know what it will taste like and how your body will respond (or not respond, if you catch my drift) to it.
Not something you want to eat all the time, but it’s a decent option.
If a lounge is big enough to have a separate full-class lounge, I’d say the FC lounge shouldn’t have them, except maybe to put a few out at very off hours when fresh food is going to go off sitting there and there isn’t enough demand to justify having cooking staff on duty.
Those in the pic actually look like a step up from the Nissin Cup Noodles ($0.50 or less…) you see everywhere here in the States.
Instant noodles is a comfort food for many Asians, so yes!