Random superficial observations on the new menus

[jjpb3]

Having glanced through the menus SQfg gave me, I have these questions to ask of my fellow SQ travellers:

• What would explain the fact that the B******s Class menu is larger than the First Class menu?
• Why did SQ separate the "Oriental (sic)" selections from the "International" selections in the Economy Class (HKG-SIN route)? Having been schooled in the US, I'm not a fan of the word "Oriental", though I've since realized it's a neutral term in the UK. Did SQ think passengers couldn't tell which selections were Asian?
• You think they'll start featuring local artists' works again after this initial launch phase, when the menus sport the new dreamy colors of New Y, New J, and New F?

What do y'all think / speculate?

[jhm]

I've always been taught that objects like carpets are "Oriental" but not people!

Did SQ think passengers couldn't tell which selections were Asian?

... which is confusing here at least here in the UK of course.

[jjpb3]

... which is confusing here at least here in the UK of course.

Because the term that is used to clear things up is "Oriental". In the US (or at least, the part where I went to school), the clarifying terms, if needed*, would be "East Asian" and "South Asian".

*I don't think "Ah Yat's style braised sliced pork ..." and "stir fried chicken in oyster mushrooms" have a chance of being mistaken as coming from the subcontinent. So even "Asian" wouldn't need to be clarified in that context.

[globetrekker84]

[*]What would explain the fact that the B******s Class menu is larger than the First Class menu?

Maybe it's to appease the C people?

C Passenger: "Why did they remove the Raffles Class name?"
Cute SQ Girl: "Look, here's the menu. It's bigger than First Class."
C Passenger: "Oh. Okay then."

[jjpb3]

Maybe it's to appease the C people?

C Passenger: "Why did they remove the Raffles Class name?"
Cute SQ Girl: "Look, here's the menu. It's bigger than First Class."
C Passenger: "Oh. Okay then."

But I have a feeling that with you, it would be more like:

gt84: "Why did they remove the Raffles Class name?"
Cute SQ Girl: "I'm so sorry, Mr gt84. May I offer you some champagne?" (apologetic sweet smile)
gt84: "Oh. Okay then." (sinks speechlessly thereafter, with a silly grin, into his seat)

[globetrekker84]

Because the term that is used to clear things up is "Oriental". In the US (or at least, the part where I went to school), the clarifying terms, if needed*, would be "East Asian" and "South Asian".

*I don't think "Ah Yat's style braised sliced pork ..." and "stir fried chicken in oyster mushrooms" have a chance of being mistaken as coming from the subcontinent. So even "Asian" wouldn't need to be clarified in that context.

You'd be surprised to see how dumb people are nowadays.

• One-third of respondents couldn’t pinpoint Louisiana on a map and 48 percent were unable to locate Mississippi.
• Fewer than three in 10 think it important to know the locations of countries in the news and just 14 percent believe speaking another language is a necessary skill.
• Two-thirds didn’t know that the earthquake that killed 70,000 people in October 2005 occurred in Pakistan.
• Six in 10 could not find Iraq on a map of the Middle East.
• While the outsourcing of jobs to India has been a major U.S. business story, 47 percent could not find the Indian subcontinent on a map of Asia.
• While Israeli-Palestinian strife has been in the news for the entire lives of the respondents, 75 percent were unable to locate Israel on a map of the Middle East.
• Nearly three-quarters incorrectly named English as the most widely spoken native language.
• Six in 10 did not know the border between North and South Korea is the most heavily fortified in the world. Thirty percent thought the most heavily fortified border was between the United States and Mexico.

(MSNBC)

I'm actually not quite surprised, but I figure Asian was a more neutral term.

[jjpb3]

You'd be surprised to see how dumb people are nowadays.

Oh I'm not surprised about how narrow people's "need-to-know" boundaries are defined. But let's place it in context: the "Oriental" selection was on the SIN-HKG route.

Oh well. Maybe I'm just a bit touchy on the subject.

[globetrekker84]

But I have a feeling that with you, it would be more like:

gt84: "Why did they remove the Raffles Class name?"
Cute SQ Girl: "I'm so sorry, Mr gt84. May I offer you some champagne?" (apologetic sweet smile)
gt84: "Oh. Okay then." (sinks speechlessly thereafter, with a silly grin, into his seat)

Aw. Yeah. That's what usually happens.

Back on topic, so maybe you are a little touchy. Asian (or Southeast Asian regional specialty) would have been just fine.

[jjpb3]

Back on topic, so maybe you are a little touchy. Asian (or Southeast Asian regional specialty) would have been just fine.

Um, I thought I had been advocating the term "Asian". SQ used "Oriental".

[globetrekker84]

Um, I thought I had been advocating the term "Asian". SQ used "Oriental".

I know. I have no preference really.

[SQflyergirl]

Yes, jjpb3 was rather surprised at the size of the J menu vs the F one. Having said that - the F one's thicker.

[DeltaFlyingProf]

Yes, jjpb3 was rather surprised at the size of the J menu vs the F one. Having said that - the F one's thicker.

And the new binder is so much nicer than the older one.

[mec]

Did SQ think passengers couldn't tell which selections were Asian?

This is the way menus are usually written....no?

I cannot imagine if SQ jumbled up everything on a menu and hope that all pax knows what shi quan shi mei is or which is the main and which is the hors d'oeuvre.

[jjpb3]

This is the way menus are usually written....no?

I cannot imagine if SQ jumbled up everything on a menu and hope that all pax knows what shi quan shi mei is or which is the main and which is the hors d'oeuvre.

Actually, in the "oriental selection" for the specific Y menu I was reading, the appetizer and light bites both had the word "Chinese" in the description. The main course was "stir fried chicken in oyster mushrooms ...", along with a footnote about being exclusively created by Yeung Koon Yat of Hong Kong. So potential confusion between Western and non-Western courses would seem like a non-issue.

But my question was also about the use of the word "Oriental". When shi quan shi mei was introduced in F, it was billed as: Shi Quan Shi Mei – “A complete and perfect Chinese culinary experience”. That's a lot more precise adjective rather than the vague, old-fashioned "Oriental". Given the focus on modernizing the brand (Raffles --> Business), I'm surprised by the use of "Oriental".

[StarG]

I think it is named as such for pax who don't want to be bothered with reading all the details (i.e., just reading ORIENTAL and CHICKEN/BEEF/PORK is enough information to decide).