Seoul Food and ICN-SIN on SQ Y

[yflyer]

What a week on SQTalk! From N Architect's engrossing and heartfelt TR revolving around a blind date, to a lively real-time thread which started out discussing biz vs first/suites but which has turned into something else altogether!

Been doing a bit of flying while all this was happening. As promised in my other TR's, I am finally writing about SQ Y.

I spent some time in Seoul earlier this week, and flew on SQ Y both ways, on their A330 service. A red-eye to Seoul (not much to write about on that, as I had eyeshades on, and was asleep most of the way) and SQ607 back to SIN. Both flights were on A330's with the new Y, and as I have come to expect on SQ, both were great flights, the kind of consistent, high quality Y (both the hard and soft product) that SQ's reputation rests on.

I will focus on my return flight, ICN-SIN, but I also have some pictures of the new Silver Kris Lounge at ICN, and some wonderful food I had in Seoul. In the absence of any romantic element in this TR, I will have to depend on cuisine to titillate the reader...

[yflyer]

My outbound SIN-ICN was a red-eye, leaving just after midnight, and landing after 7am in the morning. Not a whole lot to write about, as my red-eye strategy, especially on a punishing Y flight like this, is to sleep as early and as long as possible, with eye shades and ear plugs. I use Shure SE115 in-ear headphones as earplugs -- apart from sounding good, they work great as earplugs, and are a lot smaller than active noise-cancelling headphones.



The other part of my red-eye in Y strategy is to sit right at the back of the aircraft, ideally in the last row, where no-one will ask you to put your seatback upright for meals, and where the odds of an empty row are better. Three or four empty Y seats make for a flatter bed than a SpaceBed (Or inclined, new regional J for that matter)!



So I made my way to the rear of the A330, and settled into the last row. There are a few quirks in the A330 seating plan. From the picture above, you can see that there is no-one behind 58G.

On the SQ A330, there is ample recline for seats in the last row, especially the window seats. This is unlike the 77W, which has a similar cabin product, but where there is almost no recline on the window seats in the last row.





Speaking of recline, these Y seats recline in quite a comfortable way, with the front sliding forward slightly as the seat reclines. I could use a little more cushioning (the cushioning on the seats is slightly firm) but apart from that, this is a very good Y seat.

As it happens, this was a completely full flight. Even the middle seat in the last row, next to my seat, was taken.

One caveat about these seats in the last row: they are quite close to the restrooms, and those restrooms have flushes which are softly audible from the last row. This may be quite bothersome for light sleepers. But I had earplugs so this was a non-issue for me.

I had a gin & tonic, donned my eye shades and went to sleep.



On this flight, which departs just after midnight, they don't serve a meal after take-off. They serve no food at all for the first part of the flight, just a round of drinks. Instead they serve a full hot breakfast close to landing, which I planned to skip.

I had asked for a do-not-disturb sticker, so that I would not be woken up for the breakfast service.

It was a smooth flight, and we landed at Incheon Airport on a cold morning, around the same time several other flights, chock full of tourists, were landing.

Incheon is a great airport: spacious, well laid out, with great departure workflows, but for some reason, arrivals can be hit or miss. Many times, you head into a near empty terminal and breeze through immigration, but once in a while you land at the wrong time, with several heavies disgorging passengers, and it is like Saving Private Ryan. That said, MEL and SYD are like that too, not to mention some nightmarish experiences at US airports (most recently DFW), so this is not an issue just with ICN.



No fun standing in immigration queues after a red-eye in Y. The queues took a long time to clear. But no point complaining about something you cannot change. And as someone who is a loyal patron of a certain mee pok seller at Crawford Street in Singapore, I am used to interminably long queues and wait times...

[yflyer]

It was a hectic week in Seoul, but I did manage to eat at one of my favourite restaurants in Seoul, which specialises in Korean beef. I dined with a couple of my colleagues, who ordered several cuts of spectacular Korean beef, which were barbequed over a charcoal fire at our table.



I have no idea what these cuts of beef were, but they were exceptionally tender and flavorful. Quite a different way to get your beef fix, compared to steak, but just as satisfying.



The next picture shows a cut of beef which I have not encountered elsewhere, thinly sliced with a tender yet springy texture.





I spent a lot of my time in Gangnam, and COEX. No sign of Psy in person, but you just can't get away from him in Seoul. I spotted him on a bottle of Soju.

[yflyer]

Time flies by on hectic business trips.

My return flight was on SQ607, which departs at 9am and arrives in Singapore just before 3pm.



After checking in and clearing immigration and security (both extremely efficient at ICN), I headed for a meal at an airside Korean restaurant quite close to the gates where SQ planes are parked.



This particular restaurant, near gate 121 in the satellite terminal, prides itself in serving authentic Korean cuisine, and is a cut above the other restaurants in the terminal.



Over many trips to Seoul, I have acquired a taste for bibim naeng myun (Korean spicy cold noodles). This is a Korean noodle dish unlike anything I have ever encountered in Asian/Chinese cuisine. Springy buckwheat noodles served cold, in a sweet yet chilli-hot sauce. The first time I tried it, I was stunned by the sheer strangeness of the flavors. Cold, sweet and chilli-hot at the same time! But this is an incredibly addictive dish, and I soon acquired a taste for it. Everyone should try this dish at least once.

[yflyer]

I then headed to the new Silver Kris Lounge.



Seating in the lounge is fairly standard. It is not a large lounge, but has an open feel to it, as well as airside views (although the sunscreens along the glass meant you really could not see a lot.)





There is a smallish selection of food and beverages available.





Among the beverages is makgeolli, a traditional Korean rice beer, which is quite pleasant to drink.



The breakfast selection consisted of scrambled eggs, sausages, dim sum and a selection of pastries. Instant noodles were also available.

[yflyer]

Sandwiches and coffee...





A work area...



Showers...



And an airside view...



My overall impression of the lounge? It had a nice open feel, and had the facilities you would expect from an SQ lounge away from SIN. I would head there if I needed wifi, a work area, a drink or a shower. However apart from that, it is a cookie-cutter lounge that meets expectations, but nothing more. It is not the type of lounge I would go out of my way to visit at Incheon Airport, at least not when there is so much to eat and do in the airside area.

The Asiana lounge, the previous Star Alliance lounge that SQ passengers were invited to before the SQ lounge opened, is not far away, and much larger. To me, the Asiana lounge has a more cosy, relaxed ambience, once you get over the faux library / drawing room theme, and had better facilities and food too. I actually still prefer the Asiana lounge, which we can still access.

Of course, neither of these can match the previous SQ Silver Kris Lounge at Incheon Airport, the one they had when they first moved from Gimpo to Incheon. It was massive, well appointed, and really set the standard for facilities and ambience. I still have fond memories of this lounge, and was quite sad when it closed. Anyone have pictures of the old lounge to share? That lounge was such an oasis that even when I was in ICN for short transit stops on the way to San Francisco, I would make my way to that lounge to relax for a few minutes before continuing on to SFO.

[yflyer]

No-one can ever accuse SQ of not maintaining their aircraft exteriors. Apart from one notorious 777 which had peeling paint from nose to tail which I flew from SIN to BKK (or was it CGK?) once, almost all the SQ aircraft I have flown have had very clean exteriors.

Even by those standards, this A330 was exceptionally clean, and practically glistened in the sun. Those A330's sure look sleek.



This is Row 31 (bulkhead/bassinet seat).



Another view of Row 31.



Row 47 in the forward Y cabin.



The rear Y cabin.



Overall, the Y cabin ambience and hard product for SQ's new Y product is superb. OK, so it's not really new, as it has been around for a while on the 77W, A380 and now the A330, but it checks almost all the boxes for a great Y product. I also like the fact that this is pretty much consistent across the 77W, A380 and A330 fleet. The cabin decor is tasteful and to me makes the aircraft feel bright, airy and calm.



Seat pitch is average, but perfectly fine for me. All Y seats feature full Krisworld AVOD IFE, and inseat power in the armrest. The IFE controller is mounted on the seat back, which is great as you do not bump it with your arm or body while sitting. There are practically no obstructions under the seat (the IFE electronics appear to be housed in really slim boxes under the seat, which don't take up any space at all.).



Each seat comes with a soft pillow and large blanket.

[yflyer]

The folks who designed this seat really thought through the details. The cup holder is handy for drinks in between meal service.



The tray table is foldable, and even has a vanity mirror under a sliding cover.



There is a proper A/C power socket in the armrest.



Overall, a very good Y hard product.

[yflyer]

I've talked so far about the superb SQ Y hard product on this flight, however it is the soft product and cabin crew which really make SQ stand out.

I have had mainly good, and many great, experiences with SQ cabin crew and service. There have been rare flights where the cabin service didn't quite "click", but the end result was never worse than mediocre, and over hundreds of thousands of miles, I have not ever encountered a flight with anything approaching poor service or even less than mediocre service. And more often than you would expect, you get a cabin crew which delivers an exceptional experience, even in Y, including individual cabin crew who go the extra mile to make your flight just a little more comfortable, even special.

This flight was a good example of the latter: a great hard product enhanced by truly attentive cabin service, which started with hot towels prior to take-off.

[yflyer]

You have printed menus in Y.



On today's flight you had a choice of chicken piccata with pasta, or Korean style spicy stir-fried seafood with rice.



You also get a good selection of beverages, including a signature (and overrated...) Singapore Sling.



After take-off a round of drinks was served, followed by brunch later in the flight. As just one example of an exceptional FA, I was asleep with eyeshades on during the first beverage service. Several minutes later, when I awoke, the FA came back to me specifically to ask warmly if I would like a drink, since I was asleep the first time she came by. A small gesture, but one of many on this flight. This approach to cabin service is something SQ needs to cherish and hold onto.



I chose the Korean-style seafood with rice.



This was delicious. You could also request a tube of chilli/sweet sauce to complement the dish.





Dessert was a delicious cheescake flavoured ice cream. It was served ice cold and rock hard, but I prefer to get it this way, rather than too soft.

[yflyer]

It was time for a movie. SQ Krisworld AVOD has a great selection of movies, television and music. In Y this was presented on a large, sharp screen, which made for a very enjoyable viewing experience.



Movies this month included Skyfall and Life of Pi.

A new feature which I never noticed in the past, was movie trailers for movies that were "coming soon", i.e. maybe next month? Next month looks like a great month for movies!



I watched "Life of Pi". A word of warning, don't start watching this movie unless you have more than 2 hours to spare. I started the movie, intending to channel surf for a while, but was gripped from the first five minutes and ended up watching it right through to the end. This is a superb movie, one which defies categorisation, and one of the best I have seen in recent years.

[yflyer]

The 6 hour flight passed quickly, and reinforced my longstanding view that if you want to fly Y, SQ remains the benchmark.

Sure, some airlines top it in certain respects (the Marc Newson Y seat on the Qantas A380, for example, or the cabin and catering on JAL 787's), but overall, SQ Y remains my favourite.

As the icing on the cake, as soon as the plane turned off the runway on landing, they announced that you could use your phones and tablets. Now that is real progress!

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Thanks for reading!

[Desert Traveller]

I have not flown SQ Y for ages, but the food looks to be better presented and better quality than KE J on the short hops I have done with them (to and from China and Japan). Impressive!

[9V-SIA]

No romance but the titillating food more than compensates.

Your TRs make me feel like I'm flying with you

The immigration (& security) queues are my biggest peeves with air travel

[jbflyer]

Thanks for great TR!

I flown Delta twice this year after I obtained GM status with my KF Gold.
SQ still much better than Delta from every aspect, except Delta serving Evian in bigger cup.