Vapiano Albert Lane — Restaurant in Brisbane City

Im Asian. (Later you’ll know why I mentioned this) I just arrived Australia and this is my first meal in this beautiful country, and I have to say, quite disappointed ngl.

Service part- The moment I walked in the store, the girl welcomed me and asked me to pick wherever I like to sit- that’s nice. But that’s it. I wasn’t told what to do, how to order and stuff. The reason I know how to order is Bcz I checked online first and find this place has good comments and I came! But she didn’t even come and tell me to order through qrcode. Ok never mind. Then, I got some questions with orders so I was trying to ask one of them( there were 3 of them) The terrible part is coming- I raised my hands to indicate I need some assistance, but other 2 ppl r busy and the guy behind the bar counter gave me a vibe that he was pretending that he didn’t see me( this part is not 100% just my feelings) then I waived my hand harder, and he finally saw me! However! He stayed behind the counter while I was distant from him and said,”yes?” I don’t know why he’s not moving his legs… is it like Australia culture or? If it is then I’m sorry I misunderstood it; I just don’t want to shout in front of all other customers about my questions However I still said out my questions(not too loud) cuz apparently he’s not moving but seemed like he can’t hear me clear so he walked to me( finally) But if that’s all, I won’t leave the comment. So my question is if I can switch the type of noodle (it’s not mentioned from the website) But then i don’t know what type of noodle they have ( as mentioned Im Asian, English is not my mother tongue) So I went to the counter to ask but everyone disappeared and only the girl who welcomed me was there. But she’s so busy and she asked me to wait. And then she went to another table to say something to the customers and she came back to me. She apologized to me saying they’re short handed. I asked her how about the guy behind the counter, she said he’s gone. She apologized so yes I’m totally fine with it. But after I finally finished my order, the guy came back! And then I noticed he was serving water to new coming customer and I don’t get any water. And I wonder why… so I asked him for water and he gave it to me. I don’t see the new coming customer asked but he gave it to her automatically. I’m not saying he has bad attitude but it seems like I’m invisible to him?😂 idk well I’m not going to ask if this is true but this restaurant’s staff is giving me this vibe. Maybe he just simply forgot? Maybe he always does that? Idk Food part- tbh not...

An Epically Grandiloquent Appraisal of Vapiano

Upon my fortuitous ingress into the gastronomical utopia that is Vapiano, I was instantaneously enveloped in an ambience so resplendently convivial that I momentarily questioned whether I had, in fact, ascended to a higher plane of culinary existence. The meticulously curated décor, coupled with an effervescent atmosphere of both mirth and sophistication, rendered the setting nothing short of a sensorial masterpiece.

The staff, paragons of perspicacity and preternatural attentiveness, exhibited a level of service so astutely orchestrated that I can only surmise they possess an extrasensory perception attuned solely to the fulfillment of one’s gustatory desires. Their sagacious recommendations, swiftness of movement, and unwavering geniality coalesced into a symphony of hospitality rarely encountered in the vast and often lamentable landscape of contemporary dining.

Now, let us discourse upon the pièce de résistance—the comestibles. Each morsel was an ambrosial revelation, a euphoric confluence of flavors that pirouetted upon my palate with the dexterity of a prima ballerina in an operatic crescendo. The pasta? A transcendental testament to the artistry of culinary alchemy. The pizza? A crispy, gooey, flavor-exploding ode to the very concept of gastronomic divinity. If one were to distill the quintessence of unadulterated joy into edible form, it would undoubtedly resemble the offerings of this esteemed establishment.

And yet, dear reader, despite my rhapsodic exaltation, I must now disclose an egregious, nay, unfathomable oversight that left me teetering betwixt existential crisis and sheer, unmitigated flabbergastation. They. Do. Not. Sell. Coffee.

The sheer incongruity of such an omission defies all logic, all reason, all adherence to the sacred doctrines of post-prandial tradition. How, I implore you, can a place so otherwise impeccable deny its patrons the life-giving, soul-nurturing elixir that is a well-brewed cup of coffee? This revelation hit me with the force of a thousand overcaffeinated espressos, leaving me to question the very fabric of reality.

Nevertheless, my overall experience was nothing short of ineffably magnificent, and I shall return—albeit with the lamentable necessity of procuring my caffeine fix elsewhere.

Four stars deducted only for the coffee...

I was unimpressed.

I mainly want to mention the ordering tool. I guess it's the modern trend but Vapiano doesn't have people to take orders. They encourage you to use a QR initiated web-based tool to make your order. They do allow a get out where you can go to a central location in the restaurant to place your order but they encourage you to use the web tool. I don't like this because the web sites generally want a phone number &/or an email address just to place an order. Does anyone want a bit of information harvesting with their meal? Vapiano's provider wants a phone number but not an email address. This is ostensibly to save on staff costs but I value the privacy of my information more than the restaurant's cost base.

Looking at the T&C's for the ordering tool they are clear that they retain the data for the legally allowed limit in Aust & NZ, which is either 54 or 56 days. They also make it clear that they use the data any way they want and share it with third parties "when required" (I'm guessing that's a lot).

The next step was the service wanted to record your debit or credit card for payment. This is where I drew the line and bailed. When a merchant processes a payment the card information is transmitted securely (encrypted) to the merchant bank that owns the terminal and passed thru the Visa or MC system for processing. Using a POS terminal the merchant never sees or records the card number (they get a masked card number on their reports). This web based service is making it a requirement to record your card number. I have no idea of who they are, where they store it, what security they have around it and whether it's encrypted / secured to prevent data leakage. For me it simply isn't worth giving that information to someone I don't know & then trusting them to keep it secure.

You should make your own choice when it comes to these services.

So, how was the food? I was with a friend & we both ordered pizzas. They make them with a thin crust which I normally enjoy. But this was too thin and had nothing to give it flavour. Sorry to say, I didn't enjoy it.

The best thing I can say for the restaurant is on the Sunday evening on a long weekend holiday it was busy so it must be popular.

It's...