Panda Blairgowrie — Restaurant in Melbourne

My friends had raved about Panda and highly recommended it as a must-visit restaurant, but unfortunately, our experience fell short of expectations. While the food was undeniably delicious, the service left much to be desired.

Upon entering Panda, we were greeted warmly by the hostess and seated promptly. The restaurant had a cozy and inviting ambiance, immediately setting the stage for a memorable dining experience. With high hopes, we eagerly delved into the menu, hoping to indulge in the delights our friends had raved about.

The food at Panda did not disappoint. Each dish we ordered was full of flavor and presented beautifully. From the appetizers to the main course, every bite was a culinary delight. It is evident that the chefs at Panda are truly talented.

Regrettably, our dining experience was marred by the lackluster service we received. Our assigned waiter seemed inexperienced and untrained. Throughout the evening, he struggled to navigate the menu, unable to provide accurate recommendations or descriptions of the dishes. This lack of knowledge left us unsure while placing our orders.

What was particularly disappointing was his misleading recommendations. We relied on his suggestions and ended up with wines that were not up to par, ultimately dampening our dining experience. It was disheartening to feel misled and let down after our friends' glowing praise of Panda.

Although the food was undeniably the highlight of our evening, it is worth noting that exceptional service can truly elevate a dining experience. Sadly, this aspect fell short at Panda. Wait staff who are well-versed in the menu and can offer sound recommendations can make all the difference in creating a memorable visit.

In conclusion, while the food at Panda is undoubtedly delicious and lived up to its reputation, our overall experience was not a showstopper. The disappointing service, characterized by an inexperienced and misleading waiter, left a lasting negative impression. It is my hope that Panda addresses these service issues and ensures that all customers receive the exceptional dining experience...

I was extremely excited to try Panda for my mother in laws 60th birthday but I left angry and disappointed. I called the day before the booking to add an extra person to our table, the person I spoke with said over the phone, so you are changing from 8 to 9 people. I replied yes is that okay? Her response was yes babe of course that’s fine, see you tomorrow. So I was excited! Turned up to the restaurant and our table was only for 8 people. When I explained the situation the staff put together a table. After being seated, someone who I am guessing may be the owner, comes to the table and says, ‘there’s no other way to say this but I need the table back by 7:30’ very rudely. I got extremely annoyed at this and explained it’s not our fault the booking wasn’t changed. After taking our food order, the waitress told us we could stay until 8. Now usually we would order starters and cocktails, however due to the time constraints and the rudeness from the owner, I was not prepared to spend more money than necessary. I ordered the Thai pork belly from the specials menu. This was a tiny serving of bland pork belly and what tasted like packet microwaved rice. It had absolutely no flavour at all. I was hungry so just ate it but did not enjoy it at all. Now, this come out at 6:50. After eating, our dessert order was taken which took a long time to arrive at the table. Luckily they said we could stay longer. My cheesecake arrived and it was a half cooked gluggy lumpy mess. Someone else on my table also had the cheesecake so I tried theirs to compare. I even had someone on my table try it to make sure I wasn’t being unreasonable , they couldn’t even eat the small amount on their spoon. The 18.5% public holiday surcharge was the last part that made me leave feeling furious. This was supposed to be a nice meal for a special occasion and instead, it felt like we were an inconvenience. I’m never one to complain but tonight was...

Bit of a hit and miss. Hits: the service was great, waitresses were very friendly, food came out in a reasonable time and was delicious Miss: we went on Good Friday as a seafood night was advertised. Unfortunately they only had 2 specials offered: a seafood pasta, and a seafood platter which was $150. Unfortunately the seafood platter was too high a price for us with a table of 7. Seems a bit of false advertising really. We opted for other options on the menu including ribs, pork belly and pasta which while all were delicious were far to small and everyone was still starving at the end of it. Commented to the staff and owners that the food was delicious but a bit small and they laughed at us and said ‘should of fed up on chips before you came.’ Interesting comment, if I owned a restaurant I would be aiming for people to walk out full and content. Currently sitting in the fish and chips shop around the corner ordering a second meal.

Unfortunately the second time here I have had a bad experience. Went for brunch a few months ago and again while the food was nice I waited over an hour for my scrambled eggs.. seems something is a miss...