Vegie Bowl - Springvale — Restaurant in Melbourne

I dined in at Vegie Bowl Springvale on 30th December 2020 with a group of friends for dinner - we did not have a good experience. This is what I personally saw & experienced:

It appears to me they are cutting corners with minimal staff members. Not answering the telephones, no answering machine, no message whatsoever (not even warning not to attend if feeling unwell etc..). Customers are made to write their own orders down on the order taking pad once they are seated. Yes, you read that correctly, you are made to write your own order when dining in. They are placing patrons (not groups of friends, I'm talking strangers here), quite close together (despite the current covid situation and having very large premises that definitely allows much better social distancing than what they are configuring). I notice now that 2 weeks ago another patron left a review here also stating the table configurations and how they are seating patrons too close together. The server didn't wear gloves (I also saw a staff member without a mask or gloves clear a table whilst patrons were still seated at the table). Tables weren't cleaned immediately after patrons leave. When they eventually do it (not in a timely fashion), they just give the table tops a spray down. They don't clean/disinfect or replace the condiments that are at the dining tables when patrons leave (ie. soy-sauce bottle, salt and pepper shakers etc..). They don't clean the backs of chairs where patrons have themselves have pulled out from the table to sit at. There is no hand sanitizer at any of the dining tables. No disposable chopsticks nor disposable cutlery are offered to patrons dining in as an option. I could see no clear sign on arriving on what the maximum capacity for the restaurant was (under current guidelines) according to the density quotient. I could see no clear signage Information about the symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19) and the need to stay home when unwell. Patrons aren't asked at all if they are feeling unwell, or if they have been in contact with anyone who was at risk, or if they have come from an area (ie. NSW hotspots or any of the recent locations in Melbourne that are places of high risk/possible exposure) in the last 14 days. Inattentive and unfriendly staff (possibly due to management/owners cutting corners) and perhaps the staff are subsequently not coping. Not nice to see, nor experience as a patron.

Seriously, Vegie Bowl Springvale, this is not a time to be cutting corners. What I saw and experienced personally at your venue was very concerning for a number reasons which I outlined above. I'll not be returning any time soon, it's just not worth the risk. I wish I could leave you less...

It’s truly wonderful and fortunate to have such a large space dedicated to a vegetarian restaurant. However, there are many areas that need improvement. Finding a good vegetarian restaurant is not easy, so making vegetarian food delicious is even more challenging. We recently dined at your restaurant and were quite disappointed. The food didn’t taste good, and the portions were too large, making it impossible to finish. We had to take the leftovers home. We would like to offer some constructive suggestions: Overuse of vegetarian meat substitutes: The dishes contained too many vegetarian meat substitutes, resulting in a mixed and unappealing taste. We suggest reducing the use of these substitutes and incorporating more fresh vegetables. This not only lowers costs but also allows customers to enjoy the natural flavors of the ingredients. Cooking methods: Overcooking and mixing different vegetarian ingredients made the flavors complex and unnatural. Vegetarian cooking indeed requires a lot of thought and skill, especially in preserving the original fresh taste of the ingredients. Overcooking and mixing different vegetarian ingredients can make the flavors complex and lose their original characteristics. Perhaps simpler cooking methods could be considered, allowing each ingredient’s flavor to shine through. This not only reduces costs but also lets customers savor the natural taste of the ingredients. Portion control: The portions were too large, and customers couldn’t finish their meals, leading to food waste and a poor dining experience. If the food tastes good, large portions might be acceptable, but currently, the poor taste combined with large portions makes it unappetizing. We suggest adjusting the portion sizes and improving the taste of the dishes so that customers can enjoy every bite. Service quality: Our family of five each ordered different dishes, and the server did not inform us about the large portion sizes or advise us that we might be ordering too much. This dining experience left us very disappointed. We recommend that servers be more proactive in offering suggestions to help customers make better choices. We have dined at several vegetarian restaurants in Melbourne and found their cooking methods worth learning. We hope your restaurant can refer to the practices of other vegetarian restaurants, improve your dishes, and enhance the dining experience for your customers. With your convenient location and ample parking, if you make these changes, we believe your restaurant will be very successful. We wish you...

This gem has been my absolute favourite since 2017 when they first opened their doors, and it's become my happy place ever since.

Quick shoutout to the incredible service – my meals consistently arrive within 10-15 minutes, always piping hot and fresh. The friendly staff never fail to bring a smile to my face, and their willingness to accommodate dietary needs is a game-changer for me as a university student living just a short drive away.

My personal favourites are the satay sticks with peanut sauce and fresh cucumber. The peanut sauce had just the right amount of creaminess, and the fresh cucumber on the side added a refreshing crunch.

Next up was the vegan honey chicken with fried rice, and I was impressed. The flavours were well-balanced, and the dish had a nice combination of sweetness and crispiness.

For something with a bit of heat, I normally go for the Kung Bao chicken with cashews. The spice level was just right for me, and the cashews added a nice crunch.

My personal favourite was the vegan black bean beef with fried rice. The vegan mock meat had a great texture, and the black bean sauce was flavourful without being too heavy.

I can't help but smile at the sweet notes I sometimes find with my Uber Eats orders. It's a family-run business, and you can truly feel the warmth in every dish...