If it helps you - I would have complained most likely but I´m german and germans like to complain. For 22$ I would also expect a bit more, not more food necessarily but a bit more quality and friendly service. Don´t jugde me but I don´t get the hype about these bowls. Ingredients in that bowl are worth how much? There is absolutely no cooking needed and when the peppers are from a glass...puuhh I don´t know. But as you said when we´re hungry we just shove it down :)

By the way the food you sometimes show here looks a hundred times better ;)

Oh my, you’d expect for that price top notch quality. I know I should not do that but in my home currency it is about R300. For that amount you could eat at some very fancy places. It is crazy though how much people have inflated prices these couple of years. Even though I say that R300 or $22 could get you a pretty fancy dish, R300 pre-covid was almost double that. I do not know about how things are there but here in South Africa prices have almost doubled since covid at some places. 

Anyhow, hopefully it tastes as good as you mentioned! 

This is a good reminder that a friendly attitude is the key to return business.  Ambience and quality food and drink are important, but not as important as a smile!

That salad bowl looks delicious and the place cozy. Too bad about the service. Like you said, she might've been having a bad day. Who knows what secret battles she was fighting? Or maybe she was just being a grumpy cat.

In places around here, service staff can be overly friendly and interact with you in an highly upbeat attitude that some may find off-putting. I was surprised on a trip to Eastern Europe when people just seriously went about their business at restaurants, stores, and cafes. When I smiled at one, they lifted their heads and smiled broadly, awkwardly, as if not quite sure what to do. Then I read that they don't have the same culture of overly cheerful service we do in North America. From the sounds of it, in Australia you also expect a friendly smile or even small word or two. This makes sense given the similarities in cultures.

I would close my eyes and have you lead me to any restaurant and eat whatever it was that you ordered. 
No, I don't want to sulky service person attending to me at all. It's a shame because the shop looks so fuckin' fancy and all. I love the theme and decor.
Yes, that coconut bowl is a creative idea, but maybe they would be better off giving you a whole coconut and dividing the portion in 2. With it so small, you might feed the table and walk out hungry feeling like you threw your money away.
I'm now salivating a good chai 😋
![2.jpg](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/millycf1976/243BruvKp2c2yY2NUS7x3QVfiKWfpyUAwUsrbdE1QYgk3uiKdd8S2MUnDLGfHfbwJRQ1R.jpg)

I know the problem. Its your own fault. Torquay? You are far too young to be in Torquay. A town where the elderly go to spend their vast fortunes before walking up the hill and dropping dead of a heart attack thus making it the town with the most undertakers in the whole of the UK (possibly...)

It did look rather nice though, not like the Torquay I remember being taken to almost every summer holiday as a kid!

Brixham's the place. Fish and chips and seagulls sitting on your head. Can't beat it!

Hope you're both flourishing, healthy and happy.

Have a beautiful weekend:-)

Ahhh Torquay in Australia....whoops ;-)

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>but I don't trust online reviews so much, unless they're on HIVE.

😁
I'm often disappointed with places that are so cute.  Your expectations are raised by the well done, thought out decor.  The food was visually appealing, gotta give them that.  Maybe I'm just becoming a grumpy old man but I feel like service isn't coming back to pre-pandemic levels.  Covid gave places a valid reason to be short staffed and focused on getting by not excelling.  Now Covid is out of crisis level and I feel standards may have taken a permanent hit.

Such a shame to have a bad service in beautiful place like this. If you are having a bad day then don’t go to work, try to swap with a colleague if possible, if not at least fake it for a minute. Its not that hard to smile for a few seconds, to say your fruit bowl, enjoy and go back being miserable 😅 I work in hospitality myself and it’s not a customers problem that you had a bad day.

I remember I had a bad service in Uk Brighton Small batch coffee shop by Norfolk square. Guy didn’t smile, didn’t say hi nor bye. I being myself loudly  but nicely said to him: “thank you very much, have a nice day”. Just kill them with kindness 😂 Never ever went to any small batch just because this one bad experience. A lesson for employers, look who you are choosing for a staff and make sure to treat them right, so they would be motivated.

Damn that seems like a lot for a small Buddha bowl. And soggy lettuce is a big let down. I can understand your disappointment for sure. 
Place does look inviting though, pity the waitress couldn't afford to give a smile xxxx