Good portion of meals. The hot pot was yummy. They even had the herb soup and were quite tasty. Service was alright. Though the place probably was due for a touch up to look more pleasant for customers.
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Haven't been here in awhile and it's one of the few places around that does clay pot rice.
To start I had some herbal pork soup with chicken feet, peanuts and lotus root. It wasn't clean as in there was scum on top but I didn't care that much. Very flavoursome and good for your Qi. Don't ask me, I ignore my parents all the time but if you can read Chinese they'll tell you what kind of soups would benefit what.
I order up the seafood combination clay pot rice with handmade prawn balls. It's a mixture of fish fillets, scallops and crab sticks which I'm not a fan of, not in this anyway as it was just too sweet additionally with the gravy. I'd prefer prawns or squid however the prawn balls were nice and firm. I'd also prefer some type of XO sauce to bump up the heat which I believe you can ask for (some other dishes had it). Didn't really need the splash of sauce as the gravy gave the dish enough flavour. The rice on the bottom did crisp up a bit but having experienced better at another restaurant I can say this was average.
Nice little eatery if you want to break away from the norm in Springvale.
Soup: Bitter Almond Stew with Pork - $6.00
Main: Chicken and Mushroom with Rice - $10.80
Presentation 4/5 📷
Environment 4/5💺
Taste 4/5😋 Perfect in winter ❄️
Value 4/5 💰
Service 4/5🙋🏻♂️
⏰Food is served in 10min22sec
My friend really recommended this place for claypot so we came down here for a quick dinner.
Wasn't especially hungry so ordered the honey pork ($13.80) which wasn't a claypot dish. The pork was quite nice, although it was a bit on the salty side. I was actually hoping for a pork belly cut but it wasn't. Nevertheless, it was still quite delicious and tender. The serving of the meat was a bit on the small side however, my friends' dishes were rather large, so it was probably just cause of what I chose. I do hope to come back next time to try their claypots as that is their specialty.
Although cleaner than its surrounding restaurants, this is still a no-frills establishment with friendly, efficient service.
I come here once in a while, it’s been three years since the very first time I visited. The food has always been enjoyable 😋😋, but I noticed that the serving size has been decreasing over time and the prices of the food INCREASING!
Came here past 9 pm on a Sunday when every other place is closed. It was cold and chilly and I wanted something hot. I ordered xo sauce fish claypot with rice. I liked the flavour but the fish didn't feel substantial; I felt like I was full purely from the rice. The flavour of the sauce was nice, but because there wasn't enough to cover/mix with the amount of rice there it ended up being bland and I had to add a lot of chili oil into the dish. I liked their chilly oil, I probably added too much. Loved the crispy burnt rice on the claypot. Only wish there was more sauce.
Satay beef mate! Crispy rice, nicely spiced sauce and tenderish beef and cheap as chips. Adding soy sauce and the in house chilli is a must, can't be knocked for the price.
Still remember when they first opened many years ago. Nice clay pot rice and soup, don't forget to add soy to the rice and ask for extra cooked at the rice crackling at the bottom.
Noodle soup was ok and dessert was nice.
Kev0's Food Adventures!
+3.5
The spare rib rice pot was pretty good! The meat was tender and tasty, the rice was good but could have had more gravy. The crispy burnt rice has to be the best part of the dish.
Everything was nice! I had the chicken claypot rice and spring rolls, my friend had prawn wonton egg noodle soup and we shared a bbq pork which taste really good!
The black sesame dessert and durian sago was the highlight!
Definitely will go again!!
cheap and healthy nice bowl of noodle soup. the environment is very clean and tidy. note this is not vietnamese restaurant but more canton style although its in springvale.
A good contonese cusine. I like eating the rice and it tastes good. But for me, the food is not enough. Also, i love the iced drink which js cool and sweet. Nice place
Great place to have claypot in Springvale if you come by. I would say out of the various branches, this one would be the most delicious.
The wonton noodle soup is always a pleasure as well if you are up for it.
The chili condement is great as well, make sure you use your fill!
Been here a while ago. If I think about cheap eat and healthy soup for a cold night , this is the place I will recommend, good price , good food . Most important, they really have good soup !
I have been coming here for years and still love this place. The prawn won tons are the best I've had, they're the perfect texture with the right amount of real prawns. There is none of that frozen stuff that other restaurants serve up. The broth is delicious and the special tamarind sauce that they have gives a nice touch! Highly recommend this restaurant for all the prawn won ton lovers out there.
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Let me start off by saying that I really don't have anything bad to say about the food! Surprising isn't it? Considering they have such a big menu and I've tried so many dishes, I genuinely believe they make good tasty Chinese food.
Is it one of my first preferences? Probably not. However when I can't be bothered cooking at home and I want something quick, decently priced, and food that won't let me down, then First Taste does crosses my mind. Now I did mention decently priced & not cheap, this is because depending on what you get, some menu items are cheap, and some can be a little above average. Keep in mind that this is always a mid week dinner for me, so I do have to be mindful of my spending (weekends I normally let loose a bit).
So this is my attack strategy when I'm at First Taste. I would start off with a nice soup. Something like the Pork & Mushroom Stewed with Chicken Feet Soup seems to hit the sweet spot in terms of the ingredients used and the pricing. This soup is very tasty and the mushroom aromas shine through as soon as you pop the lid open. I don't know how they get the soup out so fast by the way, it's generally within 45 seconds of ordering. It comes out piping hot so be careful of burning your mouth.
Next you really can't go wrong with any of the claypot dishes. My favourite is the seafood combination rice claypot. Here's the trick, you can add XO sauce for a little extra money. It's well worth it, and should have been with the seafood combination to start off with. Lately for a change I've been going with their sake fish with rice, it's great value at around $10. I almost always order a Chinese broccoli for a bit of fibre, it's probably one of the cheapest Chinese broccoli's you can get at around $4.50. It's coated in a light soy which isn't too salty at all. For 2 people, a jug of Chrysanthemum drink is perfect to share, it's quite a healthy drink as it helps to detox the liver and lower cholesterol.
I know I'm mentioning the prices a lot but all the food I've had here I think are good, hence why I didn't go into too much detail.
Now the service is very interesting. I won't say the service is bad, but there's on and off days with the waitresses. Sometimes it can be not as 'pleasant' depending in their moods. I once witnessed the two waitresses fighting with each other so that was reflected with the service I received. Plates were placed more roughly on my table, less smiling - angry face etc. However most the time when they're getting along, I do get a friendly greeting, some smiles, gentle placing of my plates, warm goodbye, etc. At least they're keeping it real and not being fake I guess, what you see is what you get with these waitresses.
Think I've probably rambled on a bit too much, come here for a nice quick Chinese meal!
Moni | Thoughts Of A Moni
+3.5
Most people come here for the seafood tom yum soup, but my favourite dish here is the claypot rice. I always get a vegetable and tofu claypot and my favourite part of the meal is scraping the crusty bits of rice from the sides of the bowl at the end!
Consistently good! A favorite! Good service and honest Chinese clay pot! Gold!
A First time for first taste. We went to the restaurant near closing time and the staff were more than welcoming, they were very accommodating and best of all, they gave us a lot of time for us to finish our meal before their nightly clean up, which does not come often in any Springvale restaurant.
The food was on par with authentic Chinese food, the herbal soups are just like what you would have at home, but at a low price. My partner had the wonton noodle dumpling soup, it was marvelous, it had the great earthy taste but with a twist of sweetness and no hint of MSG. I on the other hand, had the chicken and mushroom clay pot rice. The mushroom had that 'springy' bite to it, like a pearl in bubble tea.
Asian Tastebud says Hits and Misses. TASTEBUDS
- Highlight - Soup . Quick, hot, yummy, MUCH easier than cooking for hours on end at home
- Lowlight - The rest of the food. Oily (Caltex factor 7/10), average taste. Dumplings were small and dry.
STOMACH
- Proportions were so so. Soup was ok - but 1/3filled with overcooked ingredience
- Good thing there was rice
POCKET
- Cheap eat for sure
VERDICT
Soup was worth while but could do with less ingredience in the serving. Makes me feel cheated. The rest of the food, good for a night out if you dont want to cook, but whilst non-Asians will love it, this Asian tastebud wish it could be more authentic.
I Eat Therefore I Am
+4.5
First Taste is a franchise restaurant that serves Claypot rice as their speciality. The restaurant in Springvale is always crowded and I can see why. For as little as $9, you get a massive bowl of claypot rice with an assortment of accompaniments. The restaurant itself is your standard Springvale style place, with simple tables and chairs. They've gone to a bit more effort and there are some decorations of wall hangings and these plastic fruit in jars. The ever popular large flat screen tv is also available, streaming Chinese cable tv all day so you can enjoy your favourite Cantonese dramas while eating. The Wonton Noodle Soup is good, with a flavoursome broth and some "handmade" wontons. Can machines make wontons? Maybe food technology has advanced more than I thought, as I always thought all wontons were hand made. On the left is the Pork Black Bean Claypot. It's quite good, with chunks of pork ribs covered in b
There are still many unsolved mysteries in this world... And First Taste having a sub 4 average Google review is one of them.
Order the won ton noodle soup and beef and rice claypot rice.
The won tons in the won ton noodle soup was pure heaven. I don't know how, but the chefs managed to cram the whole little mermaid set into this one wanton. This Boy had girth.
Each wanton was filled with a fat, juicy prawn. Molto Benne. * Chef's kiss.
The broth was so clear and pure that I'm pretty sure this was what Jaden Smith drank when he reached the top in karate kid.
The next time someone asks me what my final meal would be... I would answer with First Taste's wanton noodle soup as I know I'm going straight to heaven after I wolf that down.ᕙ(⇀‸↼‶)ᕗ
There are 3 things I love about this place. The double boiled soup is tasty and good for you. The prawn dumplings with noodles in soup is simply delicious. Their claypot rice with your choice of topping is one of the best in Melbourne. My claypot rice is always chicken with mushrooms with ( for a small charge) Chinese sausage. So so yummy
We always order the prawn dumplings and claypot rice. The claypot rice is a healthier version as others would use lard. The chilli sauce is really good and accompanies the meals.
Good value. For not expensive cost you get a tasty meal. Well balanced taste. Tender and juicy meat. Informal relaxed environment. Hot tea served as well. Some dishes can benefit from a larger meat/veg to rice ratio.
Again, needs larger portions
Herbal soup and claypot rice - delicious and reasonably priced.
We have been coming here for more than 5 years and the food has been very consistent - delicious, fresh and tasty. Our favourite is the har gow mai sin (see picture). The dumpling is very nice and goes well with the soup and noodles. Our next favourite is the claypot rice with the fish, chilli and preserved vege. It is tasty and refreshing. The fish is not smelly at all. We bought the hainan chicken rice for our son. Not recommended at all. Stick to the dumplings and claypot rice. They also serve herbal soups. Again, it is delicious and nutritious.
Give this place a go when you are in Springvale.
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