Instabowl - Richmond

What happened to this place? The vegan crabby patties used to be my favorite dish in Richmond, and I hope Perch is still good. I ordered an Instabowl today, but... read more What happened to this place? The vegan crabby patties used to be my favorite dish in Richmond, and I hope Perch is still good. I ordered an Instabowl today, but 90% of my meal was inedible (see photos). The crab cakes were so over-fried that they were just hard shells with no filling inside. The vegetables were overcooked to the point of being mushy. Meanwhile, my friend's salsa looked like a slimy mess with a white film on it and seemed spoiled, plus the spicy chicken in her bowl was still raw! It's unbelievable! The only edible items from both meals were the shrimp, rice, and chickpeas, but even those were saltier and the shrimp seemed smaller than before. I truly can't believe how bad the food was. We ended up throwing away most of it. The only things we could eat were the rice, chickpeas, and shrimp. I really hope they can resolve these issues. I wanted to give at least two stars because I used to love this place, but if you have to throw out most of your meal, it really deserves only one star.

I was really looking forward to eating here again during my visit, but what used to be a 4/5 star restaurant has sadly dropped to a one-star experience. The foo... read more I was really looking forward to eating here again during my visit, but what used to be a 4/5 star restaurant has sadly dropped to a one-star experience. The food was simply inedible. Everything was fried to an extreme—so much so that the fillings in the lumpia were hard and nearly evaporated, while the chicken was not only too tough to eat but also burned on the outside and swimming in oil. It's almost shocking how far this restaurant has declined; I'm starting to wonder if the ownership has changed. Some recipes seemed familiar, but the dishes were no longer cooked or prepared properly. Additionally, everything was overwhelmingly salty—gone are the days when the flavors were delightful. I wouldn't recommend this place if you're in search of a decent meal.

The food here is fantastic—it might just become my new favorite place! You can truly taste the quality of the ingredients. However, the standout for me, and the... read more The food here is fantastic—it might just become my new favorite place! You can truly taste the quality of the ingredients. However, the standout for me, and the reason I'm writing this review, is the packaging. We ordered through Uber Eats, and everything arrived perfectly intact—nothing got soggy or squished during transport. The fries were still crispy, the wrap was warm, and everything was clearly labeled. I really appreciate that! One of my biggest annoyances with takeout is when it's packaged in a Styrofoam container, which can ruin the experience. Getting food delivered can be hit or miss, but this was definitely a win. I will absolutely be ordering again soon!

The food was fabulous! We ordered dinner to go, and it was so much better than we even expected! The portions were also very generous, and the vegetarian option... read more The food was fabulous! We ordered dinner to go, and it was so much better than we even expected! The portions were also very generous, and the vegetarian options didn't feel like an afterthought. The mushrooms soup, vegan crabby patty, and lumpia were delicious. We loved it. New favorite takeout place.

Pancit was wonderful. It's so hard to find authentic Filipino food here in Richmond. Lumpia wasn't traditional in the sense of lumpia that I'm used to. I got th... read more Pancit was wonderful. It's so hard to find authentic Filipino food here in Richmond. Lumpia wasn't traditional in the sense of lumpia that I'm used to. I got the vegan but not sure it's 100% vegan so I'm not finishing it, tasted like pork to me, I'm used tp vegetables in my Lumpia this is mostly either ground pork or meat substitute. I'm still providing 4 stars because the vegetarian pancit was good.