A Food Review from... a Laser Engraving Company?
Our business is engraving stainless steel, glass, wood, and pretty much anything else you can think of—not reviewing restaurants. But after being invited to Vessel Kitchen’s grand opening in Orem to engrave custom stainless cocktail shakers, we walked out just as excited about the food as we were about the event itself. That says a lot!​
Before we got started with the engraving line, the staff encouraged us to grab a meal. Honestly, we thought it would be good, but we weren’t expecting to be completely blown away. Vessel Kitchen’s setup is cafeteria-style—you walk the line, pick your base, proteins, sides, and toppings—but don’t let that fool you. This wasn’t “fast casual” food. It was better than 99% of the sit-down restaurants we’ve ever been to.
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The quality was immediately clear: everything on the plate was fresh, vibrant, and seasoned perfectly. I ordered the Andrelipe—shredded chicken, cilantro lime slaw, macha corn, mango salsa, cotija, avocado, adobo pepitas, and their Peruvian green sauce. Every bite had layers of flavor and texture that made it feel like a chef-driven dish you’d expect at a high-end restaurant. It wasn’t just “good for a quick meal.” It was flat-out excellent, the kind of food you’d happily pay a premium for in a white-tablecloth setting.
My co-worker chose the Hash Hash with Braised Beef, Sweet Potato Hash, Horseradish Crema, Feta, Pickled Onion and once again it was beyond compare. The combination of tart from the pickled onion and the boldness of the braised beef was a match made in heaven.
Speaking of price—this is another area where Vessel Kitchen surprised us. For about $20 per person, you’re getting a meal that would easily run $35–$40 at a traditional sit-down restaurant. The portions are generous, the ingredients are top-notch, and nothing about it felt like a compromise. If anything, it felt like they’ve figured out how to give you fine-dining quality food without fine-dining formality or cost.
A lot of that probably comes back to the leadership behind the brand. The owner is a graduate of UVU’s Culinary Arts Institute, and in just nine years he’s grown Vessel Kitchen to nine locations—Orem being the newest, and more locations are set to launch soon. That kind of growth doesn’t happen without an intense focus on consistency and standards, and it showed. The professionalism, cleanliness, and overall sense of perfection on display at this grand opening was something we rarely see, even at venues that have been in business for decades. It felt polished from the ground up.
The atmosphere only added to the experience. The place was spotless, the vibe was warm and modern, and for a grand opening the staff seemed like seasoned pros. Everyone we interacted with was smiling, friendly, and clearly excited to be there. That kind of energy is contagious, and it made the whole experience even better.
At the end of the day, we came to Vessel Kitchen to engrave cocktail shakers—but the real impression was left by the food. If a laser engraving company is sitting down to write a restaurant review, you can take that as a sign that it was either really bad... or absolutelyunforgettable. Thankfully, in this case, it’s the latter. Vessel Kitchen is a must-try, and we’ll be back—whether or not we’re bringing the lasers with us.
