Get in early if you want to try as this place is closing to the public end of July
Great vegetarian/vegan food and space (with temple upstairs for blessings)
Currently displaying art work for sale to raise money for the Nan Tien Institute
Amazing authentic vegetarian Asian food. The dining experience is so beautiful and quiet, you forget you’re in the middle of Melbourne city. Highly, highly recommend, even for those who aren’t vegetarian or vegan!
A+ dumplings and a really cute half-gallery, half-restaurant vibe.
I can't remember what my friends had but it was something soup like and they were all happy with their meals too.
Service was fast and friendly and made for a really nice lunch out.
Been here very long time ago and wanted to return to remember the taste. Lucky to get a carpark in the front. We ordered 2 meals, a mushroom noodle and a fried rice noodle. OMG, I am converted. Meatless food can taste so good, most importantly I feel good eating them. The food makes me feel good inside. That is rare..to feed my soul.
I love this place, it’s right near my work so I come here all the time for light fresh Asian food. It has a peaceful vibe and the staff are well aware of gluten free or vegan needs. Lots of great options if you like Asian fusion!
Ordered:
🥖 Crispy spring rolls (vegan): 6 pieces ($8.50)
🍲 Crispy Wonton Noodle Soup (v): crispy wontons, vegetable pork mince, tofu, bean sprouts, vegetables ($12).
Review:
Affordable, friendly and decent vegetarian/vegan food. It's close to the heart of CBD and a nice break from the bustle of busy city restaurants. There's an air of quiet calmness that envelops you as you walk up the polished staircase.
This penetrating quietness could be contributed to the very relaxing music which was super nice!
The spring rolls were super crispy and yum! A nice fractured crunch as you chowed down.
As a meat eater, the crispy wonton noodle soup didn't have as much flavour as classic chinese wonton noodle soups... but it wasn't a bad alternative. There was a generous amount of noodles and the vegetable pork mince reminded me of diced mushrooms (which I love).
Definitely a place to come to wander and chill with your mates. The connecting art gallery is a memorable and unique touch.
Ordered the chrysanthemum with goji berry and longan tea pot, crispy taro and sweet potato rolls, fried rice and fried kueh teow. All dishes were delicious but the crispy rolls were especially amazing, wrapped with vermicelli noodles with heaps of filling! Definitely looking forward to coming back and trying other dishes 👍
Tea house and vegetarian restaurant with a peaceful atmosphere. There’s rotating daily lunch specials and the curry I had when I visited was great. There’s a large selection of tea to choose from. They accept eftpos. Very pleasant experience and wouldn’t hesitate to visit again.
Tranquil setting to experience vegetarian lunch. The service is attentive and it does get busy during lunchtimes.
I highly recommend the laksa and the kumquat tea.
It is an amazing place with great atmosphere and delicious vegetarian food! The teahouse has high ceiling which makes it less noisy compared to other restaurants, and it has a really tranquil and peaceful feeling. There is a great selection of food! It's hard to pick a favourite, but they do incredible curry laksa, claypot bak kut the, tossed sliced noodles, hor fun, dumpling ramen and fried rice! The selection of tea is also fantastic! You have to try to signature kumquat tea if you like fruit tea! The rose tea and lotus tea are great too! Absolutely love this place and I'm a regular customer :)
I wish I could have eaten here every day. There were so many vegan items to choose from! I had one of the set menu items - the braised eggplant with rice and veg and wow was it amazing. Mum had the e noodles which were soft and flavoursome. Both meals were perfect! I give 5 stars also to the ambience, the cleanliness, the friendly staff, the promptness of the meal, the beautiful art gallery right next door, the pricing...this was the best place I went to on my Melbourne trip!
always have had a pleasant experience whenever i dine here! my mum likes the food here and its variety as she's a vegetarian. besides the flavourful vegetarian selections, the price of the items are reasonable as well.
the tossed egg noodles with pork (mock meat) was topped with several types of vegetables and its flavour was spot on. the thai style crispy tofu was great, it was fried till slightly crispy on the outside and is topped with sweet and slightly spicy sauce.
really loved the ambience here! due to its setting, it gave off a peaceful vibe and their service was quick and helpful. the art gallery has really wonderful pieces to browse at after a meal as well. will definitely be back!
Great place for a nice vegetarian lunch! Flavours are always fresh, clean and tasty! The set meals are great value. You can relax after lunch by having a look at the Chinese gallery.
The boiled veg dumplings were so so good, loved the vinegar soy sauce.
The tossed sliced noodles with veg pork mince and mushrooms were much tastier than it looked, the tagliatelle noodles were yummy.
I want to try the whole extensive menu!
The service is super quick which is good cos I only go here during my lunch hour.
Coming here is a great experience on its own, you will feel an unexpected sense of calm and peaceful atmosphere as you enter. Into the cafe, ordering a pot of hot herbal tea and any of their delicious item on their menu. Try their bakuteh and noodles. My favourite is always the dumplings and cakes to pair with the hot tea. Great variety of malaysian inspired vego choices making your day feel energized!
The food was absolutely spot on and well flavoured despite being very simple. I'm so impressed by how cheap it is as well, only costing my friend and I $32 in total as we shared an entree and two mains! Would definitely come back! Not to mention the service was relatively good, and we were served very quickly!
It was a very great experience for me and my friend when we ate here. I ordered the veg steak with mushroom gravy and a side of rice, and was pleasantly surprised that it came with extras, such as potato cakes, extra veggies and even a bite-sized jelly. Me and my friend also shared some veggie mushroom buns as well as a pot of lotus tea which we also really enjoyed.
As for the atmosphere, it's definitely one that is unique and quaint from other restaurants so it's quite refreshing in that sense, also very therapeutic as they play oriental music in the background. The prices are reasonable, the staff friendly, and me and my friend thoroughly enjoyed everything else the place had to offer, such as the gallery and the prayer room, so we both definitely intend to come back!
A surprisingly pleasant visit to this place for a quick lunch. One might walk right past this place, not knowing the peaceful hidden dining hall inside. Great variety of vegetarian food. Service is good and fast. Ordered their kumquat tea which is delightful and tried out their new lunch box special of the day, vegetarian Teriyaki chicken with crispy tofu. Both the chicken and crispy tofu were great. Give it a go if you're nearby.
One of my lunchtime favourites during the working week. I love walking off bustling Bourke Street or Queen Street into the tranquil atmosphere of FGY with the scent of kumquat tea wafting throughout.
The food is heavy on mock meat, so for those who don't like it it may not be the best place. But for those who like it or don't mind it, FGY do it very well, and in quite an extensive variety of dishes. They've recently updated their menu to include items which I hope to work my way through. On my most recent visit, I had the claypot yee mee, which was excellent.
Service is quick and friendly. Tea is excellent, particularly the kumquat tea, which I haven't been able to find anywhere else so far.
I came here for lunch with colleagues and I must say I was quite skeptical. Prior to heading to the restaurant, I had no idea it was essentially a Vegetarian restaurant and my expectations immediately dropped when I found out. However, the meals were decently priced but the decor did need a bit of improvement.
I ordered the Bak Kut Teh with Vermicelli and in terms of Bak Kut Teh goes, this was actually quite good. I was definitely missing my pork (which is usually served with this dish) but overall, the soup was pretty good. There was an alright amount in terms of serving size but it didn't feel me up as much as I would have liked.
Overall, this is a decent lunch restaurant and definitely a great place to try if you're a Vegetarian (or not).
FGY's Water Drop dining hall is located at Queen street in the CBD, it is one of my favorite place for vegetarian/vegan lunch. They have variety of dishes from snacks, noodle, rice and soup. The special daily menus are highly recommended to try. I wish they would consider to open on weekend lunch if possible.
Experiencejoysoflife
+4.5
I love this place. It's quick, healthy, cruelty free food. I've had way too many options on the menu to individually list them all. A8- The fried rice with shitake mushroom vegetables and mined pork is my favourite. However, I dislike mock meat so I include tofu instead. Always a joy. My most disliked dish would be B16 - ramen with vegetables. I found the noodles undercooked and the broth very bland. I also thought the salt and pepper tofu was so bland and didn't taste at all like S&P.
When you're hear make sure you try some appetisers, they are great. The crispy samosa taro puffs are my favourite, second to that the curry puffs.
Whatever reason you are in the city, don't give this place a miss, it's quiet peaceful , has good and quick food.
I really love this place. The moment I step inside, the smells and sounds soothe me like no other place in the CBD. I'm not vegetarian, but I love their food. While I don't consider a diet full of gluten (the fake meats they use) especially healthy, I feel nourished when I have their soups, dumplings and vegetables. The teas are a little expensive, but the food is very well priced. After my meal, I head upstairs to their meditation room for 5-10 min of meditation and gratitude. The staff are friendly and welcoming.
I highly recommend this reataurant for vegans, vegetarian or anyone!!!!!!!!! Sitting in a peaceful setting with a Buddhist meditation room above & a rotating art gallery. The stir fries, rice & noodle dishes and appetisers such as dumplings and tofu are excellent. It is becoming more popular but is still a quiet place to eat. Try the selection of Chinese teas.
If you're vegan or vegetarian and work in the CBD surely you'd know of this place. Tranquil setting with a Buddhist meditation room above & a rotating art gallery. There are three daily specials for each day of the week, featuring faux meat all $12 and coming with rice & side dishes. There are stir fries, rice & middle dishes and appetisers such as dumplings and tofu. A decent selection of Chinese tea to accompany your meal. Now a lot more popular than in the past where you could almost meditate and eat!!!
Not a vegetarian but just had an awesome lunch here!! While the texture of the fake meat is never quite right, the flavours were oh so good. Had the nasi lemak and the achar was AMAZING. Just the right combo of sweet and sour pickled veg. The sauce on the curry was great and the potato cooked very nicely. The fake meat was fine (definitely fake but not too soy like and offputting at all). Friend had the bah kut teh soup and the flavours were very good!! Entree came out after the lunch specials which was a bit weird but as the combination of the sweet potato and taro fried roll was on the sweet side it was nice to finish on that flavour. This is a serene place for a quiet lunch, I'm afraid that my group of 3 was on the 'loud' side so not a place to bring all your friends for a rowdy chat, more an escape from work and for a quiet time :)
Water Drop Tea House at Fo Guang Yuan Art Gallery is always a place I want to return to. The last few times I’ve gone, it’s taken me ages to decide what to get from the appetisers menu. This time though, the menu was sporting the all-awesome V for vegan. Everything else is vegetarian, making ordering so much easier than it was in the past. You can read about my first visit here.
You don’t have to be vegetarian or vegan to appreciate this place. Their curries and stir fries are amazing even if they do use faux meat. I love having lunch here when I’m angry at the world or have an artificial-light-induced headache because it’s so serene! Sitting in there for half an hour is like doing yoga…without having to wear workout gear or actually doing exercise.
4 points for the ambience. The environment is quite unique -- a calm and peaceful place where you can have a quiet lunch and enjoy a break from busy work.
4 points for the tea -- offering some rare ones like "Lotus tea" which are unlikely to be found in most places.
2.5 points for the food -- pretty average Chinese vegetarian food to me -- based on my experience with Chinese dishes in China and in Melbourne.
Service was fantastic. I really like the atmosphere in there and although the place was busy it wasn’t noisy or overwhelming. The one word I’d use to describe it is pleasant. Pleasant is great because I like to concentrate when reading menus and I know I’m going to take my time again trying to pick something from the menu. Seriously, check out the appetiser menu but time yourself and see how long it takes to settle on something. I double dare you. PHYSICAL CHALLENGE:
Who knew that vegetarian food could be so tasty, and that mock-meat could actually taste like real meat!.
Melbourne Lifestyle Blog
+4.5
Set in the Buddhist centre and gallery, Fo Guang Yuan feels more like a living room than a restaurant. I am told that the staff are volunteers. The food is vegetarian, even the meat dishes which are derived from tofu.
Perhaps Fo Guang Gallery hasn't been reviewed because everyone wants to keep it secret? Not really surprising given the tasty food, relaxing music, and beautiful asian art all combined inside a tranquil haven on Queen Street.
Great Vegetarian food and place to meditate and acquire inner peace. I have been here several times now and decided to write this review after seeing the negative one before this. I find this place definitely worth coming back for, even if not for the food, for the tranquility and peacefulness the temple as well as the meditation room offers.
Not contented with my own judgement, I have brought many first timers with me to introduce them to this place and they have all confirmed my judgement of this place - good food !
Note added 13/10: Brought 2 first timers there on 7/10/14 and true enough they found the place to their liking and will certainly visit plus bring more first timers there.
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Unexpectedly great. Thought I would try this place out after all the good reviews on US. I walked up to the stairs leading up to the dining hall and thought it must have been closed - not a lot of activity. I wandered up anyway and was greeted by (please excuse my ignorance here), a monk in robes who showed me to my table.
The actual dining hall and tables are utilitarian in nature. Plain wooden steats, no table cloths. Just the menus, a single serviette and chopsticks. I finished reading the menu and as soon as I looked up, one of the waiters immediately came to my table. I selected my dish (spicy "beef" rendang with noodles), and the waiter suggested the kumquat tea as it was their specialty. Who was I to argue. One of those too please.
The tea came out in a couple of minutes and was delicious. Hot and sweet and tangy. The food arrived a few minutes later. Quite a large bowl with noodles/bean sprouts in the middle, I think steamed kale leaves (or similar), some type of vegetables in a red sauce, and some other brown chunks. Also some silky tofu too.
The sauce must have been put in first, as the first couple of bites of noodles were unflavoured. I tried the vegetables (potatoes), and they were delicious. Then I tried the brown things, which were actually the "beef". I've never had mock meat before and was pretty impressed with the flavour and texture. Coudn't fool anyone that it was actually meat, but it served the purpose well.
I then mixed up the noodles and tofu enough to get a bit of sauce on everything and then before I knew it had finished the lot. Beautiful meal with lots of flavour and just the right amount of heat for me.
Finished the rest of the tea which was a great end to a great meal. Definitely coming back.
8/10 = excellent. First time here today, recommended by a friend.
Ordered Wed L1 Malay "lamb" curry and L2 minced "pork" with tofu and Jasmine tea. The lunch boxes were full of different items and all of them tasted nicely.
Service was attentative and staff were friendly.
If they could reduce the amount of fried food that would be even better! I know the real temples in China don't serve fried food to keep it light and healthy. Eager to come back to try other daily lunch options!
I was hesitant about the mock meats, but it was absolutely amazing. The kumquat tea was divine and the 'lamb' curry spicy and delicious. Service was also great. Will definitely be coming back.
Finally went to Fo Guang Yuan today. Love it! Pretty decent range of options - stir-fries, noodles, spring rolls, etc. Lot of mock meats. I had beef rendang with noodles. Featured mock beef and tofu plus vege. Was v good. Plus jasmine tea. $3.50 for a cup seemed slightly OTT but it turned out to be a small pot. My new job is a couple of blocks from FGY and I reckon I'll go here weekly at least from now on.
Hidden gem. What a tranquil and lovely setting for having lunch! The food comes out pretty fast and most dishes are yummy and not too oily or salty. I have recommended this place to my friends and all have had a positive experience. A must try!
Just lovely!. Love the serenity, love the food, love the service! Oh, and love the teas, esp. the kumquat tea, so yummy! =)
Their prices have gone up over the years but that's to be expected.
I love the dumplings, doesn't matter which ones. =) The various lunch boxes are always a good choice, although I must try their individual dishes as well. I always end up ordering the lunch boxes however.
It's always a shame venturing out into the street, almost a rude awakening after eating at FGY.
Well this was a little surprise for me, been a few times now and it's a very quiet and reflective spot with the occasional monk wandering through and the art work adorning the walls and adjoining room to make it interesting. ... it's an art gallery and restaurant. There's no hustle or bustle here, just quiet and muffled voices and the sound of shuffling feet. So the dishes are vegetarian but you can still order chicken or beef in a dish that is is a meat substitute; all with an authentic texture and consistency.... couldn't believe how similar to the real thing they were. Not my favorite place, meals are generally small, but definitely worth a try for something different in a subdued and calming environment.
Great vego!. What can I say...I don’t want this place to get too popular, so will just say if you are fed up with Masterchef over sauced and overworked meaty fare served up to fat foodies or overpriced, trendy food served up by white males 20s-40s to pretentious tryhards in joints with dumb names this is your place! Traditional, hearty, lovely vego food! Be warned it is only open weekday lunchtimes – that is ok though – would probably go downhill if they just went for the bucks and high turnover
The lunch boxes are quick and tasty, and great value! Pumpkin cakes and cumquat tea also recommended.
I just wish they opened at night or saturdays so I could introduce more non city friends!
Absolutely loved this place! So fresh food and lovely kamkuat tea.
Stress Relief (with great food). Serenity and peace in the heart of the city. The tables are not too close. The lighting and decor is relaxing. The food is good. The selection of tea infusions means you can come back many times and try them all. Highly recommended.
Yummy vegetarian dishes at a calm and peaceful place. I love going to this tea house/vegetarian restaurant. Been there last week with friends and we had bento lunch sets, dumplings, spring rolls, and vege nuggets. The bento lunches that they offer are different everyday. We tried the green curry and tofu ones. They were good and value for money. There were many types of tea to choose from but we had the kumquat tea, which was really nice, citrusy and refreshing. The atmosphere was great, quiet and relaxing..a nice place to go if you require an escape from the busy CBD. We really enjoyed it and would definitely go back sometime soon!
Hidden, cool but sadly underwhelming. If you've seen dining halls in China, it's similar to this, including the decor, setup and the food, which was slightly better than average. Laksa was generous although watery. The dumplings took 1/2hr but lucky they did as they were pretty good and made the visit positive. I think the reviews made me expect too much, it is a peaceful place, good but not great
Wooahhh. Walk in and be amazed at the ambiance. If for nothing else, feel like a VIP seated in possibly the most peaceful setting in the CBD. Enjoy your vegetarian lunch with a nice warm pot of Kum Kuat tea and take your worries away as your enjoy the decor and Buddhist trinket surrounding you. Ahhhhh...
Only problem is, a reality check back to your busy work schedule once you step out to Queens Street.
Yum. When I first arrived, I can say that the place had a quite nice environment. They don't have many options but when I was there I tried one of the noodles, pandan chicken and the kumquat tea. I must say that the pandan chicken and the kumquat tea were quite nice, and I would highly recommend them.
Delicious. This place is wonderful- interesting (though often loud) atmosphere, great food and excellent price. the service is uneven, not always good, but the food makes up for it. the kumquat tea and little biscuits are unreal! good to grab a menu and order an hour or so ahead of time if you can.
Brilliant. Try the kumquat tea. Go with a few friends and share some of the snack items. Or go along, and enjoy the calmness as you sip your tea and eat some yummy vegetarian meals.
Oasis of calm. I would have never know this place existed if it wasn't for my husband who took me here after his work colleagues showed him the place. Part art gallery, part meditation room and part shop, it's like sitting down to eat in your grandmothers dining room- if your grandma was a vegetarian Buddhist. There is a sense of calm and slowness about the place. The food was really good too. I had the spring rolls to start which were flavor some, crispy and served with a hot chili sauce that really complimented them. I also tried the Tom Yum fried rice which came in a massive serving, with crispy fried noodles on top. I tried the Kumquat tea but it was a bit too sweet for my liking - although my husband drank the lot. I highly reccomend a visit - and the prices are excellent.
I love spring roll there. Kumquat tea is sth u can't miss!!! Veggie chicken pandan n noodle are also good choice. They are quite bz. Hence, be patient.
Serene and calming. This unexpected lunch spot is hidden away in the FGY art gallery. Although situated in the CBD, it is a quiet escape from the bustling of the city. The atmosphere is calming and the service is nice, but a bit slow (only 1 waitress was serving on the time I went) .The food served here is simple vegetarian, with faux meat options in some of the dishes. Overall, taste-wise is not bad, the food wasn't heavily seasoned but still had flavour. However, i did find the portion quite small in regards to the accompaniments for the noodle. They also serve a variety of tea, which is served in a pot (hot water refillable). Kumquat tea is a popular choice here.
Good food, lovely service and serene surroundings.
Fake chicken never tasted so good. This is a little oasis of calm in the middle of the city. Try the pandan chicken, any of the dumplings and the cumquat tea. Excellent food and the bill is always a pleasant surprise.
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Fo Guang Goodness. Perhaps Fo Guang Gallery hasn't been reviewed because everyone wants to keep it secret? Not really surprising given the tasty food, relaxing music, and beautiful asian art all combined inside a tranquil haven on Queen Street. The entire menu is vegetarian, but omnivores will still find plenty of good options.
I had the Vegetarian Laksa $12 (see pic) which was more subtly flavoured than I'm used to, but still delivered welcome complexity with fresh curry leaves, mung bean shoots, veges and tasty gluten/soy vegetarian 'pork'. The laksa soup didn't have the knock-you-over punch of flavour I enjoy at my other favourite laksa haunts (Laksa King, Chinta Ria Soul, Blue Chillies and Laksa Me), but that is probably because all the others use shrimp paste in their 'vegetarian' laksa whereas Fo Guang is a proper vegetarian laksa. Fo Guang's laksa has a nice amount of spice and good flavours.
I also enjoyed a pot of Kumquat Tea (see pic) which was a balance of citrus and sweetness - not too sweet though. It even had a real kumquat rolling about and infusing at the base of the clear glass teapot. The tea was served with two delicous mini biscuits. The menu at Fo Guang has more desert and tea options than mains, so make sure you leave some room.
I'm looking forward to going back and working my way through the wontons, spring rolls, stirfries, and steamed buns. But first on my list will be the Crystal Dumplings ordered by a customer on the adjacent table - they engendered serious food envy.
What else are second visits for, other than trying things you missed on the first?
A well balanced daily specials. The food variety is just nice. The portion of the food is just nice and will leave you satisfied without overeat sweat.
Foodie tips: if you like sweet and sour, kumquat tea will company your food nicely and leave you satisfied
If you are looking for a nice vegetarian place to eat in the city, this place is a definite concealed treasure.
Great service, we walked in 2:30 pm late and closing, interup staffs lunch, but a lady with great smile still welcome us. thank you so much!
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It was my first time going here. I was very excited being buddhist myself and I went with a friend. On the way there we were discussing what it would be like since both of us have never been there. After we found the location, it turned out to be beyond what we imagined. As soon as I walked in, I felt instantly relaxed and overcame with a calm feeling. This was nice considering that I had a very stressful morning and really could do with some de-stress time. I found that it was a very calming atmosphere and such lovely customer care. The food is simply gorgeously presented. Even my friend, who isn't buddhist, told me that it was a lovely place and that the lunch boxes were to her liking. She said that sweet and sour pork was one of the best that she had tasted in quite a long time and that other places she had went to were either too sweet, or too sour whereas the one from her lunchbox was even in taste. She was also impressed with how filling such a small appearing lunch box was. I had a vegetarian curry udon and it was probably the best I have ever tasted and it was very filling. My friend and I were quite unsure on which kind of tea we would like to try, so we asked for a recommendation which i think was of Oolong and Sweet Osmanthus. My friend and I are both tea drinkers and loved this one! It was light and not overpowering in taste. We also checked out the gallery, and loved seeing all the artworks, they were quite inspiring and even my friend loved it. We'll be back soon. :)
Deliciously prepared vegetarian meals, with a relaxing atmosphere and meditation room upstairs for that perfect escape from the hustle and bustle. Make sure you order the kumquat tea. It's amazing.
An intriguing choice of vegetarian dishes combining faux ham, pork, chicken etc., A good selection of tea. But the defining feature is the calm and relaxing atmosphere set amidst the city bustle.
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