Mother Chu’s is one of an increasing number of restaurants offering vegetarian and vegan friendly menus. It certainly has staying power, having been around for decades so is obviously doing something right. Not much by way of ambience but the food is good and reasonably priced.
I’m not a vegetarian. But I have to say they cook amazing dishes with vegetables which both look and taste like meat. My two friends love it and I assume they might return quite often.
First time I tried a vegetarian restaurant in Sydney! I I was impressed on how the vegetables were cooked beautifully as it was delicious and tasty. The staff was attentive and friendly.
This place is so underrated for their food!! I’ve tried multiple dishes here and keep wanting to come back for more. Especially their clay pot signatures and stir fried noodles. The food is well balanced in flavour and texture. The portion size is good and there are plenty of veggies and plant based protein in a plate. Staff is friendly and atmosphere is nice and cozy. Highly recommended!!!
+3 standard points for food
+1 deep fried perfection
4: wholesome
Noise level: Normal
Value: decent for the good quality vegetarian
Tempe sizzling plate (with mushroom sauce, enoki, and black fungus)
Deep fried Pumpkin and Apple in honey glaze with sesame seeds
Plus Two bowls of rice, total = $42
Both dishes were delicious and satisfying!
Service was a bit scattered / a bit slow but it wasn’t too bad. Interior is comfortable despite looking quite dim / dank from the outside.
Very friendly staff who are accomodating and attentive. Extensive menu full of all kinds of vegan dishes - lots of options. Portions are decent but not too big/generous. However prices are cheap. Food comes out fresh and promptly.
Vegan friendly? 10/10
I’ve heard great hype over this place, though as an asian the food was great but nothing special. We did enjoy our meals though and they left us satisfied!
Just a regular chinese restaurant ambience and its an easy place to find in the city.
In my opinion, some dishes were a little overpriced, though it’s nothing to be surprised of when in the city either-
The tofu dish was enjoyable but again not extraordinary, just a simple tofu dish. We found this one a bit overpriced with only 4 pieces of tofu on it and 2 sticks of bokchoy. The eggplant dish did surprise us! Very nice with the deep fried pieces of soy we presume, and great flavour!!
It’s a nice restaurant to eat convenient vegan food at, but again nothing over the top special if that’s what you’re expecting. Just a nice vegan asian restaurant if you ask me :)
Good sauce and texture. Food not too salty. I really like the how they cooked the tofu and vegetables - crispy on the outside. Favourite dish was the sweet and sour tofu.
This is such an underrated restaurant in the heart of Sydney. It’s a vegan restaurant with some dishes with honey, it’s affordable and great asian cuisine. The soups are incredible, especially the miso soup and sze chuan. I ordered for the chilli crispy tofu with broccoli, this was one of the best mock meat I’ve had.
The food was fantastic. Ordered the Peking dish and we got two parts to it. Although I have read a few reviews stating the service was poor the service for us was excellent and this was a Saturday night. I have also read that the price is not great but we had entree, mains and desert with drinks and it came to $35 for two which is pretty good.
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Went here with my friend and we ordered the duck which requires 24 hours notice (I'm not sure why). We walked in and let the waiter know we were here for our booking and were seated. Unfortunately it was a 50 minute wait before our vegan duck pancakes came out, and then there was also a substantial wait for the San Choy Pow. These two dishes are all you get as part of the vegan Peking duck special so we also ordered the rice noodles.
The vegan duck pancakes came out with the pancakes in a steamer, the vegan duck strips, hoisin sauce, cucumber and coriander. Which you then assembled yourself. The vegan duck was lovely and crunchy and smokey. The San Chow Pow was a mince type mix in lettuce. The mince was chewy and juicy and very well flavoured. The rice noodles were fairly standard, and have experienced similar many times before, although these ones were slightly too oily for my liking.
The food really is quite tasty, although small portions, a decent price tag and a long wait could put people off.
I might come back, and would tentatively recommend it to friends.
This place is super busy and I can see why! Went here before a film screening on Wednesday with my friend. The people serving took a while until they could take our order but that was fine. I ordered the fried rice with the special veggie ham and it was nice!! A great homecooked meal with lots of veggies - at a reasonable price too. So filling and tasty and because it was vegetarian, I wasn't bloated after devouring the meal.
Though we waited a while for our meals, the customer service here is awesome. Best advised to come here when it's less busy. Allow extra time if you have places to be. A pleasant dining experience for all!
This is my favourite place in CBD. Been here several times and I cannot get enough of it.
You feel like you are eating at home. The staff is so friendly and polite.
You can order literally anything and it will be awesome. My favourite though is the fried gluten. It is lip smacking good. The avacado soup, hot and sour soup are must haves, so too the Singapore noodles.
If you are a vegetarian in Sydney mark this place down as your second home.
Amazing food and great service. The best part was that the food wasn't oily at all :) looking forward to more healthy options in the future!
Oh, Mother Chu. How I do love you.
Having had bad experiences with Chinese food in the past, I was shocked to find a Chinese place that was 100% vegetarian and 100% awesome. The sweet and sour gluten [highly recommend] became a guilty pleasure of mine during my trip, and the BBQ vegetarian buns were to die for. The decor was minimal, but the food and the friendly staff made up for it. Will definitely be coming back next time I'm up in Sydney.
Mother Chu, you've restored my faith in Chinese cuisine. Please be my Chinese mamma.
Love the fresh and light veggie dishes! Had the crispy peppered tofu and the tofu and veggie stuffed eggplant. The tofu was so light it was out of this world - a tad on the salty side however. The eggplant was amazing! Please do me a favor and order it!!! The eggplant sauce, like the tofu, was slightly on the salty side! Try asking them to drop the sodium maybe.
I had been wanting to try Mother Chu’s for a while and expectations must have risen so it didn’t quite meet the mark, but as a whole it was enjoyable. The eggplant nuggets are a must!! Seriously they were really good. The others were okay, but not particularly memorable.
Felt a little overpriced and I don’t quite remember the payment process but I did have to withdraw money so perhaps take some cash with you just in case. Service was okay, pretty much what you would expect from a typical Chinese restaurant.
But I do love how they are all veg (mostly vegan?) and those nuggets!!
I can't get enough of this place. The customer service isn't great, the food usually takes awhile and is a little overpriced but it is one of the best tasting restaurants. The soy slices are amazing. I could eat them every day. I'm getting hungry just thinking about them.
This place has some of the best Vegetarian food I've ever had, that is, if you're not in hurry as the food can take a looong time to come out. But if you have plenty of time to spare, come with some friends, have a nice chat whilst waiting for the food, definitly worth the wait. I have yet to be disappointed by anything on the menu.
There aren't many restaurants in Sydney serving Asian vegetarian cuisine. The food itself can be a bit salty (depending on the dish) but the quality is good. We had eggplant with basil and a traditional Chinese vegetarian dish which had a surprising chilli kick to it. Their menu has some hilarious Chinglish ('Wanton soup' anyone?) but we found it part of the charm.
Be aware there is quite a religious element to this restaurant (I think it's run by Taiwanese Buddhists) - we sat under a Chinese painting of a Bodhisattva who stared down at us through the whole meal. Also, as it's Buddhist vegetarian, there is a lot of 'fake meat' made from wheat gluten on the menu. Now, neither of us minded any of this, but I can imagine that this might not be everyone's cup of tea.
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This used to be my go-to vegetarian restaurant in Sydney, I haven't been here in ages and the place hasn't changed much since my last visit - probably about 8 years ago.
Surprisingly the menu even looked the same. I’ve called the restaurant few days ago along with my booking I ordered Pecking Duck. This dish is to be ordered minimum of one day before hand. Four of us dined tonight and we were baffled by why it needs such a notice. Their potion size is so little - basically two tiny duck pancake each and one small san choy bow as a second course. They are both tasty but considering having to give a notice the amount of food they serve just insufficient. We were all still hungry with confusion. We ordered more dishes, deep fried seaweed roll, Gluten stir fry, Steamed Tofu, seafood noodle in pot and some more vegetable dishes.
All dishes were pretty good, made with fresh ingredients with a taste of home cooking meal, I mean it's great for Vegetarians without a doubt. However their service can definitely improve. I think there were two waitress working tonight but they were extremely slow and un-attentive especially when the restaurant is relatively small with only few tables. I think we waited about 30mins to get our orders ordered. The total bill came it was $170. If you are in a mood for Vegetarian food in the city, by all means it's a nice place to eat fresh and delicious Asian vegetarian food however I don't think this place is a great value for money.
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These days I don't come here so much, because there are now more Asian vegetarian/vegan options available elsewhere, and because the value at Mother Chus is declining.
It was always quite expensive for what it was & is getting worse. Takeaways, the containers are all far from full and you pay seperately for rice, making a takeaway up to nearly $20. Eating in, none of the takings have been re-invested in the drab dark surroundings.
Tonight 3 of us (hungry) ate dinner there for $125, which to be honest was not much less than we paid (minus drinks) at Alpha last week for a far superior mostly-vegetarian experience.
Mother Chu's restaurant is cramped, service is slow though well intentioned, dishes can take a long time to arrive. Then they have an ongoing problem with delivering the right dishes to the right table. Come here with people you've been wanting to have a long chat with.
Having said all that, I still & always will come back because there are so few fully-vegetarian Asian restaurants in the CBD, and because some of Mother Chu's dishes just aren't offered by anyone else. My top 3 after coming here for many, many years & eating almost everything on the menu:
- Golden Fingers (of hard beancurd, bamboo shoot, black fungus & other mushrooms) in the most delicious sauce. One of the best Asian vege dishes anywhere.
- Stir fried green beans with soy slices. Strong savoury flavour from yellow bean paste, hard to describe but seriously good
- if you book a day ahead, the Peking 'Duck', two courses complete with pancakes & crisp 'skin' & all the trappings. There aren't many ceremonial dishes for vegetarians but this is one of them.
It's so hard for me to rate Mother Chu's. A lot of the food would be definitely 5.0, but the high relative price & so-so dine-in experience brings it down, which is a shame.
As a vegan, this place was heaven! Everything on the menu is dairy free, and gorgeously made! You could eat at this restaurant for weeks and never grow sick of it - or get through all the options offered ☺️
I previously gave Mother Chu's a 2.5 rating. After having been there 3 times after my initial review, I have grown a new respect for the food and staff at this great restaurant. Their business had steadily picked up and now are thriving with customers, and Valentine's Day was no exception. With the little staff that work there, on a packed out night, the staff have remained respectful, polite and fantastic. Even when these guys are rushing, panicking and struggling, everything is always done with complete effort and efficiency, and the food maintains its quality, so I'm giving these guys a 4.5...they have earned it
Very tasty vegetarian. I go there every time I come to Sydney for work and try different dishes. I like most meals there. Value for money though decor is lacking. I can get a similar priced experience down at Bodhi's with an added classier ambience but they close too early. Owner acknowledges me each time I go in so it feels closer to home.
The restaurant itself is fairly old school and unassuming, the staff were friendly and willing to answer any questions. For vegetarians and meat eaters alike, some tasty Chinese food.
I Ate My Way Through
+4.5
I've been working across the street from Mother Chu's Vegetarian Kitchen the last 9 months. So I jumped at the opportunity of finally lunching there when 2 workmates mentioned that they were planning on trying something new. The elderly Chinese have a res
Need a refurbishment. They served good and tasty food. Service was average. Food price was above average and considered pricey for vegetarian food. My major concern is the restaurant ambiance which seriously needs a renovation. It was so dark and dull from either outside or inside. Tables and chairs were like few decades long dining setting.
Excellent. A great find for a vegetarian restaurant in Sydney CBD. Delicious dishes in a homely atmosphere.
Wasn't busy at all when I was here with my boyfriend, the food was delicious but the restaurant design itself could be greatly improved! Other than that, good food, would come again.
What you see is what you get. It's not classy, and it's not pretty. but it is homely, and simplistic, and the wide variety of vegan dishes (especially the glutenous 'mock meat' dishes) are generally of a very good quality... enough so to make this place a real refuge for vegan eating in Sydney.
A seemingly family-run operation, I've experienced various levels of service from this place over the years, but the pros outweigh the cons, so I'm always happy to go back. Like all restaurants, it's the food that comes foremost, and the wide selection of dishes are generally yummy, well-made, and of decent proportions. I especially enjoy the braised eggplant dishes, although I'm a bit afraid to try some of the spicey dishes because chilli and I don't mix well. (I've heard other people say that they're also good). The food is typically gelatenous and 'wet' (ie. sauce-driven), as you would expect with Chinese cuisine.
Great place! Loved it!. My husband and I were only in Sydney for a week, over from Perth - and we loved this little gem so much we visited it 3 times. Some nights it was really busy but they still managed to serve us fairly quickly. The food was so good - we tried different dishes and loved them all! Very reasonably priced, too, Thank you Mother Chu, for providing such a wonderful vegetarian oasis of a restaurant. We will be back every time we visit Sydney!
This place is wonderful!! We were up from Melbourne for the weekend and looking for some vegetarian food in the CBD and decided on Mother Chu's.
What a great choice!
We had several small entrees, all very nice. For main I had Gluten with mushrooms and red capsicum in honey and black pepper sauce. Wow. This dish was amazing. Perfect soft gluten chunks in a really rich sweet black pepper sauce. The veggies were perfect, cooked but still with some crunch in them.
Seriously this is one I the best vegetarian meals I've had.
If you're into vegetarian/vegan food then give this place a go, you won't be disappointed.
Fascinated to read so many reviews of wonderful Mother Chu's Restaurant which I my family and friends regard as a must visit institution whenever we come to Sydney. The first reason is the food which as a vegetarian for the last 40 years never lets me down (in a world where for many vegetarians eating out means NOT eating tasty and nutritious food). Second: the food and people at Mother Chu's are genuine about their devotion to providing real food in accord with their Buddhist traditions. It's great home cooking with a wonderful variety of tempting options that I've never grown tired of. Finally, I have to note that mother Chu's is quite famous overseas so that if I want to entertain a visitor who is Vegetarian with 'real food' and genuine hospitality they always welcome going to there.
Matter of fact, I've planned THIS trip to Sydney around a couple of visits to Mother Chu's so my only complaint is that they're not open today,on Sunday!
Soy nuggets with eggplant was nice. I wish this place was a little more inspired. Staff were reallllllllly casual. I wish the menus were re printed and the content easier to grasp. My friend ended up with some weird kinda bolognaise satay noodle dish because the menu was hard to interpret. Id like to try a few more things. Though do I think it is too expensive. $5.30 for sesame cucumber - it was half a cucumber cut up with sesame sauce i dots on it. Once again food was good but I wish for it to be inspired!!!!!!!!!
Decent Chinese food at a reasonable price. Slightly weird that it's a table service restaurant but to pay up front when you make your order.
This is a little gem. I discovered this upon a work to trip to Sydney. I often just need somewhere relaxed and not to expensive. That i can eat by myself. This place fits the bill its reasonable priced, yummy vegetarian restaurant. I like the fact this is a non-drinking.
Its relaxed with simple decor a place to go as a "regular" with friends. It's not flash as other reviewers describe but i don't think that matters.
The staffs there are very friendly and the service is quick. This is my regular for when i am here for work. Nice find in the city!
Unreal. Loved ...loved ...loved mother chu's...absolutley delicious vegetarian cuisine.... i ordered the soybean deep fried sizzling dish it was amazing....my vegan son dragged me to this gem and i love him more for it.........dessert was sheer bliss i will definately go back next time in sydney thanks mama chu you kick melbourne vegetarian restaurants ass
All vegan, very fast & very friendly. As vegans me & my girlfriend agreed it was the best vegan food we had eaten. The crispy gluten is must!!
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Well, what can I say about Mother Chu's. We've been joyfully eating here since 99 when I was 6.
Having been to vegetarian restaurants of differing cuisines all over Sydney, I can safely say that Mother Chu's (Taiwanese), quite easily, provides the highest quality of food that there is.
The service provided by Sophie, Umi and Henry is friendly and impeccable.
The variety on offer, with over 100 mains to choose from, is unmatched.
The portion sizes are generous and their price points very fair.
Their mango, raspberry and passionfruit home-made soy ice cream is divine as well as the rest of the dessert menu.
Personally, I love the way they cook their veggies Al dente, so they provide some crunch and texture to the dish.
If you get the chance to pre-order the Peking duk, do it. It's an occasion that will never disappoint.
Mother Chu's especially shines with bigger groups so you can order plenty of dishes and dip your chopsticks into each one!
Mother Chu's is an absolute institution for all vegetarians in Sydney. I cannot recommend it highly enough!
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Standard, reliable, delicious, healthy Chinese cuisine. Extensive menu. Very friendly staff. Good space between tables, front door kept ajar for air circulation.
Everything is delicious and nicely presented. Soups are per person, so one can enjoy the wonton and another can choose hot and sour(about $7/serve).
Lots of gluten, tofu, crispy rolls, and some breaded fried specialties for those who like the American style dishes. Hot pots, noodles, stir fries.
I had an order of spring rolls which came crisp with just enough sweet sauce, and a lovely garnish of shredded lettuce, cucumber and carrot. The wonton soup was perfectly seasoned and flavourful, the wontons like little tortellini and bits of carrot shred and bok choy spears.
I had the Kung Po gluten which came with red capsicums, zucchini chunks and onion (or the white parts of bok choy). Not too sweet, and the chilies soft and not very spicy. Bite into the chili carefully! The steamed rice is a P erfect portion for one. The pot of tea I ordered was Oolong of good quality.
Most fishes range between A$18-24, and are ample portion for 1-2 persons. Surcharges for credit card (minimum A$20), and holidays. Take away containers .50 cents.
Considering how many Asian restaurants close between December 20-January 4, it was just a delight to find them open on December 28, serving home-style comfort foods in a calm and serene environment.
Covid decimated the foodservice industry, fortunately the decades of quality food, availability of take out and delivery kept one of the CBD’s reliable dining outlets going.
It’s not fancy, just simple tasty fare served with a smile by people who truly thrive on feeding the hungry a product that they are proud of. I will return again with my veggie friends.
This is one of my all time favourite restaurants that I have been frequenting for over a decade. The family running the restaurant are always wonderful and sweet to deal with and the food is FANTASTIC!
I highly recommend the crispy gluten, and any of the honey glazed options (they'll kill any honey chicken craving you might have).
There are plenty of equally delicious gluten free options too.
Amazing food! I tried the corn soup and the veggie curry… delicious.
The place was super clean and the staff really nice
I really enjoyed lunch here! This little restaurant has some lovely offerings. The salt and pepper tofu is a little bland but I’d highly recommended the crispy gluten in chilli sauce. Staff are pleasant and kind and the prices are very reasonable. I look forward to going back.
Had been planning to come here for a while and finally came here for dinner in a weekday. It wasn’t super busy but yes there were few people dining in.
Staff and service is pleasant.
Food was delicious, tons of variety to choose from. Everything we ordered was unique in itself and tasty. The noodles were not dry as they usually are in other places. I will definitely come here again and will tell my friends too about this little gem.
We have known about this place for many years but never went in as we were on our way to another favourite restaurant.
But what can i say! I am so glad we decided to go to Mother Chus this time and my only regret is we didn’t go years ago!
They have the best asian food i have ever tasted.
The sauces are rich and full of flavour unlike other places where they water it down.
We loved every dish and if you crave honey chicken just get the honey gluten balls, they are to die for!
And i have finally found a black bean dish worth eating, such a tasty sauce.
So many delicious dishes without a hint of animal products. What more could you ask for.
And last but not least the owners are very nice and helpful. So much attention is put into the quality of the dishes you can see that.Well worth the visit.
I had a fried dish called Honey Gluten with Walnuts something. It was quite good; despite not being too big on sweet things.
Also had one of the appetisers.
Will be back to try out more of their dishes
edit: 2nd visit, this time tried the Fried Tofu with Pepper and Salt. A little bit too salty for some, but not for me. Still good.
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