Vegan-friendly
Chinese
Japanese
Asian
Taiwanese
Honey
Asian vegetarian restaurant with mostly vegan dishes. Some items do contain honey. Open Mon-Sat 12:00pm-3:00pm, 5:00pm-9:00pm.
148 Reviews
First Review by Aloo
Vegan Smythe
Points +20
Mother Chu's - a Sydney vegan haven - Edit
We went to Mother Chu's for both dinner and lunch the next day during a recent trip to Sydney. The food and vibe was fantastic both days. The serves were good size but not huge - we had three dishes plus rice to share between the two of us which was plenty! In particular I loved the way the veggies were cooked.
Read moreAll meals are vegan except three which contain honey which is a real plus for a travelling vegan!
They don't serve or allow alcohol there which may be an issue for some. We look forward to returning next time we're in Sydney!
Pros: excellent food, nice vibe, friendly
Guest
KatherineH
Points +108
An institution in veg*n dining in Sydney! - Edit
Of all the vegan/vegetarian restaurants I've ever been to, nothing quite compares to the food at Mother Chu's. I have been going to Mother Chu's for 14 years and I have never left disappointed.
Read moreGranted, there have been a couple of dishes over the years that were a bit too strange for me (both times, mock fish dishes), but even these were still tasty and my partner (who is not vegetarian) enjoyed them. However, this is only two dishes out of probably hundreds by now. All the others have been a joy to savour, and we have never left anything uneaten.
You must try the salt and pepper tofu, which is my favourite. Also the crispy gluten, flat rice noodles, tempura sweet potato, and the tofu with shitake mushrooms. The seaweed and moss soup, as a starter, is also a delight.
It can become very busy, but the food usually comes out fairly quickly. It is easy to rack up a bit of a bill, but then again, people who don't usually eat at vege restaurants think I am mad for thinking it is slightly expensive - it really is cheap compared to most places. We are always a group of 4, and we usually spend about $75.
Mother Chu is always sitting in the corner, keeping an eye on things. I would go so far as to say Mother Chu's is a bit of an institution in the veg*n dining world of Sydney, and I cant for the life of me understand why it has only 4 cows for a rating! 5 cows from me and long live Mother Chu!
Pros: Delicious food, Great range of choice, Reliably great food
Guest
xraysez
Points +203
Tasty Food But Not Great For Gluten Free. - Edit
As a westerner with little experience of Chinese Food I found the menu over whelming, ordered Tofu with cabbage and Curry Rice, which was really tasty!
Read moreOnly problem was trying to work out what to order for my Gluten Free partner, as their menu doesn't suggest GF options. A separate GF Menu would be helpful!
This meant the Tofu was Steamed not Fried so it absorbed none of the sauce flavour and was a bit unappetising. Also were charged an extra $2 for the sauce to be made GF.
I think it was a little pricey for a backpacker (The conversion from GBP to AUD isn't good)
But the food was very tasty and seemed like popular place.
Beware the opening hours Closed between 3pm-5pm and Sundays I think.
Also I asked if the food was vegan, and was told it is all vegan, but I saw they use Honey in lots of the Dishes, so this might be a consideration for Vegans to think about!
Pros: Very Tasty, Huge selection of Food, Location
Cons: Opening Hours, Little Gluten Free, Pricey
Guest
Maddi
Points +773
Fabulous food for hungry vegans on a budget - Edit
During a recent trip to Sydney to celebrate my 30th birthday with 6 other friends (my husband & I are vegans, our group included 2 veggies, 1 ex-veggie and 2 omnivores) we all tried this place out on the first night when starving and a little drunk - and were delighted with our find! The food was wonderful with so much variety - the omnivorous ones loved their cheat meats and the rest of us reveled in delicious, simple but amazingly tasty stir fried veg, tofu and gluten in a variety of spicy sauces with yummy fried rice and noodles on the side. We liked it so much we all went back again before we left! Highly highly recommended. Prices very very reasonable too,e specially given it's central location.
Read morePros: Variety of food, Taste, Low prices
Cons: Doesn't stay open late, No byo alcohol and not licensed
Guest
sunsatori
Points +1329
An OK feed - Edit
In downtown Sydney in the shadows on Pitt street (close to Central) is Mother Chu's.
Read moreConvenient opening times means lunch at 3pm is no problem.
Only been there once, and it was OK. The food was fresh and presented well. Tasted nice, nothing wrong at all. But nothing flash either.
Overall, a good standard chinese vegetarian meal, wholesome but not pretentious.
Pros: Opening times, variety, friendly
Cons: none really
Guest
mkpurvis
Points +66
A good bet - Edit
The menu was extensive, and the food that I had was fine (and arrived without delay -- some other reviewer seemed to complain about this aspect). Everything was satisfactory. What elevates my rating from 4 stars to 5 stars is the dessert I had: mango "ice cream". This, of course, is made from soy products and is vegan, but it tastes just like real ice cream and is the best I have ever had. You must go this restaurant for this one treat alone. Don't miss it. The next time I am in Sydney I will go to Mother Chu's
Read morePros: friendly, good portions
Guest
VeJo
Points +209
Family friendly - Edit
Mother Chu's is a great place to take the kids -- especially if their grandparents live interstate, because old mother is always sitting at the back folding wonton papers, or just taking in the atmosphere. The food ranges from exceptional to not so good, so your experience there really depends what you order. I had a mushroom ball thing there once that was amazing. We also tried the peking duck once, though -- which has to be ordered a day in advance -- and I was left wondering what the fuss was about. The menu's so big there, on the other hand, that you could spend many visits trying out everything on offer, and I think it's worth doing. On balance our visits there have been pleasurable.
Read morePros: good service, large menu
Cons: a little $$$, patchy quality
Guest
philjdomm
Points +945
Late Start? - Edit
everybody who sat down for dinner waiting for them to open 5pm end up getting their meals super late.
Read morei waited for my dish for 30 mins...do they still ahve that policy where when u wait more than 30 mins, food is free?
anyways...its alright.
it is located on Pitt st. north of liverpool.
philjdomm
UPDATE****
Read moreso i came back from WA and ate there four times and they had this family aura about them and good food.
they met up to my expectations!!!
Guest
Lea
Points +415
I agree with cameron about the soy bean roll - Edit
The crispy soy bean roll dish is amazing. Also lurve the crispy gluten, the soy slices with beans, crispy tempeh and green vegies with nuts, the eggplant dishes are beautifully cooked and caramelly-melty. And the 'black pearl' mushroom rissoles and the clay pots. And ... well almost everything! The staff are not excessively attentive, but all you have to do is signal and they will come. And you get to have dessert - a rare treat for vegans eating out! At times like Chinese new year they have extra special dishes which are expensive eg $28. I am saving up to try some of them next year!
Read morePros: Fantastic food, Brown rice, Vegan ice cream
Cons: None
Guest
flytheorient
Points +323
good food, a bit expensive - Edit
Had a chance to visit Mother Chu's on my last visit to Sydney. The place is located at the corner of Liverpool and Pitt streets. Near Chinatown and Darling Harbour. About a 15 min. walk from the Opera House.
Read moreThe food was really good with a large selection. English spoken by staff and service was good.
The items are however, a bit pricey.
Had a small bowl of soup and 1 entree with a bowl of rice, total price was about 23 dollars.
Brown rice also available.
I would definitely go back and try other items on the menu.
Pros: good food, good service
Cons: a bit expensive
Guest
camerongreen
Points +310
Good Asian Food - Edit
Went here for dinner and enjoyed it.
Read moreIt is a very plain setting, cheap and cheerful...well perhaps not cheerful :)
We ordered the mixed entree, was pretty good, maybe a little dry.
We then had curry rice, soy bean roll and Mother Chu's special curry for mains. The highlight of the meal was the Soy Bean Roll. It is a mock meat type dish, with nori around it to give it a seafood flavour, then battered, friend and serving with some sliced veggies and a nice barbecue sauce. The special curry was interesting, pumpkin, avocado and gluten, not something I'd order again but an interesting combination of flavours and perhaps the first time I've had avocado in an asian meal. The curry rice was perhaps the wrong thing to order, as we ate it with the mains and the flavours were hidden, will order steamed rice next time but no complaints either.
This was a good meal and we left satisfied. Not exactly a setting for a date due to the somewhat spartan surroundings and the staff not being overly talkative, but for an informal dinner with friends a good choice.
Have a soy bean roll when you are there too!
Pros: Soy bean roll, No MSG!, Quick service
Cons: Not a pretty restaurant, Staff not overly friendly
VeJo
The battered friend concerns me a little ;)
Read moreGuest
rach
Points +144
Good chinese food - Edit
I'm not a big fan of Chinese food in general, but Mother Chu's was quite nice. They have a large selection with a picture menu. Servings were very large and quite flavoursome.
Read morePros: Large servings
Cons: Ambiance
Guest
cheryl_downes
Points +73
Sensational - Edit
The first time I went there, the meal was so great I ate two main courses and went back again the next day!
Read moreGuest
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