Bodhi is a Sydney vegan institution - it follows the Buddhist tradition of not only eschewing all animal products, but also onions, shallots and the likes. It was serving vegan food in Sydney since before veganism became mainstream, so it is no wonder that it receives such rave reviews from devotees.
Half of the restaurant is outdoors, so when you book, it is important to indicate your preference. Some people enjoy having their meals in fresh air, while others, such as myself, prefer not to have a side of sun damage with my meal.
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| Shitake mushroom deumplings, $12 |
One thing Bodhi is known for is vegan yum cha, which is served at lunch. A couple of the items pop up in the dinner menu under the heading of "oriental taps". I am personally not offended by the term "oriental", but it is still an interesting and arguably bold choice from the Caucasian owners, especially as some Asians are quite offended by subtexts that run along with the term "oriental".
Social politics aside, I really enjoyed the Shitake mushroom dumpling. The skin is sticky and not too thick, the mushroom moist and slightly slimey (in a good way) and the flavours of the mushroom really shine through.
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| BBQ bun, $9.50 |
The vegan counterpart to BBQ pork buns, these are fluffy, sweet, and very flavourful - so muh so that I would happily pick them over the traditional pork version.
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| Green beans, $14.50 |
The green beans are overly-salted. Though it certainly packs a flavour punch, the over-reliance on soy bean paste (which are readily available in Asian supermarkets) makes this dish just slightly unbalanced. I am also not convinced that the sauce did not come from a bottle - of course, I could be completely wrong here, but the fact that the sauce, on which the flavour so heavily relied, taste identical to store-bought soy bean paste says something.
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| Peking "Duck", $30.50 |
Mock meat made of soy products has long been a part of Chinese cuisine - they are not new, or especially tooted as vegan alternatives, therefore I had little resistance to trying the mock duck. I would say that the texture is nothing like duck, or any meat for that matter, but it is well-seasoned and therefore quite delicious. Is it worth $30.50? Highly questionable.
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| Lavender cake, $21 |
I am deeply upset by this dessert. First, it came out about a minute after it was ordered, which suggests it has been sitting in a fridge all day. Second, the flavours were quite bland and the texture is just a gooey mess. Third, there is little skill to speak of. Fourth, it is $21!!! Compare this dessert to those served at the recently reviewed
Restaurant Leo which truly showcase skill, ingredients and creativity, (and are actually cheaper than this horror) this is a hard pass for me.
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| Gojira, $18; G+T (with violet tonic), $11 |
I was pleasantly surprised by the cocktails at Bodhi. The Gojira is a refreshing, spicy number consisting of gin, plum wine, lemon juice, ginger syrup and chili, and the G+T is refreshingly fragrant - the violet tonic made a world of difference.
Score: 1.5/5
Whilst there were some surprisingly good items, over all, I don't rate the food here. It is overly-dependent on heavy sauces and salt, and the price point does not match up with the skills or creativity of the dishes. I think the google review score is inflated by those who believe in the vegan lifestyle or had low expectations of vegan food in general. If you want to try good vegan food, head to
Alibi - much better value and much better food.
Price: approx $65 pp
Address: 2/4 College St, Sydney
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