Broadsheet: Bodhi Says Farewell After 34 Years
The end of an era! Thank you to each and every one of you who has celebrated our journey with us over the past couple of weeks. The support of the Bodhi community is something we will keep very close to my heart forever.
While it's a farewell to Cook & Phillip Park, we definitely have some exciting projects in the pipeline so keep in touch via our newsletter and socials.
Check out the full article here.
Other notable mentions include:
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The Morning Show: Mother's Day
Had a blast on The Morning Show whipping up some Vegan Cinnamon Scrolls with the kids in celebration of Mother's Day. The perfect sweet treat to spoil the mum in your life and a great way to get the kids involved in the kitchen.
Check out the full episode and recipe here.
Nourish Awards 2022: Vote #1 for Bodhi
We're excited to announce that we have been nominated for The Best in Vegan Restaurant Dining category as part of this year's Nourish Awards. We came out on top in 2020 so help us get to that number 1 spot again by slinging us a vote.
Voting opens April 28th and closes July 17th 2022.
Vote for us here.
Nourish Magazine: Dharma in the Dumplings
Bodhi owner, Heaven sat down with the team at Nourish Magazine to chat through the history of the restaurant and how it has become the institution it is today. From cooking style to community we cover it all. Best read alongside a plate of vegan Yum Cha.
Read the full article here.
The Morning Show: Celebrate Lunar New Year with our Prosperity Salad Bowl Recipe
To celebrate the Year of the Tiger, we're excited to share our version of the Malaysian Chinese Yee Sang dish (Prosperity Salad). This dish usually consists of fish mixed with shredded vegetables and a variety of sauces and is typically consumed during Chinese New Year with family and friends.
This dish can be made in many different ways depending on one’s heritage or family customs, but we hope you enjoy our Vegan twist on this traditional dish!
Read the full article here.
WHO Magazine: A Vegan Christmas
We're excited to be featured in WHO Magazine this month to share some of our favourite recipes for the festive season. From mains to dessert, being vegan doesn't mean missing out on your favourites this Christmas. Even the meat-eaters will give the thumbs up.
See all the recipes here.
Good Food Guide: Best Yum Cha Restaurants 2022
We're excited to be featured in the Good Food Guide this month as one of the Best Yum Cha Restaurants of 2022. Whether you're vegan or not, we definitely think our dumplings are worth the hype. From wontons to steamed bread buns, we've got you covered!
Read the full article here.
The Morning Show: Vegan Christmas Trifle
We're excited to have featured on Channel 7's The Morning Show this month to share Heaven's recipe for her Vegan Lemon Gin Cheesecake Trifle. This dessert is delicious and easy to whip up, making it the perfect centrepiece for your dinner table this festive season.
See the full episode and recipe here.
The Urban List: 24 of the Best Vegan Restaurants in Sydney Right Now
We're excited to be included in Urban List's round up of the Best Vegan Restaurants in Sydney right now. From our Yum Cha lunch to our creative dinner menu, we've got you covered this Veganuary. Now is a better time than ever to try some of these delicious plant-based eats!
Read the full article here.
Concrete Playground: The Best Sydney Restaurants For An Excellent Lunar New Year Feast
To celebrate the Year of the Tiger, we're excited to be included in Concrete Playground's list of the best restaurants putting on a feast for Lunar New Year. We'll be kicking off February 1st with our annual Lion Dance performance at 6pm, with our menu specials running until 11th February. Book now to avoid missing out!
Read the full article here.
The Morning Show: World Vegan Day
To celebrate World Vegan Day 2021, Bodhi owner Heaven has created some delicious, yet easy to make plant-based dishes for you to enjoy.
This Asian inspired mushroom ravioli with a cashew parmesan, followed by a vegan orange and almond cake are the perfct dinner and dessert for both little and big kids.
Read the full article here.
All The Right Ingredients with Heaven Leigh
Earlier this month Bodhi owner, Heaven Leigh caught up with North Shore Times to chat through why she loves her local area. Here she shares some of her favourite local cafes and restaurants that she visits on the regular.
Read the full article here.
Why Bodhi Is In The Top 5 Best Restaurants For Vegans in Australia?
Being Australia's oldest vegan restaurant, Bodhi Restaurant has become a bit of an institution for both the vegan community and non-vegans alike. Maybe it's the Yum Cha or maybe the tranquil scenes of Cook and Philip Park but we're excited to be featured as one of the Top 5 Vegan Restaurants.
Read the full article here.
Why Bodhi Lives Up To Its Hype As The Best Vegan Restaurant In Sydney
"I’ve been a vegetarian since I was six years old and could really put together that the lump of meat on my plate used to be one of the adorable cows I’d seen on family road trips and decided that wasn’t for me. I can tell you that until about five years ago, trying to find a nice restaurant as a vego was a real pain in the arse. Not any more."
Read the full article here.
Survey Says 73% of Men Would Rather “Die Younger” than Give Up Meat
Australia’s longest-running vegan restaurant Bodhi Restaurant Bar has created a special dish exclusively for No Meat May. Dubbed the ‘No Meat Tartare’ it is available right now for $18. This clever dish resembles the traditional steak tartare made using raw beef, Bodhi’s plant-based No Meat Tartare is made with chopped beetroot and Portobello mushrooms as a base, topped with crispy rice crackers and avocado wasabi cream, and drizzled with truffle oil.
Read the full article here.
Body+Soul: Your simple, no-fuss guide to going vegan by Heaven
People make the decision to go vegan or plant-based for a number of reasons. Whether they’re concerned with the ethics of animal consumption, the effect that industry has on the environment or in order to eat more fruit and veg, the diet is the same. However, the process of becoming vegan is a whole thing on its own.
Speaking to Body+Soul’s daily podcast Healthy-ish, Heaven Leigh, owner of Sydney-based vegan restaurant Bodhi Restaurant Bar, says that going vegan is not just about food.
Read the full article here.
The Morning Show: How to bake a Vegan Berry Yoghurt Cake for mum this Mother’s Day
To celebrate Mother's Day, Larry and Kylie from Channel 7 invited Heaven and her two children to The Morning Show to bake a delicious cake.
This French Children Yogurt Cake recipe is taught by grandmothers in France and it's designed to teach toddlers the concept of simple measurements, as it only requires a bowl, a big spoon, a cake tin, and a yoghurt cup.
Read the full article here.
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The Morning Show: How to cook the perfect wonton soup for Lunar New Year
To celebrate Lunar New Year, Larry and Kylie from Channel 7 invited Heaven and Brooke to showcase how easy it is to make your own batch of wontons at home, live on the Morning Show. Click to watch the cooking segment and keep reading for the modified recipe!
Read the full article here.
Catch Bodhi's Owner, Heaven Leigh, on ABC
ONA, a vegan restaurant in France, was awarded a coveted Michelin star in Jan 2021, and Heaven was invited to talk about all things vegan on ABC radio with host Josh Szeps.
Tune in now as she shares her view on what great vegan cooking is and some insights on the latest plant-based trends, which may or may not include cauliflower rice, impossible burger, and a sneak peek into Bodhi's peking duck recipe.
Read the full article here.
The Sunday Telegraph: Lunar New Year 2021 food celebrations
“X” definitely marks the spot for a most excellent meal at one Bodhi Restaurant Bar, a long-standing plant-based Pan Asian destination this Lunar New Year.
Restaurant owner Heaven Leigh says: “Chinese New Year is a symbolic celebration of good food, family and friendships. Food has always been a great connector of people; a universal language."
Read the full article here.
It's official!
Bodhi is Australasia's favourite vegan restaurant!
Thank you for your wonderful support getting behind us this year. We are over the moon to be recognised as the Best Vegan Restaurant in the inaugural @nourish_au Vegan Awards! What a way to celebrate World Vegan Day!
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We are humbled to be highlighted among so many amazing vegan restaurants, bars and cafes, and alongside other great cruelty-free and plant-based brands in other categories in our wonderful community.
Read the full article here.
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Balancing the Grind with Heaven Leigh, Vegan Entrepreneur & Owner of Bodhi Restaurant Bar
I grew up in a world of restaurants, cafés, bars and clubs – my family has been in the hospitality industry for three generations.
Over the years, I’ve worked for both my family’s businesses and for others in the industry, including restaurateur Stan Sarris and his Australian group Eaternity and in notable overseas restaurants Hakkasan, Nobu and Gilgamesh while I was living abroad.
Read the full article here.
Cool Guides: HOW TO DO VEGAN RIGHT IN SYDNEY
Sydney has had an explosion of vegan or vegan friendly eateries over the last 5 years and there’s no better city to explore this cuisine than the harbourside, unofficial capitol of Australia.
What’s wonderful about the culture of Sydney is that people here really embrace food and the variety on offer. Even if you are eating at a non-vegan establishment there is generally something more than just a side salad available for you to order.
Read the full article here.
The Sunday Telegraph: Food that will fix you
If the joy of Christmas and the New Year are still lingering... around your waist, then here are the place you are the places you need to offset some of the excess.
The menu at Bodhi is a resolute read for all of those who want to start the "Roaring 20s" as healthy as possible.
Read the full article here.
Planet Ark: 'Everyday Enviro with Elise - Making meat-free must-have at Bodhi'
Recently, Sydney vegan restaurant Bodhi hosted a lunch to raise much needed funds for Horse Rescue Australia, Sydney’s only horse rescue service – a service that receives no government funding whatsoever. The lunch – held on 5 November – ran as an anti-event, juxtaposing the hundreds of events across Australia supporting and viewing the Melbourne Cup horse race.
Read the full article here.
The Sunday Telegraph: 'Dumplings have gone truly bananas'
Acclaimed Sydney vegan dumpling house Bodhi also recently threw off the shackles and began experimenting with native Australain ingredients such as lemon myrtle, wattle seeds, kakadu plums, quandongs and native limes.
Read the full article here.
Whimn: 'I'm A Card-Carrying Vegetarian But Shaming Cup-Goers Isn't The Answer'
Heaven Leigh is strongly against the whole racing industry, but believes change will only happen if society redefines what we deem acceptable.
Read the full article here.
The Sydney Morning Herald: 'Money is not as important as values': businesses say Nup to the Cup
Melbourne Cup lunch is generally a big money spinner for Sydney's CBD eateries, but Bodhi on College Street used to budget for a quiet day. Not that it wasn't inundated with requests.
Read the full article here.
Time Out: Bodhi's Nup the Cup Lunch
Not into Melbourne Cup and the slew of controversy and cruelty that goes with it? Vegan Sydney restaurant Bodhi feels you, and after a sell-out inaugural outing in 2018, the team is hosting its Nup the Cup lunch again this year to help raise funds and awareness for Horse Rescue Australia.
Read the full article here.
Eat Drink Play: Say Nup to the Cup with a vegan Yum-Cha feast in the heart of the CBD
After its sell-out inaugural event in 2018, Bodhi’s Nup the Cup returns on Tuesday, November 5th. For those looking for an alternative to your typical Melbourne Cup celebrations, this event will be right up your alley.
Read the full article here.
Gourmet Traveller: On the pass: Kitty Hong Xiao of Sydney vegan restaurant Bodhi
Read the full article here.
Broadsheet: Nup the Cup
Vegan yum cha at Bodhi: a happy alternative to horse racing.
Read the full article here.
Urban List: It’s World Vegan Month, Celebrate At Sydney’s Best Vegan Restaurants
Bodhi near Hyde Park is an icon of vegan dining in Sydney! While the a la carte dinner is lovely, Bodhi is renowned for its vegan yum cha.
Read the full article here.
Life Without Andy: Time To Dine: Eight Of Our Favourite Vegan Restaurants In Sydney
After 21 years of providing environmentally friendly and (not to be dramatic but) life-altering food, along with an authentically trendy atmosphere, Bodhi has nailed vegan eating.
Read the full article here.
Social101: FOODIE 101** Bodhi Yum Cha
I have been a vegetarian for over 20 years and I still can’t believe that I have only just recently had yum cha at Bodhi vegan restaurant for the first time!
Read the full article here.
Eat Drink Play: The Ultimate Sydney Yum Cha Guide
This is a completely vegan yum cha spot, located in Cook and Phillip Park on the edge of the CBD. Bodhi’s cooking style adheres to the Buddhist philosophy that does not include onion, chives, garlic, leeks and spring onion in its methods.
Read the full article here.
MiNDFOOD: Six of the best vegan restaurants in Sydney
If you're unsure about how fast the vegan movement is gaining momentum, take yourself along to one of these - six of the best vegan restaurants in Sydney.
Read the full article here.
Time To Dine: Eight Of Our Favourite Vegan Restaurants In Sydney
After 21 years of providing environmentally friendly and (not to be dramatic but) life-altering food, along with an authentically trendy atmosphere, Bodhi has nailed vegan eating. Our very own Jack Bennet has admitted to having dreams about the ‘light crispy finger eggplant’ almost a month after eating there, so if you know what’s good for you, try them out.
Read the full article here.
Cafe Review: "Putting the yum into a vegan yum cha"
Recent animal rights protests around the country led Prime Minister Scott Morrison to brand the activists involved as‘‘green criminals’’. Hmmm. If there are any scary vegan militants here eating yum cha at Bodhi, they’re very well disguised as cocktail-drinking couples,peaceful Indian and Chinese family groups,city corporates, out-of-towners and the odd Buddhist monk. Vegan yum cha,you say?Is that a thing? Yes,and has been since Bodhi opened in Chinatown in1988,with third-generation owner Heaven Leigh opening this incarnation in Cook and Phillip Park in 2000. But is it old-vegan(mock meats and TVP),or new-vegan (aquafaba and booze)?
Read the full article here.
Good Weekend 52 best brunches 2019: Top 15 in Sydney
Why: Because brunch isn't always about eggs and bacon. Sometimes it's about NO eggs and NO bacon; just green tea and choi sum dumplings, glass noodle spring rolls, and the most delightful, crisp-skinned pumpkin-shaped pumpkin balls that everyone, vegan and omnivore, can enjoy.
Read the full article here.
SBS: How to eat your way through Sydney's Lunar New Year fun
Colour, food and tradition are synonymous with Lunar New Year and you're all invited.
From dumplings galore, yum cha record attempts and congee breakfasts to musical performances, dragon boat races, fireworks and plenty of ways to get your market fix, we've picked a few highlights that are set to satisfy your appetites and immerse you in a celebration wrapped in luck, honour and delicious optimism for the year ahead.
Read the full article here.
Broadsheet: Where to Feast in Sydney This Lunar New Year
While pork won’t be on the menu at vegan institution Bodhi, it is serving a New Year menu all month long. There’s the lunch yum cha set menu ($35), which features snow pea dumplings, and an evening menu ($60) of traditional long noodles for love and longevity.
On February 5 the restaurant is throwing a dinner party with lion performers and a $60 set menu. Choose from a mixed basket of vegan dumplings, crisp “chicken” skewers, roasted teriyaki cauliflower salad or Bodhi’s Peking “duck” for your feast. Five dollars from every booking will be donated to Little Oak Sanctuary in support of rescued farmed animals.
Read the full article here.
City Hub: Year of the Pig
Throughout February, diners will be able to enjoy Bodhi’s pan-Asian inspired vegan dishes, with Lunar NewYear specials aiming to Y Y ensure a prosperous life. The evening set menu features a traditional Lunar NewYear Y Y dish known as Longevity Noodles which is believed to symbolise and bring a long and prosperous life to those who eat it. Bodhi owner Heaven Leigh says, “Celebrating the Lunar NewYear is a special tradition in Y Y my family, a time to reflect on the year past, and set intentions for the one ahead. It’s a time to come together with the ones we love and enjoy delicious food.”
Read the full article here.
Three Decades of Bodhi: A Sydney Vegan Institution
It started as a kitsch Chinatown Taoist diner. Now this plant-based yum cha restaurant has just turned 30 years old.
The restaurant game is notoriously fickle. Most businesses don’t last more than a year, and the ones that do rarely celebrate a five-year anniversary. Not Bodhi, which occupies a corner of Cook and Phillip Park under St Mary’s Cathedral – this year, it turns 30.
Read the full article here.
The Urban List: Where To Eat In Sydney This Valentine's Day
This Valentine's Day, no need to rack your brains to think of the best date night idea, because we've got you covered.
Here are 11 places to book into this Valentine's Day.
Read the full article here.
Sitchu: Nutritious & Delicious - 11 of Sydney's Healthiest Restaurants
Achieving your health goals in Sydney is easy – with an outdoors lifestyle, year-round warm climate and access to some of the best fresh produce in the world, it's no wonder Sydney is blessed with a myriad of health-conscious eateries. Luckily, the city has seen a surge in healthy chefs, who cater to diner demand by whipping up meals that are both nutritious and delicious. When dinnertime rolls around, they forgo flavouring their food with huge amounts of butter, salt and oil, and instead cook clean, lean and colourful dishes that taste just as good, if not better.
So to help plan your next night out around your New Year diet plan, we've pulled together our pick of the best healthy restaurants in Sydney. Because eating good doesn't have to be boring. Here’s where to go for a feel-good dinner fix.
Read the full article here.
delicious. online: "You need this vegan yum cha in your life"
"Heaven puts much of the success of Bodhi down to not staying still. “We’ve had to keep stepping up the creativity as the competition increases, and evolve as a business – we work very closely with suppliers on product development.” That creativity comes with an international edge; in the past year Heaven has made research trips to Barcelona, Indonesia and London to learn from other vegan restaurants. The result is a vegan restaurant as far from the out-of-date stereotypes as it’s possible to imagine."
Read the full article here.
The Vegan Company: "Is Bodhi The Best Vegan Buddhist-Based Restaurant in Australia? Yes. Yes, it is."
"It was in this oasis that I found myself on a recent summer night, with a vegan-curious omnivore in tow. Sat amongst stunning Moreton Bay figs wrapped in twinkling fairy lights, we chowed down on the yummiest organic, seasonal vegan food I’ve tasted in a few months."
Read the full article here.
Mind Food: "Six of the best venues for vegans in Sydney"
"Bodhi Restaurant Bar was ahead of the curve when it opened a 100 per cent vegan eatery in Sydney in 1988. The family-owned business run by third-generation restaurateur, Heaven Leigh, is now located in Sydney’s historic Cook + Phillip Park."
Read the full article here.
Good Food: "Why plant-based is more palatable than vegan"
"What is the difference between vegan and plant-based? This is a question I am often asked. Most of us by now have heard the term 'plant-based'. Essentially, it's a diet based on fruits, vegetables, tubers, whole grains and legumes, avoiding animal products, eggs and dairy. More and more the term plant-based is used instead of vegan."
Read the full article by Heaven Leigh here.
Concrete Playground Review:
"Credited with pioneering vegan yum-cha and pan-Asian cuisine, the folks at Bodhi have 21 years of providing environmentally sustainable dining under their belts."
Read the full review here.
"The nation's health report card is in and Australians are living longer than ever before, but we're also among the worst in the world for obesity".
On the food front, Bodhi vegan restaurant owner Heaven Leigh said there are some simple ways to get more veggies on the plate."
"Incorporate lots of different colours and variety to your diet on a regular basis, and do start looking at the vegetable as being the main portion of your meal as opposed to a side portion," Ms Leigh said.
Medical Journalist Michael Mosley agreed.
Watch the full report here:
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/australians-don-t-eat-enough-vegetables-report-finds
SBS Food: "We ate here before meat-free went mainstream"
Sydney’s Bodhi and Melbourne’s Vegie Bar have been around for decades. How much has changed since they’ve started?
Lee Tram Lam interviews Bodhi owner Heaven Leigh for SBS about vegan food, what inspires her and 30 years in the industry..
Read the full article here.
'Sydney Weekender'
When you think ‘vegan’ it’s hard not to think of tofu burgers with a side of mung beans. But thanks to a number of creative eateries ‘plant-based’ restaurants (as they now being called), are serving up exciting vegan dishes…just not as you know them.
Meet the ‘new look’ vegan food. Yep, ‘vegan’ is no longer a dirty word!
See the full segment here:
http://www.sydneyweekender.com.au/eating-out/bodhi-restaurant-bar/
"Best Vegan Restaurants - Sydney"
Vegan celebrity Bonny Rebecca has recently uploaded a new video blog featuring Bodhi and the best Sydney Vegan eats!
Be sure to follow the link to see her vlog!
"Viva las Vegan"
Even the most committed carnivore will have to tip their hat to Bodhi once they have sampled the punchy flavours of this vegan yum cha menu, and the park-side location makes for a real feel-good experience.
Sitting with a crisp glass of white and a serving of pumpkin and snow pea dumplings while the sun dapples through the trees is heaven.
http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20110823-sip-quietly-a-guide-to-sydneys-dining-secrets
"Dim Sum Delight"
Yum Cha is believed to have originated in during the 8th century in Guangzhou, south China, when tea house proprietors offered small snacks of dim sum to patrons. As yum cha spread to the cities, and across the world, it moved from tea houses to restaurants.
Bodhi’s Hong Kong trained chef, “Kitty” Xiao Hong Huang, is one of Sydney’s few female yum cha chefs. “It’s a field dominated by male chefs trained in Hong Kong.” Leigh says.
Read the full article here.
"Sydney's Top Yum Cha Restaurants"
Bodhi serves up Sydney’s only vegetarian yum cha, seven days a week. Not just vegetarian but Buddhist vegan, which means, among other things, no onions, no chives and no garlic. Adding to the charm is its appropriately tranquil setting in Cook and Phillip Park, with a lovely alfresco terrace tucked away under giant Moreton Bay fig trees.
Best bet: The spring gau vegetarian dumplings, filled with baby corn, peas, carrot and tofu.
Read the full article here.
Best Weekend Review
“NESTLED between St Mary’s Cathedral and the Cook And Phillip Park Pool is an outdoor restaurant/bar that is home to food in inverted commas. They serve “prawns”, “Peking duck” and “dumplings” among other Asian delights. Why the inverted commas? Because nothing is what it seems at this fresh-air delight.
Verdict: A refreshing change of pace.”
Check out the full article here.