After a big day out of exploring Melbourne’s Chinatown, it’s time for some delicious vegan food. So where do you go?
Dumplings, noodles, rice bowls, soup, pho, katsu, dim sum, spring rolls, phad thai, gyoza, xiao bao, bibimbap, curry, tacos, totopos, sushi and desserts. It’s all right here.
Following on from the Ultimate Chinatown Melbourne Travel Guide, here is a comprehensive vegan food guide on what to eat and where.
Don’t forget to check out the Vegan Food Guide to Brunswick Street in Fitzroy which has over 50 vegan friendly restaurants and cafes you can choose from along one street!
These restaurants have clearly marked vegan options. Menus can change. They were correct as of June 2022.
VEGAN FOOD OPTIONS
MR RAMEN SAN
(12a/200 Bourke Street. Inside Midcity Centre)
Cozy Japanese restaurant open for lunch and dinner. Makes their fresh ramen in store every day.
Highlights: Vegetarian Charsu Ramen, Vegetarian Tofu Ramen (ask for no egg to make it vegan).
SHANDONG MAMA
(7/200 Bourke Street. Inside Midcity Centre)
Famous for their vegan handmade dumplings.
Highlights: Vegan dumplings, Mapo tofu, Zucchini Pie, Potato Pancakes.
SHANGHAI STREET
(146-148 Little Bourke Street)
One of the first Melbourne Chinese food restaurants in Chinatown.
Highlights: Xiao Long Bao, Dumplings, Chinese Broccoli, Vegetable Bun, Noodles and Veg.
BANGKOK JAM
(107 Little Bourke Street)
Modern Thai restaurant that is well priced.
Highlights: Fried Rice, Phad Thai, Gaeng Jued, Spring Rolls, Pomelo Salad, Phad See Ew, Curry, Soup.
RICE WORKSHOP
(238 Little Bourke Street)
Authentic Japanese rice bar that has a clearly marked vegan curry.
Highlights: Vegan Katsu Curry.
SHANGHAI VILLAGE
(112 Little Bourke Street)
Situated in a beautiful heritage building this is a well known Chinese dumpling house.
Highlights: Fried and steamed dumplings, spring rolls, fried pancakes, Chinese broccoli with garlic, fried rice
BY KOREA
(7 Tattersalls Lane)
A really cute authentic Korean restaurant.
Highlights: Dumplings, Kimchi Pancakes, mushroom chapche, bibimbap, tuckboki.
GINGERBOY
(27-29 Crossley Street)
Funky bar and restaurant serving up South East Asian street food.
Highlights: Stir fried rice noodle rolls, coconut curry
HOCHI MAMA
(35 Little Bourke Street)
Really cool Vietnamese fusion restaurant.
Highlights: Green tea tofu bao, rice paper rolls, sweet and sour vegan duck, fried rice, cashew stir fry, Penang style coconut curry, roti with satay sauce.
GONG DE LIN
(3 Swanston Street)
100% plant based, this restaurant is well known in the Melbourne vegan community. Everything you remember eating non vegan in a Chinese restaurant is here.
Highlights: Peking duck, sweet and sour pork, lemon chicken, sizzling Szechuan beef
BODEGA UNDERGROUND
(55 Little Bourke Street)
Funky eclectic Mexican restaurant that is also a child-free venue.
Highlights: Totopos, papas, elote, tacos, churros.
DAUGHTER IN LAW
(37 Little Bourke Street)
Authentic Australian-Indian Bar and Restaurant near the Parliament train station end of little Bourke.
Highlights: Coconut Veg Curry, Old Delhi Vegan Chana Masala, Jeera Aloo
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