Enlightened eats are what one can expect at Bodhi Restaurant Bar. Join us as we delight in a yum cha lunch with owner Heaven Leigh.
“35 years ago, my mother had a chance meeting with a Taoist monk in Chinatown. The Taoist spoke about being a vegetarian, something my mother had never even heard about. Before that I don’t think it had ever crossed her mind that another living creature had to suffer for her personal pleasure. It was one of those kismet moments that changed the course of our lives forever.”
This is how Heaven Leigh, owner of Bodhi Restaurant Bar in Sydney, describes the inception of Australia’s first vegan yum cha restaurant as she welcomes me for lunch.
Deep roots and contemporary flair
Heaven’s mother Lee-Leng founded the original Bodhi concept in 1988 after her enlightening chat with the monk and upon realising there were very few places for vegans or vegetarians to go out and eat at that time. Over the years, the family operated seven plant-based businesses, but it was the Bodhi legacy that Heaven wanted to carry on with as her elders began to retire.
The Bodhi of today is nestled under the 100-year-old Moreton Bay fig trees of Cook + Phillip Park, overlooked by the gothic spires of St Mary’s Cathedral. It’s a special place to linger over lunch as I am today, becoming even more magical as darkness falls and fairy lights twinkle in the branches overhead.
The restaurant retains its spiritual roots by following the Buddhist philosophy of cooking, eschewing the five pungent herbs – onions, garlic, leeks, shallots, and chives. While the yum cha has remained traditional with a South Asian twist, Heaven’s discerning and contemporary hand can be seen in the modern-fusion a la carte dinner menu and the shamelessly swanky drinks list. I simply can’t go past a Gojira, a gin and plum wine cocktail with lemon, ginger, and chilli; however, designated drivers and teetotallers will rejoice in the equally sophisticated selection of non-alcoholic cocktails.
A celebration of diversity
During the yum cha service, waitstaff circulate with an irresistible array of dumplings, steamed buns, noodles, and other delicacies. It’s hard to pick favourites here, but for me, the chilli smoked soy and beetroot dumplings and the rice noodle folds with vegetarian prawns are memorable. If you’re yet to appreciate the flavourful shiitake mushroom in all its glory, this is the place to try them.
Also differentiating Bodhi in the male-dominated hospitality industry is that it is proudly female-led. Aside from Heaven, both of the head chefs are women, and the restaurant has worked hard to add a strong female presence to the industry. Heaven says, “Our highly experienced and talented chefs make almost everything from scratch. Together they bring not only years of experience but also generations of knowledge, skill, and craftsmanship. There is a lot of complexity in the dishes they create.”
The vibe at Bodhi is one of intentional inclusivity, with a clientele comprised of vegans and omnivores alike. “On any given day, it isn’t unusual to see a group of monks at one table, corporate office workers at another, with young families, artists, models, bodybuilders, and judges dotted throughout,” says Heaven. As plant-based has become more mainstream, people are delighting in what Bodhi has to offer for all sorts of reasons – health, ethical, environmental, spiritual, as well as those who are simply avid foodies.
A purpose-driven vision
Incredibly, Heaven has been accused of jumping on the plant-based wagon to make money from veganism. It’s incredible because this is a plant-based restaurant that has been in operation for more than 30 years! Heaven says, “This lifestyle, the food we serve, it isn’t some kind of trend to us. This business was genuinely founded on a belief system that guides us to this day.”
When Heaven took the helm of Bodhi about 20 years ago, it was out of a sense of duty to her family as well as a responsibility to the generations of customers who had dined with them over the years. “I wanted to keep the heart and soul of what my family started back in 1988 but make it more modern and relevant to my generation,” she says.
“What keeps me motivated is my own passion for living a more spiritual, conscious, and plant-based life. To feel fulfilled, be creative, and to run businesses successfully while not compromising on my own personal beliefs. To have a sense of pride in what I do and to hopefully be on the right side of history when my children grow up and ask me, ‘Mum, what did you do to leave the world in a better place than you found it?’”
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After an abundant selection of exquisite yum cha, Heaven recommends the Chinese passion fruit donuts and the mango and soy cream pancakes to finish. I call upon the power of my ‘second belly for dessert’ as surely it would be rude to refuse! And I’m glad I succumbed – these dainty desserts delivered an almost spiritual experience in their own right. Whatever your path, may it bring you here, where the dharma is quite literally exemplified in the dumplings.
