Vegan
Take-out
Asian
Catering
Vietnamese

A vegan Vietnamese food restaurant featuring an extensive menu of dishes made with tofu and vegetables plus a range of mock meats. Has high chairs for children. Open Mon-Sun 5:30pm-10:30pm, Tue-Sun 11:30am-2:30pm.


82 Reviews

First Review by Altotude

BelindaMilne

Points +22

Vegan
29 Jun 2018

Wonderful experience all round

Au Lac food, service and experience is always great. The owners and staff are so friendly and helpful.

sicahjes

Points +28

Vegan
18 May 2018

Ridiculous EFTPOS Minimum

I’ve been here a number of times. The food has always been great, but the sense of entitlement is grating. They had a $30 EFTPOS minimum and raised it to $35 when people complained. They claimed they needed to for business purposes, but the vegan place serving similar food a few doors up doesn’t. Not great for single people getting takeaway. They also don’t split bills. Don’t be fooled when they offer you tea on arrival. It’s not complimentary

Pros: 100% vegan, Food is good

Cons: High EFTPOS minimum, Won’t split bills.

S.John

25 Mar 2025

I've also seen At Least 30 Customers giving " One Star " as well as " Two Stars " on GOOGLE Review ........There are number of Tasty Vegan Restaurants in Sydney though ....

HappyOtter

Points +317

Vegan
15 Feb 2018

Overpriced and mediocre

Also note, doesn't have much selection for wheat intolerant customers.

The food isn't bad, but it's not great value. We prefer the nearby Kingsland.

Pros: good selection

Cons: overpriced

S.John

25 Mar 2025

I've also seen At Least 30 Customers giving " One Star " as well as " Two Stars " on GOOGLE Review ........There are number of Tasty Vegan Restaurants in Sydney though ....

I've ALSO Tried "Kingsland " for Ages in the Past ( The Owner was A Chinese Couple Living in Florey Long Time Ago ). There has been A New Owner for Years with New Restaurant Name " UTOPIA" :-))) .....I've tried YUMMY Dishes at UTOPIA As Well...... :-))) !!!

Gado-Gado Gal

Points +132

Vegetarian
02 Feb 2018

For a more formal vegan meal

It had been 5 or 6 years since we'd last eaten at Au Lac. It used to be our preferred vegetarian restaurant in Dickson. Recently, finding that our now-favourite Kingsland was not yet open for a late lunch/early dinner, we decided to try Au Lac again. The dining area of the restaurant has been completely renovated, and they have a new, fancier menu. The ambience is perfect for a lovely evening meal. We tried the Bun (vermicelli), Roast Duck, and fresh juices. Everything was light and delicious, even though we prefer the roast duck from Kingsland. We'll eat here again.

Pros: Lovely ambiance, Fresh, nicely presented food, Separate menu with gluten-free options

Cons: pricier than others, but not overpriced

S.John

25 Mar 2025

Yep, Must AGREE with You about YUMMY Mock Roast DUCK from " Kingsland "........Have Eaten that Dish from Kingsland Ages AGO ,......Way BACK in EARLY 2000s ( Still Remember the OWNER was A Chinese Couple Living in FLOREY back then ) :-))

On the other hand , Also Must Agree with You about High Prices from " Au Lac ".I've also seen At Least 30 Customers giving " One Star " as well as " Two Stars " on GOOGLE Review ........There are number of Tasty Vegan Restaurants in Sydney though ....

RachelPana

Points +196

Vegan
06 Jan 2018

such good variety

This place has a wide range of options, the satay skewers, honey chicken and duck wraps are amazing. We went for dinner and then lunch the next day!

swainjohnson

Points +30

Vegan
30 Dec 2017

Yummmm

Amazing food!! Never tried Asian mock meats before today and I was blown away. Especially the mock lemon chicken and plum duck! Would 100% recommend.
Also super quick and friendly service with food out within 5 minutes.

Ruwi

Points +771

Vegan
21 Oct 2017

Vegan foodie heaven

Lovely vegan Vietnamese restaurant with a huge menu! We had the "duck" rolls "seafood" rolls for entrée - delicious and I'm not a fan of mock meats. Very generous portions & reasonable prices. $92 fed 3 people 2 x entrée, 3 x mains, 3 x desserts & iced coffee. We have enough food for takeaway dinner! Highly recommend

WonderWoman6

Points +34

Vegan
19 Sep 2017

please come back to Wollongong!!!

We are from Wollongong and used to eat at the restaurant there all the time. Now we can only get your amazing food once or twice a year when we visit Canberra. Please come back to the gong 😀

AlexSuchy

Points +122

Vegan
23 Jul 2017

Make sure you're hungry

The servings are just about as big as the taste. If someone thinks vegan food sucks. Take them here!

WoodyAndBertie

Points +866

Vegan
11 Apr 2017

Yes, but

I used to visit Au Lac regularly so it was good to come back after at least a couple of years. They have meanwhile completely renovated the place which is a big improvement - more spacious and open. We tried a soup - which was a huge serving and very good and a Vietnamese crepe which was so-so. The side salad with the crepe was just a few slices of iceberg lettuce, three slices of cucumber and some limp Vietnamese mint which added nothing to the meal. Meanwhile the crepe was lacking in flavour and skimpy on the filling. However the apple and kale juice was refreshing...but very sweet.
Service was quick to start but as the place filled up the lone waitress was stretched and there was at least 10 minutes gap between my main course and my partners arriving at the table.

Updated from previous review on 2017-04-11

Pros: Good choice and decor

Cons: Vietnamese food tastes much better than this

TofuManchu

Points +83

Vegan
06 Mar 2017

What's not to love?

Friendly, quick service. Delicious food. My favourite restaurant in Canberra

Pips

Points +1702

Vegan
06 Nov 2016

Mock Meat Heaven

Was good food and large portions. Our favourites were the satay skewers, the salt and pepper mock squid and the hot pot. Would definitely come back next time I'm in Canberra.

happy little atheist

Points +71

Vegan
02 Oct 2016

Vietnamese food is superb

I love this place. Vietnamese food done vegan is the best thing in the world. I have visited about once per year for the last decade when visiting Canberra. I need to remember to save room for the special three coloured drink, because it never really fits in and I don't enjoy it as much.

Pros: Cheap, Vegan pho, Nice venue

Cons: Is in Canberra

travelvegans12345

Points +24

Vegan
21 Sep 2016

Delicious

This place is awesome! Great atmosphere, makes you feel right at home. It's always packed because the food is delicious and affordable. Service is great. Food choice is fantastic. Portion sizes are also good. My husband found the dishes a little lacking in flavour but I found them gentle and tasty. One thing we noticed was that they state on their wall that no onion, shallots, garlic are used but they do have these items in some of the meals. Not that this is problematic for us, just an observation. We will definitely come again. Best VEGAN restaurant in all of Canberra.

Pros: atmosphere, good value, excellent food and great variety

Cons: difficult to get a seat sometimes, some dishes could be more flavoursome

Kodaria

Points +21

Vegetarian
29 Jul 2016

Delicious

Fantastic No-Meat food
Everything that is called meat, is actually tofu.
Tastes great
As a vegetarian, my favourite place to eat
Bit pricey, but good portion sizes

Pros: all veggie, some vegan , delicious

Cons: bit costly

Carla.Rowe23

Points +411

Vegan
10 Apr 2016

Great Vietnamese Food!

Au Lac has a large range of mock meat dishes that are vegetarian or vegan.

There entree range isn't as extensive as Kingsland down the road though.

The wait time for food in minimal and the staff are attentive.

Their menu can be found on their Facebook page.

The crispy tofu was amazing!

A great place to bring to your non vegan friends as well :)

choogirl

Points +807

Vegan
07 Nov 2015

Great vegan find

This Vietnamese restaurant is fantastic. When I asked what was vegetarian and vegan the guy serving said they've changed the menu and it's ALL VEGAN now except some of the desserts (like ice cream). There is also a gluten free menu if you care about that.

I highly recommend the eggplant claypot and the Shanton 'Chicken'. So good! I went with a meat eater and she said she wouldn't have known the chicken was fake if we weren't in a veggie restaurant.

Pros: Vegan menu (except desserts), Numerous options

Franz Huckleberry

Points +42

Vegan
23 Jun 2014

Go to vegan food in Canberra

I can't count the number of times I've been here since moving to Canberra, for takeaway and eat in. Delicious food, always incredibly fast, open late - a rarity in Canberra. I've enjoyed many a meal with meat eaters who are pleasantly surprised. My favourites are probably bird's nest, laksa, crispy (soy) duck and curry puffs. They make good three colour drink too. I've always wanted to try the deep fried soy icecream but somehow eat way to much and can't fit it in!

Pros: Amazing vegan vietnamese food, Super fast, Cheap and open late

vegelover

Points +336

Vegetarian
08 Apr 2014

Very yummy vegetarian meals

Been to Canberra recently, tried out their fried tofu, vegetarian fish & soya duck noodle. Very nice vegetarian food. Impressed by the atmosphere and quality of food. friendly staff.

Need to tell them if don't want want onion, garlic in the meal.

Pros: Easy to find, Nice vegetarian food, Friendly staff

veganem

Points +106

Vegan
22 Oct 2013

Vegan Heaven

Hands down best place for vegans to eat in Canberra. The laksas, roast soy duck and Vietnamese cannaloni are favourites.

Milnesco

Points +627

Vegan
26 Aug 2013

wonderful food and ambience

Quality and nice.ambience

vegan mikal

Points +643

Vegan
25 Feb 2013

Upmarket feel, great flavours

Au Lac was only half full when we dropped in for our first visit - a casual Sunday lunch. Right away, we were impressed that many of the folks finishing off their meals were long-time regulars, a positive sign for first-timers in any eating establishment.

We decided to order three different noodle soups and a mock pork-and-noodle dish. We were amazed by the massive bowls that appeared quickly at our table. Lunch turned into a drawn-out affair as we struggled through our huge and very flavoursome soups. Although the recipes were clearly simple, the meals were nourishing and filling.

Au Lac is clean and sleek, with well-trained and genuinely helpful staff. It feels like it should be a much more expensive venue; thankfully, its menu is moderately priced. It is a must for anyone wishing to experience vegan Vietnamese food in plush surroundings.
Updated from previous review on Monday February 25, 2013

Pros: Prices are just right, Great staff, Nice interior

Kimbo86

Points +28

Vegan
30 Jan 2013

Yummy!

My boyfriend and I came across this place while looking for kingsland. We r both vegan but the menu is vego and doesn't use egg so most of the menu is suitable for vegans. So glad we came here!! It was fresh, tasty and so so delicious! We had the lemon chicken and tofu with veg and cashews, it was so good! One of the best mock meats we have ever had. The decor is nice and open and clean and the owner was super nice. He said they have just opened another in woolongong, I wish he would open one in adelaide where we r from! I loved it!

Pros: Great mock meat, No too oily - very fresh, Nice decor

moo

Points +70

Mostly Veg
25 Jul 2012

Wonderful fresh flavour and variety

Au Lac makes me salivate at the thought of visiting Canberra (which is generally not a happy thought for a Sydney-sider).

In true Vietnamese style, it prides itself on fresh vegetables cooked but still crisp, with mock-meats thrown in, and flavours that are simple but can be extended with provided herbs. The restaurant has a variety of foods on the menu, but none has failed to please the tastebuds.

Pros: excellent food, healthy cuisine, good value

ShelA

Points +539

Vegan
14 Apr 2012

Best vegan restaurant meals yet!

Au Lac is a mostly vegan restaurant it is well priced, and had amazing flavour balance in the dishes between fresh vegetables and the focus of the dish. I can highly recommend this understated gem. We will definitely be returning.

Pros: Vegan food options, Price, Service

sbszine

Points +250

Vegan
19 Mar 2012

Very good

A bunch of unrelated asian foods, ranging from Thai to RSL Chinese (lemon chicken, beef in black bean) to authentic northwestern Chinese stuff. All very good, in pleasant surrounds. There's a large menu and a very good specials board which seems to change regularly. The best vego in Canberra, I think.
Updated from previous review on Monday March 12, 2012

Pros: Variety, Atmosphere

Cons: Uses honey

VeJo

Points +209

Vegan
06 Apr 2010

Good stuff

We go to Au Lac (Is it French for at/to the lake?) every time we're in Canberra. It's far better value than Kingsland around the corner. The food is tasty and not too greasy. We enjoyed the lemongrass tofu -- very much the same style as salt and pepper tofu -- last time we were there. I don't usually go for spring rolls, but at Au Lac they're great. The tamarind "fish" is also a stand out. This place is certainly up there with the best of Sydney's Asian veg restaurants, and a great place to take the family.

Pros: great food, inexpensive, family friendly




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