Ballarat vegetarian restaurant and tea shop. Japanese setting with traditional stools for seating. Goyza dumplings, tempura battered vegetables, bubble teas, juices, and more. Tea sets and teas for sale. Kitchen breaks in the afternoon. Open Wed-Sat 11:30am-9:00pm.
Category: Vegan-friendly, Lacto, Ovo, Japanese, Take-out
Reviews (13)
First Review by Aloo
Contributions +23
Nice little place - Edit
We went for dinner Friday night and ordered up a feast.
Very friendly staff and fast delivery of the food.
Portions were right.
My only suggestion is it would be better with bigger and fresh vegetables. Also don't use so much coriander!!
Pros: decor and vibe , lots of choice's , friendly staff
Cons: Too much coriander!, not enough vegetables
Contributions +24
The best place to eat in Ballarat - Edit
Given a choice I wouldn't eat anywhere else.
I've eaten here multiple times in one week and still wanted more.
Contributions +26
Stop for a chat at Chat. - Edit
A lovely dining experience tucked away in Ballarat.
Lots of mock meat options. Would highly recommend the soy nuggets. Most of the menu is vegan, only 2 options, that were vegetarian only.The only thing that would have improved our dining experience is a nice glass of wine to accompany the meal.
Pros: Great service, Big portion sizes, Well priced
Cons: Not licensed
Contributions +21
Favourite Vegetarian Restaurant - Edit
I particularly like all of the starter options: the soy nuggets, nutty tempeh, spring rolls, vietnamese rolls and soy skewers are delicious. Fantastic tempura.
Some of the mains are a bit stew like for me (eg. green curry) but the accompanying rice is delicious and firm (just right).
My favourite main dish is Pad Thai it is very filling and with delicious fresh herbs (huge serving).
Nice quiet atmosphere (especially Wednesday) can get full on Friday at peak times.
I find the food to be enjoyable comfort food and have not found anywhere better in Victoria.
Pros: Excellent delicious comfort food, hot tea, feel at home when quiet and when busy
Contributions +28
A surprising veg oasis in Ballarat - Edit
My favourite restaurant whenever I'm in Ballarat. It's worth coming here for the tea selection alone, but I love the food here. The sizzling plates are great and the 'duck' is so good. Any of the entrees are safe bets as well.
Pros: Great tea selection, Relaxed atmosphere
Contributions +2030
Very good with just a couple let downs - Edit
I'd been here once years ago and was looking forward to trying it again on this visit to Ballarat. We came in the early evening and the place was about half full. We looked at the menu and were surprised to find that vegan items weren't specified. When I went up to the counter to order (as it's counter service) I saw there was one menu at there on which vegan and gluten-free items were marked. The fried gyoza were delicious, not too soft or oily. The Pad Thai was very good: fresh, pungent and light. The mock pork stir-fry was also delicious, except for one fairly important thing: the potato was significantly undercooked. Afterwards we went to order dessert. I asked about the banana fritter and ice cream, but the ice cream wasn't vegan. On top of this they had just thrown out the last of the vegan chocolate avocado tart. (It was 7pm and it was still on the blackboard menu.) A good meal but a disappointing ending.
Pros: Delicious food
Cons: Vegan items not marked on menus, Undercooked potato, No vegan dessert available
Contributions +43
outstanding - Edit
Who would have thought Ballarat could come up with such an outstanding vego place?! Highly recommended
Contributions +38
A Vege Oasis in Rural Victoria - Edit
'Chat for Tea', is the number one vegetarian restaurant in Ballarat (also the only one). Luckily, they are fantastic at what they do, a super-friendly family business, quick service, lovely relaxing atmosphere and most importantly great food. Lots of vegan choices and lots of variety on the menu. Mostly Thai and Malaysian style dishes with the addition of some fun things like fried 'drumsticks', a barbecue plate, and a big selection of bubble teas, green teas and organic juices. An absolute gem in the middle of Ballarat!
Pros: Comfortable and clean, Reasonable prices, Great food!
Contributions +57
Heaven on a plate - Edit
Super clean Vegan cafe/restaurant serving up a great range of Asian dishes.a well balanced menu with lots of tofu,tempeh,seiten options.Best gyoza I have eaten,superb Vietnamese spring rolls with many other options.A treasure in the old gold mining town of Ballarat~well worth a visit!
Pros: Clean and beautiful layout, Very friendly helpful staff, Extensive menu
Contributions +22
Quick and delicious - Edit
A delightful hidden treasure in the middle of Ballarat. I was pleased to find a local gem when I moved up from Melbourne, and Chat for Tea is a regular hang out now. Friendly staff, interesting menu, some gluten free dishes and all veg and some vegan (most you can ask to make vegan). Service is generally quick and I think prices are very reasonable comparative to going out elsewhere. I like their mocha chai and huge range of other interesting teas. But I keep coming back for the consistent food and good friendly service.
Pros: Lots of choices, Inexpensive, Friendly staff
Cons: Limited opening days, Limited desserts
Contributions +24
Best vegetarian restaurant in Victoria - Edit
This is my favourite restaurant in Victoria, luckily it's close to me(about 45 mins drive - everything is far from where I live).
It is a small tea house that serves delicious and interesting food. The family that run the restaurant are wonderful. All the food is great and most the selections are vegan.(from memory there are only two non vegan dishes).
The Gyoza (potstickers in the USA) are the best I've eaten anywhere in the world, make sure you try them. The tempura is also delicious, they put a touch of wasabi powder in the batter which gives an interesting taste and the tempura is cooked to perfection. My favourite mains are the green curry and the jackboo rice, but everything is great!
They also have a fantastic variety of teas including the best genmai cha I've tasted.
Pros: Gyoza and tempura, Wonderful hosts
Cons: None
Contributions +92
Cool little gem - Edit
Cool little dinner / tea shop. Good vegan choices, house made chia. The food was a mix of Asian, very well presented and good ingredients with a nice balance of flavours. Similar to other places but better. Relaxed warm atmosphere good for a date or with close friends. The tempura was superb and the south Indian curry plater was the best curry I have had in years. I will definitely be making a trip to visit chat for tea again.
Updated from previous review on Saturday June 09, 2012
Pros: Great flavours, warm atomosphere, Value for money
Contributions +763
Delightful - Edit
We went there for lunch one Saturday. Loads of locals wandered in and clearly had their favorites, and new the staff. The ambience is lovely, with Japanese themed wood work and different teas on display. The tea I had was amazing! They have a smallish lunch menu, and I felt we were a little disadvantaged because they didn't know us! We ordered an entree and a laksa, and both were good. The serving sizes could have been bigger, and it was not cheap. Still, good to have an option for interesting food in the country.
Pros: ambience
Cons: serving size
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