Chinese
Buffet
文殊院素餐厅 located at the 香园 section of the temple premises, Buddhist style dining without onions or garlic. Generous portions, fresh ingredients, clean and stylish setting. Has a buffet area on the ground floor and à la carte dining upstairs. Sept 2019 reported not fully vegan. Open Mon-Sun 10:30am-7:30pm.
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Last update on 03 Apr 2024 by JimmySeah
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Added by Katritz on 10 Jan 2016
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35 Reviews
First Review by craigmc
experimental_setup
Points +358
Great, great place - Edit
Sorry, long review :)
Read moreFood "court" of the buddhist monastery in central Chengdu. Main building has hot pot downstairs and a la carte upstairs. Outside there's lots of seating and apparently tea, in addition there's two small tea houses that also serve food.
Was at the tea house closest to the gate. They spoke some sort of English; tea is very good, if quite expensive (50 yuan and up), they come to your place and prepare it with you including explanation how to brew more. Had one of the dessert samplers, about 50 yuan as well, very nice. On another day tried the tea rice plate, which is tea rice and a few smaller sides (tofu, mushrooms, okra, lotus etc), also very good. This tea house has indoor and limited outdoor seating (on pillows), very peaceful atmosphere.
The hot pot place opens at 17 and closes around 8 or so, maybe a bit earlier. English very limited, but not necessary, the different hot pot soup bases are written in English on the menu. You get the base and a truly enormous selection of veggies, mushrooms, sauces, some noodles and fake meats. Take that stuff to your table, of which there are quite a good number there, and boil it in the hot pot. Repeat until you cannot move anymore.
Basic hot pot costs 50something yuan, you can get fancier one with morsels inside for double the price and there are a few other options.
This place is truly fantastic. Given the price of course it's more for the middle class chinese or the occasional foreigner, but everything I had there was really excellent. That in addition to the nice surroundings in the middle of the rather not so nice super busy city. Cannot recommend more.
Pros: Peaceful, relaxing place, Everything I had was very good, Nice tea selection
Cons: Somewhat pricey for Chengdu
Guest
PatrickWhiteford
Points +17
I will miss this place greatly - Edit
I leave Chengdu in two days - the Wenshu monastery was a real Godsend (Buddhasend?). The food is very high quality, with a wide selection of items including mapo tofu. I particularly like the egg fried rice and mapo tofu.
Read moreI believe it is vegan as they have signs outside banning non-vegan food, but full disclaimer I am vegetarian not vegan. A wonderful place, with a wonderful (but expensive by Chengdu standards) tea garden outside.
Be aware that they close for lunch at 2pm. The best time to go is around 1-1:15, as it avoids the afternoon rush but gives you time to eat at a pleasant speed (and go back for more!).
Would definitely recommend visiting, and not just for vegetarians/vegans.
Updated from previous review on 2024-05-13
Pros: Ambiance, Very high quality, Authentic
Cons: Slightly limited choice
Guest
Ursulal
Points +229
Perfect - Edit
Wonderful food and atmosphere. The place is so peaceful 🐼✨
Read morePros: Food, Place, Cheap
Guest
SusanMoran
Points +77
Great choice in the vegetarian buffet - Edit
We tried every dish, it was great food and a lovely environment to have lunch.
Read morePros: The variety of the buffet, The temple gardens are a nice place to eat
Guest
PatriciaB
Points +86
Vegan buffet hotpot with huge choices - Edit
For us who could not speak the local language, it was fantastic because you could just pick what you want as the ingredients for your hotpot. Ok you will need to choose the soup base first but it’s hard to go wrong whatever you choose. I like the fact that they emphasise on not wasting food. 👍
Read morethere’s huge variety of vegan food - many types of mushrooms, veggies, fake meats, soy food, root vegetables. There are also appetiser dishes, buns and fruits. All at very affordable price even relative to nearby restaurants. You simply can’t go wrong. They do close at 9pm.
PatriciaB
By the way, there are a couple of other vegan restaurants in the Wenshu fang (文殊坊) complex. Two are upstairs of a building.
Read moreGuest
MarinaMoreno
Points +31
Excellent buffet anda great athmosphere - Edit
The restaurant is located beside Wenshu Temple and it's a very special place. The offer a buffet option for 35RMB or hotpot for 50RMB. If you finish all the food they give you 5RMB back to avoid over-ordering. All the food was nice, nothing spicy and all vegan. Fruit options for desserts.
Read morePros: Athmosphere , Food, Price
Cons: They don't offer cold water, Limited beverages options
Guest
Patatito
Points +123
Buffet libre - Edit
Estuve en noviembre de 2019. Para mi fue difícil comer bien en China al desconocer el idioma. Único lugar en la zona en el que pude probar sin miedos varios platos de cocina local.
Read morePros: Barato para un occidental, Variedad
Cons: Mucha gente
Guest
MichaelRobinson
Points +3368
Nice Interior, Shame About The Food - Edit
We'd arrived in Chengdu to an unexpected rain so were happy this was close to our hotel. We got there just after lunch so the buffet was finished and were directed upstairs, it was a beautiful room but freezing with the wind blowing through the open windows. There was only another foreign couple there as well as us, we were trying to order from the tablet but made a mistake, we called the waitress to help but she misunderstood and just processed the order as it was. After being up early then on a flight without a meal we were ravenous, so were excited by the reviews of this place. The food looked great when it arrived but sadly lacked any great flavours. The sweet and sour lions head mushroom were just very bland, there was a fake meat (accidentally ordered) which wasn't great, a vegetable dish and the stuffed lotus root which is normally one of our favourite dishes but this was again lacking in any discernable flavour, the lotus root itself was hard and the sauce was just spicy hot not spicy tasty. It felt like very little care or attention had gone into the food leaving is really disappointed.
Read morePros: Nice interior
Cons: Underwhelming taste
Guest
JennyCH
Points +52
Buffet to sample local cuisine - Edit
Had the buffet here whilst visiting the area. Cheap, delicious and it was the best choice I’d made since I was on my own. Great way to get a variety of dishes without having to go to a restaurant and ordering a million things I can’t finish. A great way to sample the local cuisine!
Read morePros: Buffet offers So many options , Great way to try local cuisines, Great price
Guest
nic6
Points +33
So. Good. - Edit
This place is dope! You can do a buffet up until lunch, it’s hot pot after that, and in the second floor there’s an actual sit down and order restaurant of vegetarian food. Some of the staff speaks English. It’s moderately priced and the food is delicious.
Read moreTry the jaozi and the pineapple and mushroom
Pros: iPad picture menu
Guest
SummerLee
Points +1677
Awesome lunch after temple visit - Edit
We just did the Buffet and it was excellent. So many options. Some dishes were too spicy for my dad so if that bothers you be careful! I loved every bite. 35 yuan per person. All you can eat.
Read moreGuest
Maeve
Points +175
Delicious but not all vegan - Edit
Ate at the upstairs a la carte restaurant as the hot pot buffet was near to closing and all the staff were eating downstairs (around 8pm). We had Kung po vegetarian chicken (gluten) with carrots and cashews, tree mushrooms with ginger and Sichuan noodles. All the dishes were delicious and not nearly as oily as most food we've had in China. With plain rice it came to 76 RMB (£10).
Read moreNote that the buffet and restaurant are NOT vegan. An English-speaking waiter told us there are egg and milk in some buffet items, and we saw some dishes with egg on the restaurant menu upstairs.
Pros: Lots of choice, Delicious, non-oily food, Reasonably priced
Cons: Not vegan
Guest
maurene
Points +87
Enjoyed the buffet - Edit
I ate there twice for lunch, when there is a buffet. Both times I arrived after 1pm, and the pots were nearing empty, but not yet empty. A variety of spicy and not-spicy dishes - I liked them all. You can go back many times, so I had soup at the end. The atmosphere is "down home" and the staff lined up to eat after the lunchhour was over.
Read morePros: Inexpensive, plenty of variety, delicious
Cons: limited hours for lunch, a bit noisy, when it is full
Guest
kenvegan
Points +13128
Beautiful Restaurant / Greasy Food - Edit
I wanted to love the food at this buffet restaurant. The grounds are gorgeous, and so is the restaurant. 5 dollars for an all -you-can-eat buffet in such an amazing atmosphere? Why not!?
Read moreI felt most of the food was very salty and greasy. Not the worst Chinese food I have had, but I think they ought to offer fewer dishes and focus on preparing the food better.
Was it worth 5 dollars m Absolutely! Just do not expect the food to be very good and you will have a lovely experience in this restaurant.
Pros: Incredible ambiance
Cons: Greasy and salty food
Guest
RileyAnderson
Points +116
Be aware! - Edit
Be aware that the buffet is only from 11:15 am to 1:45 pm and that the hot pot is from 5:00 pm to 8:30 pm. So if you want to get the most out of it be there at those times.
Read moreGuest
CH4RIS
Points +284
Superb! - Edit
The location is the best of course! But aside from that they also have friendly staff who can speak english a little bit.
Read moreBecause I was alone I was only allowed to choose the hotpot, that was a pity since I had hotpot the day before too. Still nice though. Nice variety of food to choose from. I was surprised by the amount of 'meat replacements' they have.
Pros: Many things to choose from to put in your hotpot., Very nice location
Cons: Limited english., You can only choose hotpot if you're alone.
Guest
dreadjohn
Points +847
Spent half the day here - Edit
I always visit temples, they either have vegetarian(vegan) food, or the neighborhood does. I visited on a day they hosted the Chengdu Lifestyle market. There was also a free guqing recital from local girls. It was all amazing. I ate upstairs off the menu, the buffet was too out of control. For 68RMB I got to have tea and meditate in a private room where monks do calligraphy. The neighborhood is great for gift shopping too.
Read morePros: There's some english spoken here. , Free entry to temple., Easy to find.
Cons: None really, just the overpacked buffet i guess.
Guest
Hans
Points +115
Great - Edit
The rush and pushing at the buffet counter is at 11:15 - if you come half an hour later, there will be still enough food but you will not be pushed and stressed to put food on your platr
Read moreGuest
shekshaman
Points +345
Worth every cent. - Edit
This place is unreal. They have a huuuge selection of food. The buffet is between 1130 and 1330 for 35 RMB (you get 5RMB back when returning your plates). For 50RMB a head you can get a hotpot (it starts at 1200) The selection of food you can put in your hotpot (as much as you can eat) is incredibly large. IMPORTANT: Go after 1630 for hotpot to get the full selection. Check my photos in the photo gallery to get a feel for the food and the huge array of sauces to add. Good fake meats for hotpotting and friendly staff. The atmosphere is peaceful outside of buffet times and the buffet won’t let you down. A must go, especially because the monastery is a must also.
Read morePros: Huge selection, Delicious
Guest
AlexAitken
Points +26
Great buffet lunch! - Edit
From what i could tell, an entirely vegan buffet lunch, good food and big range. Vegetarian hot pot was also available. Was 30rmb each, so great value!
Read moreGuest
Maryy
Points +370
Loved it - Edit
I went their twice. One time I went to the 2nd floor and ordered from the menu, the second time I went for the buffet style lunch.
Read moreI loved both. Food was great and price totally fine. The dishes from the menu (dumplings, noodles and desert) were altogether 58¥ and the buffet 30¥ (you pay 35¥ and get 5 ¥ back when you finish you're plates).
I would definitely go again if I'd be back in Chengdu.
Pros: very tasty loads of different dishes to choose fro, buffet very cheap
Guest
Aliwg
Points +402
great! - Edit
Food was decent, the staff was very helpful in ordering and spoke English. It’s a bit tricky to eat there alone as most menu items come in sharing portions. They have iPads with photos of the food for ordering. Walk to your right when you enter the temple grounds. I ate only upstairs a la carte because the buffet area was too noisy and chaotic. The setting is just beautiful.
Read morePros: atmosphere, English spoken
Cons: a bit hard to find
Guest
Arti
Points +743
One of the best food I ate in China - Edit
This was the best food I ate in China - and at that time, I did not even know what vegan meant so that says something about the food here! The food was very tasty and very clean. The atmosphere was almost divine and I would definitely go back here for the food and the temple experience.
Read moreVegechips
very helpful Thanks...
Read moreGuest
H2OAddict
Points +686
Pricey but Tasty - Edit
I went here with a Chinese colleague and our significant others. They ordered for all of us. It was really tasty! We ate upstairs and enjoyed most of the dishes we sampled.
Read moreThe ordering is done on an iPad, so you can go by the pictures to order if you don’t read Hanzi. The staff is helpful and friendly.
Overall, the meat “substitute” dishes were okay. The classic dishes were the best gong bao “chicken” is always a favorite amongst Sichuan ren and visitors, even those that usually eat meat.
Nobody left feeling hungry or too full, and our tea cups were constantly filled, so overall, it was a great experience!
Pros: location, options
Cons: pricey
Guest
brtknr
Points +225
Amazing buffet and hot pot! - Edit
We went twice and had buffet once and hot pot the other time. Both were a bit pricey, 35 pp for the buffet is much more than the usual 20 and we nearly didn’t go for the hot pot as menu seemed to say 99 per person. They then explained it was a special price of 50 per person at the moment but I got the feeling it’s always at a special price! Quality and variety of food both Rome’s was fantastic, best veg buffet and best hot pot of our trip to China so far!
Read moreGuest
mexveg
Points +74
Expensive but worth it - Edit
Ate the hot pot buffet on the ground floor for lunch. It was amazing. There is a huge variety of veggies and fake meats to choose from. At the beginning, you choose from a couple options of broth which you get in your own hot pot. It was my first hot pot in China, so I would have liked a local to tell me how they usually maneuver it, but still a great meal.
Read morePros: Huge variety of ingredients for the hot pots, Very nice atmosphere, clean bathrooms
Cons: Pricey, Limited opening hours
Guest
Plantriotic
Points +45
Amazing hot pot buffet! - Edit
This place was amazing and in an amazing temple. You can wander the temple then treat yourself to an amazing lunch. They give you a boiling hot pot then you go and gather as much fresh veggies, fake meats, mushrooms and noodles as you want! You cook it at your table and it is really fun. One of the waitresses spoke great english when i was there. Watch out the buffet desserts are not vegan, at least not all of them the waitress told me. I loved this place!
Read morePros: all you can eat, very fresh, inside amazing temple grounds
Cons: desserts not vegan
Guest
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