Soya Cafe Bar and Restaurant — Restaurant in Sydney

Tried this for the first time with people who had been here a few times and we all made the exact same comment, the food was far too sweet.

Asian food is a fine balance between sweet, sour, hot and aromatic. This place unfortunately lacked the heat and every main course we had was far too sweet. The betel leaf was nice and the sweet was hidden a bit by the smoked fish. The beef murtabak which I love was unfortunately lacking flavour. The whole fried barramundi which i was really looking forward to was also too sweet and just didn’t have the punch I would expect with the sauce. The sweetest of all was the beef dish and I felt my blood sugar rising immediately.

It’s a shame as I was hoping for more. The place was busy which suggests it’s popular but besides the dumpling and the vegetarian noodles the rest of the food was pretty ordinary and far too sweet.

I hope they rectify this and focus on good flavours and aroma. I would have to think twice before I would come here again. It’s a shame as it’s...

UPDATE - So we came back for brunch and it did not disappoint! Really fresh and flavoursome food. I highly recommend several of the options on the “Soya Bites” menu including the prawn, mushroom and water chestnut dumplings, Peking duck pancakes and beef murtabak roti with cucumber relish. But the real finds were the eggplant stuffed with pork and prawn and the eggplant and chilli sambal dishes - sensational 👏🌟🌟 ————————- What a great new addition to Balmain! We dropped in by chance for a coffee and pastry (both very good) but decided to chance our arm with one of the breakfast options - steamed bao bun with beef and pickled cucumber. It was absolutely delicious and the serving was huge. I immediately regretted the pastry and wished I’d come for brunch instead. If you’re looking for a different breakfast/brunch option from the usual - this is it. They’ve also created a beautiful dining space and the service is friendly. I’ll definitely be back to try the rest...

We went here for my birthday and from the moment we walked in the staff couldn't have been friendlier or more accommodating. They offered me a complimentary cocktail and it was gorgeous, I expected something cheap and sugary (being complimentary) but it was a gorgeous frozen watermelon and had a beautiful tang of tequila. The menu is fabulous and the service was excellent. At the end they brought out a free dessert with 4 spoons to share. I was bowled over by how special I felt from complete strangers. The food was fabulous with a full but not overwhelming menu. Can't believe this has been on my doorstep and I'm only going there now. I'll...