进家门 Welcome Home Kitchen

About 进家门 Welcome Home Kitchen

Welcome Home Kitchen — known to many Christchurch regulars as Welcome Vegetarian Cafe and Takeaways — is a vegetarian cafe and takeaway in Hoon Hay serving a wide range of authentic, home-cooked vegetarian and vegan meals. The cooking draws on Chinese and Malaysian traditions, with entrées stretching from Northern China's pan-fried dumplings and steamed buns to Southern China's spring rolls and wonton, plus the famous Malaysian curry potato samosas.

Everything is prepared without onion, garlic, leek, shallot or chive, with no MSG added, and wheat-less option meals are available. Beyond the entrées there are around ten soups and about forty main dishes, stir-fry and soup noodles such as Northern China ramen, Singapore Silver Lining and rice vermicelli, and roughly fourteen rice dishes — ginger sesame rice and Beijing stewed roast fry rice among the most commonly ordered.

For special occasions there is a Chef Special of nine dishes on sizzling hot cast iron plates and a Vegan Special of seven authentically cooked claypot dishes, while winter brings steam boat with Thailand tomyum, Chinese dong kuai herbal or Malaysian spicy ma-lak soup. Desserts and drinks range from goreng pisang and red bean soup to fresh organic soy milk and pots of jasmine tea. Dine in or order takeaway on 03-348-2630.

Welcome Home Kitchen Hoon Hay: Vegetarian & Vegan Chinese and Malaysian Cafe and Takeaway in Christchurch

On Lincoln Road in Hoon Hay, Christchurch, Welcome Home Kitchen does what few kitchens attempt: a full menu of Chinese and Malaysian-style comfort food that is entirely meat-free, and cooked without a trace of onion, garlic, leek, shallot or chive. Long known to many local regulars as Welcome Vegetarian Cafe and Takeaways, it pairs a casual dine-in room with a steady takeaway trade and sums up its cooking in one line: authentic, home-cooked vegetarian and vegan meals, made the way the name promises.

The breadth is the point. Between the entrée list, about ten different soups, roughly forty main dishes, a noodle selection and around fourteen kinds of rice, this is a menu you could work through for weeks without repeating yourself — as easy to use for a quick takeaway as it is for a long, leisurely dinner.

A menu built around what it leaves out

The absence of onion, garlic, leek, shallot and chive, with no MSG added, is the kitchen's defining feature, and it makes the cafe a genuinely useful find for diners who avoid alliums — whether for faith, wellbeing or simple preference. Wheat-less option meals are offered as well. What is remarkable is how little the restrictions narrow the menu. The entrée range stretches from Northern China's pan-fried dumplings and steamed buns to Southern China's spring rolls and wonton, while the famous Malaysian curry potato 'samosas' hold their own alongside vegetarian kebabs, sticky rice with seaweed, crispy tofu and potato fries.

Noodles, rice and about forty mains

Noodles come stir-fried or in soup: Northern China ramen, Singapore Silver Lining, rice vermicelli and flat rice noodles, or crispy noodles light-fried and finished with fresh seasonal vegetables and assorted soy protein or 'meinjin'. Rice is a category of its own, with about fourteen types of topped and stir-fried rice on the menu, of which the ginger sesame rice and the Beijing stewed roast fry rice are the ones regulars order most. It is the kind of list that rewards repeat visits — and makes choosing the only hard part of the meal.

Steam boats, sizzling plates and claypots

When winter arrives, the kitchen turns to steam boat, with a choice of Thailand-style tomyum soup, Chinese 'dong kuai' herbal soup or Malaysian spicy 'ma-lak' soup — a hotpot built for sharing around the table. Year-round, the Chef Special lines up nine specially prepared dishes served on sizzling hot cast iron plates, while the Vegan Special offers seven authentically cooked claypot dishes. The cafe frames these as the pick for special occasions with special friends, and it is hard to disagree: few vegetarian menus in Christchurch reach this far.

Sweet endings, properly made

Dessert is treated as more than an afterthought. The list runs from red bean soup with gingko and black glutinous rice soup with coconut to red bean pastries — baked and pan-fried — honey kumara nuggets, goreng pisang (crispy fried banana), banana split and fresh fruit salad, with dairy and vegan soy ice cream by the scoop. Drinks are just as considered: fresh organic soy milk, freshly blended carrot, apple and orange juices, Phoenix organic juice and bottled sparkling grape and apple, alongside pots of green, jasmine and chrysanthemum tea, organic coffee, hot or iced chocolate, and chilled red bean and mung bean drinks or grass jelly with honey lemon.

Planning your visit

Welcome Home Kitchen welcomes dine-in guests — 'please come for dine-in when you visit Christchurch', as the cafe puts it — and takeaway orders. Reservations and takeaways are taken by phone on 03-348-2630; opening hours are not published online, so it pays to ring ahead, especially in winter when the steam boat is on. If you avoid wheat, ask for the wheat-less options when you order. Whether you are vegetarian, vegan, eating allium-free or simply in the mood for dumplings, samosas and a pot of jasmine tea, this Hoon Hay kitchen sets a place for you.

Signature items

• Pan-Fried Dumplings
• Curry Potato Samosas
• Winter Steam Boat
• Chef Special Hotplates
• Vegan Claypot Specials
• Goreng Pisang

Menu

Noodles

• Northern China Ramen Noodle — Northern Chinese ramen, stir-fried or in soup
• Singapore Silver Lining — Singapore-style noodle, stir-fried or in soup
• Rice Vermicelli — Rice vermicelli with seasonal vegetables and soy protein
• Flat Rice Noodle — Flat rice noodles with fresh seasonal vegetables
• Crispy Noodle — Light-fried crispy noodles with fresh seasonal vegetables

Desserts

• Red Bean Soup with Gingko — Sweet red bean soup with gingko nuts
• Black Glutinous Rice Soup with Coconut — Black glutinous rice in sweet coconut soup
• Red Bean Pastry — Pastry filled with sweet red bean
• Goreng Pisang (Crispy Fried Banana) — The popular crispy fried banana
• Banana Split — Classic banana split with ice cream
• Fruit Salad — Fresh fruit salad
• Red Bean Pan-Fried Pastry — Pan-fried red bean pastry, five pieces
• Honey Kumara Nuggets — Golden kumara nuggets with honey
• Red Bean & Kumara Soup — Sweet soup of red bean and kumara
• Ice Cream (Per Scoop) — Ice cream by the scoop
• Vegan Ice Cream (Per Scoop) — Soy-based vegan ice cream by the scoop

Cold Drinks

• Pineapple Drink — Chilled pineapple drink
• Golden Circle Drink — Chilled sea coconut water drink
• Lychee — Chilled lychee drink
• Grass Jelly with Honey Lemon — Grass jelly served with honey lemon
• Fresh Organic Soy Milk — Freshly made organic soy milk
• Fresh Carrot Juice — Freshly blended carrot juice
• Healthy Apple Juice — Fresh apple juice
• Original Orange Juice — Fresh orange juice
• Sparkling Red Grape Juice (Bottle) — Bottled sparkling red grape juice
• Sparkling Apple Juice (Bottle) — Bottled sparkling apple juice
• Can Drinks — Chilled soft drinks and cola
• Phoenix Organic Juice — Bottled organic fruit juice

Rice Dishes

• Ginger Sesame Rice — Among the most commonly ordered rice dishes
• Beijing Stewed Roast Fry Rice — Beijing-style stewed and fried rice, a regular favourite

EntréE & Snacks

• Pan-Fried Dumplings — Northern China-style pan-fried dumplings
• Steamed Buns — Soft steamed buns in the Northern Chinese style
• Spring Rolls — Southern China-style spring rolls
• Wonton — Southern China-style wonton
• Curry Potato Samosas — The famous Malaysian curry potato samosas
• Vegetarian Kebab — A vegetarian take on kebab
• Sticky Rice with Seaweed — Sticky rice served with seaweed
• Crispy Tofu — Golden crispy tofu
• Potato Fries — Classic potato fries

Hot & Cold Drinks

• Ice Cold Lemon Tea — Lemon tea served over ice
• Honey Lemon Tea — Honey lemon tea, cold or warm
• Green Tea (Per Pot) — Green tea served by the pot
• Organic Coffee (Per Pot) — Organic coffee served by the pot
• Organic Fruit Juice (Bottle) — Bottled organic fruit juice
• Jasmine Tea (Per Pot) — Fragrant jasmine tea by the pot
• Chrysanthemum Tea (Per Pot) — Chrysanthemum tea by the pot
• Icy Chocolate / Hot Chocolate — Chocolate drink, iced or hot
• Icy Chocolate with Ice Cream — Iced chocolate topped with ice cream
• Ice Cold Red Bean Drink — Chilled red bean drink
• Red Bean Soup — Sweet red bean soup drink
• Ice Cold Mung Bean Drink — Chilled mung bean drink
• Mung Bean Soup — Sweet mung bean soup drink
• Ice Cold Red / Mung Bean Drink with Ice Cream — Chilled bean drink topped with ice cream
• Cassia Seed Tea — Cassia seed tea by the small or large pot

Winter Steam Boat

• Tomyum Steam Boat — Thailand-style tomyum soup hotpot
• Dong Kuai Herbal Steam Boat — Chinese dong kuai herbal soup hotpot
• Ma-Lak Steam Boat — Malaysian spicy ma-lak soup hotpot

Chef & Vegan Specials

• Chef Special Sizzling Dishes — Nine dishes served on sizzling hot cast iron plates
• Vegan Special Claypot Dishes — Seven authentically cooked vegan claypot dishes

Frequently asked questions

Is everything at Welcome Home Kitchen vegetarian?

Yes. The kitchen serves a wide range of home-cooked vegetarian and vegan meals only, with a dedicated Vegan Special of seven claypot dishes and vegan ice cream also available.

Do the dishes contain onion or garlic?

No. All cooking is done without onion, garlic, leek, shallot and chive, and no MSG is added.

Are there wheat-free options?

Yes, the menu includes wheat-less option meals. Ask which dishes suit you when ordering.

Can I book a table or order takeaway?

Yes. For reservations and takeaway orders, call 03-348-2630.

What is the winter special?

Steam boat, with a choice of Thailand tomyum soup, Chinese dong kuai herbal soup or Malaysian spicy ma-lak soup.

What vegan desserts and drinks are there?

Vegan soy ice cream is served by the scoop, alongside fruit-based desserts like goreng pisang and fruit salad; drinks include fresh organic soy milk and freshly blended juices.

What are the opening hours?

Hours are not published on the website. Call 03-348-2630 to confirm opening times before you visit.

Tips

• {"body":"Takeaway orders and reservations are taken on 03-348-2630 — handy since hours aren't listed online.","title":"Order ahead by phone"}
• {"body":"The steam boat special runs in winter, with tomyum, dong kuai herbal or spicy ma-lak soup.","title":"Time it for steam boat"}
• {"body":"Wheat-less option meals are offered — just mention it when you order.","title":"Ask about wheat-less dishes"}
• {"body":"Goreng pisang, red bean pastries and vegan ice cream are popular ways to finish.","title":"Save room for dessert"}
• {"body":"For a special night out, look to the Chef Special on sizzling cast iron plates and the vegan claypot dishes.","title":"Make it an occasion"}

Good to know

• {"dietary":"Fully vegetarian with vegan options; no onion, garlic, leek, shallot or chive; no added MSG; wheat-less options available"}