Chapel’s On Whatley

Earlier this week we set off to check out the newest small bar in Maylands and after having a quick drink, and finding nothing that appealed for lunch, we walked down the road and around the corner to Chapels where we were pretty sure we would find food that met our wishes — we were right. We have eaten here before — for breakfast, lunch and dinner and have been impressed by the Asian themed food on offer.
It is a pleasantly set up place — interesting art on display — and for sale — as well as a large selection of teas. A garden area out back offers another spot to dine, plus there are a few tables on the footpath out front looking over the revamped Maylands strip.
After a bit of hesitation we decided on the vegetarian tasting board and a dish of chicken satay with gado gado. They arrived quickly, and let me tell you these are very large serves!
The satay skewers — plump, juicy, spicy grilled chicken — sat on a bed of Asian greens, with cubes of crisply fried potato, deep fried eggs, fried tofu and accompanied by a bowl of chunky, zesty peanut sauce. Crunchy fresh greens, cucumber, red onion sat as contrast to the eggs and tofu and the sauce had succeeding flavours of peanuts, garlic and chilli with a sweet finish — very well done. This was an impressive dish.
The tasting board included a dish of Indian style dhal — aromatic with flavours of cumin and coriander and turmeric, cooked to soften the dhal but still with a little firmness — some chilli, but a little more would not have hurt; as well a basket of paratha and poppadums for dipping and scooping; a number of crisp dumplings filled with kimchi — vinegary and spicy — with a drizzle of sweet chilli sauce across them; golf-​ball sized fried spheres filled with mushroom and truffle mix — moist and full of earthy flavours; and finally a small dish of yoghurt, mint and cucumber raita to cool down any errant chilli heat. I couldn’t get through everything; it was a substantial and well turned out plate, or board, of food.
Chapels is licensed and has a good range of sparkling, whites and reds (with an emphasis on the wines of WA) — a glass of rosé from Margaret River’s Knee Deep was first on the agenda, followed by another for Lady FWO and a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon from Willoughby Park in the Great Southern for me.
The Knee Deep rosé, made from Shiraz, exhibited aromas of strawberries and rose petals; palate showed lifted sweet fruit and crisp mineral notes on the mid palate and a hint of apple. The finish is refreshing and quite dry.
The Cabernet Sauvignon exhibited plum and mulberry aromas, with plum, chocolate and juicy blackcurrant notes on the palate; medium bodied with smooth tannins, it is well balanced and finishes smoothly.
Chapels is certainly worth a visit — for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The food is very well done, just that little different from other places nearby and the service always friendly and welcoming. The wine list is well put together and with good choice. They also advertise live music at times, so another reason to go along. They add to the array of interesting shops and eating places in and around Maylands. And being just opposite the rail station, transport is no problem, either.

Food can be hit and miss sometimes but there are some gems and they generally are quite accommodating, such as throwing in some fried eggs with the kimchi pancakes. Plus any place that appreciates rose flavoured things is a worthy establishment in my eyes

NEVER EVER go to Chapels on Whatley if you have allergies. I have celiac disease and ventured in for breakfast today and was excited to see so many GF options including GF bread — when ordering did the usual and asked them to arrange for the chef to toast my bread under the grill instead of in a toaster. Girl returns to tell me that they ‘can’t guarantee my food won’t be crossed with something ’ to which I answer that’s my life story but as long as appropriate precautions are made I will take the risk. Girl then returns to tell me her boss said she can’t ask the chef to do that for me as they are too busy to cater to me (place was half empty) and also theres a nice vegan café down the road that would be better for me and pretty much showed me the door! For a start DON’T WRITE GF on items when you refuse to even grill toast separately we drove there especially.

We celebrated our 15 years of togetherness and 1 year anniversary September last year at Chapels on Whatley, an Asian Fusion tea house turned café about 4 ½ years ago.
Having read numerous reviews about Chapels on Whatley on various social media platforms, we decided to trust my gut’s instinct (despite the mixed reviews) and giving it a go anyway.
We booked for 12pm and on arrival the tea café was already full! I am glad we made that reservation a couple of days prior!
On arrival we were given a really nice table right in the middle of the dining area, close to the display table and tea cabinets.
We started off with a pot of tea to shared at $ 5.50 per person for 2 hour period with unlimited (water) topped up. We chose my favourite tea Pu-​erh, a microbial fermentation and oxidation of the tea leaves, after they have been dried and rolled. All type of pu-​erh can be stored to mature before consumption, which is why it is commonly labelled with year and region of production.
The tea came out in a clear tea pot with 2 sets of clear cup and saucer, which looked kinda lovely apart from the water stained/​spots on both the cups and the tea pot.
Being Asians, we typically love sharing food in general so it came to no surprised that we have chosen 2 dishes to shared, the first one was the Oriental Tasting Plate which was a combination of Asian treats including Fried Vietnamese Rice Paper Spring Rolls (typically known as Ch Giò R — closer translation would be Net Seafood Spring Roll), Vegetarian Fried Spring Rolls, Steamed Shaomai Prawn and Pork Dumplings, Thai Spicy Fish Cakes, Japanese Takoyaki (octopus balls) and Chinese BBQ Pork Buns $ 29.95
The second dish we ordered was the Duck & Orange Salad with Slow Roasted & Shredded Peking Duck, Orange Segments, Asian Greens and fried onions.
The duck was nicely roasted, moist together with the sweetness of the orange slices and the Asian Greens; it took us literally minutes to devour our dish!
Chapels on Whatley is an exotic place with high ceilings, brick walls and all sort of exotic furniture and paintings — the place made me feel like I was being transported in time to the 1920s-​30s Old Shanghai, instead of just the good old Perth!
Curious with Chapels on Whatley’s exterior décor, I wander out the back towards the 2 outdoor areas in the courtyard and took some photos of the terracotta warriors and other things.
Overall, we had an amazing anniversary lunch! Thank you Keith and the team for the yummilicious food (and tea) and friendly service — I can’t wait to go back again to try the High Tea menu!

Chapels is definitely a go to favourite of mine for either breakfast or lunch. It has a Asian influence of all its meals which is what makes it so good and unique. In saying that you can still get the usual suspects of pancakes, bacon and eggs and eggs Benedict but it’s also fun to step out of your comfort zone and try something new.
My favourite on their lunch menu is the trio of Bao buns. Their currently menu has duck, pork and prawn, all are really good!
They also have an extensive selection of teas and you can try as many as you like in 2 hours for only the cost of 1 pot. I’ve never tried a second tea as I’m always too full but if you’re thinking of doing a high tea there you could probably get through a few.
The prices here are a little higher than others but I think the quality of their food makes up for it.

BAO WOW!!!
This place is one of my favs! It has great all day breakfast in a beautiful environment with unlimited tea for $ 5 per person. I have sat here for hours and worked my way through the tea menu.
Today we decided to have lunch and had the beef rendang and a trio of the most amazing bao’s I have ever had. The staff are friendly and the environment is relaxing.
I love this place I can sit here for ages drinking tea and eating slowly!!! I

Was recommended to come here by my daughter and decided to pop in and have lunch. The place is so beautiful to look at and discover all the different China for sale.
We sat and ordered 2 lemon lime and bitters, Singapore curry and a laksa. The food came out promptly and we tucked in straight away. I was wanting some rice with the laksa and asked for a bowl and was surprised that the waitress said it was an additional $ 4 on a $ 28 meal. Hmmm… Not impressed.
My wife could only eat half her curry as it was mostly bone, not chicken. My laksa was average at best. We were going to have the berry chocolate profiteroles for dessert but decided not to stay. I think when you charge restaurant prices you need to deliver restaurant quality. You can’t be a tea house, coffee shop, café and restaurant plus a showroom for China sales and expect the public to pay restaurant prices. That’s just my opinion though.
I will try again and adjust my review should it improve.
B– NOT IMPRESSED. WILL TRY AGAIN ONE DAY

Walking into chapels, I was taken back to memories of eating breakfast in the resort I stayed in while holidaying in Bali. High ceiling fans on wooden ceilings, a hot summers day, asian music in the background, and a waiter dressed in a Balinese style looking shirt only strengthened my memories. So surely enough I expected the food to be as tantalizing as the nasi goreng and sambal I had in the mornings for breakfast in Bali.
I ordered the traditional singaporean bee hoon (noodles) omelette which is an omelette fried with mushrooms, onions and other veggies. It is topped with coriander and chopped chilli. The omelette encases the noodles and is laid on top of a layer of sweet chilli sauce. You also get sambal on the side.
I was very very excited to dig in especially after ogling the menu for 10 minutes.
The omelette lacked salt, spice and flavour. The noodles were nice but again lacked flavour. The sambal was shockingly sweet. And this all cost 22.75. Pretty pricey for just an omelette and noodles. Very disappointed.
My skinny latte however came in a gorgeous glass and was delicious and just the right kind of extra hot.
Disappointed by the omelette as I expected it to be spicy and delicious like the sambal omelette at foam coffee bar.
I’ve given chapels three stars because I liked the ambience and the coffee and I want to come back and try more before I set my verdict in stone. :)
Chapels I’m rooting for you.

Stopped in for a quick cup of coffee ended in 2 pots of tea + scrumptious desert and 2 hrs later sitting out back under some beautiful trees, i could of been in another country, definitely must try you will be impressed, and it does get busy. Maybe the only think that could improve is a smile some staff were quite glum looking but i wasnt there for them.

I had a mad craving for a huge slice of fluffy cake. Having never been here before, I thought I’d give it a go.
After a bit of wait, I was seated and after a bit more wait was given an assortment of menus. I tried to get the attention of wait staff but they just walked on past (even the one who handed the menus to me). So I thought I’d best get up to place my order.
I asked the staff at the counter about the texture of the cake I was interested in but she wasn’t able to. I placed my order anyway.
Cake and tea came. I wasn’t too happy with the cake as it tasted a bit stale. Bit of a disappointment. I decided I would just get up and pay just as I had gotten up to order.
As I didn’t finish the cake, the owner walked past and asked what I thought. Perhaps I should’ve been honest and told him it was stale and I was disappointed with the service, I simply left it at ‘it wasn’t fluffy’.
Not sure if I would return. Maybe I’d give them another crack, hopefully the wait staff service has improved. The owner was lovely though, his staff just gotta learn about better customer service. Maybe they had an off day (I’m going with that just because the owner was lovely).

Dropped into this gorgeous Asian fusion tea house for a pot of tea & sneaky little sweet treat.
This café is stunning both inside & out and has the ability to make you forget where you are. Inside is full of beautiful and exotic tea and China where as outside transports you to a calm & serene atmosphere full of Asian themed lanterns, umbrellas and Buddhas.
The tea & coffees were pleasant and the desserts came out on lovely china. The orange & almond cake was moist, fresh & full of that tangy Orange flavour we all love!
Service was average which would have to be the only downside of my experience!

Chapels menu features the usual breakfast tokens as well as interesting Asian fusion dishes. As I wasn’t feeling very adventurous I went with the Scrambled Egg and Smoked Salmon Bagel ($ 17) and I was very impressed. I’m very picky with scramble, and I’ve experienced rubbery, tasteless eggs on more than one café outing, but Chapels scramble was absolutely scrumptious. The eggs were creamy and cheesy. The wilted spinach added a burst of freshness and colour to the dish and the bagel was fresh, nutty and tasty. The smoked salmon was on par with the rest of the meal, delicious, and the serving was very generous.

Gorgeous décor and cool ambiance, plus a large variety of teas on offer.
The French Toast was light and not overly indulgent, which was great for a warm Sunday mid-​morning. Mascarpone, candied ginger and orange rind accompanied the dish.
The service was pretty good. The wait staff were polite, but the restaurant was packed so we waited for a long time for our beverages, food and fresh tea cups.
Chapel’s takes reservations, which was convenient because we did not have to wait to be seated.

This place is absolute magic!
There’s a certain romance about old oriental aesthetics, and drinking tea.
Have been a few times now, for breakfast and lunch and I have to say it’s always been a delightful experience.
My favorite is their rice vermicelli noodle omelette with an array of fresh veggies, chilli and cilantro.
Their Pandan pancakes are light and feathery with a sweet nutty coconut taste and crispy coconut shaving garnished in top.
My friend gets the vegan friendly asian congee which is like a savory porridge.
Again, full of flavour. Ask for extra chilli!
For lunch try the tasting platter which has an array of delicious finger sized spring rolls, wontons, steamed buns and dim sims.
The trio of baos were also delicious however the bun is quite doughty and gets a bit much after a few bites.
All their teas are quite delightful, however I was a huge fan the blooming flower tea.
Really enjoy coming to this place and just enjoying a slow breakfast or lunch and enjoying the atmosphere and décor of this place.
The service is usually ok… But it’s the décor and food itself that speaks.

Late on Friday night driving by I was pulled into this little gem by the outside décor (specifically the lanterns) and what an amazing surprise to find a tea house doing dinner and live music with cheap tasty cocktails.
The menu is Asian inspired and the share plate of dim sum (yum cha) was fresh and tasty, we also shared the Thai beef salad again fresh and spot on for flavour. Between two this was just the correct amount of food.
We finished with a pot of tea each and I can say I never thought I would get my coffee addicted partner to enjoy tea drinking as much as I do, however he did give it a go and was blow away by the Silk Oolong tea.
Wait staff were friendly and only too happy to advise on how to drink/​purchase and enjoy teas, even outlining the 2 hour tea drinking session that can be had during the day or High Tea too.
A very pleasant evening and I look forward to Sunday afternoons in the back garden when summer finally gets here

My experience here was so splendid– I think it was the unexpected «oh my gosh this place actually pulled it off!» moment of it all.
It is so easy to drive past this place and not know where it is! A group of girls and I were here for lunch celebrating a very long overdue catchup! The food was a take on Asian fusion– and if people know me well enough, I am not a huge fan!
There was a great variety of tea and the coffee was expertly made! The wait staff were extremely lovely to me and while I was sitting near the door they were so pleasant to try and keep me comfortable once I had asked if they could keep the door closed. My friend has a newborn as it was still friendly enough for her to enjoy her lunch as well.
I ordered the duck salad and tried a few of my friends dishes
Beef chilli salad
Pork, prawn, duck open steamed buns
Chicken curry
I wasn’t expecting much and i think that helped in the fact the food surprised me in how gorgeous it looked, the aromas that were coming from them, the taste and texture combo was really sublime. They nailed all the flavours of chilli, sweet and sour. Seriously kudos to the chef! Not a single fault was made!
Had a great experience and I hope that other people do too!

Yeah gotta update this. Last few times I’ve been here I’ve had to deal with the wrath of sulky waitstaff who have absolutely no social skills or personality. Anyone would think these girls were working in a sweat shop… seriously it’s shocking. so put off.

Despite being a local, I don’t visit Chapels on Whatley as often as I probably should. My Mum on the other hand is quite the regular and gets greeted by name.
On a particularly windy Sunday afternoon, I met my heavily pregnant friend B for a spot of tea and scones. (I had the tea, she had the scones).
B has a ‘thing’ for scones, so when she spotted them on the menu when we had decided to meet at Chapels, she knew that she would be ordering them. I never asked her how they were but they certainly looked good. She did comment that the jam was a bit weird — lots of liquid but also goopy.
B also ordered a strawberry milkshake. I didn’t take a photo but the milkshake separated. I’m not sure if it was made from fresh strawberries or if something went wrong.
I ordered two macarons — salted caramel and passionfruit. The macarons are HUGE… about the size of your palm. I preferred the passionfruit flavour but the salted caramel was also nice. They were very chewy, I’m not a macaron expert, so I’m not sure if they were meant to be this chewy. They were super sweet and I didn’t manage to finish the second one.
I love the tea on offer at Chapels. There are so many different choices on offer. So far I have stuck to the popular green tea choices. Genmaicha was my favourite… it has this really nice nutty flavour. If you’re a tea fan, then Chapels is the place for you! I think it was about $ 6 for the pot of tea. They will refill the teapot with water for free, however if you ask for a second cup you will be charged. I’m not sure how the system works.
We sat at a table in front of the door and copped strong winds every time the door was opened. I wouldn’t recommend sitting there.
Would I return?
Yes — I think the décor at Chapels is lovely. I love the different types of tea on offer and it’s really close and convenient.

As Chapels is so close to home, I normally walk there with the dog and sit outside on the awkward wooden carved stools. The typical order is a skinny cap and a chai for my walking partner and maybe a macaron or two.
However, it’s not the coffee I am disappointed with, its the service which resulted in a 2.5−3 star rating. Every time I go and sit out the front, no one seems to serve me, so I go inside and place my order at the till and then get told it’s table service and someone will be out shortly. But why can’t I order now? Instead, I’m being sent back to my table like some kind of naughty child.
So not only are the stools outside uncomfortable, the attitude and lack of attention puts me off, no matter how nice the tea, coffee and bakes are. Sorry, Chapels.

Stepping in to Chapel’s feels like stepping in to a bygone era… in china.
There’s a plethora or teas to choose from which are served in appropriate teapots (fine china or glass depending on what you order). My peppermint tea was wonderful, the perfect soothing brew and seemingly never ending, so large was my tea pot.
Sitting out the back under a giant tree with hanging lanterns and an interesting soundtrack of old world music and Chinese ballads transported me to tea houses in China, though with a slightly modern Perth twist. An absolute delight.