The Nan Tien Temple is the largest Buddhist temple in the southern hemisphere... so it has kind of become a tourist attraction for any visiting relatives. And depite the rain yesterday, it was no exception for my great aunt. The temple is gloriously tranquil, filled with the grandeur of giant monuments, fancy landscapes and rich chandeliers.

The dining hall, too, maintained the airy and peaceful ambience, with Buddha statues, soothing chants in the background and staff whom were extremely quiet and courteous. The vegetarian lunch set menu is available on Tuesdays to Fridays, 11am - 2pm, and on weekends from 11:30am until 2:30pm. For $8, we get two main dishes, today's being a curry stir-fry and a soy-based vegetable dish with tofu, another green veggie dish, a few pieces of veggie tempura, fresh fruit, and a side order of either hokkien noodles, steamed jasmine rice or fried rice. Spring rolls made with rice vermicelli, cabbage and carrot were also available for an additional dollar. What a bargain!