Key Points
- Mother of five Sarnai Sodnom's Mongolian restaurant has a strong community following.
- Her dishes have made their way onto a school lunch menu in Sydney.
- In Mongolia, women who have given birth to four or more children are awarded the prestigious Order of Mother’s Glory.
- Many Mongolians living in Australia celebrate Mother's Day twice: once in May as per Australia’s custom and again in June for Mongolia’s.
Students at Meadowbank Primary School in Sydney order khuushuur, a fried meat dumpling from Mongolia, for their lunch.
Following an uptick in migration from the landlocked country in north-central Asia, the school welcomes a sizeable number of students of Mongolian background, who can enjoy a warm traditional meal before going back to class.
The woman behind these meals is Sarnai Sodnom, a mother of five who opens her restaurant early to prepare lunch orders for the school.
Nothing is pre-prepared. She kneads the dough, seasons the meat, shapes each khuushuur by hand, and fries them until they are golden and crisp.
Khuushuur is made by filling dough with minced meat, usually beef or lamb, and deep-frying it until golden. Crispy on the outside and juicy inside, it’s a must-try Mongolian food. Credit: Supplied by Sarnai Sodnom
Having lived in Australia for 15 years, Solongo says she was "immensely proud" when the school started offering a Mongolian lunch option in late 2024.
"On days when khuushuur is on the menu, it’s the busiest," she says.
"I ask my daughter and her friends what they think, and they always say it’s delicious. Even the non-Mongolian kids enjoy it — hearing that makes me so happy."
No place like 'home'
These fried dumplings are among the offerings at Ger House restaurant in Sydney’s inner west.
Sarnai named her restaurant after the Mongolian word for 'home', to offer a sense of comfort, warmth and belonging.
The food, too, resembles a mum’s home cooking.
Sarnai says she wants her restaurant to giver her community a sense of home. Credit: Supplied by Sarnai Sodnom
"People often come in saying they saw Mongolian food online and wanted to try it, or they had it when visiting Mongolia and wanted to experience it again," Sarnai says.
When they leave with a smile and say thank you, it fills my heart.Sarnai Sodnom, restaurateur
According to the mum of five, more than 60 per cent of the restaurant’s customers are Mongolian.
One loyal customer, Tsedensodnom Sukhbaatar, an accountant, praised the "hard work of the committed family" behind the restaurant.
"It’s a place that comforts our homesick hearts. It’s like being back in Mongolia," she said.
Sarnai arrived in Australia with her husband and their two children 10 years ago to study a master’s degree in logistics and supply chain management.
In 2022, after trying many different jobs, they decided to open a Mongolian restaurant, still relatively rare in Australia.
She was pregnant with her fourth child when they launched the business, and welcomed her fifth soon after it got off the ground.
Sarnai's name means 'rose' in English. Credit: Supplied by Sarnai Sodnom
She says they treat their restaurant "like a sixth child".
When asked how she manages five children and her business, Sarnai says: "I can’t say that I do everything perfectly. I follow the principle of prioritisation to manage both family and business."
Sarnai Sodnom with her family. Credit: Supplied by Sarnai Sodnom
Her two teenage daughters, aged 14 and 11, serve as the family’s emergency response team, whether it’s caring for their younger siblings or helping out at the restaurant.
The prestige of motherhood in Mongolian culture
In Mongolian culture, a mother is revered as the origin of all things — much like the earth, she is seen as the foundation of life and the heart of the family.
Women who have given birth to four or more children are awarded the Order of Mother’s Glory, one of Mongolia’s most prestigious medals.
The award aims to encourage population growth in the sparsely populated country of 3.5 million people and 1.5 million square kilometres of land.
Sarnai received this honour last year at the Mongolian Embassy in Australia, alongside 12 other mothers.
According to the embassy, 22 mothers in Australia have received the medal over the past three years, with another six awaiting it this year.
Many more have been awarded while visiting Mongolia. Last year alone, over 21,000 mothers received the honour nationwide, Montsame, the Mongolian national news agency reports.
Sarnai received an honour last year at the Mongolian Embassy in Australia, alongside 12 other mothers. Credit: Supplied by Sarnai Sodnom
It’s a major celebration across the country and among Mongolians living abroad. Dads typically cook special meals, while homes are filled with flowers, cakes and laughter.
Many Mongolians living in Australia celebrate Mother's Day twice: once in May as per Australia’s custom and again in June for Mongolia’s.
According to the 2021 Census, more than 5,000 people born in Mongolia were living in Australia. But Mongolia’s Ambassador to Australia, Davaasuren Damdinsuren, told SBS News in 2024 that the number has now more than quadrupled.
Though far from her home country, Sarnai says she deeply grateful for the life she has built.
"In these 10 years, we’ve learned so much and grown as a big family. We’re always busy, so each of us carries our own responsibility. That’s why our children are growing up to be very independent."
She adds, "There’s nothing happier than a house full of kids calling out 'mum’ and ‘dad’. As they grow up, the happiness only grows too."
