Ippudo, Sydney

There’s nothing quite like slurping a bowl of piping hot noodle soup on a chilly, gloomy day. Located in Westfield Sydney, Ippudo is perfect for those days when you’re hungry mid-shop but you don’t want to venture outside in the torrential rain. It’s very popular with shoppers and those who just want to try some of Ippudo’s famous ramen or compare it to the original.

Masu Izakaya, Sydney

Dixon St and its surrounds are any Sydney-siders go-to when they want Asian food, don’t want to blow a small hole in their pocket, but haven’t totally decided what they want to eat. Masu Izakaya is at the far end (opposite fried chicken favorite, Arisun) and is the only place in this part of town doing it izakaya-style. It’s pretty obvious that yakitori (grilled chicken skewers) is their drawcard because as you walk in, you’re immediately greeted with the sight of a chef quickly turning over skewers on a charcoal fire.

The Bridge Room, Sydney

The Bridge Room has been on the up ever since Chef Ross Lusted was crowned Chef of the Year in the 2014 Good Food Guide. The restaurant gained two hats in the 2015 guide, and attained the coveted three hat status in the 2016 guide. Enter through a simple set of glass doors into a room which feels both casual and refined. You wouldn’t walk in here wearing flip-flops and a singlet, but you also don’t feel the pressure to dress up in your finest garb. As for the menu, it serves Modern Australian food with clear Asian influences; the latter of which distinguishes it from the other three-hatters.

Easy Eight, Sydney

Have you ever noticed that when you go out, you either enjoy drinks or food but never both? A restaurant with a fun drinking vibe is hard to find; a bar with filling and mouth-watering food is even rarer. The crew from Mojo Record Bar are aiming to remedy this with their newest opening, Easy Eight, which sits across from the famous Baxter Inn.

Lotus Restaurant & Dumpling Bar, Sydney

Lotus at The Galeries has been open for almost four months and with Chris Yan at the helm, it looks like it will do reasonably well. Yan has gained years of experience behind the stove at bills and two of Sydney’s most well-known Chinese restaurants: Billy Kwong and China Doll. His cooking is heavily influenced by his grandmother’s traditional cooking but features a few unorthodox ingredients. There’s crispy tofu with salt and wild fire dukkah ($15) and wok-fried wallaby rump with sweet bean paste and salt bush ($29) on the menu. How many Chinese grandmas do you know who use salt bush or dukkah?

Assamm, Sydney

Hidden in the lower floors of the Queen Victoria Building (where Laksa House used to be) is Assamm – one of the younger members of Amy Chanta’s extensive Chat Thai family. The space is a lot bigger than it looks on an initial glance. A mix of bare brick walls, low ceilings, dark lighting and colourful murals of Asian cities makes you feel like you’re dining in some ultra-secretive and cool basement that’s probably marked by only a plain black door with a yellow lamp on top of it. Weirdly specific; I know.

Chefs Gallery, Town Hall

Ever since opening in 2010, there is almost no way you could miss Chefs Gallery thanks to the large (and quite bright) lights spelling out its name. This mainstay on George St offers modern Chinese cuisine at modest prices, so you won’t burn a hole in your wallet. Every time you go in there’s an assortment of diners; everyone from couples on date nights, family dinners, and girls on a fancy night out.

Night Noodle Markets

Random girl: “What do you want to eat?”

Random guy: “EVERYTHING.”

When I overhead this at the Night Noodle Market, I couldn’t help but laugh because it sounds so funny. Hilariousness aside, I understand that random guy’s answer in. my. soul. In my opinion, the Night Noodle Market is a staple of Sydney’s Good Food Month. As you step through the main entrance, you’re greeted by a canopy of red Chinese lanterns and there’s no question about what event you’re at.
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