Lunar New Year, SydneyCredit: Destination NSW
Chinatown is home to eclectic eateries that serve everything from Malaysian food to Japanese-Nordic brunch.
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There’s much more to Sydney’s Chinatown than Cantonese cuisine and dumplings — even if the dumplings are presented in a highly memorable setting. The Haymarket culinary hub’s wide-ranging and worldly eateries are what make it such a sought-after dining destination. This Sydney institution is home to Japanese-Scandinavian brunch, queue-inspiring Malaysian fare and the best dish on the planet, according to celebrity chef David Chang. Here are 10 great ways to enjoy dining in Chinatown.
Bancho
Drink like a high roller at Chinatown’s first laneway bar, Bancho. Its menu features a $2,500 nip of 35-year-old Hibiki whiskey. Don’t worry if your budget doesn’t cover such lavish boozing: the team behind the Surry Hills favourite Tokyo Bird also offers more accessible beverages, such as Hong Kong sours, Japanese negroni and other cocktails not far from the $20 mark. To eat, there are soft-shell crab bao, nori-seasoned fries and matcha mochi ice-cream.
Edition Roasters
Edition Roasters first made a (well-caffeinated) splash in Darlinghurst, where it won many fans for its Japanese-Nordic approach to brunch (Noma’s René Redzepi was so impressed, he invited the café to run a coffee cart next to his Noma Australia pop-up in 2016). In 2018, it relocated its menu of smørrebrød and Japanese soufflé pancakes to Steam Mill Lane in Haymarket — and won a Best Café award from Time Out in the process. Drop by for udon with “poor man's XO”, miso banana bread with yuzu curd, and other inspired breakfast options (and excellent coffee, too).
Yomie’s Rice X Yogurt
Creamy concoctions of yoghurt, oats or Korean purple rice are the main drawcard at Yomie’s Rice X Yogurt. You might think this limited menu might have limited appeal — until you order one of these incredibly moreish drinks yourself. No wonder this venue sometimes has queues stretching for 50 metres out the door. The milky drinks are mixed with other ingredients to create colourful Instagram-friendly shades: like sweet fruit (berries or melon) and savoury flavour boosts, such as avocado and pistachio.
Chinese Garden of Friendship, Darling Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
The peaceful and scenic grounds of the Chinese Garden of Friendship in Chinatown, Darling Harbour.
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Chinese Garden of Friendship, Darling Harbour Credit: Destination NSW
The peaceful and scenic grounds of the Chinese Garden of Friendship in Chinatown, Darling Harbour.
Lunar New Year, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
After three decades in business, Golden Century has gained a loyal following.
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Lunar New Year, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
After three decades in business, Golden Century has gained a loyal following.
The Gardens by Lotus
Could there be a more scenic spot for enjoying dumplings in Sydney? The Gardens by Lotus serves pork xiao long bao, pork and prawn siu mai and vegetable dumplings — plus other yum cha staples — inside a heritage-listed tea house that sits by the tranquil Chinese Garden of Friendship in Darling Harbour. From your terrace table, you can view the garden’s Chinese pavilions, koi-filled lake, pretty bridges, willow trees and waterfalls as you savour your lunch. You can also take a stroll through the serene space afterwards, as garden entry is free with your meal.
Tokyo Lamington
The classic Australian cake gets an imaginative remix at Tokyo Lamington. At this Market City café, you can enjoy a fairy-bread lamington, studded in hundreds and thousands and filled with a popcorn buttercream. The pavlova lamington is covered in torched meringue, while the rose and strawberry flavour is inspired by the famous watermelon strawberry cake at Black Star Pastry — where co-owner Eddie Stewart worked for several years.
Iiko Mazesoba
Michelle Widjaja’s Iiko Mazesoba eatery is dedicated to a soupless style of ramen, where the flavour comes from twirling your noodles through a bowl filled with sauces and toppings. Try the original, chicken karaage and dandan options, or limited-edition specials, like an avocado tsukemen, where you dip the cold noodles into a vegan avocado sauce.
Golden Century (and XOPP)
Golden Century is a Chinatown institution: for more than 30 years, world leaders, foreign royalty and big-time celebrities (like Lady Gaga) have dined there. It’s also a favourite with chefs, especially David Chang, who said Golden Century was home to the best dish in the world: the pipis in XO sauce. That dish is also showcased at its newer sister restaurant in Darlinq Square, XOPP, which serves it, as well as typhoon shelter cauliflower and potato wedges with salted duck egg yolk.
Dulcet
Multilayered crepe cake made with top-tier durian, mango chiffon cake, and matcha double cheesecake — they’re just some of the well-executed pastries you might find at Dulcet, which is run by Vivienne Li and Juno Zhu (who used to be the pastry chef at the much-acclaimed Quay restaurant).
Ho Jiak
Ho Jiak has long attracted big queues for Junda Khoo’s take on his grandmother’s Malaysian cooking. His menu features the Assam Nyonya fish curry he grew up with, as well as his ‘new school’ dishes, such as Vegemite pork ribs and teh traik affogato.
Kowloon Cafe
This neon-bright eatery is a tribute to the cha chaan tengs of Hong Kong, a Western style of workers’ café that emerged in the region in the 1950s. Enjoy a Sydney portal into this world. Kowloon Cafe, which opened in late 2019, offers retro dishes such as Spam with noodles, egg sandwiches and massive Hong Kong French toast.
Lunar New Year, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
An art-filled laneway near Ho Jiak.
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Lunar New Year, Sydney Credit: Destination NSW
An art-filled laneway near Ho Jiak.
More More Cha, Chinatown Credit: Daniel Boud; Destination NSW
Super Roti Man at More More Cha Malaysian restaurant in Chinatown
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More More Cha, Chinatown Credit: Daniel Boud; Destination NSW
Super Roti Man at More More Cha Malaysian restaurant in Chinatown
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Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, CorowaCredit: Destination NSW
Couple enjoying a visit to Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, Corowa.
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Feast on the riches of one of Australia’s most important food bowls on a road trip through the Murray, named after the mighty river that flows through this southwest area of New South Wales. Float down the river on a historic paddlesteamer wine cruise, stop by farm gates to sample incredible fresh produce, and dine at chic restaurants and bars in this unique culinary playground.
Take the back roads for gourmet treats
Head off the beaten path along The Backroads Trail, a 250km driving route that passes through the small pastoral towns of Barham, Moama, Mathoura and Deniliquin on the upper reaches of the Murray River. Sink your teeth into fresh olives, avocados, free-range pork, honey and citrus fruit from farm gates along its loops and trails, and taste the region’s wines at vineyards such as Restdown Wines. While you’re at this winery, venture out along the Restdown Wetland Walk to encounter Aboriginal cooking hearths and an old sheep camp.
Cruise along to The Old School Winery & Meadery in Womboota to pick up wine, pottery and honey mead. Or seek out Ivy Joyce in Barham to indulge in a warm space, offering local produce from farms for a truly paddock to plate experience in the heart of Murray River country. For more snacks and meaty fare such as British-style pork pies and sausages, head to Pacdon Park’s factory shop in Moama.
You can work up an appetite as you build your own itinerary on the theme of food, paddocks and produce, and find suggested routes and maps to Murray River farm gates, at the Echuca Moama Visitor Centre.
Wine and dine along the river
Embark on a wine tour by water in Moama, where the first steamboats made their way up the Murray in 1853. Take a Murray River Paddlesteamers Wharf to Winery Cruise from the town to Morrisons Riverview Winery for a leisurely lunch. Or drive along the river, stopping in at Three Black Sheep for risotto and woodfired pizzas, and tasting crisp dry whites and full-flavoured reds at St Anne’s Vineyards, where you can nibble on a cheese platter overlooking a scenic lake.
Head east along the riverside roads to rest and recharge in the town of Tocumwal, known for its riverside beaches, golf courses, glider flying and iconic Big Murray Cod statue. Start the following day with a solid foundation of breakfast pizza (topped with bacon, eggs and a hash brown) at The Old Bank and indulge in a scoop of ice-cream or sorbet from Tocumwal Ice Creamery – flavours include rocky road, green apple or macadamia. If you’re in town on a Saturday, pick up honey, fruit, vegetables, olive oil, dressings and other condiments made by local producers at the Tocumwal Foreshore Markets.
Continue your odyssey along the river to Corowa, the birthplace of Australian Federation. Immerse in the town’s rich turn-of-the-20th-century colonial heritage as you make your way to the former 1920s flour mill housing Corowa Distilling Co. Here you can book a whisky tasting and behind-the-scenes tour and buy locally made chocolates and sweets from sister shop Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory. Work off an indulgent afternoon with a walk along the river before settling into the stylish Circa 1936 hotel, which is housed in an Art Deco former bank on the main street of Corowa.
Celebrate regional ingredients in Albury
From Corowa, follow the Riverina Highway eastward to the city of Albury, a food, wine and culture hub. Taste how seasonality and locality are expressed at The Proprietor, a former butcher shop turned cafe offering brunch treats such as fruit toast with Beechworth honey and whipped ricotta, and banana waffles with Gundowring vanilla ice-cream. Or try the all-day breakfast offering at Mr Benedict, from cheesy bacon waffle with popcorn chicken to one of its signature eggs benedicts, including one with cider-braised ham hock.
At The River Deck restaurant, local ingredients are celebrated alongside stunning river views, and dishes may include chicken Caesar salad with Milawa eggs or beef brisket braised in coffee by Albury roaster The Brothers Cup. At tiny and elegant Bistro Selle, complement warm Gooramadda olives with a buttery Australian chardonnay and fresh market fish. Yardbird offers a bold-flavoured menu featuring dishes like scorched Albacore tuna, along with meats grilled in a Spanish woodfired oven.
In between meals, stroll along the Yindyamarra Sculpture Walk and take in the contemporary artworks by Aboriginal artists that line the Wagirra Trail. Meander through the Murray Art Museum Albury’s contemporary photographic collection, Aboriginal art and works by renowned Australian artist Sir Russell Drysdale. Afterwards, order lunch or dinner at the museum’s excellent Canvas Eatery – try the saltbush lamb rump or one of their Neapolitan-style pizzas.
The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota Credit: Destination NSW
Couple taste tasting mead at The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota
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The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota Credit: Destination NSW
Couple taste tasting mead at The Old School Winery & Meadery, Womboota
Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available from Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama.
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Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available from Morrison's Riverview Winery and Restaurant, Moama.
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, Corowa Credit: Destination NSW
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate located in a 1920âs old flour mill in Corowa.
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Corowa Whisky & Chocolate, Corowa Credit: Destination NSW
Corowa Whisky & Chocolate located in a 1920âs old flour mill in Corowa.
Canvas Eatery, Albury Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available at Canvas Eatery in Albury.
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Canvas Eatery, Albury Credit: Destination NSW
Food and wine available at Canvas Eatery in Albury.