8 Asian dishes and the best places to enjoy them in Sydney

I’ve been a lifelong fan of Asian cuisines, and living here in Sydney, one of the multicultural food capitals of the world, I’m never short of great Asian restaurants to dine at. After years of ‘food experience’, I’ve selected 8 of my favourite Asian dishes and the best places, in my opinion, to enjoy them in Sydney.

1. Phở from Thang Long – 284 Chapel Rd, Bankstown NSW 2200
2. Pad thai from Thanon Khao San – 413 Pitt St, Haymarket NSW 2000
3. Hokkien noodles in XO sauce from Bankstown Brasserie – 307/311 Chapel Rd, Bankstown NSW 2200
4. Spicy beef noodle soup from Gia Hoi – 299 Chapel Rd, Bankstown NSW 2200
5. Som tum (spicy papaya salad) from Mr B’s – 396 Pitt St, Sydney NSW 2000
6. Crying tiger from Mr B’s – 396 Pitt St, Sydney NSW 2000
7. Pork knuckle soup from @Bangkok – 742 George St Capitol Sq Sydney 2000
8. Kim chi beef rice from Pepper Lunch – 537 George St, Sydney NSW 2000

1. Phở from Thang Long

Special beef phở should be the first thing you try if you have never had any Asian food. This popular Vietnamese dish is the best choice for a cold rainy winter’s day.

There are three main parts to phở: the light brown broth, fettuccine-like white rice noodles and the meat.

As soon as your bowl of noodles arrives to your table use your hands to sweep the steam of the broth into your face. You will smell a very light beef aroma – sweet and a little salty. You will also get a little salad plate with your phở: a pile of fresh bean sprouts topped with lemon, basil and chilli. Pluck the basil leaves off the stalks and dunk them into your soup along with some bean sprouts for extra crunch.

Enjoy the phở! It will instantly transport you to a place of warmth and comfort. But be prepared because it may end up making your cold and rainy winter day worse – as soon as you step outside the restaurant you’ll be wishing to return to the warm deliciousness residing in this fantastic bowl of noodles.

2. Pad Thai from Thanon Khao San

Seafood pad Thai is a saucy dry noodle dish with peanuts, bean sprouts, chilli flakes, lemon, prawn, squid and mussel. All the flavours of this Thai dish complement each other so you will taste all of the elements. Pad Thai sauce can be quite sweet so squeeze a little lemon on top.

Pad Thai can be enjoyed anytime. Guaranteed you will be addicted after your first bite. Every spoonful is like a treasure hunt – you might get a juicy garlic prawn in one bite or fresh sauce-covered mussels in the next.

Make sure you take a few friends to share your pad Thai experience.

3. Hokkien noodles in XO sauce from Bankstown Brasserie

Hokkien noodles in XO sauce is a Chinese dish with a great texture and a really unique sauce. Hokkien noodles are like spaghetti but thicker and softer, coated in an oily dark brown XO sauce mixed with veggies and seafood. The closest thing to XO sauce would probably be mixing barbeque sauce and oyster sauce. Seriously tasty!

As soon as the dish is served to you make sure you eat it as fast as you can so you can order a second serving. Be warned, though. This is a slippery dish that will test your mastery of chopsticks!

4. Bún bò Huế (spicy beef noodle soup) from Gia Hoi

Spicy beef noodle soup is the archrival of phở. Bún bò Huế translates to beef noodles from Huế (city in Central Vietnam). It has a much stronger flavour. In your bowl you will find sliced beef, marinated pork, lemon grass, chilli and ginger.

The soup is very spicy, but balanced out with the saltiness from the pork and the zest of the lemon grass. Bún bò Huế has a special noodle – kind of like spaghetti but thicker and firmer – and you will not see it served with any other type.

When you sip the soup you will instantly feel the heat and spiciness. You should chomp some of the moist noodles to quench the fire dancing upon your taste buds and then finish off by having a piece of tender marinated meat. Repeat these steps until nothing is left in your bowl.

5. Som tum (spicy papaya salad) from Mr B’s

Som tum is my favourite salad – vibrant, hot and exciting. It reminds me of my trip to Bangkok, Thailand. Som tum is colourful, salty, sweet and spicy. Once you try it, you just can’t get enough of it.

What makes this salad fantastic is that it is a little on the extreme side. The chilli, lime juice and fish sauce will set your taste buds on fire while the shredded green papaya, peanuts, cherry tomatoes and string beans calm everything down.

All these ingredients are put together in a mortar and pounded and mixed until you get the perfect blend of flavours. The end result is a very crunchy, tangy, refreshingly spicy and salty salad.

Make sure you have a big glass of water ready!

6. Crying tiger from Mr B’s

Steak lovers, this one’s for you. Crying tiger is a simply delicious entree. Crying tiger is beef steak char-grilled and sliced into bite-sized pieces that sit on a simple green salad accompanied by the world’s best nam jim (dipping sauce).

The sauce is thick and dark like gravy but not quite as viscous. It packs a punch thanks to the key ingredient of most Thai dishes, chilli, to make your steak taste even better. With every bite you will savour a sweet, salty and tangy sauce followed by the flavour of the beef.

Resist the urge of ordering more than one serving. Do not let this tasty dish fill you up and spoil the rest of your dinner.

7. Pork knuckle soup from @Bangkok

Pork knuckle soup is a brilliant soup for when you are only peckish… or if you just feel like soup. It is very warm and flavoursome with the soup being a little salty, sweet and sour. In it, you will find soft pork pieces, button mushrooms and lemon grass. It is definitely a comfort food on a cold day.

Be careful, though, because this is not your standard soup – it does have chilli and lemon grass so expect a little kick from it. Sip the soup slowly. Let it fill your mouth and you will instantly taste all the wonderful flavours of Thai cooking.

8. Kim chi beef rice from Pepper Lunch

The popular chain restaurant Pepper Lunch serves dishes that sizzle and cook in front of you. One of my favourite dishes from Pepper Lunch is the Korean-inspired kim chi beef rice. A simple dish comprised of fermented cabbage, radish, beef and chilli.

In front of you will be a sizzling hot plate with a mound of rice, topped with kim chi and scattered pieces of raw beef throughout. You will need to give your meal a good stirring for a minute or two while the hot plate cooks the rice and meat.

The aroma from the sizzling beef and kim chi is amazing. After everything is cooked you should add some sweet garlic soy sauce provided for you (the bottles sit on every table) and your meal is ready to eat.

I hope you’ve enjoyed this list, and happy eating!