Spice Alley is an asian hawker restaurant in Chippendale, Sydney.
Open-air hawker laneway on Kensington Street, Chippendale, Sydney. Singaporean, Malaysian and Hong Kong food stalls, walk-in friendly weeknights.
Signature dishes: Laksa, Hainanese chicken rice, Banh mi
Must order: Hainanese chicken rice from Hong Kong Diner, laksa next door.
Tip: Order at each stall, share a table outside; lantern-strung at night.
Address: Kensington Street, Chippendale NSW 2008, Sydney
Sydney's cult banh mi counter on Illawarra Road, Marrickville. The pork roll with house pate at A$5.50 is the canonical Sydney lunch. Daily from 7am.
Signature: Pork banh mi, Iced Vietnamese coffee, Spring rolls
Order: The classic pork banh mi with extra chilli.
Tip: Cash and card both accepted; queues from 12pm Saturday.
Late-night Malaysian on Goulburn Street, Haymarket, Sydney. Roti canai, satay and char kway teow; open daily 11:30am-2am Friday and Saturday.
Signature: Roti canai, Nasi lemak, Satay chicken
Order: Roti canai with curry trio, satay chicken sticks.
Tip: No bookings; the queue outside is part of the ritual.
Cantonese-Vietnamese pho counter on George Street, Haymarket, Sydney. Deep, clear broth and the city's most consistent pho dac biet under A$20.
Signature: Pho dac biet, Pho ga, Vietnamese iced coffee
Order: Pho dac biet (special beef) with extra herbs and chilli.
Tip: Open from 8am for breakfast pho; queues form Sunday lunch.
Long-running Vietnamese pho counter on John Street, Cabramatta, Sydney. The dac biet pho with brisket and tendons is the menu signature, daily 8am-9pm.
Signature: Pho dac biet, Pho ga, Bun bo Hue
Order: Pho dac biet (special beef) or bun bo Hue for the spice.
Tip: Closes by 8pm; take cash for the smoothest queue.
Bill Granger's original Bills on Liverpool Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney since 1993. The ricotta hotcakes with honeycomb butter went global from this counter.
Signature: Ricotta hotcakes, Sweetcorn fritters, Scrambled eggs
Order: Ricotta hotcakes with banana and honeycomb butter.
Tip: Walk-ins only; arrive before 9am to skip the weekend wait.
Farm-to-table all-day cafe inside the Cannery on Dunning Avenue, Rosebery, Sydney. Sydney neighbourhood favourite, walk-in seats most weeknights.
Signature: Free-range eggs, Beach-house breakfast, Wood-fired pizza
Order: Free-range fried eggs with chorizo, pickles and harissa.
Tip: Saturday morning brings the longest queue; weekdays best for a sit-down breakfast.
