Marrickville Pork Roll ★ 4.7
Sydney's canonical banh mi counter on Illawarra Road, Marrickville. Pork roll with house pate at A$5.50, queues from 12pm; open daily from 7am.
Try: Pork banh mi
Vendors, food trucks and stalls: the cheapest, fastest, frequently best food in Sydney.
Don't-miss vendors
El Jannah ★ 4.6
Sydney's canonical charcoal chicken on South Street, Granville. Whole chickens, garlic toum, chips and pickled turnip; open daily 10am till late.
Try: Charcoal chicken and toum
Phu Cuong ★ 4.5
John Street's no-frills banh mi shop on Cabramatta, Sydney. The Maggi-heavy A$7.50 rolls and the city's most consistent crackle in a baguette.
Try: Vietnamese banh mi
KK Bakery ★ 4.5
Cabramatta banh mi counter on John Street, Sydney. The marinated chicken Maryland roll is the menu signature; open 7 days from 6:30am, takeaway only.
Try: Marinated chicken Maryland banh mi
Banh Cuon Ba Oanh ★ 4.5
Hanoi-style banh cuon counter on Marrickville Road, Sydney. Steamed rice noodle rolls with pork and wood-ear mushroom, fried shallots on top.
Try: Banh cuon
Hoy Pinoy ★ 4.4
Filipino skewer pop-up at Barangaroo Reserve and seasonal Sydney events. Chicken inasal, pork barbecue and atchara pickle; check the Hoy Pinoy site.
Try: Filipino chicken inasal skewer
Harry's Cafe de Wheels ★ 4.3
Heritage pie cart on Cowper Wharf, Woolloomooloo, Sydney since 1938. The Tiger pie (mash, peas, gravy) is the canonical late-night Sydney bite.
Try: Tiger pie (pie with mash and peas)
Spice Alley ★ 4.3
Open-air hawker laneway on Kensington Street, Chippendale, Sydney. Six Asian eateries side by side, communal tables outside; open daily 11am-9pm.
Try: Asian hawker plates (laksa, chicken rice, banh mi)
Mandi King ★ 4.4
Yemeni-style lamb mandi counter on Haldon Street, Lakemba, Sydney. Whole leg of lamb on saffron rice, served on a single platter at the table.
Try: Yemeni-style lamb mandi
Knafeh Bakery ★ 4.5
Pop-up knafeh bakery on Marrickville Road, Sydney. The Saturday-night sweet cheese pastry from the Lebanese-Palestinian sisters runs into the small hours.
Try: Cheese knafeh
Bourke Street Sausage Roll ★ 4.5
Bourke Street Bakery's lamb-and-harissa sausage roll on Bourke Street, Surry Hills, Sydney. The single most-ordered savoury bake in the Sydney chain.
Try: Lamb-and-harissa sausage roll
Mr Spanish Churros ★ 4.3
Spanish churros stall at Vivid Sydney's Fire Kitchen, Barangaroo Reserve. Crisp fried sticks dusted in cinnamon sugar, hot chocolate dipping sauce.
Try: Spanish churros with chocolate
Ho Jiak Nasi Lemak ★ 4.5
Malaysian hawker-style nasi lemak from Ho Jiak in Haymarket, Sydney. Pandan rice, sambal ikan bilis, fried chicken and a soft-boiled egg on top.
Try: Nasi lemak
Fishermans Wharf Seafoods ★ 4.4
Sydney Fish Market takeaway counter at Bank Street, Pyrmont. Fish and chips, salt-and-pepper squid and prawn rolls in paper boats; daily 7am-4pm.
Try: Fish and chips
Gelato Messina Cone ★ 4.5
Sydney's most-walked-past gelato counter on Victoria Street, Darlinghurst. The salted caramel and white chocolate cone is the takeaway icon.
Try: Salted caramel and white chocolate gelato cone
Chat Thai Dessert Counter ★ 4.4
Thai sticky-rice and dessert counter at Chat Thai's Haymarket flagship, Sydney. Mango sticky rice, coconut sago, pandan-leaf cakes; daily 10am-10pm.
Try: Mango sticky rice
Manoosh Lebanese Pizzeria ★ 4.3
Lebanese manoosh flatbread shop on Illawarra Road, Marrickville, Sydney. Za'atar, lamb-spice, halloumi-and-tomato flatbreads from the wood-fired oven.
Try: Lebanese manoosh flatbread
Mr Crackles ★ 4.4
Pork-belly sandwich shop on Oxford Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney. The roast pork hot roll with crackling and applesauce is the signature lunch.
Try: Pork belly hot roll
Black Star Strawberry Watermelon Cake ★ 4.5
Black Star Pastry's iconic strawberry watermelon cake at the Newtown counter, Sydney. Rose-syrup soaked watermelon, pistachio crumb, cream layers.
Try: Strawberry watermelon cake slice