Sydney Eat Street: Central Park Mall in Chippendale has loads of food on offer
CENTRAL Park Mall, a mixed-use urban renewal project on Broadway, in the inner-west suburb of Chippendale, offers a plethora of dining options to suit all tastes.
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CENTRAL Park Mall, a mixed-use urban renewal project on Broadway, in the inner-west suburb of Chippendale, offers a plethora of dining options to suit all tastes.
Take a tour of the area’s best eateries right here with The Sunday Telegraph’s Eat Street. Are you hungry for more inspiration? Follow us on Instagram.
DIN TAI FUNG
CREATING the perfect dumpling is a fine art, but at Din Tai Fung, they’ve taken it one step further and made it a science, ensuring every one of the 5000 dumplings the make each day is as flawless as the next.
With a window into the kitchen, you can see for yourself how they are carefully measured to between 4.8g and 5.2g, with a 6cm diameter, stuffed and folded 18 times to weigh between 20.8g and 21.1g of goodness.
They are then steamed for exactly three minutes. A popular selection is the basket of colourful dumplings, appropriately dubbed “gems”: Emerald (salad greens); Topaz (golden corn); Pink Diamond (seafood); Ruby (bolognese); Citrine (cheese); Onyx (BBQ pork); Sapphire (Garlic pork).
Their signature dish though is the xiao long bao — Chinese soup dumplings filled with minced pork and broth. These aren’t the daintiest dumplings to eat, so definitely dine with friends for a fun meal.
— Level 2, Central Park Mall
COCO CUBANO
COCO Cubano founders Tony and Avril Melhem have travelled the world and seen it all, but it was in Cuba that they found their passion, falling in love with the vibrant colours, rustic classic style and most of all, the street-food including the coveted Cubanito pulled-pork sandwich.
Returning to Australia, they brought with them an array of food and drink recipes, particularly Hemingway’s beloved Mojitos, and opened up their own little slice of Havana — a cosy and casual venue with sunken lounge and ample seating, all dressed with an antique decor punctuated with vintage pictures, rugs, books and more.
The menu offers traditional fare but also an Australian take on the classic such as the Cubanito Sandwich, which at Coco Cubano is made with pulled pork, ham, and cheese then pressed with Parmesan cheese.
While you may want to hoard that one, most everything else has a focus on share plates, ideal for lingering over a jug of sangria. And with regular lunch specials, it’s an ideal spot for both local businesses and students alike.
— Lower ground floor, The Dining District, Central Park Mall
MA LA TANG
CHOOSING what to eat here is as easy as the writing on the wall, particularly since there’s a sign inside Ma La Tang explaining the process of creating your own hot pot.
Beginning with a pair of tongs and bowl (which is the size of a wash basin), you then “pick your preferred veggies and meats”.
It all sounds so simple until you see the vast array of sumptuous ingredients you have at your fingertips including six different Chinese greens alone. That’s before you even make it to what seems like an infinite number of tofu variations, fish balls, beef jelly and, of course noodles.
It’s a like a savoury version of the kid in a lolly shop.
Once you’ve decided, the bowl is put on the scale and you pay by weight — usually between $26 and $29 per kilogram with the average serving about 500g — choose a soup base (the traditional medium spiced malatang soup, laksa or chicken broth) or have it “dry” and wok fried.
From there, hand it over to get cooked. About five minutes later you are good to go … over to the condiments section where you can customise it even further with add-ins such as garlic paste, fried onions and chilli oil. And you thought this would be simple.
— Level 2, 28 Broadway
PALACE CENTRAL
DINNER and a movie is one of the oldest — and best — first, second, third or 15th dates and at Palace Central, you’re sure to make a positive impression.
With its stylish decor and state of the art screens, it’s a boutique-style cinema that shows mainstream, independent and international films, but it’s the standout food and drink offerings that are a surprise differentiator.
Before the flick (and hand-holding) enjoy a gourmet charcuterie platter with locally sourced products in their lounge with a Negroni or Old Fashioned Bourbon Whisky.
Confectionary seems like a trite term, as yes there are the basics sweets, but also Pana Chocolate’s raw organic handmade chocolates with flavours such as sour cherry & amp; vanilla and Fig & amp; Wild Orange or popcorn prepared with award-winning olive oil.
If that wasn’t posh enough, with high-end Palace Platinum cinemas, you can order from some of Central Park’s eateries, including black truffle pork dumplings from Din Tai Fung, Dragon rolls with unagi from Sushizilla or classic cheeseburgers from Ribs & amp; Burgers.
Warning: You may fall in love.
— Level 3, Central Park Mall, 28 Broadway
GAMI CHICKEN AND BEER
A ROAST chicken may be a full sit-down dinner in Australia, but in Korea, fried chicken is eaten more as snack rather than a meal.
Here, after marinating the whole chicken for 24 hours, it is cut into bite sized pieces, coated, fried then served with side sauces including sweet chilli, chilli and soy garlic.
It’s easy pickings for when you want that time out with friends to be more about the conversation than the etiquette of formal dining.
No need to stop mid-sentence to use a knife and fork, when using your fingers to grab a bite goes go with the flow as does their specially brewed Gami lager.
And since friends don’t judge, tuck into a couple of other guilty pleasures including the corn cheese, kimchi pancakes or the decadent “potato heaven” — layers of mashed creamy potatoes, cheese, wedges, sour cream and sweet chilli sauce.
— Lower Ground Floor, The Dining District, Central Park Mall
MUST TRY
BLUE MAJIK SMOOTHIE BOWL
BANISH the beige breakfast foods and opt for some colour instead with a Blue Majik
Smoothie Bowl.
Once you stop marvelling at its vibrant hue, you’ll be won over by the delicious taste of blended pineapple and banana with coconut water.
And before you ask, no it’s not synthetic colouring, but rather the vitamin packed, cobalt-coloured superfood, blue-green algae.
— Concrete Jungle, 58 Kensington St
HOMEMADE GELATO
BEGINNING with a pushcart in the Mediterranean, Anita Avital’s homemade gelatos, ice creams and sorbet travelled the world before landing in the contemporary surrounds of Central Park.
What started as just a favour to friends, her son Nir would make the ice cream while she would add her specialised jams for flavours. With more than 150 varieties on offer, you’re sure to find a sweet that suits.
— Anita La Mamma del Gelato; Shop RG 15, Ground Floor, Central Park Mall
SPICY PORK AND SEAWEED SALAD
ITS funky pop-culture interior helped make it a popular sushi spot, but with a new location came new additions to the menu.
Besides their made to order sushi and sashimi they have added more dishes including spicy pork with a cooling seaweed salad.
— Sushizilla; Level 2, Central Park Mall
SAMBAL PIPPIS
INSPIRED by the sight and sounds of a Singaporean market, Spice Alley’s energy will draw you in, but it’s the variety of hawker stands and the seemingly never-ending selection that will keep you coming back for more.
Designed so that no two vendors offer the same food, you’re spoiled for choice, but a sure bet is a stop at Malaysian eatery, Old Jim Kee for Char Koay Tiew and sambal pippis.
And it’s OK if you can’t pronounce it — just point.
— Spice Alley, Old Jim Kee, 18-20 Kensington St
COFFEE PERFECTION
FOR those whose coffee is more than just a morning ritual, here’s where you’ll find your kindred spirit.
Not only will you be getting a cuppa brewed with choice beans, the talented baristas are truly skilled when it comes to producing your preferred beverage.
And best of all, your wallet won’t take a beating for that extra shot or soy milk. They’re free and come with a tiny teddy biscuit.
— The Caffeine Project, Shop RG 11/28 Broadway
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