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David Matthews

David Matthews

David Matthews

David Matthews is a food writer and editor, and co-editor of The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide 2025.

Owner/chef Helen Hung with Stanley Ho and Eva Ho.
14/20

At $17, ‘number eight’ at this retro food court gets you one of Sydney’s best value lunches

But you’ll need to arrive early to join local workers, grandmas and retirees who jostle for soups, noodles and this deceptively complex dish.

  • David Matthews
The Grill.
Good Food hatGood Food hat16.5/20

Does Sydney need another luxury grill restaurant? No, but this one dazzles

The Grill isn’t for everyone, it’s expensive and grand, but it’s the kind of ambitious opening that makes big cities feel international.

  • David Matthews
Go Go Yaki at Burwood’s Chinatown hub.

Pineapple buns and perfect tofu: The Good Food guide to Sydney’s ‘second Chinatown’

Burwood Road is increasingly becoming the go-to destination for dumplings, skewers and free noodle refills.

  • David Matthews
Island Radio, Redfern.
14.5/20

Deep-flavoured sambals and satay: Our critic’s verdict on the tropical disco of Island Radio

Does the first restaurant to open in Redfern’s new $500 million Wunderlich Lane precinct live up to the hype?

  • David Matthews
Catalina restaurant manager James McMahon and his mother, restaurant director Judy McMahon.

Staying power: Longstanding Sydney restaurateurs share the secrets to their success

The Good Food Guide turns 40 this year, and these iconic restaurants are celebrating anniversaries of their own.

  • David Matthews
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The team at new hatted Windsor restaurant Cricca.

It’s the first time these western Sydney suburbs scored a Good Food Guide hat

A trend has emerged in the 2025 Guide: the geography of Sydney’s hats is beginning to shift.

  • David Matthews
Luke Bourke in the Rockpool Bar and Grill kitchen.

The Good Food Guide Young Chef of the Year sets sights on western Sydney

Good Food Guide young chef of the year Luke Bourke is focused on western Sydney, where he can explore his heritage and mentor other young Indigenous chefs.

  • David Matthews and Callan Boys
A selection of iconic dishes from Sydney restaurants for the 40th anniversary of the Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide.

The 40 defining dishes from 40 years of the SMH Good Food Guide

From Berowra Waters Inn brioche to fish liver chermoula: A dish-by-dish snapshot of the past 40 years of The Sydney Morning Herald Good Food Guide.

  • Callan Boys and David Matthews
Customers wait for table at Cabramatta’s popular Com Ga Ba Nga Hoi An.

Ramen to rice: 20 casual restaurants the Good Food Guide critics love

These Critics’ Picks are some of the most delicious restaurants across Sydney and beyond.

  • Callan Boys, David Matthews and Good Food Guide Reviewers
“Dangerously good vibes” can happen in the courtyard of P&V Paddington.

From late-night bites to hidden gems: 31 great Sydney dining finds you need to know about

The Good Food Guide 2025 Young Chef of the Year finalists reveal their favourite dining secrets and bar tips across Sydney and Canberra.

  • Callan Boys and David Matthews

Original URL: https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/goodfood/by/david-matthews-h29n1i