Chefs share their favourite hole in the wall local Chinese restaurants

From Cabramatta to Chatswood, Sydney’s best chefs reveal their favourite hole in the wall, local Chinese restaurants to mark lunar new year.

This city has a plethora of Chinese street-style restaurants that are just waiting to be uncovered.

To celebrate this week’s Lunar New Year, which welcomes in the Year of the Tiger, Kitchen Confidential asked some of the cities top chefs to help us uncover some of the best hole in the wall Chinese restaurants and recommend where they dine when they are looking for a low-key, but delicious, meal.

SARAH BRIEGEL, Chef and Crown Culinary Director

Sarah Briegel is the culinary director at Crown Towers Sydney.

“I’ve really been craving a good bowl of hand made noodles from Biang Biang, a small local place in Chinatown which is one of my favourites!”

NEIL PERRY, Margaret, Double Bay

While he was in isolation for Covid, Neil Perry requested his daughter Josephine get him some BBQ from Chinatown BBQ Kitchen in Surry Hills.

BRENDAN FONG, Executive chef at LilyMu Parramatta

My favourite hole in the wall / local would have to be Sun Ming in Hurstville. I have been going here since I was 16 and it is still a place I visit frequently. They used to do a hot pot of pork belly and taro which was my ultimate favourite but now is no longer on the menu.

OLI HUA, Head chef at MuMu, CBD

“I would say 9Yummy Yumcha in Cabramatta. Some of the best yum cha in Sydney, with the added bonus of karaoke while you eat. The owner literally sings karaoke to you while you eat.”

DAN HONG, Merivale Executive Chef

Dan Hong at MuMu on George Stree. Picture: Merivale.

“I love Nanjing Dumpling restaurant in Haymarket. They have amazing dumplings but also specialise in Nanjing “saltwater duck”, a poached duck served cold but very tasty. I eat it with the duck noodle soup on the side, as well as some handmade dumplings. I like the pan friend beef ones.

CHASE KOJIMO, Executive Chef at Sokyo, Pyrmont

“I love Hawkers Lane underneath Westfield Chatswood. My favourite dish is the charcoal-roasted lamb skewers generously coated with cumin from a stall called Lamb & Cumin. It’s a traditional dish from Xinjang it’s deliciously spicy.”