Sydney Eat Street: Best foodie finds in Parramatta
There’s a beautiful blend of culture in Parramatta and with the focus on food, there’s plenty of places to try it all with loads of special offers for diners.
Eat Street
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ALEX&Co
Executive chef Rod Fairburn wants to make your tastebuds dance with a menu he describes as diligent, playful and full of flavours.
“Our menu is a symphony of much-loved Australian pasta, pizza, burger, grill, salad and dessert classics and innovative, delicious and a healthy new array of small share plates and bar bites,” he says.
“Our flavour inspiration is drawn from cuisines of the Middle East, Italy, India, China, South East Asia, Greece and France and designed for how Parramatta loves to eat today.”
ALEX&Co is inspired by the Big Apple, New York City, but ingrained with a Parramatta vibe.
He adds: “Our goal is to ensure that all customers leave feeling satisfied and give them the excitement of returning after their previous visit.”
The cuisine is modern Australian served both inside and outside.
Through March, in conjunction with American Express delicious. Month Out, ALEX&Co have once again looked to the states and created a cocktail, inspired by a well-known American dessert, ‘Smores (an ooey-gooey treat of marshmallows roasted over a campfire then topped with a square of chocolate and slapped between two sugar and cinnamon biscuits).
At ALEX&Co, their rendition is called “The American Expresso”. It’s amazing and best enjoyed with friends while you hang out for the live entertainment five nights a week.
— 330 Church St, Parramatta; alexandco.com.au
CIRCA ESPRESSO
It’s a dish like no other says Circa Espresso’s Anthony Nohra.
“The offer for American Express delicious. Month Out has allowed customers to try our signature Ottoman Eggs dish,” he says.
“We have paired it with a new and exciting ‘Chaigato’ drink, which is a dark chocolate sorbet topped with our house-made chai, oat milk, mint and chocolate peppermint. The two consumed together makes for an interesting combination of flavours not experienced elsewhere.”
Circa is designed similarly to a Melbourne laneway and its menu is a mix of modern Australian dining with a Middle Eastern influence.
Anthony notes how the chef uses only local and seasonal ingredients, ensuring the quality of the dishes exceeds the expectations of “regular cafe food”.
“I think the offer we have created for the greater Sydney dining scene and American Express delicious. Month Out is truly a standout in terms of flavour,” he says.
“Individually these items are fantastic; however, consumed together, they create an explosion of unique flavours which one would not think to combine. We feel there is really something distinctive on offer for guests to experience.”
— 21 Wentworth Ave, Parramatta; circaespresso.com.au
LAO DER, LAO & THAI CUISINE
As they say “waste not, want not” … Traditionally Lao and Isaan dishes can be very spicy and confronting for some diners as the food preparation usually follows the “nose to tail eating philosophy” where you would often find intestine, offal or chicken feet in a meal.
“We have been successful in substituting some ‘hard on the eyes’ ingredient such as offal with familiar cuts of meat and seafood, keeping the authenticity and taste to stay close to the original,” says Lao’s co-owner, Visiene Matharu.
Most Lao Der dishes are light but full of flavours, loaded with regional spices such as fresh lemon basil, galangal, chilli, coriander, kaffir lime and lemongrass to enhance the dishes without the use of heavy coconut cream.
Visiene says: “Our most popular dishes include Ob Gai, BBQ Ox Tongue, Lao Pork Sausages, Green Papaya salad and Larb Zeen (raw beef salad).”
No stranger to the hospitality scene, Visiene and his brother have run the successful North Parramatta eatery, Thai Garden House Restaurant, winner Savour Australia’s Best Thai Restaurant in Sydney Metro in 2013, for 15 years.
It’s a true testament to the Matharu brothers’ level of service and quality of the food which they have carried over into their latest venture.
Through March, when dining at Lao Der, mention American Express delicious. Month Out receive 10 per cent off your total bill.
— 277B Church St, Parramatta; laoder.com.au
THE GINGER TIGER
If a dish could have a ‘mic drop moment’ it would be The Ginger Tiger’s Korean Fried Chicken. These tasty morsels are made with a thin batter, so the crust is lighter, crispier and very crunchy.
It’s cooked twice – once to remove the fat, then a second time where the skin traps the moisture, thus keeping the meat moist and tender.
Manager Vonnie Huynh says the restaurant has been family-owned since 2017 and is ‘Pan Asian Cuisine’. Vonnie adds it’s known as ICG or “Incredible Chicken”.
The most popular dish is the Spring Onion Chicken (crispy fried chicken with specially-made Wasabi sauce & fresh spring onion).
Vonnie says they have 13 other flavours including cream cheese spicy chicken, creamy onion, snow cheese and spicy garlic.
For American Express delicious. Month Out, The Ginger Tiger has also created a special dish – the ‘Oh Boy’, crispy-coated noodles with king prawns, which pairs perfectly with a glass of wine or beer for $23 during March only.
— The Collector Hotel, 100 George St, Parramatta; thegingertiger.com
BAYTI RESTAURANT PARRAMATTA
The latest Lebanese restaurant to hit the Parramatta dining scene is a full family affair filled with tradition, culture and flavour.
Based on recipes from Julie Khouzame, the matriarch of the Khouzame family, Bayti, which translates to “my home”, is keen to share dishes that reflect the meat-centric focus of Northern Lebanon, but adapted with seafood to appeal to a more modern palette.
The excitement in Julie’s daughter, Priscilla Khouzame’s voice while describing Bayti’s first time being involved in the American Express delicious. Month Out. is undeniable.
“This is our first being time part of this scene and we are thrilled,” she says.
“It’s a wonderful initiative to work alongside other restaurants and offer diners some of Australia’s finest produce.”
Through March, diners at Bayti receive a complimentary red or white wine, sourced from the vineyards of the Bekka Valley in Lebanon.
— 45 Macquarie St, Parramatta; bayti.com.au
LOLA COCINA PARRAMATTA
For an authentic Spanish dining experience, you don’t have to travel any further than Parramatta to enjoy a wide variety of tapas and paella while being entertained by Flamenco dancers tapping and clapping along with a Spanish guitarist.
Enjoy share plates wit the likes of fried chorizo, spiced calamari and the decadent Spanish style doughnuts, churros, with a chocolate dipping sauce.
Through March, spend $60 or more in one transaction, in-person and pay with your American Express card to get a $20 credit. (conditions apply)
— Level 1/79-81 Phillip St, Parramatta; lolacocinaparramatta.com.au
SICILIAN
Whether it’s a large party or romantic dinner, for more than 10 years, this Italian restaurant has been serving up hearty helpings of pasta, wood fire pizzas, seafood and more to suit any occasion.
Through March, take your tastebuds to Sicily with a two-course meal for just $29pp when you book via TheFork. Spaces are limited so book in soon.
— 292 Church St, Parramatta; thesicilianrestaurant.com.au