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Deep-fried then fried again – this time in butter and the jammy yolks of salted duck eggs – Ho Jiak’s kiam ah nui kay might be Sydney’s most extravagant fried chicken. Every mouthful contains big, bold flavours and a devil-may-care approach to tradition. It’s the kind of dish we’ve come to expect from Ho Jiak’s freestyling chef, Junda Khoo.

The ground floor of his Haymarket diner is a colourful homage to Penang and the 18-page menu follows suit, taking cues from the home cooking of his beloved amah along the way.

Still, she might have something to say about his char kwai teow, which takes the classic to a deeper, darker place, layering the noodles with caramelised lard and charred, prawn infused egg. Forget “whispers” of wok hei, Khoo’s rendition has smoke and char for days.