[SYD] Cheap Eats

RIP the days when you could get an absolutely killer Banh Mi for $4 or a full lunch for <$10.

 

So, I'm hoping to go over to Sydney. Where are some good places to eat in town (or not that far out)? Any recommendations?

 

budget?

cafe style? fine dining?

what sort of cuisine?

 

This is "cheap eats" thread, but I'd say for budget "good value" instead of just "cheap". You can't expect to eat steak for hotdog prices, can you?
Cafes, food courts, accessible places, rather than "fine dining".
As for cuisine, something "yummy" I like lots of different things.... but plain "normal" food, not "weird" things. For example, a salad with grains and veggies and yummy dressing, not one with duck toes and a dressing made with the scrapings of the sweat off a tibetan monk. Examples of what I like: vietnamese, korean, italian, greek (I used to go to a greek place on Elizabeth st that did this wonderful braised okra and avgolemono, but I bet that's long gone), chinese, japanese, fry ups (sometimes), salads, kebabs (good ones), souvlaki, mexican, really good sandwiches on good bread etc. I like veggies more than meat and my 2 favourite "food groups" are ginger and garlic I love fish, but not other seafood.

I'd like somewhere good that does full breakfast or a buffet (for some reason, when I go places, I start wanting fry up breakfast when I never have breakfast at home, and stuffing your face before you start traipsing about seems like a good idea), a good noodle house/asian, good burgers/steak sandwiches, places like that where you can score something horrible if you don't know where to pick. Any recommendations for anywhere good, really. Somewhere "normal" that doesn't have inflated prices because of "hype". No "wank factor".

 

In/near the city

Gumshara Ramen
Wilmot ( $30 1 course, $60 for 3 courses, I think it's good value, but)
BL (Bar Luca) Burgers
Mr Crackles
Darling Drive Haymarket has a few new ones

Glass Brasserie ( Hilton Hotel) has a $50 late breakfast (Saturday 10 to 12:30) with unlimited barista coffee, mimosas and Bloody Mary

Chippendale
Spice Alley ( worth wander through)


Will edit as I think of more

 

Thanks kogi, I'll look them up.
There's no way I'd go to the "boozer's buffet". I don't drink, I wouldn't get to do any sightseeing, I'd have to stagger back to the hotel and collapse. Even after one.

EDIT: looked them up. Yum, just yum. The wilmot does a $20 lunch special (brisket burger sounds good...)
see that one of the places in "spice alley" does chicken rice. I LOVE chicken rice....

Now, I need to organise any sightseeing around where to go for lunch.

 

Their serving size is a bit small. More quality than quantity

 

ok by me, I'm a very small eater

 

Couple near the chinatown end of Pitt St

Sparrows Mill , Korean Fried Chicken. ( heard it's ok, I usually head out to Red Pepper in Strathfield)
Kao San, Thai
En Casa, Spanish


On Sussex St
Sushi Rio, Train sushi, I think for lunch all plates are $3.5? $3.8??? , If you want the fried stuff order in from the little menu sheets

Across the road from rio, there is a chinese spicy noodle shop, where you chuck what you want into a basket, then they charge you by weight. From memory the white sauce you can add at the end is garlic

Home Thai, queue for lunch most days, I didn't like, think it's too oily

Mamak, Malaysian, Personally think it's overrated, ymmv

 

When was that? 1995? Been $7 minimum here for a long time.

 

For a pork roll? Really?

I can still get a half-decent one for $4 at the takeaway in Seven Hills near work (western sydney). City places minimum $5-$6 now.
Heaps of viet-run bakeries in Sydney suburbs do a good banh mi in various styles (traditionl pork, pork belly, shredded chicken) for $4-$5.
Eastwood/Ryde/Ermington, Epping/Carlingford, Hornsby, Inner West suburbs and points further out west, northern beaches...
I've found a decent looking bakery for a $5 lunch in all these places ($7 with a can/bottle of water).
I note that we're splitting hairs over a couple of bucks here. But maybe that's important for travellers or students on a budget etc.

Anyone in Chatswood or St Leonards after an awesome Banh Mi for closer to the $7 that MR CHILLED mentioned, look up "Saigon Rolls".
Try their pork + crackling, pork belly, pork rissole rolls, all as tasty as... something that is very very tasty indeed.
They do Pho, salads etc. too

Also in St Leonards, "Ace Noodle" is excellent value for excellent food. #N9 Wonton noodle soup, BBq pork pad see ew and their laksas all highly recommended.
I get a meal from them at least once a week, never had a bad dish. Try the fish cakes too, if you're into that.

 

Dixon Foodcourt in Chinatown is still pretty decent, though the prices of the various stalls has gone up a bit. Same goes for EatingWorld foodcourt in Chinatown. Plenty of variety, standard is good for the price, nil wank factor but a few of the individual stores within the court can be hit and miss. Spice alley is okay, a bit trendier than the Chinatown foodcourts but prices are alright. Oiden on George St (in another foodcourt) is pretty good, reminds me of a place that I'd eat lunch at in Japan - not spectacular but it meets the mark. Mappen is next door to Oiden and does udon/soba and always has a decent crowd during the day.

 

Thanks. You guys are spoilt for choice, there are so many good places. Has anyone tried belles hot chicken? It sounds tasty. It's in Darling Square, which kogi linked to above.

 

Yep, $4 would be completely unheard of here. Bare minimum would be $6.50 but you can get some deals that chuck in a coke or spring rolls for $8 or $9.

 

Wilmot no longer have the $20 lunch special

 

sigh, well hopefully there'll be something good somewhere when (if) I go. There are far more recommended/nice sounding places than I'll have meals to have. unfortunately.

 

Second that. Spice Alley is great for a feed.

 

$6 for pretty big pork roll at Marsden park bakery near the Woolworths in western Sydney, I don't eat them but the Mrs says theyre good.

 

where in seven hills please?
my office is on station road, would love one for lunch for these hot days.

 

Which shops do you recommend?