Where Chefs Eat: Sydney’s Best Takeaway, According to 32 Top Chefs

While we adore dining out, sometimes a night at home is necessary – regardless of whether we’re up to cooking or not. It’s true of Sydney’s top kitchen talents, too. So when they’re taking a night off the pans and staying in, this is where they’re heading, and what they’re ordering.

These are Sydney’s best takeaway joints, according to 32 top chefs.

Joe Valero, Lottie

I’ve found myself coming back again and again to Kujira, a small Japanese shop on Ashfield Road. The chicken katsu with curry and the pork abura soba are boss.

Danielle Alvarez, Sydney Opera House

Bahn Cuon Ba Oanh, a Vietnamese in Marrickville. It is incredible, I love the fresh rice noodles.

Nik Hill, Porcine

I’m a sucker for Thai food, I eat so much of it. There’s a new little place near me called Tangmo Thai. It’s really cute, just delicious – great larb, coconut rice, som tum salad.

Mimi Wong

Yok Yor, the Thai place in the city. They have tripe noodle soup on the menu. For something that’s so rustic and hole-in-the-wall, it’s just so ballsy. Such an extensive menu – I always say this spot is for loyalists, but also curious shoppers that just stumble upon the place.

Jesse Orleans, Happyfield and Happy Shop

That’s easy, Yia Mas Greek Taverna in St Peters. I ring ’em, place my order and by the time I pull up, my food is ready to go.

Carley Scheidegger, Corner 75

Bella Brutta, always. That clam pizza never fails.

Toby Wilson, Ricos Tacos

Pandawa – an incredible Indonesian joint in the city. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure-style nasi bungkus situation: we’re talking a pyramid of rice with curries, sambals, a boiled egg, cassava leaf. Love it, getting hungry thinking about it.

Trisha Greentree, Fratelli Paradiso

Parami. I go for the takana, and the chicken and egg. Delicious, consistent and perfectly packaged for a mess-free lunch on the go. Very important.

Stefano Marano, Avia

Spice I Am for a fresh papaya salad in summer or a tangy curry in winter.

Jack Alexander, Pomme Table

Bella Bruta in Newtown. The dough has the perfect balance of chew, lightness and char all at the same time. It’s usually a toss-up between the clam with fermented chilli or the potato and gorgonzola, but I add guanciale. Honourable mention: 1919 Beef Lanzhou, get the wide noodles.

Christine Manfield

I like to go to Kabul Social, for the Afghan street food, and get one of their Kabuli wraps. They do a great chicken one and also a roasted eggplant – I get them to mix it together: half chicken, half eggplant, it’s just great. The bee’s knees, and it’s also to support such a great social enterprise.

And my other one too, ’cos I’m always conflicted: I love banh mi, and going to Banh Xeo Bar in Rosebery.

Brendan Pang

Chinese roast pork or char siu – either over rice or I’ll use it as a filling for rice paper rolls if I want something a bit fresher. I also love Henrietta in Surry Hills, because we live so close and the chicken is always great. And when I want proper comfort food, it’s Chinese Noodle Restaurant in Haymarket for dumplings and pan-fried chive pockets.

Khanh Nguyen, King Clarence

I usually keep it local – there’s something nice about grabbing something close to home and being able to reheat it properly without it suffering too much. I’m a big believer in convenience done well. On days when I don’t feel like cooking, I’ll often grab takeaway from one of my favourite Vietnamese spots, Hello Auntie in Marrickville. I’ll take it home and plate everything up properly, so it still feels like a proper meal – no eating straight out of takeaway containers. Sometimes you just want a quiet night in without the noise of a restaurant or chatting with waitstaff. I spend most days working with a team of over 20 people and running services for more than 200 guests, so having that quiet time at home is really important for me to recharge.

Junda Khoo, Ho Jiak and Tam Jiak

Almost every second Sunday, I’ll get takeaway from Charcoal Kingdom in Rockdale, a charcoal chicken shop. I have an El Jannah closer to home but I prefer Charcoal Kingdom, because the chicken is juicy and succulent, and the garlic sauce is addictive. El Jannah’s pretty good too, don’t get me wrong.

Paul Farag, ex-Aalia

I can’t go past a rotisserie chicken and chips from either The Char or Chargrill Charlie’s. I’d be rude not to mention Henrietta’s, if I’m near work: chicken, chips, toum, pickles and bread. Maybe a salad.

Lizzie Hewson, Saturday Night Pasta

Maggie’s in Erskineville, hands down. Maggie and Kai are local legends, serving some of the best Thai food in Sydney. It’s always fresh and offers something unique. We love dining there on Tuesdays (along with every other local) because Maggie and her mum are in the kitchen. I always go for Maggie’s prawn omelette with her secret chilli sauce. I don’t even need to order – Kai knows exactly what I want when I call.

Giovanni Pilu, Pilu at Freshwater and Flaminia

Good Indian takeaway: butter chicken, khatte baingan, dal and naan.

Sam Rozsnyoi, Chiswick

Bella Brutta – I can never choose between the clam and the mortadella.

Peter Gilmore

I live on the north side of Sydney and I love to get a woodfire pizza from Braci Osteria in Willoughby.

Andy Hearnden, aka Andy Cooks

Henrietta or Samir’s Indian Kitchen.

Oscar Solomon, Olympus, The Apollo, Cho Cho San

Pho, every day of the week. Vietnamese/Laotian is my food crush. I usually order the soup with the most interesting cuts, usually offal.

Isobel Whelan-Little, Ace Hotel

Anything sushi orientated.

Tobi Fox, Arlo Communal

Chat Thai – it’s absolute comfort food for me. There is one just down the road from my family home, and I usually order satay skewers, red curry duck and a diet coke.

Andy Wirya, Island Radio

Regina La Pizzeria, right next door to Island Radio in Wunderlich Lane – I can’t beat it for convenience. The pizza is light and chewy and has a great crust; you can eat a whole pizza without feeling sick. My current go-to is the Friarielli, which has pork sausage, smoked provola and chilli flakes.

Declan Cleary, Masterchef

Nothing hits like a banh mi from Marrickville Pork Roll. Cheap, crunchy, packed with flavour. It’s comfort food done right.

Ozge Kalvo, Olympus

Chat Thai, Haymarket – the soft-shell crab and pineapple fried rice.

Cam Votano, The Bat & Ball

If I’m driving back late from work, VN Street Foods in Marrickville does great Vietnamese food that is bang for buck. If I’m catching the train, I have to walk past Henrietta’s in Surry Hills and I am an absolute fiend for their falafel wrap.

O Tama Carey, of now-closed Lankan Filling Station

Erciyes has been my staple takeaway for more years than I care to remember. I always get the same thing: a couple of the Turkish pizzas (usually a spicy sausage one and a spinach one), some hummus, the Greek salad and the lentil soup. They were shut down for a little while because of a fire and I can’t tell you how happy I was when they finally reopened. I was scared they were going to disappear.

Ahana Dutt, Kolkata Social

I really like Cairo Takeaway in Enmore. I get their cauliflower pocket, sweet potato fries and the hibiscus tea. It’s quality food that really satisfies you – and great value for money.

Lennox Hastie, Firedoor and Gildas

Parami. It’s a really small hole in the wall that does really amazing onigiri. Run by [co-owner] Mika [Kazato], who’s always really lovely. Amazing matcha, good coffee. They’ve always got a little special that I want to try. I’m amazed at how tasty some of the vegetarian options are.

Big Sam Young, S’More and Young’s Palace

I would go to Double Tap and get the chicken-and-sweet-corn sandwich. It’s super delicious. And I’ll get a coffee too, because Double Tap does the best coffee in Australia.

Michaela Johansson, Aplenty

I love the chicken sandwich at Good Ways Deli. The tarragon mayo is so good and there is a generous smear of butter on the bread, too. They’re just around the corner from our kitchen, so if we’re too busy, that’s a weekly staple.