At-home cooking repertoire run dry? Can’t bear the thought of yet another failed recipe attempt on the weekend? Or just have a special occasion to look forward to? Somehow, meal-based decisions are becoming harder the longer lockdown lasts. If you’re feeling the decision-making fatigue too, we’re here with some ideas. From luxe Italian banquets to big, porky bowls of thick-cut noodles, here’s our top takeaway picks this week.

Marta, Rushcutters Bay
Sometimes, for just a moment, I forget Sydney’s in lockdown and think that, after work, I’ll be able to shake off the busy day with a visit to a restaurant or a bar. Sigh. One day. But I was able to channel a little bit of that delight the other day with a feast ordered from one of my fave Italian eateries, Marta. I’ve celebrated many birthdays at this Roman restaurant over the years – it’s a Norris family go-to – and the other day, a little bit of that warmth and joy was beamed into my lounge room in the form of polpette (veal meatballs in tomato ragu); golden fried-tomato-and-mozzarella arancini; zucchini parmigiana; fluffy focaccia; and one of its signature dishes, gnocchi fritti. For the uninitiated, that is gnocchi pan-fried and then sprinkled with bitey pecorino and shards of pepper. It’s simple, but boy oh boy, what a beautiful dish. Marta is offering pick-up and delivery from its à la carte menu, as well as an array of impressive baked goods such as bread; focaccia topped with salami, gorgonzola, mushrooms and more; savoury sfogliatelle (flaky, shell-shaped pastry filled with ham and cheese); cakes; and bianca e mortadella. If you aren’t familiar with bianca e mortadella, it was, and still is, one of Broadsheet’s I Can’t Stop Thinking About dishes. This is comfort food at its best.

Marta is open for pick-up and delivery from 5pm Tuesday to Sunday for dinner; for lunch on Saturday and Sunday from 1pm; and the bakery is open Tuesday to Sunday (from 7.30am weekdays and 8.30am on the weekend). More details here.

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Xi’an Eatery, Burwood
There are few things more satisfying than tucking into a big bowl of steaming biang biang (thick-cut) noodles. Luckily, Xi’an Eatery in Burwood – which does a banging version of this northern-Chinese specialty – is open for delivery and pick-up. Its handmade noodles with chilli sit under the “essentials” heading on the menu – and for good reason. The chewy, ribbon-like noodles are mixed through with pork, garlic, shallots, veggies and chilli; it’s a savoury dream, perfect for perking up your tastebuds on another long Saturday night at home. (They also make a fab hangover cure.) Other must-orders? The rou jia mo (a bun stuffed with spiced pork and coriander) and the mapo tofu.

Order via Easi, Menulog, Uber Eats and Hungry Panda for delivery or pick-up from 183D Burwood Road, Burwood.

Cicciabella, Bondi
Travelling across Sydney to visit fun restaurants is a luxury of non-lockdown life I miss. With Providoor’s recent Sydney launch, geography is once again no barrier to enjoying a meal from one of my fave diners. The Cicciabella box I ordered recently was a lockdown highlight. The Bondi restaurant says its La Panarda meal is a “feast of epic proportions”, and I concur – despite being two fairly hungry adults (a couple of aperitifs in), we struggled to smash through all the food (but had bonus leftovers for the next day). To start there was a plush olive-oil-and-rosemary focaccia, an entire sphere of burrata, a log of salami, and house-made pickles. Then there were some very, very big prawns, which need a quick go in a pan with kombu and caper butter. Save room, though – they’re followed up with osso-buco ragu served over a pile of bucatini. And then, a beautifully creamy tiramisu. It’s all delivered straight to your door, with a tiny bit of prep at home. Easy-peasy.

Order here for delivery across NSW Thursday to Sunday, or pick up from 75–79 Hall Street, Bondi Beach, Wednesday to Saturday from 4pm to 9pm.

Soul Dining, Surry Hills
Surry Hills Korean diner Soul Dining and its sister cafe and deli, Soul Deli, are doing dosirak – multi-course meals boxed up for your eating pleasure – every Friday. The set menu changes each week, but the cornucopia of deliciousness might include jeon (fritters) made with pyogo (shiitake mushrooms), perilla leaf, zucchini and meatballs; Korean popcorn chicken; spicy-pork-and-squid bulgolgi; and more. They also come with a at least two desserts. They each feed two and will set you back $75.

Place your order online by 9pm Thursday for pick-up after 5pm on Fridays from Soul Deli at 185 Campbell Street, Surry Hills.

Mamak, Haymarket and Chatswood
Sweet or savoury, flaky and fluffy – when we’re craving roti in lockdown, Malaysian restaurant chain Mamak is top of our list. While we can’t roll out of a gig and line up outside Haymarket or Chatswood’s eateries to get a late-night feed, we can order our go-to roti canai to take home instead. There’s the original flaky on the outside, fluffy and steaming hot on the inside roti, as well as egg and red onion variations, or roti pisang (served with ice-cream). Mamak offers online ordering for all its mains too, including rice dishes such as nasi lemak and comforting noods such as wok-tossed mee goreng. Plus, its weekday lunch specials, curries, fried chicken, flame-grilled satay dishes and soft drinks are easy to order via its app.

Order via Mamak’s app, online or by calling 02 9211 1668. Allow 15 to 20 minutes if picking up orders in person. Delivery is available via Uber Eats and Deliveroo. 15 Goulburn Street, Haymarket and 1–5 Railway Street, Chatswood.
mamak.com.au