Most popular Asian restaurants are pretty hectic come lunchtime – but few compare to the frenzy at Malay Chinese Takeaway.

The original, now-closed Hunter Street location was legendary among city workers and laksa addicts, famed for a recipe that went unchanged from 1987. The name has lived on at multiple addresses, but the current stable includes this eatery on Liverpool Road in Ashfield, and a heaving noodle bar in Circular Quay's Sydney Place dining precinct.

Laksas come from a salty, coconut-based stock with a slightly granular texture from the addition of dry curry powder. There are several to choose from, including chicken (we love the fatty, fall-apart drumstick), king prawn, and the chef’s favoured iteration ferrying chunks of Rendang-like beef.

Otherwise, it’s a greatest-hits selection from the Malay-Chinese canon. Smoky char kway teow involves thick strips of wok-fired rice noodles spun with chicken, prawns, Chinese sausage, egg and chilli; while the Hainanese chicken and combination rice dishes are intensely comforting and classic.