Temasek

Temasek is the ancient Javanese name for Singapore, where Temasek’s owner Jeremy Cho and his family comes from. Cho says laksa in Singapore has changed over the past 20 years – the reduction in the number of hawker stalls has caused a reduction in quality. He’s confident the recipe at Temasek is faithful to the laksas that were common on the streets of Singapore decades ago.

To that end, Temasek serves what’s arguably the best laksa in Sydney. It’s thick, herbal, spicy, chewy like a mortar-and-pestle made Thai curry, and incredibly flavoursome. Temasek is also popular for its Singapore chilli crab, which you can order with a day or two’s notice.

The rest of the menu is a greatest-hits selection from the Malay Peninsula. Expect Hainanese chicken rice (whole- and half-serves), nasi lemak and smokey Singaporean char kway teow.

If you can – book ahead. Temasek can be incredibly busy both at lunch and dinner time. But when you experience the humming atmosphere and home-style cooking here, it’s easy to see why.