Asian cuisine is known for the range and sheer variety of flavours across many different countries and cultures. Ingredients such as seafood, rice, garlic, soy, lemongrass and chilli are common in dishes often stir-fried, steamed or deep-fried.
The balance of sweet, sour and salty is prominent and this is one of the things that makes Asian food very different from Western dishes, where these flavours are used singularly. These ingredients usually work against each other, however if mixed in the right amounts and with the right spices and meats, they provide a unique taste to curries and stir-fries.
Australia is home to a plethora of great Asian restaurants, where flavoursome cuisine and good times abound. Here are six of our favourites:
Find a melting pot of flavour on the menu at Dakao Hoang on Balmoral Avenue in Springfield. This authentic Vietnamese restaurant extends the love of food from one family to another, sharing secret recipes handed down through generations; keeping alive traditions and flavours.
Start with an entrée of spicy salt and pepper squid, or quail; followed by mains such as special broken rice – flame-grilled pork chop, pork meatloaf, shredded pork, fried egg and rice – or perhaps whole barramundi, okra, mung bean sprouts, tomato and fresh Vietnamese herbs.
Residing in a heritage-listed cottage on Barwon Head’s main shopping strip along Hitchcock Avenue, is locally-loved Vietnamese restaurant Hanoi Kitchen. Open the front courtyard gate to be greeted by communal, picnic-style tables, while those who prefer to be seated inside, find a cosy interior styled with polished wood floors, a long timber bar and pops of colour throughout the segregated dining rooms.
Devour BBQ duck rice paper rolls with hoisin sauce to start your Asian feast; then contemplate mains like chicken with lemongrass, chilli, greens and rice, or pan-fried fish, turmeric, galangal, bean shoots, dill, rice noodles and nuoc cham.
Annandale foodies in the know head to Snacky Chans on Parramatta Road to find a Japanese-inspired restaurant, sushi train, cocktails and fun vibes. Easily spotted from the graffiti-style wall mural that greets diners, step into a funky ambience of neon lighting, intimate table settings and billowing curtains; or perch on a stool at the sushi train and survey amazing sushi prepared fresh daily by Chef Eric Chan.
Grab a Rush Hour 2 cocktail of tequila, yuzu, agave and citrus salt and snack on prawn toast, with yuzu Hollandaise, coriander and chilli; then dip a spoon into a steaming bowl of pork belly ramen, with noodles, egg, sprouts, pork broth and corn.
Escape the daily grind of busy Sydney streets and enter authentic Vietnamese restaurant, VN Streetfoods on Illawarra Road in Marrickville. Reminiscent of a Hanoi street food cafe, immerse yourself in Vietnamese culture with low wooden tables, stools and high bench seats best suited to watching the world go by, or get cosy inside where a rustic vibe awaits.
Steamed dumplings like scallop, pork or vegetarian entice to kick start a memorable meal; then delve into traditional dishes like steamed sticky rice with chicken, pâté, egg and Vietnamese pork sausage, or beef fried rice and green mustard pickle.
Showcasing a passion for modern Asian fare, Honeysuckle Restaurant on Ballinger Road in Buderim is the place to go for East Asian flavours, fused with Australian ingredients. This cosy restaurant, housed in a white-clad building with a stunning alfresco area ideal for soaking up Sunshine Coast sun, blends aqua polished tiles with sleek white lines and cane pendent lighting, to emulate a laid-back vibe.
From a menu designed for sharing, enjoy pork neck, barley ‘jook’, herb salad, jellyfish and cracking to start; followed by red duck curry, snake beans, pineapple, sweet potato and Thai basil, paired with a lychee green tea Martini.
Inspired by the authentic tastes of Nonya cuisine and the street food favourites of Singapore and Malaysia is Peranakan Place restaurant tucked into Auburn’s Parramatta Road. Inside, an earthy interior of chocolate brown and deep red-purple tones creates a moody ambience along with sculptures, intricate artwork adorning the walls and shelves of decorative crockery that add an exotic vibe.
Surprise your taste buds with a delicious dish like traditional pork belly and trotters, with chestnuts and shiitake mushrooms, slowly cooked with fragrant spices, served with steamed rice and sambal belachan.
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