Diners eat out flat chat in Chatswood

FIVE years ago you could have played cricket in this mall at lunchtime, there was no-one here,” says Willoughby Mayor Gail Giles-Gidney as she looks around the bustling Chatswood Mall, packed shoulder-to-shoulder with people at lunchtime on a Monday. “And now look at it.”

Welcome to Sydney’s new culinary boom town, a neighbourhood so crammed with up-and-coming food options, you could eat here for years without dining at the same place twice.

Quietly and without much fanfare, Chatswood has overtaken all Sydney’s other centralised ethnic food destinations, and then some. With restaurants that cover the spectrum from regional Chinese to Korean to Thai to Japanese, and, more lately, cafes and modern European offerings, it’s no wonder the centre is drawing upwards of 45,000 car commuters a day.

According to Giles-Gidney, 52 per cent of residents in her zone have Chinese heritage, and 35 per cent of residents speak English as a second language at home. On top of the large Chinese population, there are also huge Korean, Japanese and Indian migrant groups in the area, all of whom have a growing demand for quality food options.

Mayor Giles-Gidney says the boom in quality dining in Chatswood has been fuelled by the exponential growth in apartment living in the suburb, with many opting to dine out more often than eat in.

This is a market that is used to living in apartments and who enjoy eating out,” she says.

Indeed, the Chatswood dining scene has become so huge that visitors may be overwhelmed by the options and dining precincts, which include The District, above the bus and rail interchange, three malls — Chatswood Chase, Westfield Chatswood and Lemon Grove — and Anderson St, which is lined with small eating options. So here’s our guide to just some of what’s on offer.

Chinese/Taiwanese

Din Tai Fung

The famed Taiwanese dumpling chain does the world’s best xiao long bao — soup dumplings — in this super busy yet relatively stylish shopping centre location.

Westfield Chatswood, 
1 Anderson St

Tim Ho Wan

This Michelin-starred Hong Kong dumpling house selected Chatswood as its first Australian outlet and the queues have hardly subsided since its April opening. Go for the sugar-coated pork buns, an international Tim Ho Wan speciality.

The District, 1 Railway St

New Shanghai

This chain, which specialises in Shanghainese-style dumplings, started in Ashfield and is now ubiquitous where good food is found, including in dual Chatswood locations. The Chatswood Chase venue wins the prize for best fitout but, at both, the xiao long baos rival Din Tai Fung’s for quality, which is saying something.

Lemon Grove Shopping Centre, 427 Victoria Ave; Chatswood Chase, 345 Victoria Ave.

Bao Dao

This tiny Taiwanese street food venue is so popular it does no less than five sitting a night. Go for a soft, sticky, sumptuous steamed bun with pork belly, or perhaps two, considering they’ll only set you back $4.50 a pop.

8/376 Victoria Ave

Mrs Mi

This new and fantastically colourful venue specialises in Shanxi street food, in particular, knife-shaved noodles. Go for bowls of shaved noodles in braised beef soup or pork mince with noodles (no soup). Prices hover around $10 a bowl and apparently the noodles are shaved by a “robot” chef to ensure quality and consistency.

Chatswood Chase, 345 Victoria Ave

Grape Garden

This deeply authentic Beijing restaurant has an obscure food court location and no written menu. What devotees come for are the hand-stretched noodles either eaten dry or as a soup.

Lemon Grove Shopping Centre, 427 Victoria Ave

Simmer Huang

This gleaming new venue specialises in “simmer” pots, which are like hot pots except less soupy. Shiny pots are placed on small stoves built into tables and heated directly, with guests huddling over bountiful offerings of seafood, meat and veg mixed with a special spicy sauce.

The District, 1 Railway Ave

Thai

Khao Pla

This ultra-bustling venue offers hot Thai food in a cool urban space with ex-Ms G’s chef Pla Rojratanavichai in the kitchen. Go for an excellent banana blossom salad, char grilled pork cheek or tamarind prawns that are rich, salty and sweet.

7/370 Victoria Ave

Chum Tang

A younger sibling to Khao Pla, Chum Tang is positioned inside a space made to look like a Thai railway station. The menu offers some exciting dishes rarely seen in Sydney including beautifully done Isaan chicken wings and crisp fried morning glory in tamarind and roasted chilli.

The District, 
1 Railway Ave

Korean

Soban

This established Korean venue offers simple but effective dishes from shallot pancake to bulgogi salads.

Westfield Chatswood, 
1 Anderson St

The Bulgogi

Cook your own beef strips over hot coals at this traditional Korean in an up-market space.

380 Victoria St

Japanese

Ippudo

The famed Japanese chain that does excellent and consistent ramen has opened a glistening venue at The District that does a bustling evening trade on the back of its refined yet deeply sensual noodle soups.

The District, 1 Railway St

Malaysian

PappaRich

This enormous restaurant has a friendly street food feel and offers quality Malaysian food, served quickly and cheerfully.

63A Archer St

Petaling St

An offshoot of a cheap and cheerful Chinatown outlet, this takeaway offers sizzling koay teow and Malaysian curries.

The District, 1 Railway St

Vietnamese

De Pho

This unassuming pho house is constantly crowded as locals pack in for aromatic, herb-filled soups.

Lemon Grove Shopping Centre, 427 Victoria Ave

Filipino

Sari Sari

Filipinos from all over Sydney flock to this shop that sells all things needed for Filipino cookery.

Lemon Grove, 
427 Victoria Ave

Australian/Western

Lid & Jar

This airy, hipster-influenced cafe does a good line in coffee, cold-pressed juices and cakes in a sunny alfresco location.

The Concourse, 419 Victoria Ave

Stone & Peel

Dubbed a wellness bar, this smallish cafe offers cold-pressed juices, superfood smoothies, probiotic yoghurt and wholefood snacks and is constantly packed.

Chatswood Train Station

Passion Tree

This new dessert bar has rows and rows of gorgeously coloured macarons and other delicious treats for those who need a sweet treat after dining elsewhere at The District.

The District, 1 Railway St

Markets

Bustling markets featuring stalls selling fresh produce and a range of genuine street foods — including Korean, Malaysian and Taiwanese — occur every Thursday and Friday evenings in from 5pm.

Chatswood Mall, Victoria Ave