Koala’s recommendations in Sydney

I’m in HK now but when I was in Sydney, these were the places I liked. Based on emails to and from friends so it's a bit rambley. :)

In and around Chifley Tower

In the food court in Chifley Tower - the Japanese place in the middle does a great sashimi thing for $10. It's $13+ if you want rice and soup and it's very yummy. They also do a great chicken teriyaki so I'd often one of those and eat with friends or find a table on my own with a book.

The place just at the top of the escalators is nice, too which does a wild berry yoghurt which is great for snacks.

I do not like Due Mondes which is the coffee shop on the second floor. Other people do, but I always got my
coffee from the cafe at the top of the escalators on the third floor

My favourite Japanese place was Azabujuban which is in the MLC Centre in Martin Pl Sydney 2000. Go past the mushroomy building, up the stairs and you'll see it. They have a great sashimi deal for about $18 (from memory)
and I used to eat there ALL the time. Although that's more when there's two of you. It's not that they're solo unfriendly but it's just that they're very crowded!!

At the bottom of the Hotel Intercontinental down the road is Sketches which is a yummy pasta bar where you pick from 3 sizes of plate: Peckish, Hungry and Famished, then pick the pasta you want and then pick the sauce and they cook it for you on the spot. It's fun and great for lunch and also in the evenings after work.

Another thing I used to do was buy food and then go and sit in the botanical gardens to eat - either by myself or with friends. It's really nice there. If I did it in spring I had to pop antihistamines before hand!!!

Most of the restaurants near the Quay aren't so yummy though the views are good. If you go to Cafe Sydney - that's got a great view but I don't love the food there. That's only for special occasions anyway because it's
expensive.

Oh and there is a really cute little HIDDEN cafe I discovered - go to the building where Mallesons is - I think it's Governor Phillip. There is a really cute little courtyard there with two small cafes and it's a nice sunny little spot which despite being in the middle of the city is quite open!

Another thing I would do when I had time was go to the food court in Sussex Street in China Town. I like what I call the "Happy Egg" – that yummy Korean dish with beef, egg, chilli and all sorts of yummy things mixed together. I could only do that when I had time though - eg a lunch hour of about 1.5 hours :) It's good to go there in the evenings though after work.

Lunch hours aside, other places I love in Sydney are:

From John (sort of commenting on Koala’s list but also adding a few)

Due Monde coffee is really quite good.

I love the gardens too.

I can't BELIEVE you like that overpriced, stuffy, full-of-cigarette-smoking-people cafe in GPT.

My favourite sushi place is Tairyo (or something) in the Hunter Arcade, esp if you sit at the bar and get custom made stuff.

"The naughty chef" pho place in Hunter Arcade.

The laksa place in XX st which used to be in Chifley - names escape me

A pie from Harry's Cafe de Wheels in Woolloomoolloo

EURO (although too many partners)

Le Petit Creme, Victoria St Darlinghurst (ok, so it would be a long lunch)

Dov, Forbes St Darlinghurt (also a bit out of town)

Bodhi, the yum cha place under the cook + philip pool (not the world’s best food, but cool location)

Out of town places, next episode...but I must mention 3 King St Haunts: Doy Tao (Thai) (South end), Martini (a v Spartan cafe, also south end: best toast ever) and the Old Fish Cafe (Central). Oh and the Honeymoon Cafe in
Petersham for Portuguese custard tarts. and....

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Click here for a list of Koala's Recommended Solo-Friendly Places in HK