Everyone knows about #Sydney’s Haymarket Chinatown – it’s large, central, and smells amazing – but what most people don’t know is that there’s another, less crowded, slightly hidden local gem: Chinatown in Burwood. Located right next to Burwood station, these glittering clusters of streets recreate what it’s like to wander in a Chinese street #market. Let me take you through some of the highlights…
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THE SIGHTS
One of Burwood Chinatown’s attractions is its snazzy photo ops. Here are some things to look for to spice up your #Instagram feed:
The neon heart, located next to the playground (bring your kids along!)
Life-size, LINE friends mascots!
An all-pink arcade, where you can try your luck (or don’t, if you’ve learned your lesson) with claw machines
A ceiling of paper parasols and lanterns, decorated with traditional Chinese art
And, most notably, the forest of fluorescent street signs you’re greeted with as soon as you step into the threshold
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STREET FOOD
Once you’re sated with #photography, we can move on to the main attraction: #food. Chinatowns are especially known for the sheer variety of #street #food that you can explore, and Burwood is no different. My recommendations are:
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Here you can find #Sydney’s best guokui (trans. ‘pot helmet’; a crispy flatbread stuffed with all kinds of sweet or savoury filling). This traditional Shaanxi snack abounds with stories – that it was once cooked in helmets, or that grandmothers traditionally gifted it to their 1-month-old sons. At Guo Kui Master, each guokui is freshly made on a clay oven and baked over charcoal, producing a delicious, aromatic #pastry.
This classic #bakery offers such a large range of #Chinese-style #cookies, #cakes, and #pastries, it’s tempting to splurge and take one of everything! Crowd favourites seem to be the pineapple #pastry and the caramel-sea-salt #crepe #cake, and I also recommend the pandan-cheese-coconut #pastry, but otherwise, take your time eating through the menu. As a bonus, Mid-Autumn #Festival is just around the corner, which means dozens of #mooncakes are also on offer.
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If you’re a #boba enthusiast, you’d have had Tiger Sugar milk #tea – if not, you’ve definitely seen it around. With caramel-like syrup smeared on the inside, a base of tapioca, and filled to the brim with crème-coloured milk #tea, this #drink resembles the pelt of a tiger and has gained cultlike popularity. Its origin is the Tiger Sugar franchise from Taiwan, but it has recently arrived in Burwood Chinatown so you can try it out for yourself!
Possibly the most popular #snack place at Burwood Chinatown, offering unconventional skewers and wraps! You can skewer anything – and C Roll it Up takes this as its credo, with bacon enoki mushroom #skewers, #crab #tempura skewers, lotus root skewers, pepper skewers, and the like. It’s a must-try, for more than its unusualness.
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NOTABLE NEARBY EATS
While you’re in Burwood, here are a couple of notable #eateries within #walking distance of Chinatown.
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Located on a plaza five minutes away from the Chinatown area is this internet-famous #Hong #Kong #café and #restaurant. The interior pops with #Chinese characters on street signs, banners, even a barber’s pole – teleporting you to the ever-lively streets of #Hong #Kong. There’s even a van (yes, inside the #restaurant!) which doubles as a #bakery from which you can order delicious #pastries.
Just around the corner from Kowloon is this classic #Chinese restaurant, complete with simple timber interiors, gleaming white tiles, and a busy kitchen. It’s a very comfortable place to sit, #dine, and chat for hours; all while enjoying the taste of #authentic, iconic #Chinese dishes. We especially recommend the spicy #wontons, Shanghai-style xiao long #bao, and sweet and spicy pork.
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Craving #mochi, soybean, and grass jelly #desserts? (Always.) Blackball Café serves these staple #Taiwanese #desserts, as well as soft serve #ice #cream and fruit #teas. This #café is open until 9:30pm most days, and 10pm on Friday and Saturday, so it’s a local favourite for afters.
Ice Kirin Bar
Speaking of dessert, Ice Kirin Bar has recently become a #TikTok sensation for its daifuku #mochi – #gelato wrapped in a thin layer of glutinous #rice. This place uniquely combines #Asian flavours with #Italian #gelato, to great success! My favourite is possibly their #Vietnamese-coffee #gelato, which is sweet, savoury, and bitter in perfect equipoise.
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