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Fancying some goat satay at Ayam Goreng 99 in Sydney, located along Kingsford's Anzac Parade near the campus of UNSW? Some of the best, unusual and rewarding finds in street food can be found in the outer suburbs surrounding Australian capital cities. These may evolve around where immigrant ethnic groups from around the world have laid anchor in the past fifty years and grown deep roots in their new land, creating distinct hubs of cultures, cuisine and beliefs which can be so different from mainstream society and yet enriching it. A venture out into distinct hubs of Vietnamese, Turkish, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Greek, Latin American, Thai and Indian influences, for example, can open both our mindsets and palates. Many maintain their authentic flavours, and yet delights can be found by innovative fusion in styles of cooking.
Yet in city centres, such diversity can still be sampled along various street corners and parts. Recently I was able to savour burramundi grill bought from a cashier of Greek background at the Sydney Fish Markets. This was followed by sipping fresh coconut juice from a Thai food fair stall at the nearby Darling Harbour. More illustrations and experiences follow.
The traditional way of dealing with seafood (photo above) is to coat them in batter and deep fry them.
These are then accompanied with a fresh salad mix and some Tartar sauce. These continue to be available in many venues, along the coast, in suburban clubs and at busy street corners. They now face competition for the dollar from a variety of choices that came together with multicultural immigration.
Above, the goat satay in contrast to the bento box below featuring the unagi or eel, served with miso soup, a cabbage salad mix, sashimi with a lemon slice, glutinous rice and more.
An omelette of turkey is offered with chips and salad in the picture above, with the grilled barramundi below. Much of street food is also found in weekend fairs, which allow walking around the stalls before deciding on what to munch, sample or get more of. Most street food is prepared fresh and piping hot but some are prepared much earlier for practical purposes. One common theme is their use of mainly local ingredients and produce, unless the dish specifications dictate otherwise. Sauces and gravies at times include flavours of items not easily found in Australia and this can add to the cost and complexity of cooking such dishes.
The fast food underlying much of street food can be varied as the roll inspired by sourdough possibilities and the grilled pork chop topped up by a sunny side up omelette from Vietnamese cafes and restaurants. The best options for Sydney street food can be in the Chinatown area, office precinct cafes, residential hubs like Surry Hills, Ashfield and Bankstown, coastal hang outs like Manly and Cronulla Beaches and so called ethnic enclaves like Cabramatta, Campsie, Petersham, Haberfield and Parramatta.
My top choices of street food in greater Sydney are those that do not modify for mainstream consumption but remain steadfast to be authentic to the countries of origin. These can be fish and chips still served on newspapers. Or the coconut cream rich curry laksa. Others that come to my mind are the thin crust pizza or tandoori chicken that are baked in clay ovens. Pies that still have that creamy and appetising kick on a winter's morning. I must not omit grilled meats served on skewers and crisp vegetables packed inside thin paper-like wraps. And of course, the good old burger, a stick of baguette, gelato on a cone and hot soup dumplings.
