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Sydney Weekly Wrap Edition 9

Inside the Chinese Garden of Friendship at Darling Harbour, Sydney.

In this week’s wrap-up, I introduce four restaurants within the lively area of Haymarket. You’ll meet a restaurant for yakiniku (Japanese BBQ), classic Sichuan Chinese food, no-frills cuisine from Xi An, and tasty soup noodles from Shanghai.

If you’re wanting to start the year with a fresh mindset and a healthy body, we visit Burwood’s specialty clinic for physiotherapy, remedial massage, and acupuncture.

Got a question about any of our recommendations? Message us on Instagram or send us an e-mail.

Good value Japanese BBQ at Matsusaka Backstreet

Hidden away in an old building facing Market City shopping centre, “Matsusaka Backstreet” is a casual yakiniku (grill your own meat) restaurant where you can order unlimited dishes at a set price. Their “Weekday Special” buffet is $54.80 (available from Monday to Thursday) and has 60 different dishes, including different cuts of beef, ramen and sushi. At $84.80, their “Premium” buffet offers 100 different dishes, including cuts of Wagyu beef, sashimi, and ice-cream.

Authentic Chinese food at Spicy Joint

A traditional, timber-themed haven for Chinese cuisine sits at the top of the escalators in Sydney Chinatown’s “Harbour Plaza” building. My advice is to be adventurous at “Spicy Joint”, taste something you haven’t before! I am a fan of their Fish Fillet With Spicy Sour Pickled Cabbage Soup – the fish is soft and silky (have it with rice). The Steamed Pork Belly With Special Preserved Vegetables is decadently savoury. The Cold Chicken With Chili Sauce & Crunchy Peanut Dressing is a timeless classic. In a picture below, there is also the Jellyfish-Head With Pepper In Vinaigrette.

The prices at Spicy Joint are surprisingly affordable given the ornate decor. I’d recommend going in a group of four so you can order different dishes to try.

Xi An Cuisine

For budget-level dining, and I mean the type where you’re only there for the food, this little eatery next to “Matsusaka Backstreet” is a must-visit. Don’t expect any level of service, but do look forward to honestly cooked meals. I found the Beef Noodle Soup hearty and satisfying.

Xi An, a large city and capital of the Shaanxi Province in China, is known for its noodles and bread. You’ll find an abundant number of choices in this restaurant’s menu.

A Bowl of Noodles

Shanghai is China’s biggest city, and its cuisine has spread with its enterprising diaspora around the world. Dumplings and noodles commonly feature in Shanghainese restaurants. I highly recommend the Yellow Croaker Noodle Soup if you visit “A Bowl of Noodles”, which sits next to the cluster of Thai venues in Haymarket. From the first sip, you can taste the flavour imparted by simmering fish bones.

For a novel side dish popular in Chinese cuisine, order the Marinated Wheat Gluten; it tastes sweet and the texture is like tofu.

Energise Therapy Clinic

Located near Burwood Park, “Energise Therapy Clinic” provides services for holistic well-being, including remedial massage, physiotherapy, and acupuncture treatment.

I particularly appreciate their style. From my interactions with Tony and his team, they aim to make treatment understandable (medical and anatomy terminology can be a lot to comprehend) and most importantly, individualised. They genuinely spend time to understand a client’s particular situation; I have been impressed with Tony’s sense of responsibility and hands-on (no pun intended) attitude to finding the right solution for a problem. It makes a difference when your physiotherapist is not just using their head, but also their heart!

If you don’t have time to visit Energise Therapy Clinic yet, you can check-out their Instagram Page for regular physiotherapy and lifestyle tips.