Liz Miu - Recipe Developer

I LOVE Jin’s Grilled Meat Pie - bit of a weird name but they’re serving a super unique and much lesser known Eastern Chinese ‘pie’ (closest English translation), that’s sort-of an in-between a dumpling and a pie, which originates from Hangzhou which is in the Zhejiang Province of China. It’s like THE JUICIEST dumpling surrounded with a crisp sesame covered pastry! 

It’s in Eastwood, Sydney (2122!!) which is known for being very immersively Chinese and Korean. Split by the trainline, one side is incredibly Chinese (to the point where you can eat regional Chinese Cuisine) and the other is very authentically Korean. There’s also one in Burwood now!

I order the Grilled Meat Pie with Meigan (meigan, or meigan cai is a traditional chinese preserved vegetable made from sun-dried and fermented mustard greens) - it comes with 5 pieces and also the Spicy Seaweed Salad as a refreshing, textured side that’s bright, umami and acidic. Big sea flavour so if you hate seaweed you’ll definitely hate this. All the side salads are great though. 

It’s super special for many reasons. 

1. It’s reflective of how insanely immersively Chinese Eastwood is - it’s where I grew up so I have so much pride for the people and the food that’s being churned out in our little neighbourhood.

2. It’s Eastern Zhejiang Province food. It's quite a rare dish, these meat pies! Dad’s from Beijing and had never seen/heard of them before. I believe they’re traditionally clay-oven baked.

3. As with the best Chinese spots, they don’t give a f•ck about service - which tbh I love. It just is a reflection of how good the food is. I love a no-bullsh•t meal. 

4. Condiment station - mix your own dipping sauce - I do vinegar and chilli oil but they also have sugar, soy, Sichuan peppercorn oil.

Nat Thaipun - Chef

I’m a creature of habit here. Most of the time I order the chicken pho. If I’m feeling a bit under the weather, I’ll get it with liver as well. It’s incredibly comforting and probably one of the dishes I’ve eaten more than almost anywhere else.

The beef pho is also fantastic, and I’ll order that from time to time, but my parents don’t eat beef, so I grew up eating chicken pho at home and in restaurants. Because of that, there’s something really nostalgic about a bowl of chicken pho for me. It takes me straight back to childhood.

Caleb and I almost always order the pork and prawn spring rolls to share, and if we’re getting drinks, we love the three-coloured drink. I’ll usually add a longan drink for myself too.

Every few visits, I’ll switch things up and order broken rice with pork chop. My mum absolutely loves it, and it reminds me of going out to eat with my family growing up. I always get a side bowl of soup with it as well. It’s one of those meals that feels familiar in the best possible way.

Hùng Vương 2 feels like a little piece of my upbringing.
When I was younger, I used to come to Richmond and Footscray with my parents to shop for produce and ingredients for their restaurant. Those trips were a huge part of my childhood, so this part of Melbourne has always held a special place in my heart. Even now, walking through the area brings back so many memories.

These days, it’s become somewhat of a ritual for Caleb and me whenever I’m back in Melbourne and we happen to share a day off. Hospitality hours don’t always allow for much routine, so having those small traditions together means a lot. We’ll usually sleep in after a long week or a late night in the kitchen, roll into Richmond absolutely starving, order a pho, and somehow it appears at the table almost instantly. There’s something incredibly satisfying about that first spoonful of broth when you’re running on equal parts exhaustion and hunger.

It’s also low-key tied to one of my favourite memories with Caleb. After we first met, before anything was really official, we ended up here after a rock-climbing session. It was a quick dinner before I had to run off to a gig, but looking back, it was probably our first unofficial date. Neither of us knew it at the time, but it became one of those moments that would end up meaning a lot more later on.

When I’m back in Melbourne, I probably eat here at least once a week. The food is consistently delicious, but more importantly, it gives me a sense of comfort and familiarity. It connects me to my family, my childhood, and now also to my relationship.

Sometimes the restaurants that stay with you the longest aren’t the fanciest ones. They’re the places that become woven into your life story. For me, Hùng Vương 2 is one of those places. It feels like home.

Nip Liyanapathirana - Chef

My favourite neighbourhood spot would have to be Smokey Sambal in Doonside.

It’s a small, unassuming Indonesian restaurant run by the sweetest family. They’re incredibly hardworking, and what I love most is that nothing feels like it’s done for show. It’s not a trendy, heavily branded place, it’s just honest, beautiful food cooked with so much care.

I usually go there for dinner and order the ayam bakar, charcoal-grilled chicken served with tempeh, fried tofu, fresh veg, spicy sambal and a little side soup. The chicken is cooked over actual charcoal out the back of the restaurant, and you can really taste the effort that goes into it.

What makes the place special to me is the family behind it. I was lucky enough to go behind the scenes, cook with them and see how everything is made. The mother is the heart of the kitchen, cooking her own recipes, while the father is an ex-professional chef here in Sydney. Their food brings together flavours from West Sumatra and West Java, and there are no shortcuts.

When I spoke to them, what really stayed with me was how much they cared about family. For them, it’s not just about profit or chasing success. They’d rather have their grandchildren running around happily in the restaurant than be obsessed with filling every seat. That kind of love and honesty comes through in the food.

Living in Western Sydney, I don’t always come across Indonesian food that gets me genuinely excited, but the first time I ate at Smokey Sambal, I remember feeling that little spark again, like, wow, this is special. It’s simple, warm, generous, beautifully plated, and absolutely worth coming back for.

Aura - Artist

I love Summer Kitchen Bakery in Ranelagh

I normally order the Spinach & Feta Roll or the Mushroom Quinoa Pie, always served with their homemade relish. If I am there with friends we will order a slice of carrot cake as a special treat, with a hot chocolate of course.  And while I’m there, a pumpkin sourdough loaf to bring home. I also buy their bread from local supermarkets around my area — we absolutely love it.

I love the cosy vibe there. I feel like I’m going to a friend’s house in autumn, chilling in their backyard. The sound of the little bell ringing at the front door. Observing things around - you never know what you will see. Sometimes random chickens, a cute dog, little birds, a cyclist, people posting things to the community notice board.  It's one of those special places where everything slows down and you can just be.

Adam Nickel - Artist

The Biang Biang noodles are life changing. I normally order the 5 in 1 Noodles, they're made with shredded pork, pork mince, tomato, egg and chopped vegetables. They hand make the noodles there and you can watch them being made through the front window.

On top of loving the food, I have great memories with special people here. It’s become a regular place to visit. Sunnybank is filled with all sorts of restaurants, so it's one of my favourite places to go and try new dishes.

Eytan Messiah - Artist

I always order the Sabich - its amazing and hard to find in Sydney. I suppose you could class it as a “sandwich” and for me, it’s in the same upper echelon as a Reuben and Banh Mi. Certain ingredients just sing together and often, it takes the right bread wrapped around them to make the song complete. 

Part of my family trace back to the thriving Jewish community of Baghdad. Their traditional Shabbat breakfast would include fried eggplant and hard boiled eggs prepared the day before. Added to this, a tangy pickled mango sauce called “amba” which emerged out of the merchant links between Baghdad and Southern India.