Five Great KSW Lunches Under $20

This editorial is sponsored by our partner, King Street Wharf.

King Street Wharf is an often overlooked section of Sydney's waterfront when it comes to finding a place for lunch. We often forget that there are a string of restaurants lining the Darling Harbour foreshore offering thoroughly decent dining options. But King Street Wharf, tucked away between Barangaroo and Pyrmont, is now arguably one of the best places to find lunch in Sydney's CBD.

Until June 13, the precinct — including I Thai, La Cita, Cargo Bar and Wharf Teppanyaki — will host a special lunchtime menu designed for time-poor office workers. The restaurants are offering special menus priced between $10 and $20, with many offering takeaway options, in the interests of providing Sydneysiders with good food and a waterfront view without needing a long, luxurious lunch break. Because there's nothing more spirit-crushing than spending your precious half-hour of freedom trapped in the depths of a CBD food court.

Below, we present you with our pick of the best meals under $20 available at King Street Wharf.

1. Seafood Okonomiyaki from Wharf Teppanyaki

Wharf Teppanyaki has a great array of $20 meal options, including a wagyu burger and wafu chicken piccata, but we’re quite fond of the seafood okonomiyaki. The meals are served with a choice of garlic fried rice, egg fried rice, seasonal salad, red and white miso soup and Teriyaki chat potatoes, so it’s also guaranteed to keep you full until dinner.

2. Duck Noodle Soup from I Thai

A plastic take-away box full of pad thai or mee goreng is a lunchtime staple, and while I Thai have those things on offer as well, you can also find something extra special. For something rich and warm to keep the chills away as autumn rolls in, you can't go past their duck noodle soup.

3. Quesadillas from La Cita

La Cita does quintessential Spanish and Latin American fare — you can even salsa dance there at night-time if you fancy. But at lunch, the best thing to do is take them up on their quesadilla special — a two-course meal of quesadillas with a choice of chicken thigh, rump steak or tandoori lamb, served with chips and salad.

4. Bento Box from Kobe Jones

The Bento Box from Kobe Jones isn't like the regular dry rice topped with fish you get at sushi hole-in-the-walls. King Street Wharf's answer to Japanese cuisine offers a $20 bento box including one of the chef's signature entrees, a selection of beef, chicken or vegetarian pieces, red and white miso soup, steamed nishiki rice and a dessert of the day.

5. King Prawn and Fennel Risotto from Vessel Italian & Bar

Vessel is a big sprawling space with both a restaurant, a bar and a cafe serving up quality Italian meals. For only $15 you can score a risotto of king prawn and fennel guaranteed to keep you full and warm for the rest of the afternoon.