Overview
On the nights when the couch is calling and getting dressed up is an unthinkable task, treating yourself to takeout is a wise solution. Luckily for you, some of the best restaurants across Sydney also offer takeaway options — so you can have a dining experience in the comfort of your slacks.
As resident eating aficionados, we've tasted our way through much of Sydney's takeaway scene and have found the takeout picks that have proved their worthiness time and time again. So next time you're looking for a takeaway option that will make it all the way back home sog-free and piping hot, check out our favourite picks across Sydney.
Sydney's current restrictions including stay-at-home orders are set to run until Friday, July 16. Hospitality is open for takeaway and delivery. Please stay safe, make sure you are socially distancing and wear a mask whenever you leave the home. For a full list of restrictions and exposure sites, visit NSW Health.
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An elite takeaway experience is as much about context as it is execution. For example, if I've pushed the boat out on booze consumption the night before, a Guzman y Gomez burrito is a tube of meat for which I would publicly embarrass myself. However, this year my takeout peak was an act of pure spontaneity. Pre-lockdown, after a post-work haircut in Marrickville I was heading home with the intention of making dinner when, on a whim, I turned into Eat Fuh, picked up a beef pho and found a park bench. My hair looked good, the soup was incredible, and I was eating alone in public.
All of Eat Fuh's locations are open for takeaway through lockdown, or if you'd prefer to stay at home the full menu is available on UberEats.
Chaco ramen, Alana Dimou
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Lockdown has allowed me to finally cook recipes I've had saved for ages, but there is one dish I'm not game to try: ramen. I'm happy to leave that to the masters. And by masters, I mean, of course, Chaco Ramen. Since Sydney's first lockdown, the Darlo eatery has been selling frozen ramen kits — they're available for takeaway, delivery via Sakenet and select supermarkets. All the hard work is done for you. Just boil the noodles, bring the frozen broth to the boil, add the toppings and boom: a steaming bowl of restaurant-quality ramen from the comfort of your couch. Hot tip: if, like me, you believe ramen is incomplete without ajitama (a marinated boiled egg), the restaurant's popped a tutorial on Instagram.
Chaco Ramen is open for fresh takeaway in Darlinghurst seven days a week if you live locally, from 11.30am–2.30pm and 5.30pm-8pm. Or, you can order DIY ramen kits via Sakenet.
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No matter what I do, I keep coming back to Yang Guo Fu Ma La Tang in Kingsford. When I say that this is a gloriously messy choice for takeout, I mean it — don't wear white unless you're willing to let it go as a noble sacrifice to your home dining endeavours. The Yang Guo Fu team are also in the CBD, but the experience of ordering takeaway here requires a little instruction if you're new to the DIY hot pot game. Grab a plastic bowl, tongs, and fill it up with whatever tickles your fancy from the giant open fridges stuffed with fresh ingredients. You'll find everything you need including thinly sliced meats, fresh mushrooms, tofu, seafood, dumplings and noodles — plus if you're feeling more adventurous, add in options like tripe, tendon and pig's ear. Pick your broth, I recommend the traditional spicy soup or laksa, then grab the whole steaming bowl to-go once it's ready. The dream.
Yang Guo Fu Ma La Tang is open for takeaway through lockdown at their Kingsford and CBD branches.
Maiz by Debbie Gallulo
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My favourite takeout I've had this lockdown is the new King Street Mexican spot Maiz. The torta was overflowing with flavour and the beef sope was melt-in-your-mouth good. Plus at the moment, you can also grab Mexican beers, wines or boozy aguas frescas to take home. For the best takeaway in the city, however, you can't go past a curry with all the trimmings from Lankan Filling Station.
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Best takeaway has to be Dimitri's. This Darlinghurst darling got me through the dark days of Sydney's first lockdown last year. No, this is not an overstatement — for a while there I got it every week. And, like any true comfort food, it is calling my name again. If you haven't been to its cosy Oxford Street digs to eat god-like cheesy slices and drink far too much natty wine to keep a judge sober, I highly encourage you to do so once hospo's back, baby. But, while we're all glued to our couches, watching Sex/Life on Netflix (come on, it can't just be me), picking up a few pies and, for the hell of it, a bottle of pét-nat is a surefire way to spice up your at-home life. My one advice: Get the Cream of Korn with oh-hot-mama 'nduja.
Dimitri's is open for takeaway through lockdown from Thursday to Sunday from 5-8.30pm.
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Moving back to Australia after a decade of living overseas allowed me the perfect opportunity to rediscover the flavours I'd missed from home. And my favourite find was probably my most unexpected. I was stationed on the Northern Beaches for the back half of last year, and was a regular at a hole-in-the-wall burek counter on the breezy streets of Dee Why. Set inside a family-run Balkan grocery store, The Burek Guy gets pies delivered fresh daily (except Mondays) from Liverpool pastry kings Supreme Bakery. I think I ate my bodyweight in the buttery, flaky pastry, which is cooked to golden perfection and interspersed with a perfectly balanced mix of spinach, feta and ricotta. It's probably the best version of southern European pie I've tried outside my yiayia's house — and this is not something any ethnic says flippantly.
The Burek Guy is open Tuesday to Sunday for takeaway.
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When it comes to takeaway food, I'm a creature of habit. You see, if I've reached the point where I can't possibly cook a meal, there's simply not enough juice left in my popper to even look at a menu — let alone a new one. Thus, scrolling food delivery apps is an absolute no-no for me. Instead, I give an old faithful a call — much to the horror of my housemates — and pretend it's the early 00s and mum has left me in charge of ordering the fish and chips. A go-to on my takeout list is Nawaz Flavour of India in Glebe. And, on a chilly night in lockdown, its saag paneer, malai kofta and pilaf rice is the only thing that I want to be wrapped up in.
Nawaz Flavour of India is open for takeaway and delivery everyday from 12pm-10.30pm. You can order via their website or phone them direct on 02 9692 0662.
Top image: Dimitri's