Cheap and cheerful: Seven Asian restaurants to try in Sydney

From the signature blue rice of Malaysian national dish Nasi kerabu to soothing Lotus pork rib soup, you’d be hard-pressed to find food more traditional or affordable in Sydney than Nanyang Tea Club.

This beautifully decorated eatery also boasts some of the most delicious Singaporean fare like peppery Bak kut teh. It’s fusion dining at its best, offering traditional southeast Asian cuisine with unexpected and fresh Australian ingredients.

The comforting Bak kut teh comes with pork ribs simmered in a peppery broth of herbs for hours, then mixed with sweet soy sauce, chopped red chilli and served with fried dough and rice. The extensive menu also features Melaka-style Hainanese chicken rice served with rice balls, chicken soup, chilli, ginger, and dark soy sauce.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Lotus pork rib soup ($15.80)

Long queues of students, working adults and families (most of them Thai) prove the popularity and endurance of this small and unassuming eatery.

Located in the heart of Thainatown, Yok Yor Thai Food Factory serves dishes originating not just in Bangkok but also from the provinces – at food court prices!

A traditional boat noodle with beef costs just $8.90 and it’s perfect for a cold wintry night, brimming with rice vermicelli, springy beef balls, and tender pieces of beef in a hearty broth.

Open till 12am on Friday and Saturday nights, its 100 item menu spans grilled meat skewers, seafood dishes, salads, curries and soups, noodles, rice, street food, and desserts. Grab egg noodles with BBQ pork and Pad Thai heaping with flavoursome chicken, beef, pork or tofu for less than $14.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Pork pad Thai ($13.50)

Easy to miss on busy Broadway, Sunflower Taiwanese Gourmet is a famed student haunt and is well-known among regulars for its home-cooked Taiwanese favourites.

The interior is neat and clean, with simple timber furniture and walls plastered with famous places and maps of Taiwan. The staff is always welcoming, friendly, and helpful. Its extensive menu covers street food, stir fry, classic rice bento, hot plate noodles, soups, noodles, dumplings, and Taiwanese-style milk teas.

Start with the ultimate comfort food of soy-stewed pork belly with rice served with pickled vegetables, braised egg, and lots of sauce that is somehow made even tastier by its $13.80 price point.

Savour the various street food including white radish cake, green onion pancake, Taiwanese pork sausages, taro cakes, and fried cuttlefish balls.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Stewed pork belly with rice ($13.80)

A huge menu of lunch specials for less than 15 bucks? Head to Nanya Singapore in the cheap eats enclave of Kingsford.

From Fish soup vermicelli and Seafood laksa to Pork mince with egg noodles and Boneless Hainanese chicken rice, the lunch specials here mean you can turn the midday meal into a bargain feast, and, as a bonus, get yourself a free ice tea.

While dinner is not quite as cheap, it’s still great value with the Singapore fried noodles and Salt and pepper prawns stand-outs. Oh, and don’t forget the Chilli crab, but you will have to make a reservation for that.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Salt and pepper prawns ($24.88)

This Haymarket hole-in-the-wall serves up some of the best Lanzhou beef noodles in Sydney.

At the helm of Mr Chen Beef Noodles is chef Gary Yuen with 40 years of experience cooking traditional Chinese cuisine. At less than 17 bucks, no wonder people come from across Sydney for a taste of the hand-pulled noodles in beef broth, brimming with flavours from the slow-cooked beef bones. It comes topped with sliced radish, green garlic, and coriander.

You can also choose from different noodles ranging from extra thin to super thick and different condiments including pickled cabbage. There are also noodles with pork and chicken wontons as well as with pork, diced onion and sliced cucumber with soybean paste.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Lanzhou beef noodles ($16.50)

Pho Tau Bay, a low-key institution in Cabramatta, has been serving some of the best Vietnamese beef noodles in Sydney since 1980.

Queues here start early for the beefy goodness of fresh bones simmered for hours with star anise, cloves, cinnamon, pepper and other secret ingredients. Phở Bò Đặc Biệt or special beef pho comes with a generous mix of beef balls, tripe, and tendon, especially tasty when dipped in a concoction of chilli, light soy, basil, fish sauce, and lemon juice (from a complimentary condiment platter). The noodles are silky smooth and balanced by the crunchiness of fresh bean sprouts and mint leaves.

Dish Cult’s top pick: Phở Bò Đặc Biệt ($21)

If you’re after really good Malaysian food, head to Albee’s Kitchen on Anzac Parade in busy Kingsford.

You’ll find a wide variety of Malaysian soups, noodles and stir fries at very reasonable prices.

We love the Malay fried chicken as well as the Marmite pork, which has a super intense marmite hit. The lobak is very worth your time, it’s seafood and pork rolled in thin beancurd sheets. Also, the roast duck is excellent, and while you can have it in all sorts of ways, the Stir fried spicy duck put a bit of spring in our step!

Dish Cult’s top pick: Stir fried spicy duck ($24)

Want more great cheap eats? Check out our local guide to Kingsford