
08 Feb 2023
From flavourful ramen and hearty French onion to a herbal pho and a deliciously peppery pork rib soup, Sydney has a way with this traditional winter warmer and to help you get to the good stuff quickly, we’ve rounded up some of the hottest soups around.
Step out of the winter cold and right into a French mood at Gavroche Chippendale.
The team here has gone to great lengths to give you the feeling of a classic French bistro, even importing the oakwood entrance from Lyon’s renowned Brasserie Georges and fitting out the rest of the space with brass railed banquettes and antique French tables.
The menu features a solid repertoire of French classics, but we’re here for the traditional onion soup. Thick and hearty with an abundance of onion slices cooked until they are perfectly caramelised, it’s sure to warm you up. Topped with rafts of Comté melted cheese and crusty baguette, it’s made luxurious with the addition of truffles. The ultimate comfort food!
Dish Cult’s top pick: Soup à l’oignon à la truffe ($21)
Ryosuke Horii is a long way from his hometown of Fukuoka, also the birthplace of tonkotsu ramen, but Sydney is certainly grateful that he brought his way with Japan’s favourite soup to Crows Nest.
There’s nothing fancy about Ryo’s Noodles, but the passion for good ramen shows in the long, snaking queues you’ll always find out the door.
We love Ramen #2 and understand why it’s a top seller. An earthy and rich tonkotsu soup made with roast pork, boiled egg, nori seaweed and shallots. The soup is boiled for over 15 hours and is full of the marrow from the pork bones, which is flavourful and deeply nourishing, especially on a cold winter’s night.
Dish Cult’s top pick: Ton kotsu ramen, soy sauce flavour ($15.50)
Journey to the “south seas” (the translation for Nanyang) for nourishing broth-like soups at Nanyang Tea Club.
This teahouse offers classic Asian dishes from Malaysia and Singapore in a space adorned with wood panelling and filled with ornate furniture.
The menu is strongly influenced by the Chinese heritage of owners Billy Chong and Kaisern Ching, and this can also be seen in the almost medicinal quality of the soups on offer here.
The ginseng chicken soup with Chinese herbs is known to boost energy and vitality. The lotus pork rib soup is simmered for many hours with carrots, dried squid, and red dates. The ever-popular Ba Kut Teh is a peppery pork rib soup made in the Singapore style and served with minced garlic, fresh chilies, and dark soy sauce.
Dish Cult’s top pick: Lotus root and pork ribs soup ($16)
It’s amazing how a bit of shrimp paste and coconut milk can transform into a hot bowl of laksa that has the ability to warm the soul in the middle of winter.
At Sydney’s first Malaysian Nyonya grill house Ho Jiak, head chef Junda Khoo continues cooking in the way he learnt from his mother in Penang, where he grew up. The street art and shop facades that decorate the ground floor also pay tribute to his roots.
The Nyonya curry laksa, rightly rated one of the best in Sydney, is served with a choice of Hainan chicken or jumbo prawns. The broth is thick and very spicy (be warned!), and it’s served with al dente egg noodles. Tofu skins that had been marinated in the broth take the laksa up a notch, and sambal is available on the side.
Another winter winner is the Ipoh hor fun with Hainan chicken. Flat, wide rice noodles are served with gorgeously tender chicken slices, shallots, spring onion and fresh chilies in a flavourful hearty soup.
Dish Cult’s top pick: Chicken & prawns laksa ($21)
Pho Pasteur has been around for the past 30 years, so fans of this Vietnamese diner have grown up with it and still keep come back, especially for the pho which is consistently excellent.
The restaurant has a mom-and-pop ambience, driven by owners Rita and Van Pharm’s desire to serve true-to-tradition delicacies of their South Vietnamese hometown.
The special beef noodle pho is authentic and aromatic – the broth of beef bones, cinnamon, cloves, and star anise is simmered for 12 hours and topped with rare beef as well as brisket beef, beef balls, tendon and tripe. It will cure whatever ails you.
Dish Cult’s top pick: Special beef pho ($18)