Chaao Thai Siam ~ Thai - Haymarket / Chinatown

If it's one thing that gets our stomachs excited it is the thought of a restaurant hiding up a flight of stairs and serving up Thai food unlike most places in Sydney. Chaao Thai Siam ticks all those shiny, happy boxes.

2018 Gone but not forgotten - our end of year round up of lost eateries

They've collected the plates and wiped down the tables one last time. Here's our annual round up of those places closed for good in 2018.

Descanso Cafe ~ Filipino - Glebe

Descanso Cafe mixes up standard cafe fare with a selection of classic Filipino meals, all the silogs, sisig and adobos you could want.

Cutie Puff ~ Chinese - Town Hall / Sydney CBD

It's the small stalls we often love the most, the grab and go beauties that offer quick snacks for a low price. Cutie Puff underneath Town Hall fits the bill, one steam bun in hand and a congee in a cup in the other.

Toko H20 ~ Indonesian Grocery Store - Sydney CBD

If there's an award for the one supermarket we've frequented the most this year, the gong has to go to Toko H2O. This Indonesian shop has sustained us with snacks, emergency groceries and quick dinners and lunches all year.

The Momos Hub ~ Nepalese - Chippendale

Nepalese momos as you like - fried, steamed, soupy, chilli - at The Momos Hub in Chippendale.

Like Noodle ~ Chinese - Wolli Creek

We are fortunate to live within waddling distance of Wolli Creek, there most be close to a dozen good Chinese joints there now, it's like a second Chinatown to us. Like Noodle is our latest Wolli Creek love.

Supermarkets of Mystery - Indo Mie Salted Egg Curly Fried Noodle

Indo Mie gets into the Salted Egg flavour craze, turning a cheap packet of instant noodles into an expensive packet of instant noodles. Marketing wins again!

Taste of Home ~ Chinese - Eating World Food Court, Chinatown

Ten dishes at Taste of Home, our latest favourite stir fry joint in Eating World.

Hanh Phuc Vegetarian Restaurant ~ Vietnamese - Surry Hills

Hanh Phuc used to be naughty. Once it was The Naughty Chef, an all singing and dancing meat happy pho and stir fry joint. Those folks have shifted operations over to a stall in a Martin Place food court and branched out into banh mi, keeping this place to operate as vegetarian. May the cows sing and dance in celebration!

Dunhuang Lou Restaurant ~ Chinese - George Street City\Chinatown

Just when we thought Lanzhou beef noodle soup was gone and forgotten in Sydney, we get 1919 in Ashfield, and now Dunhuang Lou in Chinatown. Oh my giddy auntie.

1919 Lanzhou Beef Noodle ~ Chinese, Ashfield

Lanzhou beef noodle is one of most treasured of all Chinese noodle soups. It's a magic mix of gentle, subtle, soothing broth, and chumpy noodles handmade just minutes ago.

The Secret Alley ~ Taiwanese - Chinatown

A pick'n'mix of small plates at The Secret Alley in Chinatown draws across all our favourite dishes from Taiwan in a neat table top filling way. We stopped at about 10 dishes between the two of us, with plenty more to return for.

Dapoer Shalom ~ Indonesian, Mascot

Botany Rd in Mascot has a small Indo food scene happening with a number of new stores opening recently. We go for the ayam bakar and we end up falling for the short ribs.

Mithu's Restaurant ~ Sri Lankan, Homebush West

We were digging on Mithu's Restaurant in Flemington/Homebush West a few years back, before and after our Sri Lanka trip, we finally make it back for a return feast.

Croatian Club at Club Punchbowl

We love visiting community clubs, they are always different, always welcoming, and the food is always worth a crack. This week we try the Croatian Club in Punchbowl.

Kenny's Pork Rolls ~ Vietnamese - Darlinghurst

Wedged between the bars and late night snack shops, Kenny's Pork Rolls in Darlo serves up classic pork rolls, salad bowls and Vietnamese street food.

QY Dumpling Bar ~ Chinese - Ultimo

QY Dumpling Bar is a classic of homestyle Chinese cooking, a mum and dad eatery located in the strange little food court off Broadway

Kuala Lumpur - Stopovers in Sentral and Bukit Bintang

Two stopovers, three nights in Kuala Lumpur. One of our favourite ways to start and end a trip.

Iron Lady Chef ~ Chinese - Chinatown

Breakfast at Lady Iron Chef on Chinatown's Dixon Street Mall.

Yummy One ~ Chinese - Chinatown\Central

Yummy One is a twofer: a Hong Kong coffee shop complete with luncheon meat sandwiches and coffee-tea. And they're also a dab hand at Chinese-Malaysian, sweet, shiny and glorious.

Alem's House ~ Ethiopian - Camperdown

Camperdown gets an Ethiopian Cafe. The lure of vegetarian dishes and injera pull us down Parramatta Rd to give it a burl.

Penang Hawker Street Food ~ Malaysian - Dixon House Food Court, Chinatown

Penang Hawker Street Food in Dixon House Food Court is a K-Tel compilation album of Malaysian food hits. Do yourself a flavour...

Make Your Mouth Water - Chinese ~ City/Chinatown

Chongqing style noodles, enamel plates and bowls of chili noodle goodness. Make Your Mouth Water on George Street locks it all in.

Broadway Food Court ~ Ultimo

We uncover the glorious strangeness of the Broadway Food Court.

Medani Bakery ~ Israeli - Bondi Junction

Medani Bakery is bringing out fresh bread and falafel along Bronte Rd, Israeli style.

Hunan Rice Noodles ~ Chinese, Burwood

The Murray Place Arcade in Burwood has revamped into a themed Chinatown, with noodles, dumplings, waffle puffs and bubble tea stalls. There's so many new places to try and we're enamoured, so we hit it off our new Burwood love affair at Hunan Rice Noodles.

B-Kyu Tour of West Sumatra ~ Padang Bit 2

The final part of our West Sumatra tour for more nasi padang, as much as we can possibly eat.

B-Kyu Tour of West Sumatra ~ Lake Maninjau

Lake Maninjau in West Sumatra has some sort of weird power to slow time down, the three days we were there felt like a month.

Award Kitchen ~ Taiwanese, City\Chinatown Fringe

Award Kitchen brings another fine Taiwanese bainmarie-of-love to Sydney, we're always up for more.