Food Lovers Guide to Chinatown and Haymarket

« Home | Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa, Blue Mountains - Emira... »

Wednesday, July 07, 2010

Doesn't everybody love a food tour? Where to go and what to eat? Where to find the hidden gems and which dishes are the specialty of the house?

I'm excited to finally let you all know about my involvement with the new Food Lovers Guide to Chinatown and Haymarket published by Urban Walkabout.

This free 34-page booklet highlights a mix of restaurants, pubs, sweets and more. It has been designed to help tourists and Sydneysiders discover spots in Chinatown they may have never otherwise known.

Inside this glossy pocket guide are 29 snapshot profiles, as well as section summaries and factual tidbits all written by me. The contributing team have also pulled together photos, a handy map, an interview with Kylie Kwong and a brief timeline showing the development of Sydney's Chinatown.

This was a fantastic initiative to work on. I love the idea of highlighting good eats and helping more people appreciate how exciting Chinatown and Haymarket can be.

Where else in Sydney can you find people making fresh dumplings, noodles and roti right before your eyes? It’s like food tv, except this one comes with smell-o-vision, and you can eat it too.

Pick up your free copy of the Food Lovers Guide to Chinatown and Haymarket from:

the tourist information booths in Town Hall and Martin Place
selected hotels around Sydney
any of the businesses featured in the guide.

You can also read the blurbs online at Urban Walkabout.

The Food Lovers Guide to Chinatown and Haymarket has been sponsored by the Haymarket Chamber of Commerce and supported by the City of Sydney and Tourism New South Wales.

Circulation: 60,000 copies

Leave a comment and let me know, where's your favourite eat or hidden secret in Chinatown?

32 comments - Add some comment love

posted by Helen (Grab Your Fork) on 7/07/2010 03:13:00 am

32 Comments:

At 7/07/2010 5:35 am, Maria said…

My gosh, I'm so excited, this is exactly what I need!! I love this area, but I don't know enough places around there :-) Good stuff Helen!
At 7/07/2010 6:54 am, Gianna@TheEmptyFridge said…

Thank you Helen - i cannot wait to get my hungry little hands on this guide. Chinatown in Sydney is such a treasure trove - i know where ill be lurking on the weekend, thanks to this!
At 7/07/2010 7:20 am, Fiona said…

Awesome! I always go to the same places when we're up there, wouldn't mind some more to try!
At 7/07/2010 7:26 am, Billy said…

Congrats helen! Hope u save a copy for me so I can frame it up lol
At 7/07/2010 9:10 am, Stephcookie said…

That's awesome Helen, congrats! What a fabulous looking guide :) <3 Chinatown!
At 7/07/2010 9:15 am, Anh said…

Thank you, thank you! I know I will love this little guide!
At 7/07/2010 9:38 am, Anonymous said…

Great work, Helen! Can't wait to pick up a copy to read all about ir. Congratulation!
At 7/07/2010 9:59 am, Craig @ What We Ate Today said…

Oooh! I'll pick one of those up next time I'm at Town Hall. Saw a big sign for Marigold yesterday while walking to Harry's - will definitely get there before we go back home!

Thanks Helen!
At 7/07/2010 10:04 am, Hannah said…

Congratulations! Must say that my Canberranness puts me in the fail category for Chinatown secrets, but I can unabashedly say that this is awesome for you, and you are marvellous!
At 7/07/2010 10:28 am, Von said…

hehe....I picked this up yesterday =] I didn't realise you wrote it!
At 7/07/2010 11:00 am, joey@forkingaroundsydney said…

Fantastic looking guide! Well done!
At 7/07/2010 11:07 am, Stephanie said…

Fave in chinatown is not so hidden; I do love the wafu tonkotsu at menya :)
At 7/07/2010 11:48 am, Yas (aboutthefood) said…

Such a great idea, can't wait to check it out! Congratulations on writing such a resource.
At 7/07/2010 12:02 pm, chocolatesuze said…

wheee congrats! mmm shiny
At 7/07/2010 12:02 pm, OohLookBel said…

This is fabulous; congratulations, Helen! I'm off to try and find a copy now.
At 7/07/2010 12:11 pm, Jacq said…

Congrats Helen! Now I've gotta go to Chinatown to get me one of these guides!
At 7/07/2010 2:23 pm, Forager @ The Gourmet Forager said…

What a great initiative to be a part of! Congrats Helen! I'm sure I'll find stuff in there I never knew about in Chinatown!
At 7/07/2010 5:09 pm, Sara @ Belly Rumbles said…

AWESOME!!!
At 7/07/2010 8:17 pm, YaYa said…

Congratulations! I'm going to look forward to discovering your hidden little secrets all over Chinatown!
At 7/07/2010 9:33 pm, Amy @ cookbookmaniac said…

Fantastic! I can't wait to get my greedy little hands on a copy!
At 7/08/2010 12:34 am, Rita (mademoiselle délicieuse) said…

Congrats, Helen! Looking forward to picking up a copy to read about my childhood introduction to Chinese food and how it's evolved over time =)
At 7/08/2010 11:11 am, Peter G | Souvlaki For The Soul said…

What great news Helen...congratulations and well deserved! Good guides (especially food ones) are invaluable!
At 7/08/2010 11:24 am, Betty @ The Hungry Girl said…

This is amazing! Well done and congrats Helen :D
At 7/08/2010 2:49 pm, Simon @ the heart of food said…

Congrats on your involvement with this publication. Another stepping stone to becoming a full blown journo :)
At 7/08/2010 6:31 pm, Tina said…

Great stuff, Helen - can't wait to read it all!
At 7/08/2010 10:36 pm, Angie Lives to Eat (and Cook)! said…

Congrats!
What, so no signed copies? =p
I am always wary about Chinatown, now I have a trustworthy source! If I can find it@
At 7/10/2010 9:24 pm, Kimberley said…

Oh I work in Ultimo/Haymarket so this is perfect! Congrats, Helen. And, not much of a secret but you can always find me at Satang Thai!
At 7/12/2010 9:22 pm, Helen (Grab Your Fork) said…

Hi Maria - Hope you find a few good eats :)

Hi Gianna - Chinatown is great isn't it? So tasty and cheap!

Hi Fiona - Sometimes it's worth it to explore a few new spots. Hope you enjoy it!

Hi Billy - lol. I'll even sign it for you. haha

Hi Stephcookie - Thanks, and yes, the design is fab.

Hi Anh - Hope you enjoy it. I love that it's so pocket-sized too.

Hi Ellie - Thank you. Writing the blurbs was a challenge but fun!

Hi Craig - Lots of spots to eat in Chinatown. Sounds like you are doing a great job eating up Sydney.

Hi Hannah - Aww thanks. You must get to Sydney for a food tour soon :)

Hi Von - lol. Too funny.

Hi Joey - Thank you and yes, it looks very spiffy methinks.

Hi Stephanie - Ah yes Menya is great for ramen. So much deliciousness.

Hi Yas - Thanks and yes, a great tourism initiative for both locals and overseas visitors.

Hi chocolatesuze - It was very shiny. Photos = painful. lol

Hi OohLookBel - Thanks and hope you found your copy easily :)

Hi Jacq - Awesome. I found a lot of places seemed to have run out but there was a good stash at Mizuya :)

Hi Forager - It was a great project to work on, and one that's close to my heart (and stomach!).

Hi Sara - I was :)
At 7/12/2010 9:25 pm, Helen (Grab Your Fork) said…

Hi YaYa - Thanks. It was fun doing the research although the list of venues was predetermined by the editor :)

Hi Amy - Heh. And best of all it's free. Hurrah!

Hi Mademoiselle Delicieuse - It's fascinating to see how Chinatown has changed. I think it'll always be a gastronomic highlight in Sydney though.

Hi Peter G - Thank you and yes, I agree. I think anything that gets people out there eating and exploring is good news for all.

Hi Betty - Thank you :)

Hi Simon - Ha, we'll see, but thank you :)

Hi Tina - Thanks. Hope you enjoy it!

Hi Angie - lol. Always happy to sign a copy for you!

Hi Kimberley - Satang Thai is great. Have yet to dine-in though. Will have to check it out.
At 7/14/2010 3:43 pm, Anonymous said…

Hi Helen - The booklet looks great - but I can't make it to Chinatown to grab one. Is there a PDF version of it to download? Seeing as it is a free publication, I was hoping to be able to download a copy from the publishers' site, but couldn;t see it. Thanks, Leon
At 7/16/2010 1:09 pm, Helen (Grab Your Fork) said…

Hi Leon - Unfortunately there isn't a downloadable version of the booklet, although the blurbas are all viewable online here. It should also be available at tourist information booths at Town Hall and Martin Place. Hope you enjoy it!
At 7/18/2010 7:09 pm, Adrian @ Food Rehab said…

hehe- I just came back from a business trip at Sydney and happened to grab a copy of this. Little did I know it a contributor was fellow foodie friend! Big props- congrats!