By Issy Jackson (University of Sydney, Australia)
Newtown is almost like the Fallowfield of Sydney! It’s a studenty suburb that is super close to a lot of USYD’s colleges and residences including the famous Queen Mary Building and its new rival, the Regiment. King Street is a buzzing hub of shops, restaurants and bars; it is the beating heart of USYD’s social life. After spending farrrr too much money in basically every single establishment that it has to offer, I’m well equipped (if slightly financially destabilised) to talk you through my favourites.
SOUL BURGER
Picture this. Little old Issy has made one of her first ventures out of her accommodation on day one to go and sort herself out with a SIM card. Vodafone may be at the top of the to-do list, but she is distracted by a poster. It’s a burger. And it’s a stunner. Surely you can’t pick a phone contract on an empty stomach?!
The best thing about Soul Burger is that it is completely vegan – and absolutely nothing about it reveals that fact. They pride themselves on re-creating timeless classics that you would never know are vegan. Rather than your classic Portobello mushroom or tofu burger, they’ve actually created plant-based alternatives to meat. Even many of my friends that are meat-lovers were shocked at the opportunity to order a Chilli Beef Burger with Dirty Cheesey and Bacon Fries! Getting the app was a great shout as well – sharing Sweet Potato Fries in Camperdown Park with friends was even sweeter when the fries were free.
My Favourite: The Satay Tofu Burger is one of the cheapest on the menu but not one to be missed. Peanut sauce everywhere, need I say more?
THAI POTHONG
Thai Pothong is one of the BNOKS (Big Name On King Street). I’d heard about it before from some family friends in England and when it was the topic of conversation at work in Sydney too, I realised that they must be doing something right in there! It’s a massive restaurant with two floors and is almost always full, which surely speaks for itself. Make sure you book a reservation! Full of East Asian statuary, wall art and plants, they’ve created a really cool sense of culture inside which makes your lunch or dinner feel like a bit of an event. With loads of really friendly and attentive staff, you will want for nothing as they are perfectly tuned in to an empty wine glass or rice bowl. The best part: it’s BYOB! Ten minutes before our booking, about fifteen of us met outside the bottle-o just next door to pick out the cheapest beer and wine we could find to keep the bill down. Although you’re getting a full-on dining experience at Thai Pothong, providing your own drinks prevents it from breaking the bank which is great for big groups of students. P.S. It’s voted the best Thai restaurant in Sydney!
My Favourite: Penang Curry, Penang Curry, Penang Curry.
THE ITALIAN BOWL
The Italian Bowl works a little differently to how we might normally expect to eat at an Italian restaurant. They don’t take bookings so you get to queue outside on the bustling street and wait for a space on one of the communal tables. Again, it’s BYOB so people tend to enjoy some tinnies in the sun while waiting for a seat. In true Aussie style, everyone’s up for a yarn so I have to thank The Italian Bowl for the many random friends that I’ve made in that queue!
The idea here is that they absolutely nail classic pasta dishes. Firstly, you chose from all sorts of fresh pasta like fettuccine, linguine, ravioli or even potato gnocchi. Then, and this is the best bit, you get to choose from an abundant list of sauces. There’s eighteen different choices and I wouldn’t be surprised if I’ve managed to get through the whole lot in my time. From your basic Napolitana all the way to a fancy Mare E Monte, there’s definitely something for everyone. Priced at around £10 per pasta dish (and they’re quite hefty), it’s not extortionate but it’s definitely a treat.
My Favourite: I liked going a bit rogue and trying something a bit different; the Chicken Peppercorn did not disappoint.
LENTILS AS ANYTHING
Now this one is the dream ticket!! Before I went to Australia, I’d had lots of chats with older students who had already been on exchange to USYD. As soon as I said that I would be living near Newtown, every single one recommended Lentils as Anything. Run by volunteers (if you have a spare evening, definitely go and give them a hand), it’s a brilliant manifestation of wholesome Aussie community. They operate on a ‘pay-as-you-feel’ basis, so after eating you have the opportunity to make a monetary contribution as you wish. This means it can provide food to those in need. Of course, this is a great gesture of social cohesion which fosters the inclusion of many different social groups. Even the long benches, that you share with others as you dine, promote a sense of community.
Great ethics aside, the food isn’t half bad either! With a completely vegetarian menu, the choices are changed daily depending on what produce is available. The whole experience is all the more collective when people lean over and ask you which dish you’ve gone for because they’ve never seen it before. There’s usually about three different plates on the menu, with an option for dessert or chai tea too. As well as the more consistent options like Thai Green Curry and Chilli Con Carne, they also include some more niche, adventurous dishes that really embody veggie creativity like a garlic and lemon courgette linguine. Both economically and environmentally ethical, Lentils as Anything really is a win-win.
My Favourite: Spicy Chickpea Pasta. I’ve not looked at a chickpea in the same way since.
MESSINA GELATO
It’s only right to end on a sweet treat and it’d be rude not to include my very own second home. Where do I even start with Messina? As I have generously undertaken market research for you all and selflessly tried the whole menu, my conclusion is: the more, the merrier. The vast range from mango or dark chocolate sorbet all the way to dulce de leche or white chocolate hazelnut gelato, meant that even going about thirty times a week didn’t make the choice any easier. You can have as many testers as you like, though! What’s more, there is a Special’s Menu which includes unconventional gelato combinations, usually adorned by a very on-trend and witty name. For example, they made a Fairy Bread gelato (after the renowned Aussie delicacy) which was toast and butter flavoured gelato with hundreds and thousands all over it. If you’re really in it to win it, have one scoop and dine in to sit and watch the making process through the window to the back – then you can have a second scoop of whatever is fresh out of the kitchen!
My Favourite: It was a rarity that I’d leave Messina without at LEAST one scoop of Super dulce de leche, earning its name by having actual in-house dulce de leche woven through. Take a bow, Messina.