陈记小馆 Chef Chen Dumplings

Skip the sprawling Chinatown tourist traps. This compact Quay Street dining room is where serious dumpling chasers drop in for proper, unapologetic Chinese home-style cooking. Sydney foodies point newcomers straight here for the staggering value and lightning-fast kitchen. Expect serious wok hei on the beef ho fun—smoky, rich, and expertly seasoned. The dumpling lineup? Fierce. Plump har gao, signature spicy dumplings, and steaming xiao long bao rule the tables. Portions border on ridiculous—a casual side of calamari on the wildly cheap lunch special arrives as an overflowing bowl. Dessert chasers insist on the liu sha bao, egg yolk buns boasting a flawlessly runny, golden center. It’s loud, it fills up fast, and it delivers every single time. Pro tip: bring cash, grab a cold house soy milk, and arrive hungry.