The June Hit List: Parlar, No 92, Mr Yu’s Noodles, and More

Head chef Xinyi Lim might have moved on, but Cafe Freda’s remains in good care: Georgia Woodyard (Bart Jr, Morris) is overseeing the menu now, with help from Sophia Fleming. The cheese and charcuterie plates are sticking around (as is Cafe Freda’s tendency to enlist your favourite local DJs and plan interesting pop-up markets and exhibitions for its Abstract Thoughts gallery next door), but new additions to the menu include a mushroom ragu lasagna, fish finger long roll with smoked cheddar, tortilla with romesco, and pork shoulder empanada. Toast these changes with a mandarin margarita.

Mr Yu’s Noodles in Ultimo might be the only restaurant in Sydney that redirects you to Wuhan, China, and yes, you should drop by for its re gan mian (hot dry noodles): the springy alkaline strands are flavoured with salty pickles, sesame sauce and other moreish toppings. You can see why it’s a popular breakfast flex in the Hubei capital, and officially certified as one of China’s top 10 noodle dishes. It travels surprisingly well here as a takeaway dish. Don’t overlook the Wuhan noodle nest snacks: these fried rings – sculpted from yellow bean, ginger and shallots – are worth savouring, too.

Executive chef José Saulog has remapped Spain’s Catalan region in inventive ways on Parlar’s menu. Escalivada is traditionally prepared with vegetables roasted in embers; here, it’s turned into a vol-au-vent that’s also sealed with Manchego cheese. Pan con tomate historically began as a way to make old bread palatable; at Parlar, the tomato slices are stylishly placed as if a craftsperson was tiling rare mosaic glass pieces on a wall. The precision has scored this Mediterranean eatery rave reviews – this is the kind of place where the Crema Catalana dessert has been customised to match the design of the restaurant’s marble tables.

Giving food scraps a second life has been a virtuous goal for many bars and restaurants, but Re goes far beyond the old-school move of recycling peelings in the stock pot. Its Never Wasted program collects offcuts and leftovers from Sydney eateries and remakes them into adventurous cocktails: Brickfields sourdough was recently turned into a drink inspired by banh mi, snap-fresh with herbs and a ginger-sharp fizz. Even century-old railway sleepers from the South Eveleigh site have been enlisted to add smoke to highballs flavoured with Pink Lady apples and black lime. It’s the kind of imaginative resourcefulness you’d expect from award-winning bartenders Evan Stroeve, Matt Whiley and co. – and has rightfully led to international recognition for their inspired take on sustainability.

Sydney has thankfully evolved from the days when ‘Mexican’ food was defined by hard-shell tacos and mayo masquerading as salsa. Credit the local Mexican community for giving us a better understanding of the real-deal cuisine. Pablo Galindo Vargas, who recently opened Santa Catarina and Londres 126, is one such person leading the charge; as is Juan Carlos Negrete, who has been serving up pozole verde, tetelas and tlacoyos at Maiz. Another key player has been Alejandro Huerta (Chica Bonita), who offers red mushroom mole with ceremonial tortillas at No 92, as well as other Mexican-inspired dishes with Australian riffs (such as a tres leches dessert that draws on Indigenous ingredients, like Geraldton wax and quandong).

Sebastien Syidalza grew up in the outer suburbs of Paris with a single mother. Pastries were a big deal when they could afford it: she’d occasionally make a yoghurt, pound or pineapple cake if her budget allowed and he’d resourcefully team up with friends to buy one pastry they could share, bite by bite. So he’s well aware of the power of a well-baked treat and at Sébastien Sans Gluten, all his creations are coeliac-friendly. There’s no wheat in his handiwork, but they contain memories of his French childhood (see the pear and almond tart), time professionally cooking in London (note the lavishly iced carrot cake) and relocation to Australia (his croissants reflect his time working at Sydney’s Wholegreen Bakery and Rollers Bakehouse, but presented with his own creative twist).

Japan might not be fully open to international tourists (yet), but you can get a taste of Tokyo’s Nakano drinking district thanks to this beloved Haymarket izakaya. You can level up your karaage chicken with extra mentaiko mayo, ponzu and minced radish or other flavour-building extras. Or opt for takoyaki, vegetarian fried udon, Japanese beef brisket curry, wasabi potato salad or matcha tiramisu. Don’t forget the highball selection, either. Nakano Darling is optimised for the pandemic setting you’re most comfortable with: you can enjoy its outdoor dining area, pick a cosy interior spot under its bright signage, sort out a takeaway order or browse the pages of the bar’s book, co-written with Ebony Bizys (the Tokyo-based author of Hello Sandwich Japan).

Taking over Momofuku Seiobo’s old site is a big ask – Paul Carmichael and Kylie Javier Ashton set the bar incredibly high before the restaurant’s blockbuster ending last year. But the pairing of two celebrated chefs, Federico Zanellato and Karl Firla, might offer the star wattage and invention required. Ele by Federico & Karl has ambitious aims: the venue labels its offering as “elevated dining” and promises to take guests on a literal and metaphorical journey throughout the restaurant, from the bar to a dramatically curtained-off dining room (and video art display) and kitchen counter for a sculptural dessert that’s a megamix of chardonnay.

Peter Conistis has often been name-checked as a pioneer of modern Greek cooking in Australia. It began with the highly acclaimed opening of Cosmos in 1993 (while he was in his twenties) and the chef stayed in the spotlight with Omega and Alpha. His latest venture is Ploos (Greek for sails), which is aptly located by Sydney Harbour in The Rocks’ heritage-listed Campbell’s Stores precinct. The menu turns to the South Aegean islands for inspiration, with dishes like spanakopita-filled dumplings and dill yoghurt, and kataifi tarts with beef pastourmas, candied baby eggplant and whipped feta nested inside.

Banco has a good strategy for outsmarting winter: its Sunday roast, for instance, is all about carbs, comfort and warmth. Think roasted garlic potatoes, lamb shoulder that’s been braised overnight, a ladling of rosemary gravy, red onions and carrots left to caramelise, and a cumin-roasted butternut squash that’s designed for vegetarian diners. There’s plenty to tempt you throughout the rest of the week (like the wagyu British madras pie with tzatziki and apricot chutney, or rum-roasted pineapple with sticky toffee ‘bits’ if you’re quick).