Turquoise oceans, cheap beers, endless balmy days. There’s a lot of reasons why people flock to Southeast Asia every year (us included). But at the top of our list (and we reckon it could be at the top of yours, too) is the food. Fresh, punchy and full of soul and heat, street food found in Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and Singapore have got to be some of the best things we’ve ever tasted.
Bold, vibrant and fun Southeast Asian street food dishes and snacks are what you can expect to find on the menu at Sydney's newest eatery, Easy Tiger, says Indonesian-born head chef Andrianto ‘Andy’ Wirya (ex Queen Chow Manly, Mr Wong). “We want people to feel like they’re on a holiday in Southeast Asia. To eat lots of small plates without feeling too stuffed,” says Wirya.
That could look like babi guling buns with caramelised pork belly, sambal matah, steamed bun and shallot; crispy corn “larb” with twice fried corn kernels, shallot, mint, lime and Thai basil; and prawn rolls with chilled tiger prawns, lemongrass and chilli mayo, pickled cucumber on a hot buttered roll.
Wirya’s favourite dish is the beef rendang party pies, which, he says, is “the perfect marriage of my Indonesian childhood with the childhood of Aussie kids".
Featuring braised beef cheek rendang, confit potatoes, and puff pastry, the pies come with Andy’s Sambal, and yeah, we’re hungry now. Choose the five-course set menu for $42 and you’ll be laughing.
The latest venue from House Made Hospitality (also Apollonia, Promenade Bondi Beach, Lana), Easy Tiger has taken over the former pop-up Rancho Seltzo digs on the ground floor of the Pacific Bondi Beach.
House Made Hospitality director Scott Brown said: “Whether you’re rolling in with sandy feet from the beach, or meeting friends for a mid-week dinner, we want to become a go-to for locals looking for something fun and fresh in their own backyard.”
Forget going easy – we say run over to Easy Tiger.
