Kensington Street
Central Park, Sydney
Sydney's first hawker centre!
Sydney's first hawker centre!
Website: http://www.kensingtonstreet.com.au/
Address: Beside Central Park and Sydney Central Train Station
Opening Hours: 7 days from 11am-10pm
CEO and Chairman of Frasers Property Australia - Dr Stanley Quek & Lora
SYDNEY - KENSINGTON STREET - CENTRAL PARK - SPICE ALLEY - Many Asians living in Sydney can now rejoice as a brand new hawker centre named "Spice Alley" has just recently opened right in the heart of Sydney city beside Sydney Central train station and opposite UTS University. Chippendale's major face lift to become a great entertainment and vibrant arts hub was the result of the interesting foresights of Chairman of Frasers Property Australia - Dr Stanley Quek and the Executive Director of Greencliff Realty - Marcus Chang. Tucked away in almost a very "secret location", Kensington Street is a tiny lane alley with terraced shop houses that reminded me of Haji Lane in Singapore. The once forgotten terraces of Kensington Street is now Sydney's vibrant, characterful and creative urban laneway that houses restaurants, cafes, art galleries, innovative shop retailers etc. giving the place new energy, new purpose and new allure.
SYDNEY'S First Hawker Centre - Spice Alley - open 7 days a week - is simply a heaven for foodies as the place reminded me of my favourite hawker centres in Singapore as there were so many popular hawker dishes made available for diners to order. Most importantly, the place was brand new, clean and all the dishes were reasonably priced around AUD$8-$12. Diners can order food over the counter and the food was cooked really fast without long waiting times. Delicious local delights included Roti Prata, Murtabak, Penang Fried Kway Teow, Hokkien Prawn Mee, Wan Tan Mee, Katong Laksa, Chatterbox Chicken Rice, Roast Duck Rice, Crispy Pork Belly Rice, BBQ Satay Sticks, Timsum (prawn dumplings), Fried Crispy Dough Sticks, Congee etc.
SPICE ALLEY ambience - Tastefully decorated with hanging red and yellow chinese lanterns above our heads, the courtyard filled with wooden tables and chairs provided a relaxing dining atmosphere. Even the cutlery provided were disposable wooden forks, spoons and chopsticks. Unlike most hawker centres where you will leave feeling smelly due to the smoke from cooking, this place was airy with occasional breezes and was exceptionally clean for a hawker centre. The hawkers here were extremely polite and cheerful. One of them even said to me "Enjoy your Meal" when I collected my food. Such impressive customer service! The place was not too crowded, spacious and creatively designed. Everyone was having a good time enjoying the food in the courtyard.
Singaporean chef Alex Lee cooks up a storm in the kitchen
TOP ASIAN CHEFS - Famous Asian chefs such as Alex Lee (ex- Temasek and Ginger and Spice), Uncle Jim (Uncle Jim in Mosman), Old Jim Kee (Hong Kong cuisine expert), Bang Luck (Mama's Buoi) etc. opened their stalls and helped create Spice Alley to become a top dining destination for all Asian food lovers. This place is a must visit if you love and appreciate Asian Hawker style food! Tantalise your taste buds with the wide variety of dishes from the Singapore-Malaysian, Thai, Vietnamese, Hong Kong stalls etc. You will be spoilt for choices! It is casual dining at its best!
FINAL VERDICT - Having tried a wide variety of food during my first visit, I was deeply impressed as all the dishes were authentic and tasted incredibly delicious! Some dishes even taste better than those served back home in Singapore. This place will definitely be my regular place to dine in Sydney! I only wished this place existed earlier so I won't miss Singapore's food so much!
INTERESTING PAYMENT MODES - Kindly note that the hawkers here do not handle cash. Customers are encouraged to purchase a card at the front reception, load it with value before proceeding to the various stalls to order your food. Otherwise, simply present your credit card when ordering for easy payment by using the pay wave function. Hi-tech, efficient and hygienic!
INTERESTING PAYMENT MODES - Kindly note that the hawkers here do not handle cash. Customers are encouraged to purchase a card at the front reception, load it with value before proceeding to the various stalls to order your food. Otherwise, simply present your credit card when ordering for easy payment by using the pay wave function. Hi-tech, efficient and hygienic!
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