Chloe Sachdev

Sydney isn’t starved for Korean fried chicken. On a stroll through Koreatown it’s your pick of joints doing variations on double-fried, crunchy, seasoned chooks. Paired with cold beer, it’s simply known as chimaek (a portmanteau of the first syllables of chicken and beer in Korean). It's eaten as a meal, an appetizer, late-night stack, in groups, solo, on dates… it's a versatile fast food hit. But what gives Gami Chicken and Beer (pronouncin gah-mee) the leg up on their competitors is that your junk food cravings don't come with a side of ethical guilt. Here your fried chicken is RSPCA-approved chicken, which means welfare standards are higher than in conventional factory farms.  The fast-casual chicken and beer franchise was first opened in Melbourne in 2006, and has been steadily laying new outposts all over the country, including two NSW branches in Chippendale and Castle Hill. The former can be found in the belly of Central Park Mall in its open-air ‘dining district’ flanked by other eateries like famed ramen joint, Ippudo. Gami is relatively calm for lunchtime in the city. The setup is a faux-industrial, metal shed look with hairpin tables, concrete floor, steel cladding and exposed brick walls. The menu is extensive and portions are huge. Next time we'll skip the ‘Gami delights’ of battered kimchee pancakes, heavy fried rice cakes and ‘corn cheese’ swimming in mayo, and go straight to the main event – Korean fried chicken.  Ordering is simple. You choose your bird: whol

Like many neighbourhood gems, from the outside the Carpenter is unremarkable. The exposed brick exterior and roller door are camouflaged on suburban Flood Street in Leichhardt, easily mistaken for a garage. But, from 7am to 3pm, this warehouse conversion draws clued-in customers inside. The décor remains industrial. You know the look: high corrugated-iron ceilings, grey concrete floor and minimalist metal hairpin table and chairs, softened by a warm terracotta-tiled bar and furry four-legged patrons drinking from bowls. The space, though small, is dog friendly, baby friendly (there are highchairs), and has communal and bookable tables for groups up to ten (including weekends). The vibe here is very much ‘all are welcome’. A brief scan of the menu might elicit a much of a muchness sentiment: hotcakes, truffle eggs, steak sangers, and the mandatory poached eggs and smashed avocado. But, a closer look (and taste) reveals subtle depths. The truffle in the eggs is actually the cult black truffle salsa by Tetsuya. Avocado and poached egg is sandwiched in a rich and flaky croissant, instead of plopped on sourdough, and comes sprinkled with feta for a sharp kick. Pillowy stacked ricotta hotcakes come dressed with whipped burnt butter (locally sourced from Pepe Saya in Marrickville) and tooth-achingly sweet and crunchy honeycomb; too sweet, if not for the balance of fresh, tangy seasonal fruits. The piece de résistance is the trucker-sized ‘ploughman’s steak sandy’. Forget the traditi