Cabramatta food guide: pho, banh mi and more in Sydney’s Little Saigon

Ask Sydneysiders where to find the best Vietnamese food in the city, and many will send you to Cabramatta. The suburb has been the heart of Sydney’s Vietnamese community since refugees settled here from the late 1970s, and its restaurants, bakeries and grocers are some of the best in the country.

How to do it

The best way to eat in Cabramatta is to graze. Share a bowl of soup in one place, buy a roll in another and finish with a drink or dessert somewhere else. Most dishes are good value, so you can try a lot in one visit.

What to eat

Pho

Vietnam’s famous noodle soup, with a clear, fragrant beef or chicken broth, flat rice noodles and fresh herbs on the side. Many places specialise in pho and serve little else, which is usually a good sign.

Banh mi

A crisp, light baguette filled with roast or grilled pork, pâté, pickled carrot and daikon, cucumber, coriander and chilli. Cabramatta’s bakeries sell them fresh all day, and they make a perfect snack for the train home.

Bun bo Hue

A spicy, lemongrass-scented beef noodle soup from the city of Hue in central Vietnam, with round rice noodles. Try it if you like a bit of heat.

Broken rice and rice paper rolls

Com tam, broken rice with grilled pork chop, and fresh rice paper rolls with prawns and herbs are good lighter choices.

Lao, Cambodian and Thai food

Cabramatta is not only Vietnamese. Look out for Lao and Cambodian dishes, such as papaya salad and noodle soups, and Thai and Chinese restaurants too.

Desserts and drinks

Finish with che, a sweet dessert of beans, jellies and coconut milk, freshly pressed sugarcane juice, a Vietnamese iced coffee or bubble tea.

Shopping for food

The grocers and markets around Freedom Plaza sell fresh herbs, tropical fruit in season, roast meats and a huge range of Asian ingredients. If you are staying in an apartment, it is a great place to stock up.

Tips

• Take the train: Cabramatta station is in the middle of the food streets, and parking is hard at weekends.
• Go at lunchtime: some places close early in the evening, and the busiest restaurants have queues at peak times.
• Bring a little cash: most places take cards, but a few small stalls prefer cash.
• Time it with a festival: Lunar New Year and the Moon Festival bring food stalls and crowds. See our festival guide.