Food and travelling are my two greatest passions in life, so when I heard about Sydney’s Lunar New Year Food Tours, I just HAD to go. Run by Taste Food Tours, you’ll enjoy a 90 minute guided exploration of delicious Asian restaurants and bakeries in Hurstville. Basically guaranteed to leave you in a food coma afterwards. This particular tour is quite unique as it only runs for a few weeks in celebration of Lunar New Year.

Here’s what to expect:

Stop 1: Guo Kui Master

Guo Kui, which literally translates to “pot helmet”, is a Chinese flatbread, filled with either sweet or savoury ingredients. Guo Kui got its name from the way it was once cooked, in a helmet. Nowadays the bread is cooked on the inside of large cylindrical clay ovens, baked over charcoal. At Guo Kui Master, not only will you get to see the baking in action, but you’ll try one of the delicious crispy flatbread pancakes. I highly recommend trying the red bean pancake. They’re so tasty that I ended up going back to Guo Kui Master after the food tour to buy more.

Stop 2: Golden Palace Bakery

Golden Palace is a traditional Chinese bakery, selling a wide range of sweet and savoury treats including bread rolls, custard tarts, pineapple cakes, and sausage buns. Here you’ll get to try a traditional custard egg tart, which was possibly one of the best egg tarts I’ve ever tried in my life. With a buttery and flaky layered pastry, and silky smooth custard inside, these egg tarts will easily leave you wanting to buy the whole shop.

Stop 3: Sydney Dumpling King

Dumplings are one of my favourite foods, so this stop of the food tour made me very excited. The best part about Sydney Dumpling King is the endless menu of options. With over 30 different dumpling varieties and a choice of steamed, boiled, or fried, you’ll likely have a hard time deciding what to eat. I tried the pork and chive fried dumplings and a vegetarian option with chinese green vegetables, mushroom and tofu. Both were cooked to perfection and absolutely mouth watering. Flavoursome, crispy, and filling, this is now my new go-to spot for dumplings in Sydney.

Stop 4: Blackball

If you’re after a unique dessert option, Blackball is the place for you. With a wide range of Taiwanese desserts and drinks, Blackball gives a nice sugar hit mid-way through the food tour. Here you’ll try tapioca balls and grass jelly, topped with golden sweet potato and taro balls. It may sound like a strange combination, but don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. I’m not much of a sweet tooth, but this dessert was amazing. It’s tasty, refreshing and perfect for a hot summer day. Perhaps a little different to the classic ice cream order but definitely a fantastic dessert option.

Stop 5: Mr Stonebowl

The last stop of the food tour is Mr Stonebowl, which was possibly my favourite place. Mr Stonebowl offers traditional Chinese food options as well as unique, modern options. If you’re familiar with this restaurant, you’ll know it is well sought-after, the line out the front being a clear indicator of its popularity. I must say, it is worth the wait. Here I tried walnut steamed buns, which is something I had never even heard of. With a soft and fluffy outside and subtly sweet filling, they are perfect for savoury food lovers after a not-too-sickly dessert. As a savoury lover myself, I could easily go back for 2 or 3 (maybe even 4) of these sweet steamed buns.

Have you been on a Lunar New Year food tour? I’d love to hear about your experience. If you have any food tours to recommend, let me know in the comments below!

Until the next adventure,

Jetsetter Soph