Alvin Quah, MasterChef Australia 2010 and 2022 crowd favourite, shares his favourite places to dine and explore in Sydney
Photography: Destination NSW, Elise Strydom
I was born in a township called Happy Garden in Kuala Lumpur. Mum is from Malacca, and Dad is from Penang. I personally think those are the two best states in Malaysia for food, so I guess you can say that my love for food is preordained. I moved to Melbourne, Australia, in 1994 to do a Bachelor of Science, and have been based in the country ever since.
In 2008, I got a job promotion that required me to move to Sydney. Shortly after that, I applied to take part in MasterChef Australia. I placed sixth, and after that managed to balance my work and cooking lives. Twelve years later, I decided to take part again – this time in MasterChef Australia: Fans & Favourites – and I haven’t looked back. I love living in Sydney and am thrilled to be sharing some of my top picks…naturally, mostly food related.
Sydney is big on café culture
There are many cafés all a stone’s throw away from my home in Surry Hills that I often visit. There is a coffee place called Artificer that procures their own coffee beans and makes their own brew. Their coffees, depending on the blend you choose, have a variety of tasting notes. For instance, the Nicaragua Los Grandillos has a hint of nutmeg, while the seasonal blend combines a mix of beans that gives a more well- rounded espresso flavour.
If I’m after hot chocolate, I go to Veneziano Coffee Roasters, and to French-style Lavie & Belle Bakery for the best almond croissant I’ve ever tasted! It has the perfect combination of fresh almonds and marzipan. If I’m craving savoury, the Aleppo pepper and Asiago cheese scroll from A.P. Bakery is my go-to.
Dinner plans?
Sydney does Thai food well because we have Thai chefs and influencer powerhouses who have revolutionised the way we view Thai food. The likes of Palisa Anderson, David Thompson and Martin Boetz have all paved the way and helped make Thai food accessible. For consistently good Thai food, chain Chat Thai is my recommendation. I love their yum naehm khao todt, which is a rice pancake – rice cooked on the base of the pan over low heat until it’s crispy, then loaded with fermented meat and aromatic herbs. When I miss Malaysian food, I head to Chinta Ria Buddha Love located on the fringe of Chinatown. Their crispy noodles topped with an egg-like gravy, remind me of the hawker-style noodles Dad would take home for supper when we were kids.
Taking friends out to eat?
If I have friends that I want to impress, I’ll take them to eat Mediterranean or French food. Some of my favourites include Parlar in Potts Point (I suggest trying the anchovy churro and pan tomate) and Armorica in Surry Hills. I highly recommend ordering their steak frite, and definitely with the bone marrow butter for an extra kick. Italian fine diner Pellegrino 2000 is another great choice. Last time we were there my partner, who is half-Italian, cried over a plate of fritto misto because it was so delicious…and I’m the emotional one!
Tell me about fashion
A few years ago, I realised that if I’m going to wear glasses, I might as well make it a statement. I used to travel a lot for work and began buying a pair of glasses from most destinations I visited, and then had my optometrist, George Skoufis Optometrist, fit the lens. George Skoufis is based in Paddington and has a good range of eclectic eyewear featuring both local and international labels.
I’ve also just started a collaboration called Alvin x Niloca with my friends at Niloca Eyewear. They are based in Melbourne but the collection is available online and we’ll be selling limited edition titanium frames in three different colours (rempah-red brick, custard yellow and not-so-ordinary blue) and eight models, each of which is named after a favourite Southeast Asian ingredient.
Retail therapy
Glasses may be my fashion item, but for clothing I go to Incu as they stock a wide variety of clothes, from international names to emerging Australian labels. There are stores in Paddington and Chatswood, as well as an outlet in Rosebury. Lab Nation is a skin care range that I use and they are produced in Byron Bay. I love their Protect & Repair Body and Face Oil, as well as their Vitamin Serum Concentrate.
The great outdoors
My partner and I walk everywhere, and we’re lucky the Botanic Gardens of Sydney is so close to home. It’s one of those places where you never get tired of the views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Sydney Opera House across the water…and that is always spectacular! I like spending time meandering through the themed gardens – such as the herb garden and succulent garden – or just taking in the lush greenness of it all.
