Inside the affordable hole in the wall restaurant chef Kylie Kwong can't get enough of - and the 'legendary' dish everyone should try
The Australian food icon recently spoke to Gourmet Traveller about the top ten restaurant dining gems located around the Western Sydney area.
And one of the chef's stand out picks was Parramatta restaurant, Temasek.
Kwong, 55, told the Australian food publication that she's been a repeat-customer at the authentic Singaporean-Malay institution for many years.
Her go-do dishes at Temasek are their signature Singapura Laksas along with their Haianaese Chicken Rice, which Kwong described as 'legendary'.
Both of Kwong's top pick menu choices are surprisingly well-priced.
Temasek's Singapura Laksas start at $25.80 and are available in six different varieties.
Diners can choose the laksa with either chicken, prawns, fishcake, vegetables, seafood, or a chicken and prawn combo.
Meanwhile, the Hainanese Chicken Rice is even more affordable at $23 for a generous serve.
The dish is described on the menu as 'a succulent tender boneless chicken served with flavoured rice, soup, chilli & soy sauce'.
Bigger groups of diners could also consider ordering the Hainanese chicken in a half or full size. A whole Hainaese chicken, which can be served steamed or fried, is $62, while a half chicken is $32.
Temasek has been a renowned Western Sydney dining spot for decades after being originally founded in 1992.
The restaurant has changed location at points over the years, but Kwong explained in her recent interview that the feel of the restaurant remains unchanged.
The Aussie chef, who is currently working as an associate for Sydney's Powerhouse museum, said she recently re-visited the dining venue after its most recent relocation.
Temasek is now located on George Street in the heart of Parramatta.
'[T]hey managed to maintain the essence and flavour of the Temasek we all love, which is an enormous achievement,' commended Kwong.
Temasek was previously praised by revered SMH Good Food critique Terry Durack, who described it as one of the rare restaurants in Sydney to offer 'value with a capital V'.
In his 2024 review, the food critic noted that many of the restaurant's most popular dishes, including Kwong's picks in the Singapura Laksa and Hainanese chicken rice along with other stalwarts like Nasi Goreng haven't 'changed much since it opened in 1992'.
Kwong's other top dining picks around the Western Sydney area also included the likes of Gebran Lebanese Cuisine in Mount Lewis and Sri Lankan restaurant Chef Ceylon in Toongabbie.
Much to the disappointment of fans, Kwong announced the closure of her own restaurant, Lucky Kwong, in June 2024 after being open for 24 years.
'At the end of June, I'm hanging up my restauranteur hat in order to make space for that which has become closest to my heart,' she began in a sombre Instagram post.
'I'd like to step into the next phase of my practice. Through the lens of food and interconnectedness, I wish to place my energy into helping share other people's stories.'
Her famed restaurant in the Sydney suburb of Everleigh was renowned for its diverse menu, featuring many delicacies such as crispy skin duck and saltbush cakes.
Kwong rose to fame in 2003 with her ABC TV series Kylie Kwong: Heart and Soul, a show that thrust her restaurant into the national spotlight and had customers queuing around the block.
She also made a guest appearance on MasterChef in 2012, appearing in the show's fourth season.
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