A Local's Guide to the Best Restaurants in Western Sydney

They don’t call it the Greater West for nothing. Next year this diverse and booming area will welcome a new airport at Badgerys Creek as well as Powerhouse Parramatta – the state’s largest museum when it opens in late 2026. It will bring major exhibitions and cutting-edge STEM facilities westward, plus visits from global innovators in science, research and creative fields. Kevin La, a Powerhouse food collaborator, grew up in Sydney’s west and is one of its most avid champions. Here are five of his favourite places to eat.

Suhhtan Bakery in Regents Park

“This was my introduction to Lebanese food and I still go there. Manoush (above) is almost like a pizza. You can get the lahm bi ajeen – lamb marinated with tomato and sumac – but my personal favourite is the cheese and za’atar.”

Lao Village in Fairfield

“Lao Village is proper Lao food. It’s family-owned and run, and has been around forever. It used to be on the corner in a really small shop but has expanded due to its popularity. If I was taking friends for dinner, I’d fill the table with sticky barbecued ox tongue, green papaya salad, Lao sausage and, of course, sticky rice.”

Kabul House in Merrylands

“Kabul House is top of my list of restaurants I take overseas visitors to. I like to order the mixed palaw – jewelled rice served with barbecued lamb, chicken and minced lamb skewers (above), plus bread, salads and pickled cabbage. I took my cousins from America there recently and they were just blown away. This is what food in Western Sydney is all about.”

Battambang in Cabramatta

“Phnom Penh noodles are eaten as a breakfast and lunch dish in Cambodia and when I think about a classic dish from my childhood, this is it. At Battambang (96-98 Broomfield Street, Cabramatta; 02 9724 7307), you have a choice of egg or rice noodles, or both – I like the dry version with soup on the side. The noodles might come with pork mince, fish balls, pig innards, prawn and squid or cuttlefish, all dressed with a combination of garlic oil and soy sauce, plus you can add vinegar and a squeeze of lemon. It’s not hearty but it is comfort food.”

Hai Au Lang Nuong in Canley Vale

“This place, owned by chef Ben Nyugen (above, left), is down the street from where I grew up and has always been loved by the community. You’ve got uncles singing karaoke outside on a Friday night, there are neon lights and funny decorations… it really feels like you’re in Vietnam. They have a big charcoal barbecue right next to the window and almost everything gets cooked on it, including the bo la lot – beef wrapped in betel leaf. The crispness from the grilled betel leaf, the juices of the meat… it’s just a fun time.”