Hawker Lane, Westfield Chatswood

Jessica Rayner
5th Dec 2015

After a long time coming, Westfield Chatswood’s Hawker Lane is finally open! The half-indoor/half-outdoor space is a haven for lovers of Asian street food.

Set just off the foodie Charlotte Lane Chatswood, Hawker Lane is a traditional-style Asian market place hosting over 15 different cuisines, each with it’s own signature dish. Fancy sushi and a bubble tea? They’ve got it! Shanghainese dumplings with a side of Korean King Oyster Mushrooms? You’ll find them both here.

When we visited, the space had just opened and the laneway was packed with people. Luckily, there’s plenty of communal seating, hidden corners and long benches for you perch at while you chow down your goodies. There’s so much attention to detail that you do feel like you’re wandering down a busy street in an Asian city, with all the wonderful smells of the street food hitting you from all angles as you dodge the many other revellers.

Amongst all the take-away restaurants, the most popular by far is the seriously sought after One Tea Lounge and Grill. Serving up their famous matcha baogers, ramen burgers and green tea parfait in slider form, this is a great opportunity to try the food everyone’s talking about. Although you’ll most likely have to queue, being able to watch the chef’s do their thing through the glass and a ‘slider wheel’ will certainly help those minutes tick by quicker.

One of my favourite discoveries was ChaChu’s, an Indian street food spot. Their speciality, kathi rolls, originate from Kolkata and are enjoyed with a range of fillings, all wrapped up in a roti. The rolls at ChaChu’s are whipped up before your very eyes and you can choose from their delicious range of salads and sauces to build your own roll. You also can’t miss them as they have one of the most colourful stalls in the laneway!

If you’re after something a bit more meaty, the ‘fast and furious’ charcoaled stewers at Lamb & Cumin are also fantastic. A tribute to the street food found in northern China, it makes for a great late night feed with a few beers.

Luckily, Hawker Lane is a late night dining destination, open until 10pm every night. With all the buzzing activity in and around the Westfield Chatswood, this street food spot is a really great addition to the area and is certainly worth a visit.

For the full list of restaurants and eateries in Hawker Lane, visit their website.