Spice Alley

Spice Alley is an open-air laneway of small hawker-style stalls tucked behind Kensington Street in Chippendale, part of the same precinct redevelopment that includes Automata and Central Park. Roughly a dozen independent kitchens serve dishes from Malaysian, Thai, Chinese and Vietnamese street-food traditions, with laksa, char kway teow and bao buns among the most popular orders; there is no single kitchen or chef, so the appeal is in mixing dishes from several stalls in one visit. Seating is entirely communal, at shared outdoor tables strung with lanterns, giving the alley a casual, market-like atmosphere rather than a conventional restaurant setting -- there is no table service, no set menu structure and no dress code. Drinks are ordered separately from a central bar rather than from the food stalls, with a simple selection of beer, wine and soft drinks rather than an extensive list. Because there is no bookings system and no assigned seating, prices are kept low and turnover is fast; the trade-off is that seating can be hard to find during peak lunch and dinner hours, and stall hours vary slightly by kitchen. Its low cost, variety and communal setting have made Spice Alley a popular casual alternative to the area's higher-end restaurants, particularly for groups wanting to sample several cuisines in one sitting.