Located on busy Paramatta road in Auburn, Peranakan Place is one of the original Nyonya restaurants in Sydney. Owner Sam Wong personally greets all his guests and proudly boasts that his establishment is one of the rare places in Sydney with a Nyonya chef at the helm. Be seduced by mouthwatering dishes like pineapple prawn curry; Orluak, a hawker-style oyster omelette, and popiah, Malaysian fresh spring rolls filled with grated Chinese turnip and dried shrimp. If you are really game, order the Ayam Buah Keluak. If you can see past the fact that Buah Keluak is a poisonous nut, this dish is actually a labour of love. It is a long process to extract the poison from the nut but the result is a funky smoky flavour that imbues the dish. Ensure that you have it with a dose of sambal belacan. Peranakan Place is also the only restaurant in Sydney that serves authentic, Babi Pongteh, a casserole of pork, potatoes and mushrooms stewed in a fragrant sauce made with fermented soybeans, onion and garlic. 139 Parramatta Rd, Auburn.

Simon Goh is a veteran of Malaysian comfort food and the brainchild behind restaurants in Sydney under the Chinta brand, which means love. And love is exactly what he imparts in his latest venture. Chinta Ria Buddha Love is nestled in Darling Square and its interior is dominated by a larger-than-life laughing Buddha statue. As a prelude, sample some creatively named cocktails like Love Bite or Summer in KL before enjoying the Sassy Roll, minced chicken marinated in five spice and wrapped in crispy bean curd skin. Then follow up with the crispy noodle drenched in a voluptuous egg gravy, a dish that takes me back to my neighbourhood hawker stalls in Kuala Lumpur. Another noteworthy offering is the King Toh beef, tender pieces of beef coated in tangy sweet and sour sauce. 14 Nicolle Walk, Haymarket.

Many moons ago, I mourned the loss of a Malaysian restaurant in Thornleigh called Makan@Alice. So, when owners Alice and Paul Tan’s restaurant re-emerged in the heart of the CBD, I may have done a little happy dance to celebrate their return. Popular hawker dishes like char kway teow and fried radish cake are cooked authentically (yes, with lardon croutons), imparting an alluring sense of smokiness that will have you forget that you are perched, not by a roadside stall but instead in a food court in the CBD. Anyone following Alice’s legacy will know that she is renowned for her Nyonya kuih. These rice flour-based desserts where pandan, palm sugar and coconut feature prominently, have always been my kryptonite. Alice’s kuih rivals my mum’s (sorry, mum!) and she makes different ones each day. A sentimental favourite is dadar, a pandan crepe rolled in desiccated coconut palm sugar. 580 George St, Sydney.

As far as Malaysian restaurants go, Hojiak has the trifecta – ambience, food and authenticity. Deemed “the most instagrammable Malaysian restaurant”, Chef Junda Khoo recreates his own Malaysian haven, finessing food he grew up with in his amah’s kitchen. And finessing he did – the Lobster Indomie Goreng is possibly the most luxe way of eating instant noodles, the Sam Wong Dan, a beautifully cohesive dish of silky steamed eggs made with three types of eggs (century, duck and chicken) and topped with fried shallots, will leave you wanting more, and the Vegemite pork ribs, a play on a Malaysian staple, will convince even the most cynical Vegemite nay-sayers. Multiple locations.

If you love prawn noodle soup or har mee, you will love Malay Chinese. Its HQ is in Ashfield but Malay Chinese has had multiple incarnations in the city, the latest one in Circular Quay. They have a deserved reputation of serving the best har mee in town, so it is no wonder that the much-publicised opening of their latest venue was matched with equal enthusiasm from the public. People would queue for bowls of noodles swimming in a rich prawn-based broth adorned with whole prawns, hard boiled egg, water spinach and pork. Other notable noodle-mentions are the combination hor fun and char kway teow. Shop CQT06, 33 Pitt St, Sydney.