Lilymu arrived in this city with the same $3.2 billion Parramatta Square development that brought Cicciabella to town. From the team behind Surry Hills venues Nour and Henrietta, LilyMu is a kind of pan-Asian bistro, with former Mr Wong chef Brendan Fong at the pans backed by sous chef Bass Songphum (also Mr Wong), whose heritage is Thai. Fong is half Chinese, by his own estimations, and so the menu breaks down lines between the two countries. There are tom yum prawn dumplings, and the likes of Laos-style sausage with roasted duck, combined together to create a single glistening protein. This is sophisticated dining in an elegant setting, from one of the best hospo teams in the state. T3.02–3.03 153 Macquarie Street, Parramatta; lilymu.com.

If fresh sashimi boats are more your thing, head to Oribu – the hottest new addition to Parramatta’s Heritage Precinct. Enjoy an elevated Japanese dining experience under Head Chef Harry Chos’ skilled eye. The former Nobu chef’s menu combines traditional Japanese cuisine with modern innovation. With an expansive 120-seat capacity, Oribu is perfect for both celebratory gatherings and intimate dining experiences. 215 Church St, Parramatta; heritagelounge.com.au

Nestled in the newly-opened Penrith Pullman Hotel, Marcel Bar and Bistro is fine Western Sydney dining like you’ve never seen it before. The 5-star hotel’s upscale diner is steeped in elegance, mirroring the homey local community not many have experienced. Natural sunlight pours over lush furniture, making it the perfect backdrop for an intimate dinner. For larger groups, call ahead for their private 14-seat dining room. You must try their Angus Ribeye, cooked on the bone. Pair it with a heaped serving of parmesan and truffle fries and a classic Lychee Two cocktail. 81 Mulgoa Rd, Penrith; marcelbarandbistro.com.au

Get your South Indian street food fix at this bustling eatery in Harris Park. The menu includes more than 200 snack foods, all of them vegetarian and many you’re unlikely to find anywhere else in Sydney. Expect all the roadside specials, from vada pav – a hot buttered roll filled with spicy fried potato balls – to the paper-thin dosa stuffed with chili and cheese. The lively diner has been decked out in mismatched tiles and bright poster art that matches the colours and vibrancy of the food. Finish on a (sugar) high with the tooth-achingly sweet jalebi spirals or gulab jamun balls in syrup. Shop. 4-6/14-20 Station St East, Harris Park; chatkazz.com.au.

The head chef and owner at Castlecrag restaurant S’More, Sam Young, says Temasek is one of his favourite restaurants in Western Sydney. He turns up to this legendary restaurant – known well in chef circles – for curry fish head, Hainanese chicken rice, and what he promises are “life changing almond butter king prawns”. The prawns take up to 30 minutes to prepare so order them when you arrive. Temasek also does a showstopping Singaporean-style laksa. Temasek has been serving locals for nearly 30 years, a family-run restaurant turned cult classic, known for its Singaporean-Malay dishes. Shop 2-4, 71 George St, Parramatta; temasekrestaurant.com.

A day in Cabramatta must involve grocery shopping around bustling John St and a well-timed pit stop at Tan Viet, the 20-year-old Vietnamese institution known for doing some of the best fried chicken in all of Sydney. There’s no batter, just the crack of well-fried skin and succulent chicken maryland underneath. The dish is served with a side of dry egg noodles and garlic, chives and coriander, the chicken designed for taking apart and eating with the noodles. It’s a given there’ll be a hungry line outside, so get there a little early or join the queue. 100 John St, Cabramatta; tanviet.com.au.

The best of Vietnam, food-wise, is fresh, light and crunchy; it’s simple, produce-led food packed with texture, slurp and aroma. Phu Quoc covers all these bases, and is known for doing the best chao tom wrap in town. Prawn mousse is shaped around short sticks of sugarcane and cooked over fire, served with small slabs of steamed angel hair noodles, wavy batons of carrot and piles of herbs, all primed for DIY rice noodle wraps at the table. Grilled pork patties serve the same purpose. Bring a few friends so you can sample and share more at this excellent little restaurant. 11/117 John St, Cabramatta.

Sydneysiders have become better accustomed to pho in recent years, and most know to expect rare beef, beef flank and tendon in any authentic bowl of pho dac biet, just as they know that “pho” doesn’t rhyme with “bro” but “fur”. And one of the best bowls of these Vietnamese noodles and broth studded with cinnamon, cardamom and star anise is at Pho Tau Bay. It’s one of a handful of Sydney institutions that consistently comes up in conversation as the best pho in Sydney, and though cheap and unfussy decor-wise, it hits all the right notes. Pho Tau Bay 12/117 Hill St, Cabramatta; facebook.com/photaubay.au.

This Vietnamese barbecue house in Canley Vale feels like another world – part Hanoi street-food vibes, part eclectic horder meets Disneyland on tour. The place is filled with bright global knick-knacks in the cheeriest of ways. But chefs and other discerning foods come here for the earthy, aromatic ox tail steam boat, and for the beef wrapped in betel leaves, the grilled chicken wrapped in banana leaves and a vast menu of shellfish. At night, there’s always a line out the front of Hai Au Lang Nuong, and you know you’re close from the smell of the open fire and all the delicious things being cooked over it. 2/48 Canley Vale Road, Canley Vale; facebook.com/langnuonghaiau.

A true pho is about balance – not too sweet, not overly spiced, the right tangle of slurpable noodles and fresh herbs, sticks of bean sprouts, an assortment of bouncy or tender protein. Short of travelling to Vietnam, Pho Pasteur is one of the most authentic pho in Sydney. Owned by the Pham family, who arrived in Parramatta as refugees in the early 1990s, Pho Pasteur is an ode to their Southern Vietnamese heritage. Each bowl of broth is loaded up with herbs, spices and tender beef, and here the requisite balance is spot on. 137 Church St, Parramatta; Level 4, Westpoint Blacktown phopsteursydney.com.