Taste Maker is a food guide from creatives, artists and professional eaters. Follow → Instagram → Previous Guests
Chris Yee is a Ryde based Artist, Designer, Animator & Director who proudly works with the evolving Asian-Australian Communities of Sydney. Outside of his art practice he has produced work for some of Australia’s best-known brands, including VIVID Festival Sydney, Apple, Sony Australia, Estée Lauder, Samsung, Vans, Red Bull, Universal Music and Marvel comics.
Where do you live most of the year?
Eastwood, Sydney, NSW
What do you look for in a restaurant when you walk in?
Local Community vibe and ethnic representation per cuisine
What is your final meal?
Braised Pork Belly with a generous amount of fat with quail eggs and rice. Random Avocado on the side.
Desert: Strawberry Short Cake from a Korean bakery with an ice long black
3 guests for dinner, dead or alive?
My twin Brother Andrew, Wrestler Jeff Hardy & my fat, ginger cat Ru
Chris’ Taste Maker Guide
Breakfast: Yummy Dim Sim, Eastwood
Order: Any of the 15+ flavours of Baozi. My fav is the fermented cabbage and pork + the bok choy and tofu filling.
Prices are around $1.50-$2 each which is insane for the amount and quality you get. They also sell a home made fried potato hash which is pretty sick too.
Coffee: Play Coffee Eastwood or any of the millions of Korean owned cafes in Eastwood.
Order: Large Ice Long Black
Lunch: Xi Bay Burwood
Order: Xin Jiang Style Spicy Chicken with Hand pulled Noodles. It’s a massive plate of Spicy Chicken with generous amounts of Potato and Capsicum. The Noodles have an almost chewy and thick texture.
Special Dinner: Ryde Haejangguk, Eastwood or Mamas New York Style, Pitt St
Both restaurants have a very casual vibe but serve my all time, most goated Korean Soup - Gamjatang (Pork Bone Soup). It comes in individual and group sizes. It’s made of a spicy Perilla seed broth and huge pork bones and marrow. It’s the ultimate Winter Comfort food and reminds me of buy mum’s style soups growing up.
It’s also known as ‘Hangover soup’ so great post drinking or with Soju and Beer. The Sydney city hack is that Mama’s on Pitt is open until 3am everyday, so great to cap off a drunken night or keep the party going haha.
Casual dinner: Jean Chilli Chicken in Eastwood Hotel
The iconic Jean’s Chilli Chicken, for which the restaurant is named after. It kinda tickles my IBS haha but I think the chilli spice is really unique and sweet.
Special shoutouts
Sushiro Franchise in Japan. I dunno why but for a sushi train I’ve always had a great experience there, and somehow always fresh regardless of how saturated with tourists Japan can be now.
Muffin Break Franchise. Shout out to Muffin Break, A highly underrated and now rare Australian Muffin. I like how their double choc chip muffin base is a bit neutral and salty, great with a large ice long black at 8 am haha.
The Place, Eastwood. Eastwood’s first and only poke bowl restaurant run by locals in the community. Veggies are always fresh and they do a Korean spin to some of the bowls and pastas on offer.
Seriously waiting for the muffin comeback.