Opened in March 2025, the Hay St Market at Paddy’s Markets truly has something for everyone, with over 48 traders showcasing more than 25 cuisines from around the world. While I can’t try them all, I sample some of my favourites snacks and dishes, including fare from a two of my favourite celebrity chefs.

This post may contain affiliate links, to read more click here.

I love Australia’s multiculturalism and the richness it brings to everyday life. It shapes our food, festivals, communities, and perspectives, creating a vibrant, inclusive society where diverse cultures are celebrated and shared, making Australia a more interesting and welcoming place to live. Of course the food is a highlight for me!

1. Little Midden by Mark Olive
2. Taco Nixtamal
3. Luke Luk
4. Phở Chu Lap by Luke Nguyen
5. Yuki’s Izakaya Bar
6. Paddys Market

Little Midden by Mark Olive

If you haven’t been to Midden by Mark Olive at the Sydney Opera House, you should. It showcases Australian Indigenous cuisine at its best. At Hay Street Market, Little Midden offers a small selection of dishes, and here I try two of them.

While there are four items on the menu which includes a smoked blue gum barramundi skewer and native lemon pepper ling fish slider but, I can’t go past the prawns and squid

I order the barbecue Skull Island prawns and the salt bush and mountain pepper squid.

Skull Island prawns are sustainably wild caught in the remote, pristine waters of the Gulf of Carpentaria in northern Australia. These are barbecued right in front of me in eucalyptus butter and served with desert lime mayonnaise. They’re absolutely divine and cooked to perfection with a smoky BBQ flavour, yet still soft, plump, and juicy inside. I could easily enjoy several servings of these!

Barbecued in front of me, the three squid tubes are dusted with dried saltbush, a hardy plant found in Australia’s desert regions, and mountain lemon pepper. They’re served with lemon aspen tartare, made from a native Far North Queensland fruit with a flavour between lime and grapefruit. The squid is delicious, and the tartare adds a bright, zingy touch. It’s a little trickier to eat than the prawns though, gnawing off a piece of squid isn’t always the most elegant move in public… hehe!

I’ve always been a fan of Mark Olive, both on television and at his restaurants, and I can’t wait to return to try more of his dishes.

Taco Nixtamal

Let me state this here, I love tacos! Especially when they are traditionally prepared with corn tortillas.

I’m getting good vibes when there is a picture of Frida Kahlo, I’d been to the Frida Kahlo museum in Mexico City and it reminds me of the wonderful time, and food, I had there.

There are three options, each served as two tacos. Tacos de carnes features beef brisket with coriander, peanut chilli salsa, corn, nopales, and onion. The Baja fish taco comes with fried fish, onion, coriander, salsa, aioli, and red cabbage. There’s also Tacos de Carnitas with adobo pork neck, salsa, onion, pineapple, and coriander. Feeling a little cheeky, I ask if I can try one of each of my top two choices, the tacos de carnes and the Baja fish taco.

The Tacos de Carnes are very good, but I’m not one for a lot of spice and find them a little too hot for my palate. Still, they’re generously filled and hold together well, unlike some tacos that fall apart from excess juices, likely thanks to the use of corn tortillas rather than flour.

I’ll also state this when it comes to tacos – I love fish tacos, and these are exceptional. The fish is soft and flaky inside with a perfectly crispy exterior, and a squeeze of lime lifts the flavour beautifully. I honestly wish I’d ordered two. If you’re a seafood lover, go the fish tacos!

Luke Luk

Famous TV chef Luke Nguyen has not just one but two stall here. The first one I visit is Luke Luk which serves an array of dumplings.

There are six types of dumplings, three types of spring rolls and crab and prawn toast on offer, but Im here for some dumplings.

I choose the four piece mixed dumpling box with chilli crab and prawn, beef, pork, and chicken. My favourite is the chilli crab and prawn, perfectly complemented by the rich peanut sauce. As mentioned, this is not Luke Nguyen’s only place at Hay Street Market and I am moving onto his phở stall.

Phở Chu Lap by Luke Nguyen

As you may already know, Vietnamese food is one of my favourite cuisines. Knowing that Luke Nguyen is a renowned Australian chef of Vietnamese descent, I was keen to try his phở at Hay Street Markets.

I’ll be honest here, I have had Luke Nguyen’s phở many years ago and was totally blown away by the depth of flavour. It’s his father’s closely guarded secret recipe featuring a famously rich, aromatic broth simmered slowly over 24 hours for deep, authentic flavour. There are two on offer, Phở Dac Biet special with beef tendon, raw beef, and sliced brisket, Phở Tai Nam, which doesn’t include the beef tendon. I choose the former and it doesn’t disappoint.

I can taste the most subtle hints of star anise, probably the star of the dish (pun intended), cinnamon, cloves, and ginger, giving the broth its warm, gently sweet aroma and flavour. The noodles are perfectly cooked, while the tendon and thinly sliced raw beef are soft and tender, with the brisket adding an extra hit of richness.

Since I was off work, I paired the phở with a Riesling from the Traders Bar, Naked Run ‘ The First’ Riesling from South Australia’s Clare Valley. Clare Valley produces some fantastic Rieslings; this one is crisp, clean, and absolutely delightful. But I’m still hungry… so….

Yuki’s Izakaya Bar

… I take my wine and head over to Yuki’s Izakaya Bar which serves Japanese street food.

So i’ve tried Australian, Mexican, Vietnamese, why not throw some Japanese into the mix? There are five dishes, inclding pork katsu, agedashi tofu don, and okonomiyakoi sticks.

I order an okonomiyaki stick. It is a portable Japanese street food version of the savoury pancake of the same name. Packed with cabbage and fillings, served on a stick and topped with okonomiyaki sauce, kewpie mayo, and bonito flakes. Its delightful and filling.

Paddys Market

Of course there is also the markets located behind the main eatery area for a spot of shopping.

This is the best place to find those souvenirs for people back home that you don’t really like at a much lower price than in the city 🙂

Hay Street Market open from Wednesday to Sunday.

Sydney Harbour

Visiting Australia?