PROFILED BY DEGROOTS MEDIAIt may be hard to find, but when you do it sure is worth it. The Old Fitzroy Hotel is the first choice for a lot of the Woolloomooloo crowd seeking pub grub with a twist of spice. Not many true blue Australian hotels offer an oriental menu but mingled with the regular fare of burgers, schnitzels and hot chips are delicious South East Asian dishes which have become famous in this part of town. As they proudly state on their menu, many believe that the Fitzroy’s laksa is one of the best in Sydney, and in all honesty, that might be right. With close to 15 combinations of soup you will be hard-pressed to find something that doesn’t appeal.
Although you can eat anywhere in the hotel, the designated dining room is quite a little sun-spot. The perimeter is lined with benches and be-stooled guests with chopsticks at the ready, hunched over steaming bowls of noodles and soups. Beef rendang and gado gado with rice represent Indonesia, samosas fly the flag for India and barbeque pork with fried noodles makes China proud. The Thai laksas speak for themselves and there are plenty of vegetarian variations as well to keep the meat avoiders happy. Although the cuisine here may be at odds with the schooner glasses and the gaming machines, it’s a refreshing point of difference that has been welcomed with open arms.
Annabel Wise, July 2008
