Who says that Sydney people aren’t friendly? Well I’m one for starters and I think I’m very friendly! My day started off with the nice woman who could see that I was trying to back into a car spot and stopped and guided me in. And despite the fact that we’re dining in the oh so cool area of Surry Hills it seems the fellow diners and staff at Shortgrain are a friendly bunch. Shortgrain is the almost 4 week old baby sister of Longrain the Thai restaurant started by chef Martin Boetz and there’s not a grumpy soul in the queue-and yes there is already a queue…
Luckily I have Joan Holloway waiting for me and she has arrived and is staking out a place at the large communal table. Prices are excellent-about $15 for a dish when compared to the dishes that hover in the $40s at the older Longrain which is located around the corner in the same building. The cocktail bar which was part of the Longrain restaurant has now moved downstairs adjacent to Shortgrain. It’s a neat black board menu with about eight main selections and around half a dozen sides or extras plus drinks. Another blackboard shows the prices for their products for sale. Ordering is at the counter and magically about 5-10 minutes after you place your order your dishes find their way to you. We plonk ourselves on the end of a large communal table and wait and make the occasional comment to our table neighbours.
Coconut juice $6
Nothing makes one forget about the bone chilling wind outside than a young coconut drink. And as soon as Joan H. and I spot them in the fridge we immediately order two and they come out with the cone shaped tops lopped off and carried to the table by the chef Martin Boetz . It’s just the right amount of sweetness and is wonderfully thirst quenching.
Crispy chicken wings $3.50 each
Ask me any time what my favourite cut of the chicken is and I will always say the wing. So that is why I am always compelled to order them especially if they’re described as crispy. These ones are blistered, perfectly seasoned with a crunch you can hear in your ears. They come out piping hot and I jiggle them in my fingers trying to cool them. They come with a sweet chilli sauce and a lime wedge. If I could have ordered more I would have.
Silken tofu in tamarind and sesame sauce $12
I had a hankering for tofu which admittedly doesn’t happen very often and this one comes as a large rectangle of tofu still with the ridges from the container and topped with coriander, shallot, baby corn and in a sea of tangy tamarind sauce along with fresh lime and there are sesame seeds to give it smokiness. It would be ideal with some rice although the rice needs a little prompting.
Barossa chicken, Chinese broccoli & ginger $18
This deeply flavoured broth was warming and came with a large tender and juicy thigh portion and a drumstick and underneath it lay a tangle of Chinese broccoli, coriander and thin shreds of ginger. It’s not ideal for sharing although they do thoughtfully give us two spoons. It’s more the dish you huddle over while you get warm allaying yourself of Sydney’s current Arctic winds.
Green curry with fish dumplings $15
Now I don’t often see curries with dumplings so we had to order this (as opposed to the equally tempting red curry with pork and ginger). The dumplings are not what you would expect, there is no pastry skin on them, rather they are like a light and airy salmon mousse ball. It sits in a green curry redolent with Thai basil and a chiffonade of kaffir lime leaf and is spicy and flavoursome.
It’s now 2pm and the restaurant has cleared and they come to clear our plates. The manager asks us if we would like him to cut up our young coconuts for dessert and we happily agree. Waste not want not! I have vague dinner memories of Mr NQN’s mother taking home two young coconuts in her bag after a meal to feed Mr NQN’s 23 year old brother. He then packs up the rest of the tofu which he puts in a container along with a container of extra rice in a paper takeaway bag! See, who says Sydney siders aren’t friendly? And take a friendly tip from them for the best time to dine to avoid queues-from 11:30am to 12:15pm and then after 2pm. Or you could always get take away…
So tell me Dear Reader, do you think Sydney siders are friendly?
Shortgrain
8-10 Hunt Street (opposite Hotel Hollywood) Surry Hills, NSW
No Bookings
Open Lunch Monday to Friday 11am to 3pm
Shop Monday to Friday 10am to 6pm
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57 Comments | Add your own
Everything looks wonderful…especially the crispy chicken wings and the coconut juice. I’m totally drooling over them!
The curry dumplings sound very interesting! I’ve never heard of them before but I’d love to try them!
Lovely! I haven’t tried Longrain, but this definitely looks like a more affordable alternative. And that green curry looks divine!
Oooo, crispy chicken wings …. they seem to be on every menu at the moment!
A cheaper Longrain is always good but the tofu still has the ridges from the container? Hmmm.
Short grain => Longrain?
Lorraine, this looks like an excellent place to dine. The green fish curry has my eye.
Only lunch
I havent met too many sydney siders to have an opinion. there is a view of them, though, that they’re a bit icier than melbourne fellows. who knows if it’s true though, sure not! Oh, and I LOVE the name of this place, being the baby sister of longgrain. Could they have named it better? I think not. Too cute.
Heidi xo
This is why I miss Sydney so much. So many choices to dine out for breakfast, lunch or dinner.
I love chicken wings, even though there’s no lady-like way to eat them!
I’d have to say my trips into Sydney CBD area are always very pleasant. However the usual folk around the Northern Beaches aren’t really out-of-their-way-friendly.
What a great little alternative to Longrain. Must check it out. The tofu looks great!
Oooh hard one. I think Sydney siders can be very friendly don’t get me wrong but generally have the attitude of it’s all me me me. I feel bad saying that about my fellow Sydney siders!
Lucky you. Looks yummy! We were in Yosemite recently and ran into many hikers from Australia~a very friendly bunch:)
I thought Parisians are the ones who are unfriendly! I never knew Sydney people were considered that too, but what do I know? The only Sydney person I know is you and you seem super nice.
If I ever visit, I hope you can give me a friendly tour.
I liken Sydney people to Parisians, we are slightly up-our-selves because we are all very attractive and live in one of the best cities in the world!
BUT we are still very friendly! you just need to scratch off a little bit of the facade first.
Here goes some gross stereotyping, Yes, in general Sydney siders are friendly compared to more reserved English, French, and Japanese people.
However, there are so many regional tribes in Sydney its hard to generalise about “Sydney siders.”
I do know that last year after moving from the gentile North Shore – where people pretty much obey road rules and are polite, educated and tolerant, moving to the Eastern suburbs for romatic reasons has been a real shock to the system.
Eastern suburbs siders seem to be very materialistic and downright rude. Its all about appearance, how much money you have, and where you live and how many bazzillion gazzillions your property is worth, where you went to school, how much you earn, and other people only exist if they can be useful to you.
Ie. Eastern suburbs siders drive cars that are too big for the hilly, windy streets, totally disobey road rules and drive aggressively down the wrong side of the street yelling into their mobiles and abusing people driving on the correct side of the road or not fast enough for them, for existing,etc. Also seem to be oblivious about sharing and park over 2 or even 3 spots if its convenient for them and stuff anyone else who would like to have used that space.
It really seems to be “Everyone for themselves” and its “All about me and noone else exists” in the Eastern Suburbs.
Having said that I have met some very interesting and pleasant people too (including my partner), so they aren’t all bad.
I think its just that money and insecurity breeds boorishness.
Haha I like Neils comment
I think many Sydney-siders are very friendly, they are in the east, as you’ve got to live so close to each other, wait for each other as we negotiate a 2way street that only has room for one car (the waiting car is always given a friendly thanking wave), always merging, lane changing and the list goes on…
Fun, modern, unpretentious, hassle-free! Just the kind of place where one wants to ‘plonk’ oneself down after a busy time in the city. Chicken? – I go for the legs, but use my fingers if at all possible!
! Sydneysiders friendly? – in a large city one finds people in all kinds of mood – inevitable! Sorry to any French readers, but Paris I have always found largely ‘up-itself’. My overseas friends, whether US or European, find Sydney very friendly and helpful – I guess I am spoiled in the country, ’cause here everyone goes out of their way for you, and with a smile! 
!
Yum! I hate when restaurants won’t let you take a doggy bag. I happens a lot here now due to ‘workplace health and safety.’
Everyone was very friendly on our recent trip to Sydney so I’ll say yes.
I don’t think you can make a general statement that ALL people in Sydney are friendly… I think it just depends who you bump into and their level of friendliness.
Nice to see fresh coconuts being served, I get disappointed when I ask for coconut juice and it’s the prepackaged artificially sweetened frozen stuff – though I do like the taste of that on occasions but fresh is always best =)
I would say that Sydney is a friendly city from the time I have spent there and I am an American. Angie above you CAN make generalizations like people say that New Yorkers are fast, Melbourne is more European and Californians are laid back.
Having lived in the E Suburbs for more than three decades I also have to laugh/agree with Neil & BondiNomes. But, however much I would like to disagree with Megadrama, I can’t quite, ’cause along the waterfront from Darling Point to Vaucluse much said sadly has validity: materialism and the ‘school tie’ oft do unfortunately show!
!
And my apologies to all the i’state/o’seas bloggers who must be scratching their heads by now!
!
That green curry with fish dumplings looked amazing. I’ve been to Longrain before, so am excited that a sister establishment has opened.
On the whole I think Sydneysiders are kind but sometimes individuals not so, if that makes sense.
Thanks for the Tetsuya prize. Can’t wait.
I like the idea of the canteen – quick delicious food for people on the go, communal table or not.
So, in general, I think Sydney siders are a friendly bunch. Unless they are in a rush. Or worse yet, driving when in a rush. They can be pretty unfriendly then.
PS I wonder if it was me who helped you, as I did that for someone last week! Ha!
Hi Martyna-How nice of you! Perhaps it was-was it this Wednesday a couple of days ago?
As a Melbournite, we’re always been led to believe that Sydneysiders are the enemy. But after a recent trip there for work, I honestly don’t think we’re all that different! Some were very friendly, some not so much – same as anywhere I think! That said, it is great for a change, and I love the different feel of the city in Sydney… so we’re heading back over for fun in October! And these chicken wings may well be on my list of things to do over there!
wow that sounds delicious, i might have to try it out for lunch soon, given it’s in my neck of the woods. i hate the whole communal table thing though. i like my space!
All of the Sydneysiders i’m personally acquainted with are lovely
I can’t say i’ve found anyone unfriendly when i’ve visited either.
It’s always nice when staff go the extra distance for you, like here with the rice. The chicken wings would be my pick too, yummo.
I can smell the crispy wings from here! Some of my closest friends live in Sydney and they are quite simply divine. You get a vote from me!
I’m a fan of tofu and it’s so refreshing to see restaurants doing it in different styles from the usual blase chinese versions.
Looks delish! I will have to give it a try…
Short Grain looks fabulous! Been curious about it since reading about it in the SMH.
I need to go soon.
Have a lovely long weekend, Lorraine.
SSG xxx
Really? Sydney folks aren’t supposed to be that nice? The time I was in Australia, I was only in Melbourne, so I can’t speak to that. All I can say is that that one trip made me think that Aussies have to be the nicest, friendliest, and best humored people on the planet.
Surry Hills is a nice area and Shortgrain is definitely is a nice place to dine, can’t resist the Barossa chicken!
I love tofu!!!! I love all the things you have listed on this page too, they all look so good. I wish I was not at work, my mouth is drooling ! bad time to be reading this sort of stuff
This looks great! I don’t think Sydney people are unfriendly, but I find the rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne quite boring and I am sometimes sneered at because I live in Brisbane, which is a touch annoying. All 3 places have their charms.
sometimes sydney siders are very friendly and sometimes i think we all just slip into our own minds for a while….
That tofu intrigues me that it was a whole block!
I think once you break the ice and find an area of commonality (and there will always be one!) most Sydney people turn out to be decent and friendly, the only unpleasant ones I’ve met have been those under the influence of copious amounts of alcohol.
Ah that silken tofu seems to have my name on it
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Lovely reportage, thank you!
ciao and happy weekend
A.
I think it depends where you are in Sydney and what time of the day it is. CBD at peak hour is never too friendly.
Silken tofu with a tamarind sauce? How unusual!
What a shame they only open for lunch, but I guess that’s the whole concept.
I think every country has a mix of people, some friendly, others not so much. But generally people are friendly to you if you are to them right?
All the Sydneysiders I know are friendly! Granted, they’re all either food bloggers, originally from Canberra, or related to me, but I figure it still counts
I have to say, being a devout sydneysider and lover of my hometown we’re not friendly – in comparison to smaller cities and more rural areas.
I spent my late teen years in Port Stephens and you can’t walk down the road without people saying hello and good morning even on a busy thoroughfare.
It’s something I saw a bit of when living in Woollahra and Paddington – lots of in the outer suburbs, and a small amount in the innerwest, but no. That friendly politeness of someone stopping to drive you down the shops because it looks like rain and you’re walking…
Those are the things I miss about a small town.
That being said. There is no shortgrain in Port Stephens and I definitely need to have a try of those wings.
Wow. Looks great Lorraine!
This is the type of food I love, especially on a cold day when I can let the curry warm me up from the inside.
I’ve never had trouble with Sydeysiders, but most people say Canberrans are unfriendly, so maybe they’re just nicer by comparasion?
I think Sidney people are exceptionally nice an I would plonk myself down at that bar anytime. It’s funny to hear you talk about how cold it is there with our record breaking heat.
I am BESOTTED with the name Shortgrain! That’s so cute for the little sister of Longrain. Longrain is special to me as I met one of my bestest bestest friends when she was a chef there so this one will automatically become one of my favourites I’m sure!
Sydneysiders are a hit and miss, sometimes nice and friendly, but sometimes too busy to care!
can’t wait to try this place out!!
Unfortunately, I haven’t had the pleasure of visiting Sydney.
Someday…..
It’s great to here of yet another yummy place with great dishes. Your choices are superb! Coconut for dessert would be a real treat. Something rather unique I think!
CUTE! Longrain has a sister now! I hope they open one in Melbourne too.
I’m a huge fan of Longrain so this make me very excited, can’t wait to try it out. 
Thanks for a taste of the place Lorraine!
I really have to taste this silken tofu !!pierre
Sydney-siders are friendly, so are Melbourn-ites – sadly, they could both teach Canberra-ites a thing or 2 about friendliness (siiighh).
Shortgrain’s food looks & sounds heavenly Lorraine, awesome prices huh
Hmmmm another restaurant to add to my list to try!
Being a Sydneysider all my life I think we are losing the friendliness a bit… Some of the better restaurants I’ve been to lately, you wonder if it’s genuine friendliness or they’re just very good at their job!
Fantastic prices for wonderful looking food! I’m very interested in that tofu dish
Oh Im obsessed with cocnut juice! Its so beatifully refreshing and I love it when it has young coconut chunks in it.
They cut the young coconuts up for you, that is very very cool.
Oh we truly are a friendly bunch us sydneysiders. It’s been my first week catching public transport for my new job and although I hear horror stories – I’ve come across some lovely helpful people.
Next week I’m am definitely going to plan a lunchtime walk to short grain, those chicken wings look to die for and surprisingly, that tofu does also!
Its over!. My food crush on Shortgrain I mean…waited 40 minutes for my lunch this time around so I won’t be back…shame!
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