The best thing about Australian food is not necessarily the Australian food. In the cultural mash-up that is Sydney it’s the immigrants who have crafted a foodie heaven that goes way beyond beef pies. Here’s our pick of the best foods we discovered since moving to Australia:

Pide, Gozleme & Turkish Bread (Turkey)

These are actually three separate things but they’re all derived from Turkish bread which is a long, flat loaf of springy bread topped with sesame seeds. Pide (pronounced “pid-A” if you say it properly or “pied” if you say it the way the Aussies do), is a Turkish loaf baked from fresh dough and filled with something tasty. The best combination is spinach, white cheese, egg and parsley with a squeeze of lemon juice. The portable equivalent is gozleme- a very flat pancake-like bread filled with melted feta and spinach. It’s a staple at outdoor gigs, festivals and markets. Awesome.

Inner West best: Sultan’s Table, Enmore.

The Tiger at Harry’s Cafe de Wheels (Australia)

Harry’s is a Sydney institution which started as a food van catering to soldiers by a naval base in Woolloomooloo (my favourite place name in the city) in the 1930s. The van is still there today and you can stop by for a pie on a Sunday walk along the coastline from Kings Cross to the Opera House. The Tiger is a peppery beef pie served in a cardboard box and topped with mashed potato, mushy peas and gravy. So much yum.

Sydney best: Harry’s, Wooloomoolo.

Grilled Halloumi (Cyprus)

Halloumi is a salty rubbery cheese made from sheep and goat milk. On its own, it’s not much to write home about but freshly grilled it is delicious and no Aussie barbecue would be the same without it.

Inner West best: Emma’s Snack Bar, Stanmore.

Za’atar (Egypt)

Another entry from the Middle East, za’atar – pronounced with a long “a’a” and short “tar” unless you want to get laughed at by the guys behind the counter (because pronouncing it wrong sounds even more ridiculous in an Irish accent) – is a spice mix based around oregano, sesame and thyme. It is served in a small pile with olive oil and flatbreads, as a topping on a Lebanese pizza base (called man’oush), or simply sprinkled over anything with tomatoes in it. Za’atar is the definition of moreish and your life will be better if you have some in your cupboard.

Inner West best: Manoosh, Enmore.

Macadamias (Australia)

Macadamias are the nut equivalent of full cream butter – melty and delicious and pretty much the only food that is natively Australian. Combine with cashews for the ultimate nut experience.

Vietnamese Pork Rolls (Vietnam)

The first entry on the list from Asia, Vietnamese pork rolls or “bánh mì thịt” are another Sydney institution with several small shops battling for the “Best pork roll in Sydney” crown. Not your average sandwich – this is a fresh French baguette filled with chicken liver pate and several types of pork, topped up with speciality mayonnaise, shredded carrot, cucumber, coriander and a bunch of other vegetables. They don’t sound like much until you try one. Pork rolls are available everywhere for about $5 but the most renowned vendors have long lines at lunch time.

Inner West best: Enmore Delicious Rolls.

Lamingtons (Australia)

Soft sponge coated in chocolate and dipped in coconut, lamingtons are Australia’s contribution to the cake world and are great with a cup of tea. Go for the thinner rectangle shaped variety as the old-school cubes can be a bit dry in the middle. Even better, fill them with cream.

Inner West best: Le Bake, Enmore.

Smashed Avo on Sourdough with Vegemite, Tomato and Feta (Australia)

We discovered this somewhere on our road trip back across the Nullarbor from Western Australia to South Australia and have been making (and improving) it since. It’s a tasty, healthy and pretty breakfast alternative to the fry-up. To make is even more awesome, sprinkle with za’atar.

Inner West best: Our apartment on a Sunday morning.

Phở (Vietnam)

Vietnamese street food comes good again with phở – a spicy beef noodle soup which is all about the broth. The best phở is served with a big bowl of hot broth and very thinly sliced raw beef which cooks quickly when added to the bowl. You also get crunchy bean sprouts, shredded cabbage, fresh chilli and green leaves to add as you please. Phở is the ultimate remedy for a head cold.

Inner West best: Pho 88, Newtown.

Poutine (Canada)

Originally a French Canadian dish, poutine was introduced to Sydney a few years ago by our favourite Newtown restaurant Hartsyard and has spread like wildfire since. The traditional version consists of very hot chips topped with cheese curd and gravy. The Aussies perfected it by adding marinated shredded beef.  The ultimate guilty food experience.

Inner West best: Hartsyard, Newtown.

Laksa (Malaysia)

Ubiquitous across Sydney, laksa is the most popular Asian dish in Australia. It’s a spicy and warming coconut-milk based noodle soup with spongy tofu puffs and chicken or seafood. The best winter warmer south of the equator.

Inner West best: The Happy Chef, Newtown.

Kingfish Sashimi (Japan)

Sashimi is the raw fish version of sushi. Fish takes on a completely different character when it’s not cooked. Strong flavoured fish like tuna becomes a much more delicate beast and the best fish by far to eat sashimi-style is kingfish which is native to Australian seas. We first tried the cooked version in India but the uncooked fresh-off-the-boat version is even better, best purchased directly from the fish market and served with a generous helping of salty orange flying fish roe.

Inner West best: Sydney Fish Market.

What do you think of the round-up? Are we missing anything? Is there somewhere which does a better version than the places we listed? Feel free to comment.