The $38 dish Nigella Lawson 'can't stop thinking about' since leaving Sydney - as locals rush to try the 'sensational' meal too
When British culinary queen Nigella Lawson shares a food obsession, the world listens.
And during her time in Australia in June, it was a 'sensational' spicy dish from Sydney 's Porkfat that left her mouth watering - so much so that she 'can't stop thinking about it'.
While in town to host dinners for Vivid Sydney 2025, Nigella was spotted at various restaurants enjoying the local food scene with friends and famous restaurateurs.
However, the 65-year-old cookbook author and food icon, who regularly comments on Australia's thriving restaurant culture, recently took to her Instagram to rave about the meal that's still living rent-free in her mind.
Porkfat, a Thai restaurant tucked away on Sydney's Wentworth Avenue, served her their famous pork larb and it was an instant standout.
'Can't stop thinking about the sensational pork larb at Porkfat!' Nigella wrote in a post to her 3.1million followers.
'I mean, everything I ate there was wonderful, as indeed it always is, but this is the dish… that rules my heart!'
It's not hard to see why - Porkfat's signature larb is no ordinary salad.
The bold, flavour-packed Northern Thai classic is made with tender, minced pork, loaded with zingy herbs, spice, and topped off with crispy, golden cubes of pork fat that are fast becoming the stuff of legend.
'This is the dish - light, zingy, fresh and fiery, studded with those fabulous golden cubes of pork fat for which the restaurant is named,' Nigella gushed.
The restaurant, which is helmed by Thai-born chef Narin 'Boon' Kulasai and his partner Tania, is renowned for delivering authentic, regional Thai flavours with punch and personality.
In fact, it's not Nigella's first visit to Porkfat, she's previously sung its praises and seems to make a beeline there every time she visits Sydney.
'Thank you to Tania and Boon who make my soul smile,' she added in her tribute.
Nigella has visited Australia multiple times for her book tours and speaking events, but it's clear Sydney's thriving inner-city eateries have a special place in her heart.
'I feel at home here,' she's said in past interviews.
'I've had such an inspiring time eating my way through Australia, and I've wanted to try as many places as possible but, when I'm in Sydney.
The bold, flavour-packed Northern Thai classic made with tender, minced pork, loaded with zingy herbs, spice, and topped off with crispy, golden cubes of pork fat that are fast becoming the stuff of legend
And if this latest craving is anything to go by, Porkfat's pork larb might just be her most memorable yet.
Nigella has an impact on locals after her rave review, with many vowing to book in at Porkfat pronto to see what all the hype was about.
'I'm very partial to larb so this is an excellent reminder to enjoy some local offerings,' one wrote.
'I am ready to crawl from Melbourne to taste the food,' another added.
If you're on a budget, Nigella said she she can never get enough of the fish finger bao at King Clarence in Sydney, which costs $15 per bun.
'Being in Sydney without revisiting King Clarence to eat chef Khanh Nguyen's exuberant, masterly and joy-giving food would be a criminal oversight,' she said.
'I mean, how could I leave here without tasting, once more, that fish finger bao and still live with myself? Not a chance,' Nigella said.
The popular food writer explained that she needed to go into detail about the dish so everyone can 'truly grasp the magnificence'.
'This particular fish finger is made with barramundi, set in gelatinised dashi stock, then robustly crumbed, then deep-fried, so that when you bite into it as well as a satisfying crunch, you get a burst of deeply-flavoured broth,' she said.
'It's rather like the experience of eating Xiao long bao (aka soup dumplings) only more high octane.
'And in the tender, bouncy, steamed bun as well is a dainty sliver of melty American cheese and a tartare sauce flecked with mustard greens plus, on top, a pearled heaping of vivid salmon roe. Heady-making stuff, and as exquisite as it is bold.'
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