A Wife's Charmed Life: Wanderlust Wednesdays: Chinatown in Sydney

Australia is a multicultural country and we have lots of migrants from around the world who have moved here. I once mentioned to the Husband that I never feel isolated in this city. Living here makes me feel a certain freedom being who I am while communing with different nationalities. Chinatown is one of the places here where multicultural diversity is very evident. People from all walks of life, whether living here or travelling, are seen enjoying what Sydney has to offer.

People who personally know me and those who follow me virtually (twitter and instagram) know that one of the places I frequent in Sydney is Chinatown. It is located at Haymarket, between Central Station and Darling Harbour.

I like having a walk in Chinatown whenever I have an hour or two before meeting up with the Husband after work. Chinatown is a big place so in this entry, I'll share with you some of the places I frequent.

So...walk with me?

The centre of Chinatown is in Dixon Street, a pedestrian street mall with lots of Chinese restaurants and shops. It is here where we sometimes dine at Super Bowl Chinese Restaurant, shop at Morning Glory and have yum cha at another Chinese restaurant (the name escapes me at the moment).

Ever true to theme. Chinatown has a Tourist Information Booth likened to a small temple.

When craving for Hainanese Chicken Rice, we go to Singapore Shiok! located inside Eating World Food Court. It's cheap and the serving's very generous.

I sometimes devour some freshly-baked Cream Puffs from Emperor's Garden Restaurant while walking around Chinatown.

There are a few Asian DVD stores in the city but this store at the north end of Dixon Street is where my Husband and I hang out and buy DVDs/CDs from.

There are lots of shops/boutiques in Chinatown but the biggest shopping area would have to be Paddy's Market and Market City, both housed in one building. This is where one can shop for food, souvenirs, trinkets, clothes, bags and shoes. In Market City you'll find factory outlets of Esprit, Cotton On, Giordano, Preview, Rubi, Converse, etc. They also have a food court and lots of restaurants.

Whenever I'm at Market City/Paddy's Market, I start walking around Paddy's Market to look at trinkets and cute items. Then I go up to Market City and explore the shops. Once I'm tired from all the walking, I get a drink at Chatime and sit down for a while.

One of my favourite churches in Sydney is located at Chinatown. I sometimes hear the 5:30pm mass at St. Peter Julian's Church after work.

Another area in Chinatown I frequent is the Capitol Square Shopping Centre. The Husband and I usually meet up here when he needs to buy computer parts. While waiting for him, I indulge in one of the best hotdogs I know at Harry's Cafe de Wheels.

Sometimes I have a cup of coffee at Starbucks. It is worth mentioning this Starbucks branch because it is the biggest in (probably the whole of) Australia. It also has a different interior design--they have a bar-like table on the ground level and a long table on second level for people who need to study or for a group of people who need to meet over coffee.

It is in Capitol Square Building where the Capitol Theatre is housed. This was where we watched "Phantom of the Opera", "Love Never Dies" and "Wicked".