Ama

14.5/20Critics' PickUpdated October 26, 2026,first published October 13, 2025This venue is included in Good Food’s 100 Essential Restaurants list.What’s the perfect restaurant, anyway? Maybe it looks a lot like Ama, a place where comfort and deliciousness are the starting points but by no means the finish. Walk in any time and the scents of Chinese five-spice and long-simmered beef broth linger. Diners from the Surry Hills set perch on stools and swipe spoons through bowls of gently spiced jok – or rice porridge – topped with pork meatballs, liver and threads of ginger. The headline bowl is the beef noodle soup, featuring brisket and rib and beef balls, its richness cut with vinegar and chilli. But then the menu has slowly expanded, with more specials, soups and buns than you can possibly tackle in one visit. Sheer curtains filter light over a room that feels as personal as it does functional, the coffees and Thai teas are exceptional, and then there’s the caramelised molasses mor gaang flan to think about. Like we said, pretty much perfect.Good to know: Look out for the Ama team’s latest Surry Hills opening, Yum Club, specialising in the food of Thailand’s Isan region.Good Food reviews are booked anonymously and paid independently. A restaurant can’t pay for a review or inclusion in the Good Food Guide.Restaurant reviews, news and the hottest openings served to your inbox.Sign upLast visited: September 2026Continue this seriesGood Food’s 100 Essential NSW RestaurantsUp nextReviewAnteInnovative listening bar where the quality of the sake is rivalled only by the small plates.ReviewAriaTop-tier Australian produce is just the beginning at Matt Moran’s flagship.PreviouslyReviewAK’s DinerA celebrated chef cooking the food of his upbringing in a walk-in canteen? Sign us up.See all storiesMore:Surry HillsAmaSydneyThaiChineseFamily-friendlyBudget friendlyOutdoor diningBreakfastUnlicensedWheelchair accessGood for solo dinersPet-friendlyVegetarian-friendlyTakeawayWalk-ins onlyCommunity hubTakeawayRestaurantReviewsGood Food Guide100 Essential RestaurantsCritics’ Pick of the YearCritics’ PickFrom our partners