‘They’re elite’: Sydney chefs on their favourite chips and crisps (with one clear winner)

Ask a chef about chips, and you’ll still be talking seasoning, crunch and condiments hours later. They might be one of the more humble snacks out there, but it’s not just a matter of throwing some potatoes in oil, adding salt and hoping for the best. Oil temperature, thickness, colour, shatter point, and the level of seasoning all play their part. Like all simple dishes, the devil is in the details. Below are the packets of crisps and spots for hot chips that a handful of Sydney chefs turn to every time.

Danielle Alvarez, culinary director, Sydney Opera House

Hot chips: Olympic Meats in Sydney and my regional pick is Rosie’s in Coledale. They’re both the best because they’re fried in beef tallow. For flavour, this is the best IMO. I also love they are shatteringly crispy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside. The texture is chef’s kiss. Ben at Rosie’s buys local potatoes from the southern highlands, so I also love that he supports local farms. Making them from scratch is a huge commitment on their part. As someone who serves chips in a fast, casual environment I can tell you that’s a lot of potatoes to process, par-cook, chill, fry, etc. It’s a ton of work.

Packet chips: Kettle Salt & Vinegar.

Josh Niland, co-owner and chef, Saint Peter

Hot chips: The potato wedges from 20 Chapel. Anyone who takes the time to source the right potatoes, scrub them, cut them, par-cook them then fry them deserves a gold star, and these are top-shelf.

Packet chips: When seeking out good chips for Saint Peter hotel, we came across Chappy’s from Victoria. The Dill Pickle Chips are brilliant.

Junda Khoo, Ho Jiak owner-chef, plus Amah and Tam Jiak

Hot chips: Rosie’s. They’re hand-cut, triple-cooked for extra crunch, cooked in beef dripping, which adds rich, savoury flavour, and seasoned well.

Packet chips: Smith’s Salt and Vinegar. From when I moved to Sydney at 16, these were the chips I ate all the time, especially when I couldn’t really cook for myself … I guess they mean a lot to me for nostalgic reasons.

Elvis Abrahanowicz, chef and co-owner Porteno, Bastardo and Paisano & Daughters

Hot chips: I think the hand-cut chips we’re serving at Mister Grotto for our takeaway fish and chips are the best. They’re triple cooked, thick, crunchy and fluffy, and made from great potatoes.

Packet chips: As a child, it was Thins Cheese & Onion, but these aren’t the same as they were in the ’80s (nothing is). As an adult, there are plenty of good ones, especially coming out of Spain where they’re fried in olive oil and have some great gourmet flavours, The stand out is Torres’ “foie gras” flavour, and its “sparkling wine” chips are pretty special too – as are the “caviar” flavoured chips.

Isobel Whelan-Little, culinary director at Ace Hotel’s Kiln and Loam

Hot chips: Ogalo’s hands down. The seasoning hits every time.
Packet chips: Boulders avocado oil crinkle cut chips, cos 2026 is the year of health and wealth. Chappy’s are number two, which we serve in all the mini bars at Ace.

Lennox Hastie, Firedoor and Gildas

Hot chips: Rosie’s in Coledale. They hand-cut the potatoes and fry everything in beef fat.

Packet chips: Superbon Pimento (available with the Gildas snack pack). They’re smoky and crisp with a delicious fiery kick.

Neil Perry, owner Margaret, Cafe Margaret and Gran Torino

Hot chips: I really don’t eat chips, they are the devil. (At my age, I’m approaching 69 in a couple of months, I’m taking the longevity stuff seriously − other than bacon, smallgoods and wine. I’m not willing to trade a few extra years to miss out on those pleasures.) I had, however, the most cracking chips at Lode’s bakery and cafe in Rozelle. The chips are as good as it gets. They’re triple-cooked, super crunchy and creamy.

Mitch Orr, culinary director, 25hours Hotel The Olympia in Paddington

Hot chips: The fries at the Newmarket in Mascot are always on point, with serve-yourself chicken salt so you can control your own ratio. The Olympic Meats chips are elite, cooked in beef tallow. Seasoned Greek style. The chips from Mascot Kebabs are also excellent because they use a lemon chicken salt, which I have not encountered anywhere else. Who thought you could improve chicken salt?

Packet chips: Ajitas Vege Deli Crisps are my favourite. Either the straight-up purple sweet potato or the mixed pack (sweet potato, taro, purple sweet potato). Original is my preference but the garlic and rosemary is also great.

Rhiann Mead, head pastry chef at The Charles Grand Brasserie & Bar

Hot chips: I have two favourites. Vaucluse Ocean View Seafoods does incredible hot chips, always cooked fresh with the perfect amount of chicken salt. The location is hard to beat too, there’s just something about eating hot chips after an ocean swim. A close second is Town Hall KFC — it absolutely hits the spot after a long service.
Packet chips: Chappy’s. They’re out of Melbourne and kettle-cooked by hand. The flavour combos are amazing and all the seasonings are made in house. Mango habanero and dill pickle are standouts.

Toby Wilson, Ricos Tacos founder

Hot chips: The perfect chip celebrates both the crunchy exterior and a fluffy, soft centre. I’m finding many restaurants that make their own chips are going so hard in the pursuit of crispiness that they lose that internal element. Rosie’s in Coledale gets the balance just right, and then adds that huge flavour boost from deep-frying them in 100 per cent beef tallow, as you’d expect from an old-fashioned UK chippy.

Packet chips: Unequivocally, 100 per cent it is the Samboy Atomic Tomato. It’s strangely hard to find in Sydney and easier to find in rural supermarkets, which doesn’t make a lot of sense to me but perhaps adds to the excitement of finding a bag of them.

Khanh Nguyen, executive chef, King Clarence

Hot chips: Olympic Meats. It’s only a few minutes up the road from my house, which makes it dangerous. The fact they’re actually good eaten cold as well is double trouble. No other fries are good cold, but these are.

Packet chips: I think about Burger Man from time to time. I love acidity in my food, and these are pure nostalgia. I’ve tried to recreate the flavour profile for our grilled edamame beans at King Clarence, but I can’t say mine is as good.

Palisa Anderson, Chat Thai

Hot chips: My favourite hot chips are from Baba’s Place (although they aren’t available currently). They’re triple-cooked, crunchy, and yet they give away to a melting centre.

Packet chips: I love the deep crinkle cut of Boulder Canyon Avocado Oil Classic Sea Salt, which are made using avocado oil rather than vegetable oil. Ultimately, I feel like it’s the best flavour chip.