Everything below is compiled from public posts on Xiaohongshu. It is second-hand. Where a claim is first-hand it will say so, and right now none of them are — so read this as a shortlist to go and test, not a verdict.
Sit-down places
| Place | Where | What people say |
|---|---|---|
| Ondam Table | Dickson | Korean. The clam soup and the beef-bone soup draw the strongest praise. A winter recommendation. |
| 38 KATSU | Canberra Centre | Japanese, a little pricey. Katsu bowls, mazesoba, sando. Reported as better value at lunch. |
| Hing Win Wonton & Claypot Rice | Gungahlin | Claypot rice. The chicken-and-mushroom one is the one people name. Useful if you live north. |
| Chong Co Thai | Dickson | Wide lunch-special menu. The teriyaki chicken is praised; the rice under it is not. |
| Sushi Dail | City | Cheap for the city — curry rice or green curry chicken around $13.80 when the post was written. |
| Nanyang Kitchen | City | Malaysian. Mixed: lunch portions were called mean on meat, but the same reviewer went back for dinner and rated it — good wok flavour, not over-salted. |
On campus, between classes
- Kebaba — outside Chifley Library. The default when something is due. Ask for less sauce.
- Broger — opposite Chifley. Burgers, substantial, the full carbohydrate arrangement with chips and rings.
- Char Char — Southeast Asian food truck below Chifley. Generous, and the flavour is specific — not for everyone.
- Yori Poke — poke bowls on brown rice, salmon and avocado.
- Sushi Smith — newer, made in front of you, student lunch deals.
Groceries
Asian supermarkets
- Daily Market — several branches, including near ANU and in Gungahlin. The broadest range: vegetables, hotpot bases, snacks.
- Hung Cheung — Franklin. Named repeatedly as the best for sauces and seasonings, and the best value.
- Mega Supermarket and Deji — both in Dickson, close together. Mega is larger with more frozen and dry goods; Deji feels like a traditional Chinese grocer.
The main chains
- Aldi — cheapest for vegetables, meat and eggs, if you are not attached to particular brands.
- Coles and Woolworths — widest range, and half-price specials that change on Wednesdays. Their apps are how you find out.
- Costco — membership, bulk. Makes sense split with housemates.
- Supabarn — better meat and seafood; people go for the fresh orange juice specifically.
- Harris Farm — fruit and vegetables, weekly specials.
What this page is not
It is not a list of places I have eaten at. That distinction matters more than any of the recommendations do, and most food content you read online refuses to make it — which is exactly why you cannot tell how much of it to believe.
It is also not current. It was assembled on one night in August 2026 from posts written earlier. Restaurants close. Prices rise: one post recorded a campus bento going from $15 to $16 between visits. The date at the bottom is there so you know how much to discount.