Capital of cuisine in the west
By Evelyn Yamine
Daily Telegraph, 31 March 2008

Once it was known as the drug capital of Sydney but Cabramatta has reinvented itself as the exotic cuisine capital of the city, boasting Asian fare, fresh food and thriving retail stores in Sydney's bustling west.

The suburb's massive overhaul is credited to the hard work of police, local and state government and community members who are now reaping the benefits, with thousands of people travelling - just 40 minutes from the CBD - to Cabramatta for a slice of Asia.

Superintendent Ray King said he had seen a "huge improvement" in the area since he worked the streets of Cabramatta as a detective in the latter half of the 1990s.  Much of that improvement was built on cleaning up the suburb's drug activity.

"We can't lose sight of the old days and we don't want to see it go back to there," Supt King said.

"Cabramatta is really a unique place in Sydney to visit and enjoy and has turned around completely."

The restaurants, cheap fresh food and vegetable markets and fabric stores are the biggest drawcards.

And having Australian movie Little Fish, starring Cate Blanchett, filmed in the suburb has only added to Cabramatta's appeal.

Chamber of Commerce president John Medich said: "You can't get a shop in Cabramatta on ground floor retail space.  All businesses are busy.

"Businesses feel safe now.  They don't have to worry about being intimidated by drug addicts hanging around.  It's certainly improved 100 percent."

Fairfield City Mayor Nick Lalich said the celebrations of the lunar new year and Moon Festival have brought tens of thousands of people to the area from all different backgrounds.

"We're proud of Cabramatta.  All the name-calling and stigma has gone," he said. "It's the best it's been for 20 years."

In March 2001, the State Government provided $18.8 million to tackle the drugs and crime problem in Cabramatta.  The council also spent millions on crime prevention.

Fairfield city councillor Thang Ngo said the area has always been multicultural but now more people from other suburbs were making their way over.

"The good thing about Cabramatta is it's really like going overseas without having to pay for the air fare," he said.