When you ask any of Sydney’s next-generation chefs, at the forefront of the world’s “dude food” craze, how they define it, they all say the samething: “It’s the food we like to eat.” What does that mean to us? Forget painstakingly placed micro-greensand light-as-air foams and instead think sliders, tacos, hot dogs, plenty of deep-fried goodness and lashings of cheese and mayonnaise.

But dude food is by no means junkfood as we have known it – instead, it’s a hybrid created by classically trained young chefs at the top of their game. They use top-quality ingredients and clever techniques, but package their food in very recognisable parcels. As Dan Hong, of Lotus, Ms G’s and El Loco fame explains, “We are part of the junkfood generation. It’s the food we grew up with and love, but we want to make it better.”

Head to El Loco in Surry Hills (elloco.com.au) and you’ll find a Mexican beach shack/cantina complete with colourful stools, peeling paint, biodegradable plates and cups, and a party atmosphere. Hong spent time in LA and Mexico researching the food before opening. Head chef Paul Donnelly now helms the kitchen, serving Hong’s take on Mexican street food with a slight Asian influence.

The tacos are top-notch but the hotdogs, which have achieved near cult status since El Loco opened in May 2011, are a must. The frankfurters, designed to Hong’s specifications by South Australian artisan sausage makers Skara, come in a soft roll topped with pickled jalapenos, picode gallo, more mayonnaise than is advisable (but so, so good) and mountains of cheese. To wash down all this food, head barman Nico Darras serves an imaginative range of margaritas, from classic to spicy jalapeno and the earthy loco rojo, which contains pressed beetroot.

Two names that always come up when dude food is mentioned are Mitch Orr and Thomas Lim. Their effortlessly cool restaurant (bistro.com.au) has become synonymous with the phrase, yet the menu is ever-changing. As Orr explains, “We are pushing the boundaries with the use of new ingredients. It’s a constant evolution – our food from the beginning to now is very diff erent. ” As such, yesterday’s fried chicken wings with coleslaw milk are now served with charred scallions and hot sauce. But let’s pray they never take the hot radishes off the menu – the simple joy that comes from mopping up the dashi butter with a soft bread roll is indescribable.

Lim is also behind the food at The Norfolk (thenorfolk.co), an old pub with a lovely garden area. Along with a selection of the usual pub fare there’s a great bar-snacks menu featuring the likes of deepfried pickles with ranch sauce and the avocado bomb – half an avocado that’s been deep-fried, filled with corn salsa then served with sweet potato crisps and corn tostadas. Specials include “taco of the month” – when I visited, a meat pie taco with flaky pastry and tomato sauce.

Above their fabulous, fire-filled Porteño in Surry Hills (porteno.com.au), stylish rockabilly chefs Ben Milgate and Elvis Abrahanowicz also operate Gardel’s Bar (gardelsbar.com), named after Argentina’s famous Tango musician. While Abrahanowicz’s Argentine heritage is evident in Porteño’s menu, upstairs there is more of a nod to Las Vegas and the pair’s love of American diner food. Sink into a deep, dark leather couch and watch Sydney’suber-cool tucking into hot dogs, ribs and chicken wings. It’s far from your average takeaway fare though – the chilli dogs come beautifully dressed, while the lamb ribs (so tender the meat falls off the bone at the lightest touch) are perfectly complemented by an elegant cucumber salad laced with ginger, lime and fish sauce.

Other bars embracing the trend are the washing-line-strewn Darlie Laundromatic (darlielaundromatic.com) and the city’s tiny but perfectly formed Grandma’s Bar (grandmasbarsydney.com.au). At Darlie, the cordials are homemade and come with a shot of vodka for those in need, while the bar food menu features four styles of mini hotdogs. The Stray Dog, with frankfurter replaced by a whole dill pickle and served with aioli, harissa, remoulade, ketchup and crunchy onions is a taste sensation. At Grandma’s, with no room for a proper kitchen, the staff are keeping hunger at bay with a few jaffle makers – the kind of toasted sandwich maker that presses the edges shut and keeps the filling stuff ed inside. Yes, you can gets paghetti and cheese.

There seem to be no boundaries as to what flavours can be combined in the dude food lexicon – many chefs use fish sauce and miso to season Mexican - or American-style dishes, while other Japanese and Asian ingredients add interesting touches. It’s not fusion, but simply a case of using the best available ingredient for the job. Take some examples of Hong’s recent dude food degustation menu at Lotus: cheeseburger springroll; peperoni pizza wontons with Napoletana consomme; a foie gras and truffle hot dog.

And of course, there’s also dessert – think ice-cream sundaes and ice-cream sandwiches. Hong ended his masterclass at the Crave Sydney International Food Festival with his now infamous “stoner’s delight”: a fabulous mixture of Mars Bar slice, doughnut ice-cream, passionfruit marshmallow, and peanut and pretzel praline. And from the look on the face of the young taster, chosen from the audience, it’s not just a delight to stoners. This is food that’saccessible, witty, surprising and delicious – and that appeals to the 12-year-old in all of us.