Night Noodle Markets 2015 - Sydney, NSW

A couple posts ago, I did say mention that I liked avoiding the crowds...I may have lied. Can you really blame me though? When one of the biggest foodie events comes around, you don't really say no. I really didn't think I'd be attending the Night Noodle Markets this year but miraculously, the Mrs made the suggestion when her friends all decided to go. So, soon as the both of us finished work, we met up in the city and proceeded to Hyde park before the crowds formed. Being that it was the final week, the amount of people visiting has already decreased but I'm still really glad we decided to head into the markets before everyone else. This way, the Mrs and I could sample all the delicious offerings with minimal wait times before everyone came.

The Mrs and I started our night off with a couple of skewers from Daniel San, which I assume is a new addition to the line up since I didn't notice them last year. We bought one pork and one chicken skewer so that we could sample both. I personally liked the chicken better (I love chicken yakitori) but the Mrs thought the pork was better. I do agree that the pork did take on the marinade and glaze better but I'll always like chicken better...there's just something about smokey, grilled chicken meat on a stick which makes life amazing.

Seeing that the traffic had started to slowly trickle in, the Mrs and I thought it'd be a good idea to grab a table. We quickly found a large enough table and sat down in preparation for the arrival of our friends, which I took as an opportune time to scope out the other goods. By now, it's no secret that the Mrs loves Malaysian food so I quickly ran up to Mamak and ordered two servings of Roti Canai (one for me, one for her). Mamak's roti is always amazing...super doughy, fluffy and crispy, this combination is best served when dipped straight into that vibrant and fragrant orange curry....tear apart, dip, devour and repeat for maximum enjoyment.

I noticed that next to Mamak, Harajuku Gyoza had set up stall and being the mad gyoza fanatic that I am, I just couldn't help but order some for myself. For me, this was the biggest surprise of the night as I didn't really expect much from the gyoza...but it was absolutely, positively delicious. Gyoza is one of those commodities which is so readily available that it's hard to differentiate one from the other but this one...leagues above the competition. The crisp, crunchy bottom covers the juicy dumpling's filling which explodes with flavour as you bite into it. My experience was something straight out of a certain food-related manga...the nuanced and delicate flavours of this particular dish brought me to heaven and back...this is the one dish I legitimately wanted to go back for seconds for.

As our friends arrived, we were able to leave the table behind and go explore. The Mrs and I settled on Bao Stop as our next stall (the Mrs was interested in the fried chicken whilst I was more interested in the Peking Duck fries). I didn't actually order the fries in the end but I did order a trifecta and the chicken which was just as good. As we were in the line, the rain slowly but surely started to pour which was really not pleasant but for the sake of food, we (I) stood resilient as we waited. After we received our orders, I quickly dashed back to the group, making sure to shield the food with my body on the way. Unfortunately, it took us all a while to get to a comfortable spot and the sad thing about baos is that they tend to stick to the cardboard if you leave them there for too long. This made the whole eating experience rather messy but that was in no way detrimental to the food. The baos tasted great but I have to say the chicken stole the show...I'd say, rather ingenious the way they turned the distinct taste of XO sauce into a sweet and tangy glaze.

Didn't mention these...Korean style tacos

Apologies for the shaky focus...hard to hold still trying to dodge the rain.

Our friends saw our food and decided to venture off to the same location for their share. I was fortunate enough to be able to still try the Peking duck fries which they brought back. In retrospect, kind of glad I didn't order them because whilst I do love deep fried shoestring fries, the taste of gamey duck and hoisin only reminded me of the real deal therefore making me want that more.

Again, sorry...the rain really doesn't contribute to high aperture photos

At that point, the rain had started to clear up which signalled the continuation of the festivities. The group decided it'd then be a good idea to go and grab some ramen burgers from ONE tea lounge's stall. I abstained from this venture because I was very full at that point but nonetheless, we headed over and surprisingly quickly, ordered and recieved our food. I have to say, I am slightly disappointed in the ramen burger this year. We had the full ramen burger last year and that was absolutely delicious but as per their restaurant's menu, this year's offering was made in slider form. I think my preference is still for the mess that is the full sized burger though.

Additional to the sliders, one of our group members also purchased the fried ice cream baos. They came in various asiatic flavours (green tea, red bean and black sesame). I managed to get a taste of the green tea and I'll be honest, I wasn't really a fan. The deep fried bao just seemed a bit too bland for me and whilst they did pair it with ice cream and other sweet treats, the matcha flavour really wasn't as intense as I would have liked meaning the whole package just came across as mildly lacking.

At the end of the day, as much as I don't appreciate crowds...I'm still really glad that I got to go enjoy the Night Noodle Markets. The stalls only come around once a year and with the abundant selection of delicious samplings, you really can't go wrong if you spend a night out with great, fun people at the markets.

Parramatta Lanes - Parramatta, NSW

October is generally like Christmas for foodies, mainly because October is Good Food Month. During this month long event, various food related festivities are held all across the country and during this time, we get to discover and savour the many delectable offerings each wonderful city has to offer. For Sydney-siders, that would normally involve attending a few lunches and visiting the ever popular Night Noodle Markets. Now while I do enjoy a visit to the night noodle markets, I also find it incredibly congested and as such, I much prefer sticking to low-key events closer to home...such as Parramatta lanes.This once-a-year event gives the wider Sydney audience a chance to see the more creative and vibrant side of Western Sydney with art installations and food stalls. I fondly remember how the event started so humbly with only a few locations in Parramatta CBD and much less grandeur. The event has now become a runaway success and this year, it's come back with a quite a lot more on offer.

The Mrs and I started off our night by meeting up with a friend outside the stalls set up at the Cathedral. It was there that I ate the most delicious pizza that I'd possibly ever had. The mixed mushroom pizza from Happy as Larry Sydney was amazing beyond description...a wood fired pizza crust topped with a variety of mushrooms and drizzled with truffle oil. The crust was perfectly doughy and smokey and with each bite filled your tastebuds with the sensation of mushrooms all finished with a rich, velvet-like sensation of the truffle...this pizza is well worth every dollar. In fact, it was so good I almost doubled it at the end of the night (if not for the slightly longer than desired wait times).

Aside from the pizza, we also had a small snack in the form of a cup of Fritto Misto I purchased. This one came as a surprise because I had just bought it on a whim...neither the Mrs nor I expected it to be so delicious. The prawns were so crispy you could pop them straight into your mouth and have them like chips and the calamari was cooked perfectly so that it was still soft and tender. All of this was made even more delicious with a squeeze of lemon and a bit of the abundant creamy aioli.

We then quickly made our way over to Batman Walk where the famous bearded bakers had set up shop. The Mrs and I were both incredibly excited for this food stall because neither one of us had tried the famous Knafeh before (we had previously eaten the dish but never the one made by the famous bearded bakers). Part of the allure is the bakers themselves...they are incredibly entertaining to watch. Each baker is super efficient at their station and the amount of pride and joy they have for their craft is evident in their every movement. They sing and dance and interact with their guests in a way that brings a smile to each and every person's face. I was so entertained that I didn't even feel the time whilst I was waiting.

We received our order shortly after ordering and huddled off to the side of the crate to enjoy our piping hot knafeh and honestly, the dish is well worth the hype. It's usually the simplest things that turn out the best and this is a prime example: that rich and creamy cheese is complimented so well by the crunchy crumbs and it's sweet, but not sickly sweet.

After enjoying our knafeh, we decided to continue on our tour of the laneways and we headed through the adjacent carpark which lead us through to our next location. In the middle of the carpark, we saw various entries for the "Shoot the Chef" competition where I spotted one of my favorite chef, Chase Kojima's entry.

As you exit the carpark, you then reach "Seoul Town" which is the festival's Asian/Oriental themed section. There, the Mrs decided she wanted Asian food and so she bought a chicken roll from Jimmy Liks which was surprisingly refreshing and delicious. The fresh ingredients and juicy grilled chicken really made the sandwich a delightful meal. I also grabbed a "Daniel San" from the guys at Grasshopper bar which was amazing. The guys at Grasshopper are no strangers to Parramatta Lanes and they do their cocktails in disposable jam jars which is another highlight.

Whilst walking along the street, we also got to experience a walking jazz band which made the night all the more special as the music livened up the whole street. This led us through to the garden of love through to Erby place and then back around to the UNE future campus location where Piccolo Me had set up stall. Their fried maltella balls had been blowing up on instagram the day Parramatta Lanes started and so I made it my mission to try one. It was good however, in my opinion..the batter caked around the nutella ice cream might have been a bit too thick leading to more cake and less ice cream. The Mrs tried the Nutella Iced Coffee which was also pretty good but probably a bit lacking in the coffee hit she was seeking at the time.

I absolutely love it when October comes around, the city of Parramatta livens up as the whole of Sydney gets to see what a vibrant and wonderful place this suburb truly is. All the amazing food and beautiful artworks just makes these few short days the highlight of the year. I'm gonna be so glad when we move to Parramatta as it'll make it so much easier to enjoy this event each and every year.