A diary of Eat Drink Perth 2015

Night Noodle Markets

Wednesday 18 March 2015 marked the official launch of the Night Noodle Markets, a 12 night event which forms part of Eat Drink Perth. The markets have been an immense success in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane - but this was Perth's first turn to experience them. As a half-Asian who basically grew up with noodles hanging out one side of my mouth (and yes, also in my thermos during primary school), I was naturally really interested to see what the market would entail.

 

To start off with, the Cultural Centre in Northbridge has been completely transformed, with three different areas dedicated to the markets. There's a sea container turned bar near the big screen with stalls nearby (including Hoy Pinoy, which featured the longest line by far out of any of them), a cider lounging area near the museum and in the Urban Orchard, the Cooper's Beer Garden.

There's a strong waft of smoke filling the air, and people as far as the eye can see. I definitely recommend getting there earlier than later as from the time we arrived (5.30pm) to when we left (7.30pm), the crowd had easily quadrupled (if not more). But even though there's lines, it's all part of the great atmosphere and it was wonderful to see everyone in such a positive mood getting into the spirit of the event. That's what I particularly love about Eat Drink Perth, the comradery and the way everyone is joining in to celebrate all things deliciously edible. 

We started off at Lucky Chan's to kickstart our eating adventure for the night where I picked up a chica-bao-wow - a fried chicken bao with kimchi ($7.00).

I love bao, and it's definitely a hot ticket item lately. We make it quite often at home so it holds a special place in my heart. This one had some creamy spicy mayonnaise and the chicken was super crisp and steaming hot. You can't go wrong with fried chicken after all! I would have liked more of that strong, fermented flavour from the kimchi as the traditional style really appeals to me, this one felt like it catered more to palates not used to this Korean staple ingredient. 

Ordering this dish was also a great chance for me to catch up with the lovely team at Lucky Chan's (and thank them for a restaurant tip they gave me for my recent travels to Singapore). Food really does bring us all together doesn't it!

My fellow blogger Laura Moseley went for the fried chicken bao and a pulled pork version that looked pretty enticing. They also have a fried tofu bao which I like the sound of so I might have to give that one a go on my next visit. Or if it makes it onto Lucky Chan's menu when it opens soon, I'll have my opportunity then. 

The stall was also offering their signature ramen dish but after hearing they were experiencing a bit of a wait (always the case on the first night of any event - teething problems happen but they were dealing with it with a smile which helps), I knew it wasn't meant to be that evening. 

The Urban Orchard is definitely one of the prettier places to sit back and relax while eating at the markets. I love the Asian inspired lanterns and the bamboo poles which all add to the festive theming. The effort they've put in shows and adds to the atmosphere. 

And at night, I can imagine the glow of those lanterns, the heat of the firey grills in the stalls, it will all make for quite a sight.

After devouring our baos we made our way into the Cooper's Beer Garden for the WA Today launch party where there were drinks and some samples of the food on sale at the market circulating. It was a nice way to unwind after a long working day, and to mingle with other foodies. 

Knowing we were losing the light we decided to head to one other stall for the evening. It was a tough choice but in the end we went to the Apple Daily  to try their Linley Valley pork ribs with tamarind, chilli and coriander ($12.00). The ribs came clean off the bone and were sticky with the sweet sauce. I would have loved more chilli as I couldn't taste it, but the coriander was a nice fresh touch. 

I actually can't believe I didn't eat any noodles at the markets! I didn't see as big a noodle selection as I'd thought but there were plenty of other dishes on offer making it more of an Asian hawker style market than anything else. Prices ranged, with some bites at the $7.00 end but some hitting the higher end of $15-20. 

The Night Noodle Markets are running from 18-29 March 2015 from 5-9pm on Mondays and Tuesdays, 5-10pm on Wednesdays, 5-11pm Thursdays and Fridays, 4-10pm Saturdays and 4-9pm Sundays. There's plenty of opportunities to come down so make some time to check out the inaugural event. 

On my food wishlist for my next visit: fried mantou buns with condensed milk, soft shell chilli crab and waffle on a stick. I even spied an ice kachang stall too mmmmm. 

Twilight Hawker Market Dessert Garden

When it comes to Eat Drink Perth this year, we're definitely all spoiled for choice with a plethora of markets at our disposal. For those after a little of everything the Twilight Hawker Markets have some wonderful dining options such as Japanese pancakes, shakshuka, empanadas and all kinds of porky goodness. I think these markets are a great addition to our beautiful city, and bring together food fanatics each Friday night they're on - with a subsequent positive flow on effect to the shops nearby.

Starting on Friday 20 March, these markets now have a dessert garden (also running on 27 March and 2, 10, 17 and 24 April) which is definitely something that will appeal to all you sweet tooths! I know I my attention was immediately captivated upon hearing this. So much so that when my friends asked if I'd like to come with them on the opening night to check out the different markets (Twilight, Dessert and Night Noodle), I jumped at the chance.

Walking through the city just after 6pm it's already in a buzzing mode. There's people everywhere, hands clutching market stall wares greedily and the heady aroma of spices and flavoursome dishes wafting under my nose. We head straight to the Twilight Hawker Markets, noting that as we enter we actually pass through all the dessert stalls set up for the Dessert Garden.

I mentally make some notes of places to check out after our savoury feasting - but first off we stop by the Marshmallowz bar to try their homemade marshmallows ($2 each). There's something so moorishly pleasing about freshly made marshmallows, the cloud-like texture, the subtle sweetness. These ones were slightly sticky but they hit the spot and gave us a nice sweet kicking off point.

From that point on the four of us dive into a bunch of the different stands trying dishes like fried haloumi sticks, gnocchi, sliders, spiral spuds and more. But our unanimous favourite for the evening were Marcelita's Empanadas. Sold at three for $10, these are Colombian hot pockets of goodness with thin, crisp pastry and flavoursome filling. I love these and always make a note to stop by when I see the stand.

After our savoury feasting in the market and a walk over to the Night Noodle Markets, we returned to the Dessert Garden for some ultiimate sugar craving fulfillment. For me, I knew immediately I wanted to go to Chicho Gelato for their newly launched icecream cookie sandwich. Sadly for me they were all sold out of the chocolate with peanut and salted caramel gelato, bt I was happy to go for the next best thing - matcha green tea gelato in between black sesame cookies ($8.00), otherwise known as a chicho panino.

For some people green tea is an overwhelming flavour, but Chicho Gelato have balanced it really well, injecting a little sweetness to go hand in hand with the creaminess. I think the real star though is the black sesame cookie which tastes like shortbread almost, emitting a satisfying crunch as I chomp into the sandwich. It's a great little sweet snack and nice way to beging my dessert pigging out.

For a couple of my friends, the crepes were all they had eyes for. Sweet, soft and freshly made on order these definitely hit the spot. I loved the generous slathering of nutella (the more the better - right!) and the fresh strawberries in one and bananas in the other. I'm usually more of a savoury crepe person, but I have to say I really enjoyed these ones.

Right next door were the churros which are a regular feature at these Friday night markets. Also made to order, they're crisp on the outside and soft inside with molten chocolate and dulce de leche piped inside and on top. Yes, insert drool now. These might just be some of Perth's best churros and the toppings that go with them are spot on. YUM.

We finish off our sweet treating with a visit to one of my favourite stalls, La Paleta. They've just released an AMAZING sundae which consists of coconut paleta, topped with orange sauce, chewy chocolate chip cookie, mezcal cream and raspberry pieces. It's a crazy dessert but it works so well - the creamy coconut paleta shining amongst the other ingredients. I loved the coconut chips throughout the icecream and the way the tart orange sauce brought the flavour out.

The mezcal cream is a nice nod to Mexico but is light so it avoids the sharpness while retaining the flavour. Very clever, very playful and a great way to finish off our evening. I think I may have over indulged though in all our sharing of desserts! I was getting a sugar high... which led to me having an epic sleep when I got home haha.

There's still plenty of nights left with the Dessert Garden for Eat Drink Perth so make sure you head down to try it for yourself. It's a great way to end the working week and kick start the weekend.

OzHarvest: Food For Thought Cooking Class

On Wednesday 25 March 2015 I attended an incredibly inspiring and heart-warming food event at PCEC under the stars in the summer garden.

OzHarvest's Food For Thought cooking class is a part of Eat Drink Perth which is coordinated by OzHarvest volunteers and under the guidance of celebrity chef Ian Parmenter and OzHarvest founder Ronni Kahn (pictured).

I've been following OzHarvest's journey for some time and can say whole heartedly that I truly believe in the good that they're doing as part of their food rescue mission. Their drive and commitment to collecting quality excess food from commercial outlets, preparing, cooking and delivering it free of charge to a wide range of charities is extremely commendable. Many of us don't realise just how many people amongst us are "food insecure" - not knowing with certainty when or where their next meal will come from.

For every $1 OzHarvest raises, 2 people get fed - and the food they're getting is delicious, nutritious and prepared with love! Definitely show your support and find out more about their invaluable contribution to our community.

The Food For Thought class found us all getting hands on in preparing and cooking meals for OzHarvest to deliver. The recipes were Ian Parmenter's and at each of our stations we had a volunteer chef (from venues including Lot Twenty) giving us some tips and assisting the preparation process. We had the lovely Cyndi who is a volunteer for OzHarvest and at Ronald McDonald house - she kept us organised and focussed as we prepared our dish of roasted apple couscous and beef koftas.

And while we were busy cooking we were served some tasty canapes including mini nacho salsa cups, smoked beef with spinach, fresh oysters with fried onion and goats cheese in savoury biscuits. It definitely helped keep my greedy tummy growls away as all the beautiful smells from the cooking stations started to waft under my nose.

But there wasn't much time to eat because cooking was definitely our focus for the evening. We chopped onions, diced garlic, cut up apples and fluffed up couscous. There was a beautiful aroma of onions and garlic after I spent five minutes or so sauteeing them on the outdoor stove. Ahhhh the simple pleasures in life!

And finally after all our hard work and team effort, we were packing up the lovingly prepared meals and they were being stacked into the OzHarvest vans. It also felt great to not just use up all the ingredients but to also collect all organic waste like peelings, cores and trimmings to be repurposed for use in the likes of stocks, bases etc.

Having such a commitment to eliminating waste and getting the most out of food is just one of the admirable qualities in the way OzHarvest works. I particularly liked the story Ronni shared with us, the moral of which told all present that it doesn't matter if our food is dinged, bruised or dented - with love it can be used to nourish and warm the hearts of those who need it.

I definitely encourage you all to get involved with OzHarvest in some way or another. While many of us are extremely fortunate in our lives, we can often forget that there are many in our own backyard less fortunate. I can't imagine how worrying it would be not to have certainty over where my meals were coming from!

You can find out more OzHarvest, volunteering or donating, plus all their amazing work here: http://www.ozharvest.org

A big thank you yo Ronni, Jen and the wonderful team at OzHarvest for inviting me to attend - and for showing me how every little bit can really help. It was definitely an inspiring, awe inducing and satisfying evening.

Dessert degustation at The Trustee Bar & Bistro

I'll admit it... I have a bit of a sweet tooth. There's something truly elating about an absolutely knock your socks off dessert that gets me a little giddy. And if it's plated beautifully... well I fall in love. So when I heard about The Trustee Bar & Bistro's five course dessert degustation I was a little too excited to try it out for myself.

It's definitely one of the highlights on the more cost effective end of the scale of Eat Drink Perth's events and one that left me feeling full, sugared up and happy!

We were treated to the dessert degustation at The Trustee after a delicious lunch there in early-April. While you can happily have this to yourself, I shared it because I'd had one of those days where I'd eaten so much!

The degustation is a beautiful treat - with five courses that change depending on the chef's whim, seasonality and accessibility of produce. We started things off with the very adorable wattleseed, caramel, popcorn ice cream cone which was displayed upright, with slicks of salted caramel on the plate.

The second course for our dessert was my dining companion's favourite - a crème brûlée tart with apple gel, salted caramel, apple slices and crumbled shortbread. I initially thought this might be quite a sweet dish but it was the most savoury of them all, with a lovely sourness from the apple elements.

I love desserts that include herbs and I think this one was lemon balm (maybe?) giving a nice lemony but fresh flavour. The pastry of the tart is crumbly and short, the rainier cherry a welcome addition in colour and taste.

The third course (only halfway through!) was The Trustee's signature dish - the snickers bar with salted caramel and peanut ice-cream. I've had this dessert before and it's such a crowd pleaser - with the creamy mousse encased inside a soft, chocolate outer and atop a crisp chocolate base.

It's so decadent not at all too rich. I really like the ice-cream sandwich next to it which is nutty, textured and flavoursome. Sooooo good! I did miss having a little fresh element like the standard serving size which comes with strawberries - having that burst of juice cuts through the chocolate perfectly.

The fourth course divided my dining companion and I. I really liked it whereas she wasn't as enamoured  - but I was all too happy to polish this one off!

Made of lychee sorbet, rosewater pannacotta and tapioca almond pearls, this dessert dish was light and  refreshing; with that light rose flavour coming through. The lychee sorbet is somewhere between sorbet and granita - and definitely the dominant flavour - I really liked it. The tapioca pearls are chewy, nutty in taste and compliment the other ingredients. It's a simple dish and the flavour combinations surprised me in how well they worked together.

We finished our desserts on a nice simple course - a spearmint milkshake and macaron. I love how every course was so beautifully presented with trays, platters etc.

The spearmint milkshake had actual mint chopped up throughout and was extremely refreshing and not too much milk for me to drink in after eating so much. It had a great flavour! The macaron was perfectly made and had a tasty caramel filling - a lovely way to finish off our meal.

WOW. Consider me impressed and full! If you love sweets, definitely do yourself a favour and try our The Trustee's dessert degustation (and their savoury items too which are fantastic). Thanks City of Perth for organising this complimentary experience for me.

Food Truck Rumble

On the wet weekend of April 12th, the weather rumbled, but the thirty food trucks situated throughout the Perth Cultural Centre rumbled back. But that didn't matter, because the people of Perth were more than happy to don a jumper and bring a brolly so that their eating adventures weren't interrupted. 

Arriving just after 11am my best friend Carly and I circled the Cultural Centre, sussing out all the different trucks set up before we could commit to munching. We'd already been out for breakfast that morning which perhaps wasn't the smartest idea but nevertheless we were committed to getting our rumble feed on. I'm so glad we went down early in the day as it gave us an opportunity to really take in the sights and smells without having to jump into any lines (which were starting to form). Not that I really mind the lining process at these kinds of events, I think the food and atmosphere lends itself to be worth it.

The first stop for us when it came down to eating was Eat No Evil. Their crunchy fried chicken wings with peanut nham jimm ($10.00) couldn't have been a better start. Crisp on the outside and steaming hot on the inside they were deliciously flavoured, with a lovely refreshing salad underneath. I could have happily polished off another helping of these had my stomach managed!

Choosing the next food truck to dine at was tricky given everything sounded and looked incredible. But after some deliberation we joined the line at Jumplings and waited patiently for the goodness of their Japanese dumplings. 

This food truck is easily one of the most popular around; populating great food events as well as developing a cult following at universities. Would it live up to the hype? I was hoping so!

We took our duck dumplings ($11.00) down to the steps to enjoy while watching the breakdancing competition taking place front and centre. It was great to see everyone getting into the spirit and Eric the organiser of the dance battle did a great job pulling it together.

The dumplings were just the thing I felt like. I might have been getting full, but these were worth the stomach real estate. Soft, thin casings and tender, flavoursome filling. I loved the addition of kewpie mayonnaise and chilli sauce on the side to add extra yumminess to each bite. It was definitely a tasty dish and worth lining up for!

I know some people hate lining up, and ordinarily I might whinge too. But seeing how hard everyone at the event was working, how fast the trucks were pumping out food and the great effort organiser Ai-Ling put into creating this event. She's a bit of a rockstar in my eyes as I don't think I could handle pulling together something of his epic scale!

There wasn't much room in our bellies and so we finished things off with a stop by Delish Ice for a sweet ending. I mean who doesn't love artisan icy poles! They were gobbled up without a second thought (OR taking a breath to snap a pic!) and ended our Food Truck Rumbling outing perfectly. 

Now I know most people will have eaten much more, and believe me I wish I did too! But I am my own worst enemy at these things - I always have eyes bigger than my stomach. If only I hadn't binged so much beforehand haha. But there's always next year, and I really hope it will be back in 2016 - it's such a fantastic event and definitely one of the highlights of Eat Drink Perth for me. 

I always find events like this divide people, and I have to admit, this really frustrates me. There's people who get in the spirit of things, throwing themselves into eating, and yes part of that involves lining up and waiting for food - but they understand that it's all part of the experience. And that events like this are what we're all crying out for to have more of. And then there's people who complain about all of the above. Don't get me wrong, I do understand that waiting can be a pain, but the reality is having 20,000+ people in one place over 9 hours is a big ask and you'd expect as much. Let's all be positive Perth and enjoy having options like the Food Truck Rumble at our fingertips!

Breastfed at The Standard

If there's one restaurant I'm particularly fond of at the moment, it's definitely The Standard in Northbridge. I love the bright airy space, the funky bar and the rooftop level terrace that gives you the perfect spot to eat, drink and people watch under the stars and fairy lights. 

I find myself quite often as the food itself is also fantastic and the cocktails are delightful. Just the right setting for some share dishes between friends! And so when I heard about their Breastfed event on 19 April to raise money for Breast Cancer Care WA as part of Eat Drink Perth, I really wanted to get involved and attend.

Since it was the perfect kind of excuse for some girl time, I invited my best friend Carly along to be my date. We both had a bit of a chuckle getting ready because she didn't own anything pink to don as described in the event details, but I kept my pink tones minimal so we'd be in it together! And so on we went to The Standard, settling in their back area and trying some of the rose wines on offer from three different wineries.

I have to admit I don't usually drink rose but I found it a nice refreshing choice of beverage since it was a little on the warm side. Some were light, crisp and floral with sweet notes of strawberry and musk.

Breast Cancer Care WA is an invaluable WA charity that provides personalised emotional, practical and financial support and care to people affected by breast cancer. Thanks to donations and funds raised, all services are free of charge and tailored to meet the needs of each individual. I thought that it was a fantastic cause to be at The Standard for and it was wonderful to meet some of the volunteers and hear their stories.

Throughout the afternoon we got to try some of the specially created canapés that Head Chef Chase Weber created for the event - with most playing off using breast meat or milk as the ingredients. I like the cheeky sense of humour!

The first canapé we tried was the light and tasty spanner crab with cauliflower on a grain and nut free cracker. It was sweet with a pickled element, the cracker crunchy and delicious. I really enjoyed this - it was just the right thing for a sunny day and suited the wine.

Our second canapé was one of our favourites - tender chicken breast with hazelnut and a pear chutney. The chicken was so soft and juicy, contrasting against the crunch of the nuts. It's well seasoned and delicate, with sweet chutney that leaves a lingering taste in your mouth. We gobbled up quite a few of these and would have happily had many more!

Where we were sitting at the back was a comfortable pew but made it tricky to get canapés at one stage - they'd all disappear by the time the waiters came our way! But thankfully after a bit of a drought we got our hands on some more tasty treats.

The korean style lamb belly on brioche was everything I could have imagined and more. So tender and melt in your mouth, with that sweet but sour sauce offering a sticky umami flavour. I loved the bread so much in this dish, it was golden, buttery and crisp. Very moorish! I wanted more and more of it.

Next up were the wildly popular mushroom doughnuts (judging by the cheering of this dish by the other attendees). I liked these a lot, though I actually bucked the trend and preferred the other dishes more just because of their freshness. The doughnut batter was light and just slightly sweet, the mushroom filling meaty and earthy. I thought the mushrooms were cooked really well, retaining a little bite and well seasoned.

Our final savoury canapé was quail breast on a cracker of some kind (I completely missed the description). I gobbled it down nonetheless and was pleased to note the great seasoning and spot on cooking of the meat. A nice way to finish up I thought!

Before we moved onto the dessert portion of the event we all found ourselves entertained with an auction to help raise additional funds for Breast Cancer Care WA. First up was a dinner with wines for four cooked in the winner's house by Chef Chase Weber. It was great to see them get $1,000 for this - what a prize! Next up was the same auction item but cooked by another of The Standard's chefs which went for $950.

I have to admit, the final item - a 10kg block of chocolate - got our attention but after a look down at our waistlines we had to admit we just couldn't do it. Good on the girl who big $200 to take that bad boy home!

Thankfully before we made our way out, a couple desserts came our way. The chocolate tart had a lovely crisp base and a rich filling, with a nice liberal sprinkling of salt over the top - a good counter act to the sweetness. I loved the coconut fudge (which I forgot to photograph) which had a lychee cream and a freeze dried lychee on top. How great is fudge! I love that stuff, and the crunch of the lychee garnish gave it a great textural range as well as different flavour notes. Very clever!

We had a lovely time at the Breastfed Event and I was really happy to learn more about the work Breast Cancer Care WA are doing, and to see people there donating to the cause. If you're ever looking for a charity to become involved with, definitely consider them as they rely solely on volunteers and donors.  

Man vs Meatball

I love a good eating competition. Not for me, because for any of you who've seen me eat you'd know I'm ridiculously slow and I take my time eating, chatting, drinking and basically drawing out the whole process. So with this in mind, naturally I admire a person who can just go to town and shovel as much food as possible in a short amount of time. I have the hiccups just thinking about it!

Knowing the inaugural (in it's second year) Man vs Meatball competition at Lalla Rookh on 23 April was approaching as part of Eat Drink Perth, I eagerly marked the date in my diary and was joined by fellow foodie friends Perth Eats, HMA Photos and Blue Apocalypse. Their friend Nicole was participating, and I was excited to see how she would perform.

The competition was run efficiently and had a great air of spectacle about it. Four rounds, all with five contestants participating basically just had to eat as many of Chef Valvasori's competition meatballs in a minute. You think a minute sounds like a long time? It goes very, very quickly in reality.

Contestants could use their hands, forks or just hoe in with their mouth as long as the plate never left the table while there were meatballs on it. There's also a beer and a water on the side for them to lubricate as required.

Watching the rounds of contestants munching their way through the food we all are feeling a little envious! The meatballs smell delicious which I'm sure they all agree initially though you can see for some it's just too much (one poor guy had his meatballs revisit him earning an instant disqualification).

There was definitely a large range in accomplishments, with many participants getting around the 15-18 mark. But there were a couple who went far beyond that milestone!

A big congratulations to Josh for taking out the title at 35 meatballs! For a smaller guy, he definitely was a machine! And after posting this pic on my Facebook page I later found out he's also a competition winner at Crust Pizza and Outback Jacks. Looks like we have a serious eater on our hands! It was great to also see that he'd bested last year's record of 30 meatballs... hopefully for 2016 we'll see the winner get even more.

Special shout out to Nicole who ate 21 (while she had the flu), beating out most of the guys. She absolutely killed it.

What a fun event and definitely a great excuse to stay at Lalla Rookh (easily one of my favourite restaurants in Perth) for dinner after. Everyone there was having a ball (sorry - it had to be done) and the MC for the event, Gourmet Traveller writer Max Veenhuyzen did a wonderful job keeping us all engaged, entertained and feeling hungry! I loved that heckling was encouraged too... the traditional Aussie way!

In return for taking photos of the event (gosh I was nervous, I'm usually a methodical snapper of food, not of speed eating!) Lalla Rookh kindly offered my fellow diners and I a complimentary dinner. It was so generous of them, and obviously every bite was fantastic as always. There's a reason why I come back here time and time again... it's too good!

The girl behind Perth Eats and I decided to share the risotto of smoked garlic, black pepper, asiago d’allevo which is a two person serving ($26.00 each). I absolutely ADORE risotto and this one was perfectly al dente and creamy. It was an incredible simple dish but it blew me away how delicious and decadent it was with that smokey garlic and melted cheese on top. I definitely recommend trying the risotto here for all fans.

Wanting something to cut through the richness of risotto I also ordered a side of jersey milk lemon ricotta, salad of peas, grilled bread, mint & lemon ($17.00 for small). This is one of my favourite salads in Perth and something I always order whenever I'm at Lalla Rookh. 

The jersey milk ricotta is creamy and fluffy, the peas sweet in their puree and whole form. I love the grilled bread which is buttery and crunchy, offering some texture and contrast against the fresher ingredients. It's a dish full of integrity and shines brightly. Definitely another case of simple but somehow complex in taste. 

And while I only had one of Ai-Ling from Blue Apocalypse's potato my god they were good. So crunchy on the outside and fluffy on the inside... I think a return trip just for these (and for more of everything else - including my favourite bone marrow) is needed! YUM.

It was the perfect carby bite to end what I thought was a terrific night out.