Perth Night Noodle Markets 2016

Have you been to the Night Noodle Markets yet? It’s part of Good Food Month. Last night we checked out this years line up of 20+ stallholders with hawker style eats under the city lights at Elizabeth Quay.

I’d heard how popular the markets are, so as soon as I got there I made a bee-line for Bao Stop which was top of my food wish list. They are a mobile container restaurant based in Sydney. For the uninitiated, bao is essentially a small, soft Chinese bread bun. First in the line, I ordered the bao trifecta ($20). Wow -those bao were jam packed with flavoursome fillings and if you think $20 is a bit steep, I think this dish is worth the splurge. (Left to Right) There’s Peking Duck, Pork Belly and Fried Chicken. I loved them all – the fried chicken had to be my favourite.

The Peking duck fries ($15) were also a must try for me. I would have like the fries to be hotter, but topped with a sweet plum sauce and shredded, crisp duck they were pretty darn fine.

Hoy Pinoy was a favourite of ours from last years Night Noodle Markets. Their smokin skewers are divine, $13 for two. Choose from chicken BBQ’d in a traditional marinade or BBQ pork belly with a banana ketchup glaze. Chef ignored my “no eating before pics” rule, his pork belly skewers were so good!

I visited the lovely Mei at Turban Chopsticks and she has some tasty options for those with dietary requirements. Most of her dishes are vego, vegan and gluten free. The satay “gado gado” noodle bowl is so fresh and vibrant – proving healthy food can be super tasty too! Its brimming with rainbow salad, kale, tofu, coconut milk, tapioca chips, rice noodles and finished with a nicely spiced satay sauce. Yummy! (gifted).

Mei also gave us some sweetcorn fritters to try. The crisp fritters were accompanied by a tomato eggplant chutney and they went down an absolute treat!

Time for something sweet… Black Star Pastry hails from Sydney and I have had my eye on their stunning Strawberry Watermelon Cake for some time (via Instagram!). It’s a scrumptious layered cake made up of almond dacquoise, rose-scented cream, strawberries, watermelon and finished beautifully with dried rose petals and pistachios. It costs $9 and is worth every cent.

Black Star Pastry has teamed up with N2 Extreme Gelato, who have stores in Mebourne and Sydney . Little Chef scoffed their Ferrero Gelato, $9. It has a crisp rice bubble choc top and a chocolate ganache filled syringe. I had a bite and the Ferrero Rocher gelato was spot on.

Not to be outdone, Chef’s dessert was a fancy Nutella covered waffle from Waffle on a Stick. It was served warm and super fresh.

It’s simply impossible to try everything – though we gave it a good go! Other local and interstate vendors include: Dainty Dowager, Low Key Chow House, Apple Daily, Lucky Chans, Bangkok Jump Street, Cili Padi, Roti Road and more. There’s also a few bars scattered around and live entertainment too making for a fantastic atmosphere.

All in all the Night Noodle Markets are a great event. My tip is to get there when it opens to grab a table and minimise queueing. I saw a few people who brought picnic rugs, which is a good idea too. There were a few reservations about accessibility, but with the EQ train and bus stations, the ferry and plenty of parking, the foodie event is pretty easy to get to. Get your noodle on before the Night Noodle Markets end this Sunday (10th of April). See you next year!