Night Noodle Markets, Hyde Park

It's a welcome novelty to traipse through Hyde Park during Good Food Month's Night Noodle Markets. The smell of stir-fried noodles and deep fried salt-and-pepper squid hangs deliciously in the air, whetting the appetite and stirring the soon-to-be-impatient grumbling stomach.

Saffron and I joined the hubbub of night-time crowds on Friday for our first look at this year's markets. The biggest change was their relocation: the stalls no longer crowd around the Archibald Fountain, but have been staggered along two perpendicular avenues. The grassed area between them is filled with chairs and tables enabling better thoroughfare of traffic and more accessible oqueues than the year before.

Hundreds of red lanterns festooned overhead add to the Asian night market atmosphere. There were definitely more food stalls this year, which only meant a more agonising decision over what to choose for dinner.


Barbecue pork egg noodle soup $8.00
from Yai's


Chicken noodle soup $8.00
from Yai's


Salt and pepper squid $8.50
from Bungalow 8


Night noodle markets with the Archibald Fountain
and St Mary's Cathedral


Decisions decisions at Singapore Quo Tiao King


Wok on Inn offerings


Vegetable rice paper rolls


Yes please


XO chilli squid salad $8.50
from Cargo Bar


Thai flavoured pies $4.50
from Thai Pie


Ice creams from Serendipity


East Ocean


Salt and pepper calamari $12.00
from East Ocean


Salt and pepper prawns with rice or noodle $18.00 or
Sweet and sour pork with rice or noodles $12.00
from East Ocean


BBQ pork or beef with black bean sauce $12.00
with fried rice or noodles
from East Ocean


Siu mai pork dumpling $2.00 each
from East Ocean


Har gow prawn dumpling $2.00 each
from East Ocean


Chinese custard tarts $2.00 each
from East Ocean


Dwarfed by Hyde Park trees


Northern style pork sausages $9.00
served with crispy sticky rice balls and spicy pickled green papaya
from Banana Blossom, Cremorne


BBQ pork skewers $5.00
served with fresh ginger, roasted peanuts and fresh chilli
from Banana Blossom, Cremorne


Salted ocean trout with mixed Thai herbs $10.00
served with crispy egg noodle salad
and a sweet tamarind and white sesame dressing
from Banana Blossom, Cremorne

Saffron and I both ended up choosing the same thing for dinner:


Papaya salad with sticky rice and chicken $8.00
from Thai Shallot

The sticky rice was the perfect consistency for mopping up the papaya salad dressing, and though the papaya salad was tasty, we found it a little too sweet and without nearly enough chilli. The chicken was dusted in curry powder and deep-fried to a finger-licking crisp.


Steamed chocolate and coconut pudding $5.00
with sweet pandanus coconut cream
from Banana Blossom, Cremorne

Dessert was a shared chocolate and coconut pudding from Banana Blossom. It didn't look nearly as pretty as the one on display (see below) but it was still tasty. Served warm in a sealed plastic tubs, the soft chocolate pudding had a thick sticky sauce that tasted of caraemlised palm sugar. Coconut shreds were a little soggy but the thick paste of coconut cream made everything better.



The Night Noodle Markets are on Monday to Friday, 5pm-9pm until Friday 20th October.

Head to the Archibald Fountain, Hyde Park North, Hyde Park, Sydney
(where Market Street meets Elizabeth Street)

~~~
Want more Good Food Month action?

Check out Cucina Rebecca's weekly round-up of Good Food Month events covered by Sydney foodblogs.

Tagged with: gfm06

Related GrabYourFork posts:
GFM 2007: Sugar Hit #2 at the Sofitel Wentworth
GFM 2007: Sugar Hit #1 at the InterContinental Sydney

GFM 2006: Good Living Growers' Markets
GFM 2006: Hats Off dinner at Becasse
GFM 2006: Night Noodle Markets Week 3
GFM 2006: Night Noodle Markets Week 2
GFM 2006: Night Noodle Markets Week 1
GFM 2006: Spring Picnic
GFM 2006: Sugar Hit #4 at the Sofitel Wentworth
GFM 2006: Sugar Hit #3 at the Intercontinental Sydney
GFM 2006: Sugar Hit #2 at the Four Seasons Hotel Sydney
GFM 2006: Sugar Hit #1 at the Park Hyatt Sydney
GFM 2006: Sydney Food & Wine Fair

GFM 2005: Good Living Growers' Markets
GFM 2005: Night Noodle Markets
GFM 2005: Spring Picnic
GFM 2005: Sydney Farmers' Market
GFM 2005: Sydney Food & Wine Fair

GFM 2004: Twilight Trail: Cocktails and Sugar Hits