We knew we need only follow our nose and glimpses of the teasing dappled light of paper lanterns, flailing in the wind, hung to tents like bobbypins holding myriad iridescent petticoats, to know we had reached The Night Noodle Market. Had we been oblivious to the many signs and songs, the parades of Chinese dragon dances and, perhaps not surprisingly, beer cans and bottles, it would have been easy to know we were in Hyde Park by the crowds. Masses of hungry patrons descended upon the stalls, queuing irregular and fiercely impatient three-laned lines, all the while fiddling with their twenty-dollar notes and chatting about the working week.
I took the opportunity to take as many candid photographs as I could from all angles and perspectives, trying to realise the event from the eyes of somebody truly taking part in everything that was on offer. It was well worth the change in viewpoint, especially in the numerous instances in developing the courage to visit the chefs at their stalls in the restriced area. At first some were a little shy, others somewhat hostile, the chefs gradually warmed up to me and allowed me to take a few close-ups of their craft. It seemed only fair that I ask permission first, thank them for their co-operationand make a silly gesture about being ravenously hungry. Don’t worry, I did the right thing; I went to buy some curry puffs and spring rolls from the same tent.
It was a treat to see stalls from some of our favourite restauraunts on showcase, from East Ocean to Chat Thai and beyond, as well as the sample-sized yum cha offerings, dim sum and even a stall vendoring an exclusive Belgian liquid chocolate and espresso coffee. Never before have we known a single event to house some of Sydney’s best noodle and yum-cha vendors in a single place, and neve before had we known the startling popularity maintained by these establishments.
Sadly, it was not an evening and an event that truly lived up to its potential. It was however, disappointing to sample an array of commonly found dishes from Thai, Chinese and Malay restaurants with marked-up prices and cooked and served without succor. Overlooking the quality and the variety of food, we were also taken aback by the clear lack of planning of navigation and seating. Getting to and from stalls was like running a samba or being stuck in a traffic jam; bumper-to-bumper and constantly being jostled aside and affected with flinging food flotsam from careless passersbys.
Perhaps this is merely all part of the fun.
We nevertheless took to our experience an open mind and a desire to see the City of Sydney in its night colours. We tangoed from the train station, skipped the stepping stones and fox-trotted the foggy footpaths in our attempts to arrive in style. Imagine the light of the moon, the celestial body of a cresent smile in the sky, brooding beneath a stormy veil. Picture twilight having just descended and smothering the leaves of trees and the outstreched branches in an eerie azure hue, ebbing, glowing.
We were not disappointed with the early-evening ambience, when the fairy lights swayed and glistened, live music carried and being in the company of those who are only the dedicated to staying on. The chefs of the stalls even took to enjoying the night lights, closing their shop fronts for a moment at a time and smoking, chatting, drinking from coconuts while sitting contendedly on milk crates.
And before I sign out on this post and pass your reading eyes back to you, I hope you have a spectacularly spooky Halloween. Remember to only over-indulge on premium sweets – after all, if you’re going to be taken hostage by your tastebuds, you would be wiser to obey the calling for being spoiled.
I’ll certainly be back next year to see what else the city chefs have to offer us.
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