Lunar Markets, Pyrmont

First off, happy valentine’s day to my dear readers! I hope you all have a lovely weekend planned (better than my own “eat expensive chocolates while watching a hockey game” plan). If you enjoyed the open-air style of the Night Noodle Markets, you’ll definitely enjoy this new pop-up festival that celebrates the Lunar New Year. The smaller market has a more laidback feel and you can enjoy your food while admiring the Sydney city skyline.

Twenty stalls are spread across the park and while not insanely cheap like Asian market food, it’s probably as cheap as you can get in Sydney. It’s okay if you feel a little parched; you can always get yourself a 650mL can of Sapporo beer to help you out. There are lanterns abound and even a fairy light tree covered in red pockets. Now, as a child I knew that lunar new year = red pockets = money. These pockets however, contained chocolate coins. The symbolism pleases me.

L-R: fried peking duck gua bao, braised pork belly gua bao, fried chicken gua bao ($20/3 bao)

Baos seem to be the new it-thing in Asian food so it's no surprise that the BaoStop line is already long and they are balls deep by the time I join it. The wait isn't long before I get mine. My favourite is the Taiwanese fried chicken; the red sugar chili jam is not too spicy and whatever is in BaoStops secret sauce is good. Baos are always messy for me to eat, and the braised pork belly is no exception. Mayo and roasted peanuts end up all over my hands but I don’t lose a single bite of tender pork or pickled mustard greens. Last but not least, crispy skin peking duck. To be honest, I prefer mine in the traditional pancake rather than a bun.

Dim sum sampler ($15/6 pieces)

The Century covers some of the classic dimsum: har gaos, siu mais, spinach and prawn dumplings, and vegetarian dumplings. I’m sure it tastes good but considering I just came back from the dim sum capital of the world two weeks ago, it tastes average in comparison.

Salt and pepper squid ($12)

Twelve dollars for some salt and pepper squid with sliced chilis but no sauce from The Century? It’s nice but it’s not that nice. This is an expensive reliving of my childhood. Good thing it’s not first day of the lunar new year because it’s apparently bad luck to eat squid then.

Drinking coconut ($6)

The last time I saw this view, I was teetering around on painful stilettoes waiting for a cruise. Getting a coconut from Spanthai and enjoying it in front of the bay (with flat shoes) is a decent replacement memory. I’m still nagged by the thought that this coconut would cost half as much in Cabramatta (unopened) and that if I were home, I could cleave it open after drinking it to eat all the flesh.

Twist potato ($6)

Just like the Night Noodle Markets, Korean Twist Potato is on hand to provide you with a carb-bomb on a stick. This endless piece of deep-fried potato covered in bbq seasoning is fast becoming a classic.

It wouldn’t be a lunar new year celebration without lion dancers! They appeared twice and in neon lit lions the second time. The amusement level from watching them dance in between tables on the pier is high. SmoothFM provided the music and at one point I had to restrain myself from doing a lipsync to the Jackson 5’s “One More Chance”. Visiting the markets makes for a relaxing night filled with Asian food and fresh air, so come out and celebrate the year of the ram!

The Lunar Markets run from February 12-22 at Pyrmont Bay Park as part of the NSW Food & Wine Festival. Details here.