Thousands brave wet to attend Brisbane Night Noodle Markets 2015 opening night
Grey skies and a sprinkling of rain weren't enough to deter the crowds from descending upon the Night Noodle Markets at South Bank on Wednesday night.
Almost 8000 people flocked to the Cultural Forecourt to sample Asian street food from more than 25 stalls on the market's opening night.
"The Noodle Markets have really struck a chord with Brisbane – social media has been abuzz with excited food lovers making plans to meet at the market for weeks. I reckon we'll get upwards of 200,000 people over the 12 nights," said Good Food Month creative director Natascha Mirosch.
The opening night saw diners flock to stalls for the ever-popular soup-filled xiao long bao, Korean tacos, Taiwanese chicken wings and culture-bending cheesy spring rolls.
The famous truffle ramen from Taro's Ramen is back again this year. And Night Noodle Market veterans Hoy Pinoy from Melbourne have fired up the grills for their famous Filipino "inihaw" skewers.
"The pork belly skewers are definitely number one," says Hoy Pinoy's James Meehan. "They usually sell out the chicken two to one, but the chicken is actually my favourite."
This year the calendar has been expanded to 12 nights (July 22–August 2), as has the physical space, with the markets starting behind the Wheel of Brisbane in the area known as "The Liana Lounge".
"It's great to be able to properly utilise this space behind the wheel. We have some of our best stalls there as well as lots of seating and nightly entertainment," Mirosch said.
According to Mirosch, some of Brisbane's best restaurants have stalls at the market.
"It's exciting to see well-regarded restaurants like Sake, Longtime and Madam Wu among many others wanting to be part of what we're doing," she said.
The double-storey Yalumba shipping container pop-up, had arguably the best seats in the house, with prime city views from its top deck.
The Brisbane Night Noodle Markets run from July 22 to August 2 during Good Food Month, presented by Citi. Open Mon-Thu 5pm-late; Fri 4pm-late; Sat-Sun 2pm-late; Entry is free. See brisbane.goodfoodmonth.com/noodles