OzAsia Festival kicked off with a bang last night with the launch of the Lucky Dumpling Market along the picturesque Adelaide Riverbank lawns.
Showcasing all the finest food, drinks and desserts Asia has to offer, the Lucky Dumpling Market is sure to have something to satisfy everyone’s tastebuds.
To quench your thirst, there are three bars for you to choose from: The Lucky Wine Bar serving wine and bubbly, the Coopers Bar for all you beer-lovers, and the Lucky Sake Bar.
The newly launched Lucky Sake Bar is a wooden artisan-crafted space where visitors can enjoy a menu of carefully curated sake, a Japanese alcoholic drink made from fermented rice, as well as Japanese beer.
Taste your way all across Asia as you explore the endless street-food vendors on offer, with over ten food stalls offering freshly cooked cuisine ranging from dumplings to kebabs.
Humpty Dumplings specialise in steamed, fried and even vegan Chinese dumplings, however it was their Dumpling Noodle Laksa ($12) that warmed my soul and won my heart. Consisting of dumplings, egg noodles, tofu and veggies in a laksa soup.
Ragini’s Spice took my tastebuds on a trip to India with their Tandoori Chicken Kebab Sticks (three for $10), which came with a side of fried rice and sauce which had a very powerful tomato flavour.
Dumplings were a must-have on our taste-testing list, with Toly Vietnamese providing the most succulent Chicken Dumplings (eight for $10) soaked in a delicious soy sauce and topped with spring onion.
Other food vendor stalls that offer the glorious little creations that are dumplings include Teppanyaki Noodles, TMR Dumplings, Sookii La La and The Filipino Project.
After seeing the adorable animated short film Bao in cinemas, I just had to try it out for myself. Bao+ had an extensive menu of modern Taiwanese food and had the most mouth-watering Bao in a variety of different flavours. I tried one Teriyaki Chicken and one Korean Fried Chicken (two for $15) and was blown away by how flavoursome they were! They’re just like mini chicken burgers with lettuce, tomato and the most amazing sauce on a soft, fluffy bun!
To satisfy your sweet tooth, Astonish Patisserie (located at the same stall as Bao+) have a variety of delicious churros on offer. Original churros are $9, whilst flavoured churros cost $15 with four different flavours to choose from. Each flavoured serving of churros comes with four churros, a chocolate wafer stick and are decorated with all sorts of sickly sweet delights!
Cookies and Cream is an Oreo lover’s heaven, topped with chocolate sauce, cream and the popular biscuits themselves.
Lucky Matcha Panda combines the sugary delight of churros with the unique flavour of matcha green tea, drizzled with green topping and decorated with panda-shaped biscuits and colourful sprinkles.
Ferrero Rocher is a decadent explosion of melted chocolate and, of course, the little balls of chocolatey goodness it’s named after.
Lastly, “Kids” is a sugar rush waiting to happen, coated in chocolate sauce, sprinkles, popcorn and Fruit Loops.
Last but most certainly not least, I paid the psychedellic-looking Bubble Bus a visit and tried their Tropical Summer Fruit Bubble Tea – one with Rainbow Jelly and one with Popping Boba ($6.50) a try and was definitely not dissapointed! Apparently it’s inspired by the classic tropical fruit boxes from the good old days of our childhood, which gave me the biggest rush of nostalgia!
For a comprehensive guide of all the must-try menu items from these food vendors, check out Broadsheet’s blog post here.
Entry to the market is free of charge, so you can feel at ease simply “window shopping” as you wander around and soak up the atmosphere.
Click here for the official three-week entertainment schedule of free events and outdoor concerts on stage, as well as a list of free workshops on offer.
The Lucky Dumpling Markets
Dates: Thursday 25 October – Sunday 11 November 2018
Location: Adelaide Riverbank Lawns
Opening Hours:
Tuesday – Friday: 4:30pm – late
Saturday – Sunday: Noon – late
To keep up to date with all the happenings of the Lucky Dumpling Market, like them on Facebook, follow them on Instagram or check out their website.
Catch you at another cafe,
Tayla x
The Adelaide Insider 