This story first appeared on former NRMA travel site Live4 on September 30, 2014.
Good Food Month returns to Sydney in October for its 16th instalment – and it’s shaping up to be a big one. With the first event being held in Brisbane in July, Canberra joining the party in October and Melbourne following suit in November, Good Food Month is Australia’s largest food festival. Showcasing all manner of cuisine and culinary talent from NSW, there’s a dizzying 450 events taking place. Here’s our pick of eight to try.
Hyde Park North, October 10-16
A long-running festival favourite since its inception in 1998, around 40 food stalls by some of Sydney’s best-known Asian eateries will be dishing up food hawker style in Hyde Park. Among them, Din Tai Fung, Longrain, Mamak, Harajuku Gyoza and China Republic.
Yotam Ottolenghi in Conversation, Sydney Opera House, October 29, 8pm
Literary Lunch at Nomad, Surry Hills, October 28, 12pm-2pm
A Mediterranean Feast, Nomad, Surry Hills, October 28, 7pm
London-based chef, writer and food personality Yotam Ottolenghi, celebrated for his colourful approach to Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine, will be in Sydney speaking and cooking at select events, which are likely to sell out fast (if they haven’t already).
Cafes across Sydney, weekdays, various dates across October
Cafes across Sydney are joining The Breakfast Club. For $20, diners can enjoy a set menu plus tea or coffee on a weekday during festival month. Icebergs Terrace, Single Origin Roasters, Paper Plane and Devon are among those participating.
Various classes being held across the month at different venues
For those wanting to learn how to cook firsthand from chefs, a range of master classes, each focusing on a single subject, will be running as part of the month’s program. Classes include how to make fresh pasta, sushi and sashimi, Mexican food, canapés and Persian cuisine.
Nahm at Quay, The Rocks, October 20, 7pm
Asia Town, The Star, Pyrmont, October 19, 12pm-8pm
David Thompson, whose Bangkok-based restaurant Nahm ranks 13 on the World’s Best Restaurants list and was this year awarded number one at the Asia’s Best Restaurants awards, returns to Sydney as a festival guest chef. He will be hosting Nahm at Quay on October 20, and joining other star chefs Dan Hong, Luke Nguyen and Chui Lee Luk for Asia Town, a street food festival on October 19.
Pyrmont Bay Park, October 4, 7am-12pm
Another festival favourite: more than 70 stalls selling delicious fare straight from the farms will be at this popular market. Think meat, artisan cheeses, preserves, poultry, olive oils, grains and more. There’s also a sausage sizzle and spring picnic, with cooking demonstrations by the likes of Jill Dupleix and Frank Camorra.
Various dates at selected restaurants across Sydney
A host of restaurants and eateries – including The Commons, Miss Chu and Lok Lok – from the SMH Good Food Under $30 guide have come together to offer diners two-course $30 dinners during the festival. The premise being that good food can still be great value.
Australian National Maritime Museum and various restaurants, October 2-5
The Omnivore World Tour makes a pit stop in Sydney for Good Food Month. Bringing together 16 young, innovative chefs from five countries, they will host a range of events that will see them share their ideas, cooking styles and techniques. This will include two days of master classes, Amazing Dinners (where they will collaborate with Sydney chefs), the Omnivorous Party, and the Omnivore Pop-Up Dinner.
Good Food Month runs through October. Visit the site for the full program of events.
Lisa Cugnetto 