are back once more, transforming the city's South Bank into a buzzing hawker style market. Featuring 20 food stalls, punters can choose from choc tops with mango jellies from Messina, gourmet buns from Chur Burger, a warming bowl of satay and more. It's a melting pot of cultures, all strung together by one common thread: fun.
Brisbane's Junk are expecting to churn through over 15,000 handmade wontons over the week.
“We like to think that Junk respectfully tips its hat to its Eastern origins whilst having fun in its Western home,” says Mitch Smith, executive chef for Worldwide Hospitality Group, who house the Junk brand.
Named after the ancient Chinese sailing ships, Junk serves a remix of Thai, Japanese, Cantonese and Korean cuisines with a freestyle Australian twist. With posts around Queensland from the Sunshine Coast to Toowoomba, they’re plating up three of their signature fusion plates at this year’s Night noodle Markets.
For their Night Noodle Markets Menu, they decided on a greatest hits list spanning chicken satay rice bowls with garlic relish, crispy pork belly in a makrut lime and dark palm sugar caramel, and pork and ginger wontons.
Source: Brisbane Night Noodle Markets
"I'm passionate about creating dishes that have a balance of flavours using modern techniques," Smith says.
At the Izakaya-style Harajuku Gyoza, there are similar flavour-jammed surprises.
“The dessert ramen is what you would expect from a traditional ramen that we all know and love – but with a sweet twist,” explains Masa Endo, area manager for Harajuku Gyoza. In the sweet, slightly off-kilter dessert, meat and veg have been swapped out for popping candy, fresh lemon and sugary blue noodles. Then they've added in dark chocolate-dipped ramen “noodle” biscuits, vanilla sponge, orange jelly and a custard broth.
“It is a wacky dessert that will satisfy the sweetest of sweet tooths.”
If their Instagram notoriety is anything to go by, Endo isn’t wrong.
Harajuku Gyoza is also serving Long fries, which Endo says are way longer than your average take-away store variety.
“Not only are these super-sized, overzealous fries a crowd favourite overseas but the French fry itself is also one of Australia’s most loved dishes. This dish allows you to have fun with your food whilst also enjoying the taste.”
Each portion will be served with a choice of house-made shiitake mushroom & katsuoboshi salt or Japanese mayonnaise.
Rounding out Harajuku Gyoza's fusion menu is the Octodog, a Japanese take on the all-Aussie Dagrood dog.
“It’s made up of three small chorizo sausages that curl at the end to create an octopus-type look,” Endo says. “We then add seaweed eyes to make them fun and playful. It represents what festival food is all about - good food that you can have fun with."
Source: Harajuku Gyoza
When it comes to crafting their festival menu, Endo says it’s important to strike the right balance of authenticity and fun.
It represents what festival food is all about - good food that you can have fun with.
“We look to get the right balance between classic Japanese food, such as gyoza, and fun Japanese street food like the raindrop cake and dessert ramen.
"We still have gyoza on the menu – we couldn’t do a market with out them. This is what people love the most about us.”
The Night Noodle Markets are taking over Brisbane's South Bank from From July 19 - 30 as part of brisbanetimes.com.au Good Food Month. Visit their for more details.
