I was a little bit on awe as I looked down on the scene before me. The vacuous space was filled to the brim with market stalls and bustling with shoppers. This looked like foodie heaven. Let me at it!
On this visit we were really only scoping the place out, but we'll be back with our green shopping bags and esky sometime soon to stock up on some special goodies to take home with us.
For stop was the Billy Kwong stall for some of Kylie Kwongs famous dumplings. And "oh, look" there's Kylie taking the orders from the hoards of hungry dumpling fiends. It's totally not stalking if she's standing in front of me and I take 50 photos of her, right? Right!
The Boy, Niecy-Poo and I decide to share a serving of Steamed Pork Dumplings ($8.00 for a bowl of about four dumplings). The dumplings are cooked to order in a steaming wok of broth and come swimming in a delicious ginger and tamari sauce. I've not yet been to Billy Kwong's for a meal, the lines have always deterred me, but after trying these delicious dumplings it's now on my foodie hit list. Mmmmm.
Next up is coffee from Toby's Estate. This was Nicey-Poo's shout so I have no idea how much this delicious brew cost...but it sure hit the spot and got our droopy eyelids open and focused on the matter at hand. Eating.
Many of the stall holders give out samples of their wares which I personally love.
After wandering around for about 40 minutes we're quite full. We tried samples of Gourmet Muesli, Duck Sausages, Olive Oil, Bagels, Organic Beef, Goat's Cheese, Crackers, Salted Caramel Sauce, Olives as well as the beautiful tasting Bolivian fruit A Cha Cha.
A Cha Cha is similar to Mangosteen or Rambutan that you can find throughout Asia. You peel off the thick outer skin to reveal the plump flesh within (sounds a bit like my body at the moment now that I come to think about it). The taste is tangy and sweet and I'm in love! A small bag overflowing with A Cha Cha will set you back $8.00.
Although we're feeling full, we still have room for just one more thing. We settle on an Indonesian Martabak ($4.00 each, or $15.00 for four). We order the Organic Beef and a Vegetarian Martabak.
These are a lot different to the Martarbak I've had at Malaysian restaurants before. It is more like a big, square spring roll, rather than a filled Roti bread. The casing is a large sheet of spring roll wrapper from what I can tell, and it is quite oily...but that's not to say it isn't tasty. It's just...different.
Shopping at a farmer's market is not the same as shopping at your local Coles or Woolies. For starters you won't be blinded by horrible fluorescent lighting, or want to poke your eardrums out to stop the sound of "muzak" piercing into your brain. It feels "exciting" and there's a buzz about the place. The produce is not the cheapest, but that is because it is organic or made with love by artisans. The food is fresh, pure and tastes amazing. It's a fun way to shop and a great way to spend a morning.
Eveleigh Farmers’ Market is held every Saturday between 8am to 1pm at the old Blacksmith's Workshop at Carriageworks. Carriageworks can be found at 245 Wilson Street, Redfern/Eveleigh.
