Parramatta Lanes

For a few days in October, the hidden passageways of Parramatta became a  treasure trove of delicious surprises for the Parra Lanes festival.  Each section opened up a delightfully wide variety of culture, flavours and art, unique from each section of the laneway festival.

We walked past a bustling Happy as Larry's food truck churning out tempting woodfire pizzas. Jamie Oliver's Trattoria was doing Sunday Sundaes, and Courtney's Brasserie was selling beautiful and freshly made pastries. 

I can't wait to see this festival grow in the future and watch more and more and see Parramatta enhance its food and culture scene. 

We originally had our eyes on Mama Linh's pho beef roll but as it wasn’t available on opening night, we stopped by Nighthawk Diner for a start of cheesy fries instead. 

I personally would have liked the cheese a little bit more melted and some sort of saucy protein to go along with the fries. It lacked flavour unfortunately and after seeing the Hannashians on Instagram pick up the fried chicken burger and I felt instant buyers regret since they made it look so delicious. 

Next stop was Erby Place to visit Emporium X Angus Smoke House's sexy slow cooked pork. Erby Place beautifully decorated.The walls displayed the Shoot the Chef photographs, magical fairy lights were entwined within the trees and the beautiful acoustic tunes of Lola filled the air. Erby Place had transformed into a summer hangout. Good food, good music, good vibes. 

Combined with a refreshing crunchy slaw, a sweet smooth apple puree and a killer hot sauce, the pork was made the star of the meal. It melted in your mouth and the flavour was enhanced with the accompaniments. If I weren't sharing with my partner I would've slathered on so much more of that delicious hot sauce. 

Next stop; Seoul Town. 

Playing live music and projections of graphic designs on the wall, the Asian section was bustling like a real market laneway in Asia. Walking past all the tents, Temasek was a must for genuine and guaranteed satisfaction. Next to Temasek was the refreshing Grasshopper Bar doing cocktails to cool everyone down. 

We couldn't resist the alluring warm and fresh roti being cooked right in front of us by experienced hands. We picked up a beef rendang from Temasek and a cocktail called Daniel San from Grasshopper Bar. 

It had vodka, fresh watermelon, caramel, passionfruit & rhubarb bitters. 

My partner’s more delicate palate found the rendang too spicy but still delicious and sadly couldn't continue more than a few bites. But for me,  it was the perfect amount of spiciness stewed with a fragrant and saucy curry. The buttery roti made for an edible spoon to scoop up all the sauce whilst the cocktail made for a refreshing break between mouthfuls. 

Last stop was Knafeh in the Hidden Bazaar which deserves its own post! Coming up next. 

It was a pleasure to visit Parramatta Lanes and explore the city to see a new setting, new flavours and a new vibe in every corner. 

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