Melbourne Food and Wine Festival  2013….

Last Sunday I was lucky enough to be invited to join in on the Footscray Food Traders second annual Rickshaw Run…What a fabulous day! Melbourne turned on a scorcher of a day, so in the heat, in a rickshaw, it really felt like we were smack bang in the middle of Saigon.

Oysters…

The first sample of this 5 course culinary feast today, was seafood shucked live from the tank at D&K Live. Fresh Oysters with lemon. You don’t get it any better than this. A chilled glass of Sauvignon Blanc and this was the perfect start. Then it was time to jump into our Rickshaws and high tail it to the first stop.

Market…

Little Saigon, is an indoor market that bursts with colour, smells, tasty unknown foods and life.  Stalls and stalls of fresh produce, with the standout for me being the smell of the Asian Herbs..the smell was intoxicating! And I think I singlehandedly smelt every single herb in that joint. Then there’s the bidding wars between the stallholders as we wandered taking it all in. I definitely plan a return visit with a huge shopping cart…

Rice Paper Rolls…

The Rickshaws took off and we were headed straight to the second course and a lesson in Vietnamese Cuisine. A lesson in Making Rice Paper Rolls;  fresh prawns, tender pork, chilli, mint, noodles all rolled up into one hot and tasty delight. So fresh. so clean. A tart glass of Rose’ to cleanse my palate and I’m a happy faux Vietnamese chef…

Hawker Food…

The biggest surprise of the day was being parked on a corner in front of 3 Asian Women beating and banging on traditional drums. What a treat. These girls were rocking it. A shoulder massage, a mini shot of sugarcane juice and the most delicate and tasty morsel of the day..beef in vine leaves..Hawker style. Divine.

Bun Cha Hanoi…

More wine, more laughs and more rickshaw riding..and we arrive at Sapa Hills restaurant. Grilled pork, noodles, fresh salad with a spicy dipping sauce..a North Vietnamese speciality. Adore.

Spring Rolls…

The final meal on this whistle stop tour is a run to Dong Que for traditional spring rolls. Made with rice paper. So easy to eat. Deep fried and crispy, then wrapped in fresh lettuce leaves..to outweigh the guilt of the fry up..and I could have eaten the spring rolls all day. Every day. Ok..a little more wine as well..

This was a day to be remembered.  Its a must do. So get in early next year, as 2013 was totally booked out way in advance. The cost ranges from $69 – $75..and it is worth every penny.

…Sx

(some images used in this post were from the footscray food blog)

• ALL