Coburg Night Market 2023

Coburg Night Market is back with bean bags, bunting and, of course, bonza food.  It had a covid hiatus followed by a return last year in the supermarket carpark due to Bridges Reserve being waterlogged by rain.  This year the weather was kind, the sun shone and we were back in the park enjoying the shady trees.  It was lovely to walk among stalls where the people were friendly and the goods were innovative.  Sylvia went all three days of the market and I went with her on two occasions.

We walked past the craft stalls to the food trucks because it was dinner time.  Sylvia got the Kimchi fries which were served with BBQ, caramelised kimchi, mozzarella and gochujang aioli.  We got off to a bad start when they handed us a pre-made fries with mince meat in the mix.  When I asked about it, they told me there was a vegetarian version and found me one.  I could not see this on the signs anywhere so was glad we noticed it.  I found them a bit spicy.  Sylvia loved the aioli but could not believe that in the vegetarian version she was given, there was a piece of chicken.

A lot of food options were on offer.  Marquees and food trucks lined the grassy area where crowds sat eating dinner out of sustainable packaging while the bands played and the sun set.  Most places had queues. Choosing a meal was a a tyranny of choice.

I was tempted by pizza - especially when the blow up pizza appeared on the Sunday - tacos, paella, and bao.  I chose the Rockstar tacos because the kale salad looked interesting.

Actually the taco, quesadilla and tortas options looked too messy so I chose the nachos.  They came with cooked vegetables, a melted cheese sauce, kale slaw, pineapple salad, sauce and guacamole (I passed on the onions and coriander, the red onion habanero and the roasted spicy sauce).  We queued and watched the two staff rushing around like crazy and finally got to do my order.  I really liked it even though the cheese sauce was pretty thin and I would have liked some black beans.  But it was great to have lots of nice vegetables and the kale and pineapple gave it a lift.

We then had some Good Brew Kombucha.  Sylvia had pineapple and coconut.  I think I had the hibiscus, lemongrass and ginger.  It was so wonderfully refreshing with a nice balance of sweet and sour.  The drinks came in plastic cups with a $2 deposit that was returned when we took the cups back.

The Council and Library presence added to the community vibe.  I spoke to a librarian who was taking ideas for a new local library.  Sadly we did not stop to spin the wheel which looked like fun.

We wondered around the craft stalls.  I really loved the Leaf candle co which does candles in recycled tins.  The musk sticks, gingerbread and pavlova candles smelt amazing but Sylvia chose to buy a jam and cream candle.  I also liked the Green Candle Company's holiday candles: raspberry rose and vanilla, and fir needle clove and eucalyptus.

We enjoyed browsing the stalls. We loved so many cute earrings that seemed to take the form of anything you might love: Christmas trees, sushi or Bluey.  I also would have loved a Lawz Drawz Coburg tea towel or an Elvedee Hosier Lane tea towel but they weren't cheap and I already have a drawer of teatowels plus a stack of my best ones.  We purchased chocolate from Loco Cocoa - my favourite being Christmas Cheer with mulled wine  toffee.  Kudos to the generous woman who was about to buy the last block of Not Naughty Always Nice spiced gingerbread and caramel chocolate, but when Sylvia was so desperate for that flavour, the stranger gave it to her. 

Sylvia's next trip to the market on Saturday was with her dad.  He had a stick of curly fries.  This is often the children's favourite and was Sylvia's go-to dinner when she visited the market as a youngster but E shows that it appeals to all ages.  Luckily they were there early and there weren't the huge queues we had seen on Friday night.

Then Sylvia and I went to the market on Sunday lunchtime.  (For the pedants, it is a night market but opened at lunchtime on Saturday and Sunday and went through to evening.)  We were lucky to have a gorgeous mild sunny day.  And the market was much quieter at 12.30pm than at 7pm. 

One of the great things about going to the market more than one day is that you have an opportunity to try the meal that you saw after ordering dinner the previous visit.  I really wanted to try this Vegan Iraqi Food from Nohadra's Kitchen at last year's market but the queues were long.  I saw it too late after I ate my nachos on Friday.  Sunday I went and asked for the Taste of Iraq mixed plate (good value at $16). 

The Taste of Iraq was a decent meal of falafel, dolmades and kuba haleb (rice balls stuffed with mushroom) with salad, tabouli, pickled turnips, flatbread and a tahini sauce.  The dolmades weren't ready so I had it with extra falafel and kuba haleb instead.  The falafel were ok but a bit dry.  The kua haleb were amazingly good, hot and crisp on the outside and soft and flavoursome in the middle.  Freshly cooked makes such a different.  I really enjoyed the variety with lots of fresh vegetables and lovely tahini sauce.

Sylvia had a delicious panzerotti with tomato sauce and mozzarella.  Fresh is best but it also can be scalding hot.  She was very glad of my tub which she could put some of the filling into so it could cool and then be scooped up again with the crispy pastry.  It was very pleasant to sit at a little table and eat our lunch in the shade.

Then once again we wandered among the craft stalls.  As with the food we had a second chance to visit stalls we had not seen on Friday.  And to admire more bunting!

This flower stall by Bumi was really beautiful.  It was Sylvia's favourite stall.

There were stalls like these selling kids clothes and aromatherapy that we were unlikely to buy from but enjoyed browsing.

I really loved this stall that with SisterWorks sustainable products and BIJOUNIQ earrings.

At this stall with all the Indigenous designs, I bought a Better World Art Christmas decoration.  I chatted to the woman working there about how the Australian Indigenous artists create designs that are sent to artisans across the world to integrate into their handcraft.  Generous royalties go to the artists and the artisans earn a sustainable income.  And I got to take a beautiful decoration home.

We went to Billy Van Creamy for a chocolate ice cream for me and a salted caramel ice cream for Sylvia.  It was as creamy as the name promised and so delicious on a warm afternoon, listening to dreamy bands like Deuce.  Other very tempting sweet food included Greek doughnuts and chocolate waffles.

Then when we were ready we went to Oh Boy! It's a Food Truck for some food to take home for dinner.  

Sylvia got the Mac and Cheese Croquettes ($18) in a bread roll with cheese sauce, sriracha mayonnaise, jalapenos and coleslaw.  We had had it last year and she had such fond memories of it, we queued for one on Friday but the wait was too long, she had one on Saturday and shared one with me on Sunday.  

I was curious to try the Poutine ($18) which I shared with Sylvia.  It had crispy thin chips, gravy and squeaky cheese curds.  The cheese reminded me of haloumi because when cool it squeaked on my teeth but when hot it was gooey and delicious.  In the picture above is my poutine just after I bought it.  The chips were drowning in gravy and not at all crisp.  The cheese curds were not warm enough to ooze.  After they sat around for a few hours before dinner the chips had absorbed more gravy but I put them and the cheese curds on an oven tray and heated them until the cheese melted.  They were wonderful.  Though I dislike chips with sauce, for this I make an exception.

And that was the Coburg Night Market for another year.  It was a delight to have it back.

Read previous posts about my visits to the Coburg Night Market in  2013, 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2022.

Coburg Night Market
Bridges Rd Reserve
Friday 15 Dec - Sunday 17 Dec 2023
www.facebook.com/coburgnightmarket