A day at Queen Victoria Market winter night market

Stories about kangaroo cuisine

The story goes that, in the old days when Australia was first recognized as a British colony, the Indian people living here only knew two foods: bread and meatballs. They seasoned their food with salt and pepper, that was all. Then in the 90s of the last century, when the first groups of immigrants entered Australia, including Chinese, Thai, Italian, Vietnamese, the cuisine here began to blossom like flowers. Another time passed, Indians, Sri Lankans, Nepalese, as well as many other Middle Eastern countries continued to immigrate to this multi-ethnic country, and since then no one remembers what the original Australian-Indians ate…

If you want to explore Australian cuisine now, people recommend going to a winter night market at Queen Victoria Market (QVM).

While Melbourne residents often choose Woolworths and Coles - the two largest supermarket chains in Australia - as their daily shopping places because of their convenience, QVM is the choice of traders and those who love fresh, high-quality food. The market is divided into many different areas: meat and seafood, vegetables, deli (specialty foods such as sausages, cheese, bread, coffee, etc.), souvenirs, clothes and shoes, and even the food court - where small eateries are open to serve.

Built in the late 1860s, this is one of the oldest markets in Melbourne. With an area of ​​up to 7 hectares, this is also the market with the largest open-air architecture in the southern hemisphere. Because of its long history and large scale, it is not difficult for QVM to always proudly occupy a position in the top 10 must-see destinations for first-time visitors to Melbourne. Having lived in this land for 7 years, QVM for me is not only a must-see destination, but also a must-visit every… month. Because, only then can I fully explore the colorful face of this historical icon.

A winter night market walk

I arrived at QVM at 4pm on a Wednesday. The morning market was closed today, so from the outside, QVM looked deserted. Only those who have been there in the know know that behind the silence are the frantic preparations of nearly 40 stalls that will open in an hour.

Half an hour before the market opened, people began to stream in from everywhere. Melbourne winter has short days and long nights, and dusk had begun to fall. In just a few minutes, the last rays of sunlight would set, giving way to the dark blue night and the chilly shoulder. From all four sides of the market, groups of people gathered in increasing numbers. Singles, couples, friends of the same age, families with children, old people with their dogs, etc. There were both Westerners and Asians, the differences in skin color, age, and gender could not hide the common excitement that radiated from each person's face, gestures, and movements.

5 o’clock sharp. Strings of multicolored LED lights lit up the market grounds, a stark contrast to the darkness of the city outside. A “Winter Night Market” billboard lit up in a bright white light in one corner. And from inside, music began to play.

The night market is surrounded by a rectangle, with the border being food and drink stalls facing the middle. A tip for you is that once you have passed through the gate to enter, immediately turn left (or right) and follow it for a full circle. That journey will help you experience the entire night market without missing a single stall.

In the middle of the market are souvenir stalls, although few but carefully selected from the registration list, often selling very interesting items and handcrafted by Australian artisans. Besides, those who are curious about their fate can find answers from the mysterious Tarot card reading tents. Or if you have small children, your children will surely be very interested in the circus performers who constantly move and perform at many locations inside the market. The organizers even set up a painting area with professional and free instructors so that children can have fun while their parents "take the opportunity" to walk around.

Even though I seem to know this place by heart, once I follow the crowd of people pouring into the market, I always think I will get lost when I step deep into QVM. But no, just stick to one sign... The sign of smoke, of barbecue.

The smoke carrying the warmth quickly spread throughout the market. The smoke carried the smell of grilled meat, fragrant in the cold winter wind. You just need to quickly walk towards that smoke to be "given" a moment of dizziness, ecstasy. Because, the smell of food is so fragrant! Because, the music is so lively and cheerful! And because... before your eyes, at least two or three hundred people are gathered around the food stalls! In just a moment, these two or three hundred people will become five hundred to a thousand people. There is no more room for the cold to creep in here.

Unique night market cuisine

Food stalls at the winter night market must register with the market management a year in advance. Even if they do, they may still have to wait on a waiting list, because there are some famous stalls, stalls with a long history of 5-10 years, that have signed long-term contracts to always be present during this festival. Wonderbao is a typical example. Born in 2012, the fragrant, milky buns with extremely varied fillings: from grilled chicken, crispy roast pork, barbecue pork, tofu with shiitake mushrooms, taro, to egg tart... of Wonderbao have always been a food that makes Westerners "crazy". And if you are a little late, showing up at this night market an hour after it opens, it is very likely that you will have to queue behind at least 30 other people to be able to buy a pair of buns.

Dumplings aren’t the only great option here. Look up and look for “Simple Spanish”… Here, expert chefs will serve you award-winning “paella” (a traditional fried rice dish, often served with seafood from Spain).

Another name that has captured my heart is “Turk@QVM”, with “Turk” standing for “Turkey”. Stop in here for a pideli kofte (meatballs), and while you wait, don’t forget to take a video of the charming guys at this stall skillfully brewing their country’s traditional coffee over a large cauldron filled with hot sand!

If you are as passionate about Italian cuisine as I am, don't miss the famous "That's Amore Cheese" stall, with spaghetti mixed directly inside blocks of Grana Padano cheese weighing up to 40 kg!

And when the journey of exploring the night market seems to have ended, everyone will be surprised to see the strawberry jam donut cart “Hot Doughnuts” waiting for visitors outside the market. This is one of the famous stalls that has existed for a long time at QVM market day and night and has always been a sweet and full flavor for my taste tour.

MORE INFORMATION

Some notes when walking around the night market:

- You can take the free tram from the city center to QVM.

- Inside the market there are free clean water fountains.

- Not all stalls support card payments, so bring cash. Although there are ATMs inside the market, during peak hours, you may have to wait in line for a long time if you need to withdraw money.

- If you are in a large group and want to spread out to freely explore the market as you wish, look up at the canopy where the areas are numbered to agree on a meeting place later.

- No need to wear too many warm clothes because inside the market there are many wood and gas fireplaces.

- Walk around the whole place before you start eating! You don't want to be full after only exploring half the stalls.

- The winter night market at QVM takes place from 5pm to 10pm every Wednesday, between June 5 and August 28 every year.

Some other dishes to try at the night market:

- “Spaghetti gelato”, a “bizarre” combination of spaghetti and Italian ice cream at Spago

- Chicken soup or seafood soup is poured directly into the bread loaf at The Soup Factory

- Pizza Margherita was awarded “World's Best” by the Associazione Verace Pizza Napoletana association at 400 Gradi

- Polish style dumplings at Pierogi Pierogi

Some other places to visit in Melbourne:

- In addition to the winter (and summer) night markets at QVM, Melbourne is also known for the long-standing South Melbourne Market, farm markets and flea markets. A list of these markets can be found on the Urban List website:https://www.theurbanlist.com/melbourne/a-list/best-markets-melbourne

- The beautiful 243 km long Great Ocean Road runs along the coastline surrounding the state of Victoria

- The peaceful town of Marysville

- Hot springs at Mornington Peninsula

Bluer