It’s no wonder Parramatta is being heralded as Australia’s next major city.
From vast proposals for urban renewal, to new initiatives for live music, and the opening of trendy cafes and restaurants en masse throughout Western Sydney, the attraction to this new cultural capital is plain to see.
With Sydney’s most culturally diverse population residing in the area, the annual Parramasala Asian arts festival is a further testament to this growing CBD, promoting the flavour and flair of Western Sydney by celebrating what makes the area so unique and vibrant: its people.
Viewed from afar, Parramasala 2017 was deceptively large in its scope. It had your obligatory Ferris wheel and amusements, even camel rides. But there were so many extra activities and events tucked away in every corner that made the festival so much more than your usual family affair. For the first time, Parramasala stretched beyond Prince Alfred Square around to the foreshore, and across roads and down lanes through to the Information and Cultural Exchange. The festival also inhabited the Riverside Theatres, which hosted the informative and engaging live cooking demonstrations of Parramasala Pantry, featuring celebrated chefs whipping up wonderful treats. In particular, Tiffany Jones from The Pastry Project elevated dessert-making with her chocolate and black sesame tart [below]. Proficient in desserts with an Asian twist, her cooking had the room salivating at the perfume of bubbling caramel, rum and black sesame oil.
Tiffany Jones’ Chocolate and Black Sesame Tart
Chicken katsu curry from Fujiyama
The food stalls were equally as enticing, with the representation of numerous nationalities and cultures providing an inclusive environment in which to try some exciting dishes and learn more about Western Sydney’s cultural landscape. Korean BBQ and Soda Bulbs served up exactly that, a combination of barbecue fare and the latest food trend in South Korea: home-made lemonade in a lightbulb-shaped container complete with a crazy straw and attached flashing light. The pork dumplings [main image] were fresh off the grill and made for delicate yet hardy street food, while the bright light bulb elixirs sustained us during lemonade weather.
Lightbulb Soda from Korean BBQ
Offering Japanese curry for $5 a bowl, the delicious and affordable Fujiyama [above] was not to be passed up on. Fujiyama’s take on the sweet curry and rice included the traditional winter vegetables of carrots and potatoes and was served with both pickled and fresh radishes, the latter topped with a good dollop of Japanese mayonnaise. Finished with golden-fried chicken cutlets, this light and refreshing version of a hearty winter stew was best eaten in the shade.
Burger Singh brought an Indian flair to the average burger with the likes of The Sultan and accompanying masala fries. It was a grand name made for a grand burger, with a kofte-style aromatic lamb patty and large slabs of fresh cucumber and lettuce, all seared with spicy special sauce and doused with cooling raita. The fries proved quite mild in comparison, but despite the simple curried seasoning, they were deep-fried to a fine crisp worthy of a king.
The Sultan burger and Masala Fries from Burger Singh
The day ended with daal: bhat dal momos [below], to be exact. This dish from Nepali vendors O!Momo was a wholesome mixture of pureed lentil curry, fresh shallots, fragrant rice and tender dumplings in a mild tomato chutney. Colourful, lightly spiced, flavourful and fun, the dish was a delightful conclusion to a festival that encompassed all of those things.
Bhat Dal Momos from O!Momo
Parramatta is clearly a growing creative hub, and Parramasala served as an enriching and multifaceted celebration of the area’s creativity and community spirit: the driving force behind this major city to be.
Parramasala 2017 was reviewed at Prince Alfred Square, Parramatta on Saturday March 11
