helloooooo

Robyn

Pia

msdarlinghurst

thebagelshop

Liz

Thuy

Jessie

flowertree_healthfoods

Mai Creation

Local Market Guide

Simon

A floral tribute

There is an amazing blogger who goes by the name of My Darling Darlinghurst and we LOVE her blogs, and along the way we have discovered she is absolutely in love not only with the King of the Plants (Ron) but also all things floral and discovered at our Saturday market.

So we figured why not just have a lovely little pictorial tribute to our Darling Darlinghurst'er and thank her for not just loving Darlinghurst, but blogging about our markets and being a firm fan of our Plant King and Flower Queen!

5 Questions with Bao Wow

Can you give us a little bit of insight behind the origins of Bao Wow

Originally known as "Gua Bao", it's Taiwanese streetfood that has come into fashion in fine dining restaurants internationally over the past few years but hasn't really been available on the cheap eats scene in Sydney.

The true Taiwanese version has a slice of braised pork belly, coriander, peanuts, pickles, mustard greens and red sugar.  

I've known I've wanted to run my own stall for a while now and when I came across Gua Bao I knew it was the perfect product to sell.  

The original food is excellent but I decided to freshen it up to suit our climate and culture and my own personal taste.  I think the balance between the freshness of the herbs and cucumber combined with the juicy porked roll and fluffy steamed bun makes a perfect match for market brunch.

Even though still somewhat "new" to Kings Cross Markets, you have already established yourself as a firm favourite.  How encouraging has this been for you

To be honest it's a total surprise.  I took a risk and it's definitely paying off.  We've only been going for about 6 weeks and this is my first experience at running a market stall, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but we have already weekly regulars!

It's a fantastic feeling when someone buys a Bao, then comes back to tell me how much they enjoyed it.  Hearing feedback really makes it all worthwhile.

Where do you source your produce from and how long does it take to prep for market

We get our free range pork from AC Butchery in Leichhardt which has a really great range of meat products, and all our vege and herbs from the Vietnamese supermarkets in Marrickvile (around the corner from my house).  I do all the prep on the Friday before market (eg: making the dough and rolling out over 100 buns that are triple proofed, braising the pork so I can pull it in the morning).  

It's pretty labour intensive but it's worth it for the end product.

What is it about market life that keeps it "real" for you

Being able to work outdoors is part of the reason I was drawn to market life and it's as rewarding as I thought it would be (although we haven't had a rainy day yet!).

I also love the camaraderie between stallholders, swapping Bao for a bunch of organic bananas or the best baklava in the world from two stalls down.

In 5 words, how would you sump up life as a stallie at Kings Cross Market

Tiring, rewarding, exciting and delicious

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Delicious is as delicious does and if they sell out week in week out then obviously they are doing something right!

With thanks to Bao Wow for not only sharing some time and photos with us but being part of our Saturday Kings Cross Market Family and as the man who wears the hat says "do yourself a favour" and make sure you swing by to try one of these little beauties (ps: while you're at it, why not let them know you've read the blog too!)

5 Questions with Bowen's the BEST Bacon & Egg Roll to be had on a Saturday

Bowen's Bacon & Egg rolls have developed quite a reputation around Kings Cross Market and beyond. What's the secret (or would you have to silence us permanently before telling!)

The special ingredient is probably attention to detail. Yes we use very high quality ingredients, but that alone doesn't guarantee success.  It's the way the egg & bacon are cooked, the amount of bacon we put on each roll, even the way the bread roll is cut.  

But most importantly, it's the people in the stall - that's the most critical part of almost any business; getting the right people.  If you don't have the right people you can't do any of these things well.

Why markets?

My wife started to have children and now we have 6. This meant she couldn't work anymore during the week which was the perfect opportunity to do what I had always wanted to do: set up a market stall.

Always there with a smile, always happy to chat with customers, the Bowen's mob are a part of what (we feel at least) "makes" Kings Cross Markets THE place to hang on a Saturday morning

What is it about market life that sets it apart from shopfront retail

Well about the "Bowen mob" first - you can't train someone to be friendly like that. Giving someone a great roll and having a tiny chat can literally make their morning.

On the question of retail: I suppose the difference is that market allows people to connect with the old world.  Markets have existed for literally thousands of years.  It's a much less formal environment.

Rain, hail or shine you are there weekend in weekend out.  How is that for you

When it's pouring with the rain the die-hards still come out.  On days like that you make just enough to buy a coffee, but we're there for them regardless - every week without fail.

The perfect day for us is a brisk but sunny day in winter.

For anyone who has yet to discover the delights of the Bowen's Bacon & Egg Roll Saturday Routine, what 5 words would you use to get them to get in there and give it a go

We have vegetarian customers - REALLY!

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Now want to see what all the fuss is about and why it is IMPERATIVE you join the throngs of die-hard fans who have been known to travel quite a distance simply to grab a bacon & egg roll?

And yes, they do have vegetarian customers!

Time to do a shout out!

@australienlive

Australien Live

@georgieabay

@kellnance

a_sarpi

Jenni

Solange

Claudia

@jo1foster

Sharing the love with Solange

How long ago did you not only discover but fall in love with Kings Cross Markets

I discovered the market when I moved to Sydney in early 2011 but started visiting more regularly in the middle of 2012, initially for the flowers and then (as I started adopting a healthier lifestyle) for the produce.

What is it about these markets that keeps you coming back

It's a nice walk from where I live.  It's intimate but has everything I need and there are lots of fantastic places nearby

Do you have a favourite stallie and if so, who and why

I don't often indulge in their treats but I love the gozleme stall...soooo yummy

My fave has to be Slowly Does It Food.  Such a huge range of organic delicious produce.

Are the markets now part of your weekly kick-back and chillax Saturday routine

Yep, my routine is a boxing class in the park before strolling to the Markets, having a coffee, browsing and picking up a bag of green produce for the week.

If you could summarise why Kings Cross Markets should be on everyone's "must do" list in one sentence, what would it be

Kings Cross is better known for things other than its Saturday markets, but the vibe there on a Saturday morning is really energising.  And with Kings Cross Station being literally around the corner, it's super easy to get to and have a wander around.

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Huge thank you to the lovely Solange who took some time out of her busy day to share some what she loves about our Kings Cross Market

Sharing the King Cross love with Angelique

When did you first discover Kings Cross Markets

We wanted to buy some quinoa congee that used to be at a stall there.  Soooo many people raved about it, so it became a weekly habit to and get this delicious meal.

Then we moved across the road from the markets and every Saturday we pop downstairs to do our weekly groceries.  It was such a blessing to be so close, especially as my husband had been diagnosed with cancer a few months prior to our move.

Those markets were our lifesaver.  Whilst I was caring for my husband, feeling exhausted and overwhelmed, it was such a positive influence to know that the markets were literally downstairs and would be there each Saturday supplying our organic food.

We see through your blog (www.foodthink.com) raw is an integral part of your life.  Are you able to briefly outline the benefits of raw for those who may not yet be aware/enlightened

I wouldn't say that "raw" is the main thing we began in our eating with my husband's diagnosis.  In fact some people (and macrobiotic food also isn't 100% about raw), raw can be difficult for their systems to enjoy.

Our biggest goal is to eat 3 cups of green a day (kale, rocket, beans etc), 3 cups of colour a day (berries, capsicum, carrots, purple cabbage etc) and 3 cups of sulphur a day (leeks, onions, radish etc).  Blanching food is easier to digest.

We definitely avoid high heat cooking and much prefer the slow method.  We avoid anything BBQ as medical research has shown using this method can be carcinogenic.

So no more "throw a shrimp on the barbie" unless for a very short time with that type of heat.  Wok cooking is ok as long as the food is thrown in and out in a blanching style.

The reasoning for all of this is that the nutrients in food are destroyed if you over cook it.  Our brilliantly progressive GP says "EAT A RAINBOW" daily.  This is our guide (nb: OFM likes that expression!)

Do you have a "can't do without must have every week" item

We prefer to eat what ever is in season.  So the "must haves" change accordingly.  

In summer we LOVE our salads.  In winter we cut up raw kale and leave it at the bottom of the any warming dish that we make.  This way it is warmed, delicious but we also get to eat it as raw as possible.

Do you have a stallie and if so, why?

Rita's veggie stall is our favourite and is our sole reason for shopping.  It is conventional but doesn't mean the quality (for us at least) is any lesser and helps with our budgetary needs.

I like to chat with the stallholders and ask where their farms are, what sort of pesticides they use and even go visit them if I can.

Information is the key to understanding.

Can you sum up in one sentence why people should make Kings Cross Market their number 1 activity on a Saturday morning

It's easy, it's done, it's quick.  The earlier we go the less parking hassle (we now live on the other side of the Harbour).  There is usually a sunny spot to sit in after we have bought our food.  We get a take away coffee and enjoy people watching!

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With that we say thank you Angelique for sharing her love of our markets and we would like to end with this

Food To Think