StreetFest Sydney, Belmore Park

StreetFest Sydney
When: First Friday of every month from 5:00pm to 10:00pm
Address: Belmore Park, Eddy Avenue near Central Station
Website: http://foodtrucksunited.com.au/

Ever since the first food truck drove into the streets of Sydney in 2012, hoards of Sydneysiders flocked to them for a bite whether it's for a quick lunch or a late night snack. They have been incredibly popular at various special events - a great alternative to the generic hot chips, kebabs and hot dogs. It's no surprise that there is now a street festival dedicated to food trucks which began late last year when it was known as Food Trucks United. 

In its first event for 2014, it has now expanded to include an art festival and popular street festival food stalls like German hot dogs, Momo dumplings and, of course, Gozleme! 

Everywhere at the festival, you can see artists creating wonderful pieces of artwork of various styles on the spot. Very similar to the street artists you see at different cities around the world. There is also live entertainment including the Street Lounge area which is a ticketed area ($25 entry) where you can enjoy live DJs, dance, chill and enjoy the ambience. 

At this festival, you get to try all (or most depending on their schedule) of the food trucks at one spot. This month's event included Tsuru (Asian), Urban Pasta (Italian), Al Carbon (Mexican), Agape Organic (organic sustainable), Jafe Jaffles, Cantina Movil (more Mexican food), Street Sliders (sliders and chips) and Bar Coco (coffee). While most of Sydney's food trucks were at the festival, there were a few notable absences including Eat Art Truck, Let's Do Yum Cha, Bite Sized Delights, The Nighthawk Diner and Veggie Patch Van - all very delicious and catered to different markets. Hopefully they will be there next month. 

Thanks to the increasingly popularity of pork buns at various restaurants, it was no surprise that Tsuru Food Truck had a steady queue throughout the evening. At $7, the pork belly bun was pricier compared to the likes of Ippudo pork buns which were only $4. Still it was packed with mouth watering fillings including a slice of cucumber and a tender slab of pork belly which was coated with a caramelised sauce with a hint of spices. This was generously filled inside the soft and fluffy bun. You can also order other Asian treats including the bulgogi beef bun, rice (choice of pork belly or bulgogi beef), tsuru chips and curry dip and the pandan pancake for dessert.

Pork Belly Bun ($7.00)

Urban Pasta offers pasta (boh dried and hand-made) with a delicious range of sauces including Amatricana, Napolitana, Boscaiola and the famous Lamb Ragu. As part of StreetFest, Urban Pasta had the Saffro Tagliatelle with Lamb Ragu for $12 - certainly one dish I would love to order again. The staff said that each month, they are aiming to create a different special fresh pasta dish for a bit of variety on the menu. If pasta isn't your thing but you like desserts, they also offer chocolate mousse and vanilla panna cotta with raspberry coulis.

Been a huge fan of Al Carbon (aka La Lupita) since its early days thanks to its authentic street tacos (side note: is La Lupita still opened at The Basement? Prob should head down that way sometime later this week). While it still has those sneaky sauces and slow-roasted meat, there were a few changes. This included a larger tortilla and the white creamy sauce - it didn't taste like sour cream though. It was still very yummy and would easily go for a few more if I had the stomach. V had one as well and really enjoyed it since he's usually not much of a taco fan.

Slow-roasted Tacos - Choice of Lamb or Chicken ($6.00 - Regular, $9.00 - Mega)

The menu at Agape Organic Truck boasts a generous selection of organic and sustainable produce. This includes organic spelt bun chilli dog, organic spelt bun po' boy, organic nachos (with veg option) and organic wagyu chilli and rice (again with vego option)...to name a few! I've actually been curious on what a sloppy joe would be since spotting a few mentions in children's literature over the years. Of course the final product is exactly how the name describes - it really was sloppy and messy. This was packed with Wagyu Beef Chilli Con Carne, Cheddar, Coleslaw, Chimmicurri into a Spelt Bun. Would recommend eating this with a fork. 

Organic Chilli Sloppy Joe ($12.00)

Street Sliders Truck began and mainly operated in the Parramatta and Macquarie Park areas which is good for anyone working in Western Sydney. For those working in the city and wanting to try these sliders, they thankfully do visits to Sydney CBD for this festival. If you are getting way too full, the sliders are actually quite small - as small as it should be. There are three sliders available including the Prime (beef), the Brick (chicken) and Smoke (eggplant) for $5.50 each. We decided to get the beef slider which was well-cooked and juicy for our liking. The side of fries was quite crunchy with a fairly generous serving size. 

Duo Combo of Prime Beef Sliders plus Side of Fries ($13.00)

[Single slider - $5.50, Fries - $4.00]

If you are keen for a drink, there is a pop up bar near the ticketed DJ stage where you can get a range of beers, wines or ciders. I had a glass of Gaymers cider which was not too heavy compared to some ciders I've had in the past. If you are looking for something non-alcoholic and healthier then there is the tall grass cane juice stall. The drink had an organic, naturally sweet and refreshing taste which is lovely to have on a warm summer day.

Gaymers Cider (possibly pear flavour)

Traditional Plain Cane Juice ($5.00)

I'd recommend checking this event out especially if you don't have any plans on the night. It is loads of fun and heaps of food to try. And if your stomach cannot handle that much, it will be back again. The prices will not break your wallet and the food should be able to fill you up. Also a great place to catch up with friends after work on a Friday night without dealing with too much crowds and queues if you show up without a booking. Looking forward to coming back again next month to check out the other trucks, food stalls and the street artwork.

Disclaimer: The Random Foodie attended StreetFest Sydney in February as a guest. This post also covers a visit to StreetFest Sydney (aka Food Trucks United) in late 2013 in which The Random Foodie attended and paid for the food independently. Opinions remain personal.