A bumper 30,000-plus crowd joined Dandenong Market to celebrate All Things Asian on Sunday 9 October.
The event, celebrating the opening of speciality Asian grocery supermarket All Asia, included entertainers, Kung Fu fighters and a feast of Filipino, Vietnamese and Chinese food.
Two roving lion dances snaked their way around the market, through the Bazaar all the way up to the Northern Food Court.
A Vietnamese dance performance and workshop kept crowds entertained, as did the Chinese ribbon dance performance and workshop.
Market Square erupted with a beautifully choreographed Kung Fu demonstration which kept crowds asking for more.
“We know people travelled from as far away as Sorrento, the Yarra Valley and even Geelong, and we loved seeing family groups coming together for the day,” Dandenong Market general manager Jennifer Hibbs said.
“We really appreciate all the support our Market has had, given that this weekend was also the Market’s 156th birthday.”
The authentic Asian street food included Filipino street food, nihaw na manok or Inihaw na baboy (BBQ chicken and pork skewers), as well as popular street food with Si Kat Pinoy’s own secret sweet marinade.
The Arroz Caldo was also on offer, a hearty Filipino porridge made with glutinous rice in homemade chicken broth, seasoned with onion, garlic, ginger, spring onions and fish sauce.
The market was filled with fresh aromatics and queues for the food.
Also served was Sago Gulaman, a Filipino beverage reminiscent of a summer’s day, made with tapioca pearls, water, brown sugar, gulaman and vanilla.
