The Ten Best Things to Do at Sydney Good Food Month 2014

You know that feeling of unsurpassed joy you experience when you are eating at a restaurant and you see the waiter approaching your table with your dish? Good Food Month is that feeling. Spread out over a whole month.

Spanning all October, Good Food Month celebrates the joy of food over many diverse platforms — ranging from markets to workshops, talks, tastings and completely unusual, unexpected, food-skewed events. It's also the time when restaurants that we probably couldn't afford open their doors with breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert specials.

This year, Good Food month will feature Israeli food maestro Yotam Ottolenghi, who'll be doing an exclusive dinner, lunch and talk. The list of things to see (and, most importantly, eat) feels endless, so, as usual, we've handpicked the ten best events that you cannot miss if the thought of food makes you feel giddy with excitement.

Night Noodle Markets

You know it's Good Food Month when Hyde Park is transformed into a fairy-lit backyard, dotted with stalls featuring the best Asian food that Sydney has to offer. This year, there will be 50 stalls showcasing these goodies, including the likes of China Republic, Harajuku Gyoza and popular Melbourne eatery Wonderbao, alongside old favourites such as Mamak, Longrain and Din Tai Fung. For the first time in its 16-year operation, the Night Noodle Markets will be operating on Sunday evenings as well. If you're hankering for Asian street food but can't bear the Noodle Market crush, try China Town's Asia on Your Doorstep Festival, which will feature an authentic-as-can-be Little Eat Street on October 25.

October 10 – 26, Hyde Park North. Hours: Mon – Tue 5pm – 9pm, Wed 5pm – 10pm, Thu - Fri 5pm – 11pm, Saturday 4pm - 10pm, Sunday 4pm – 9pm. Free entry.

Momofuku Ssäm Bar 2007

By now, everyone should know what the big deal is with superstar chef David Chang. To those unfamiliar, only two words are necessary: pork buns. We in Sydney have had a chance to experience Chang's Momofuku empire thanks to Momofuku Seiobo opening a while back, but the rest of his restaurants overseas sadly still evade us. Now Momofuku Seiobo is stepping back in time to bring us a taste of New York's Momofuku Ssäm Bar's 2007 menu, some of which is now iconic — like Chang's signature pork belly buns with hoisin, cucumber and spring onions. Best of all, you won't have to fight for a reservation, just for a spot in the queue; no bookings are being taken for Ssäm Bar 2007. All dishes are $10-40, and you get a Tanqueray G&T on arrival.

October 13-18, 6.30pm - 10pm, at Momofuku Seiobo, Level G, The Star, 80 Pyrmont Street.

Journey to the Forbidden Kingdom

What little we know about North Korea ranges from the surprising to the downright bizarre. Something that we know even less about is North Korean fare. The chefs at one of our faves, Kim Restaurant in Potts Point, will open those doors for us, giving us a peek into the cuisine styles of a land not many people get to visit.

October 10, 5 - 10pm, at Kim Restaurant, 7/24-30 Springfield Avenue, via Llankelly Place, Potts Point. $80pp for a five-course banquet matched to Korean spirits. Reservations [email protected]

Foraged Feast at Hill Eatery

Bondi Beach institution Hill Eatery is dedicated to creating the freshest meals from local produce. It is fitting that their contribution to Good Food Month encompasses this passion: guests are invited to forage for their food around Bondi's beach parks and backyards, before the chefs transform it into a delicious and hearty meal. Forage Feast is $98pp for a three-course meal including wine and beer. While you eat, the chefs will explain where ingredients were sourced and the inspiration behind each dish.

October 30, 7pm – 11.30pm at Hill Eatery, 5/39 Campbell Parade North Bondi. Reservations [email protected]. Foraged Feast is a part of the Down to Earth program of events.

Asia Town street food festival

The best (worst?) thing about Good Food Month is that we're almost too spoiled for choice when it comes to picking out the best experience for our tastebuds, making it all the harder. Asia Town fixes this dilemma for you, bringing some of Australia's best chefs to a giant one-off marketplace of tastings, drinks, music and demonstrations. Dishes will be prepared by chefs like founder of Sailers' Thai David Thompson; the man behind Ms G's, Dan Hong; founder of Red Lantern, Luke Nguyen; and Chui Lee Luk, who opened Surry Hills' Chow Bar and Eating House last year. Oh, and not to forget the talented folk from Sokyo, Golden Century, Moon Park, Cho Cho San, and Melburnian restaurants Kong and Chin Chin. That's, like, everyone. This is one of the rare times we recommend going to the Star.

Sunday, October 19, from noon - 8pm, at Star Terrace, Pirrama Road, Pyrmont. $125pp, including tastings, drinks and demonstration sessions. Book at the Good Food Month website.

Halloween Harajuku Pop Up Bar at Sake

For the dressed-up characters walking the streets of Tokyo's famed district of Harajuku, practically every day is Halloween. Now, we can have our own little twist on Japanese style, with Sake Restaurant and Bar resurrecting their Harajuku-themed pop-up bar for Halloween — which means you get to dress up too. There will be themed cocktails and izakaya-style canapes, including skewers, grilled fish, sashimi salad, sushi rolls and — wait for it — deep-fried cheeseburger gyozas. Chill with some spooky tunes thanks to Sake's DJs and you've got a seriously good night sorted.

October 31, 7pm – 12am, at Sake Restaurant and Bar, 12 Argyle Street, The Rocks. $45pp including three cocktails and matching canapes. Reservations [email protected].

The Growers' Market, Pyrmont

Heading to the markets could possibly be one of the nicest ways to spend a day: wandering through mazes of stalls, consuming the sly tester and, in the case of the Growers' Market, enjoying a wonderful view. During its 16 years in operation, the Growers' Market Pyrmont has become one of Sydney's most loved morning markets. As the title suggests, the Growers' Market is all about fresh produce, with 70 stalls presenting freshly harvested food in the shape of cheese, meats, fruit and veggies. The Growers' Market runs on the first Saturday of each month; however, during Good Food Month it will also include cooking demonstrations from Australian food personalities and a fine-food sausage sizzle as a nod to the 'Barbecue Madness' segment of Good Food Month.

October 4, 7am - noon, at Pyrmont Bay Park, Pirrama Road. Free.

Omnivore

The Omnivore world tour is a determined shift away from stuffy exclusive restaurants and close-minded chefs. Adopting the title 'la jeune cuisine' (young chefs, new ideas) the Omnivore movement is based in Paris and unites chefs from all over the world. The Australian four-day event will feature masterclasses, dinners and an 'Omnivorous Party' on October 4, the latter including bouchees pastries, music and drinks with a backdrop of the harbour. Hear, learn from, dine with and eat the food of chefs from eateries such as Nomad, Pinbone, The Bentley and Papi Chulo.

October 2-5. Masterclasses $45 half day/$80 full day), Omnivorious party $45. Reservations via the Omnivore website.

Sip & Savour: A Craft Beer Experience

Beer and cider lovers, rejoice. As part of Sydney Craft Beer Week, festival-within-a-festival Sip & Savour are promising two full days of tastings, dining and entertainment, featuring over 250 brews and cider. Some of our most loved Australian microbreweries — including Young Henrys, Six String and Hawthorn Brewing Company — will be pouring throughout the weekend. For those looking for a bit of Beer 101, there's also going to be seminars and workshops teaching you how to start your own brewery and how to successfully match beer with food. But don't conk out too early. Live music acts including 2011 Triple J Unearthed winner Husky, local indie-rock five-piece Castlecomer, electronic indie-pop songstress Lupa J and young singer-songwriter Gordi will be providing tunes all Sunday night.

October 25 from 11.30am - 1pm) and October 26 from noon - 6pm at Carriageworks, 245 Wilson Street, Eveleigh. Prices vary from $44 - $78. Book tickets at the Sip & Savour website.

StreetFest Food Trucks United

Food trucks tick all the right boxes — cheap, fulfilling, fast and guaranteed to be made fresh on the spot — so it's a wonder why they aren't more easily seen around town. One popular solution to that is Streetfest Food Trucks United, which is returning to fill the void now that long summer nights are on their way. Vendors like Cantina Mobil, Eat Art Truck and a crowd of others will fill the space of Belmore Park, along with stages for live art, music and some fun entertainment like rap-battles and street performances.

October 10, 5pm - 10pm, at Pyrmont Bay Park, Pirrama Road. Pyrmont. Free entry.

By the Concrete Playground team.