Five Varieties of Loaded Fries to Discover at the Night Noodle Markets

in partnership with

It's that time of year again, you guys. A glorious season when we cancel all plans, diets and PT sessions and flock joyfully to Birrarung Marr for a smorgasbord of noodley wonder. The menu is exceptional this year with several exciting trends popping up. One such trend is gourmet loaded fries — and not just the kind piled with meat and cheese.

Loaded fries have existed in various forms for a while. We, as a society, are always looking for ways to legitimise our french fry consumption by dressing them up in toppings. But at the Night Noodle Markets, they're going gourmet and getting even more extreme — these aren't your standard poutine or chilli fries. We've compiled a list of the best-loaded fries going round (and beer pairings from Beer The Beautiful Truth to wash 'em down with) so you can beeline straight for the good stuff.

CLOUD THIEF (FORMERLY BAO STOP)

Duck might not be something you would naturally pair with fries, but peking duck-loaded fries take the concept of 'chicken and chips' to the next level. This year Cloud Thief, previously Bao Stop, have brought us a rich serve of duck slathered with peking sauce and served on crispy fries. And we mean crispy. The crunch of the fries really works with the duck fans of Bao Stop will not be disappointed with this dish.

To complement the rich Peking sauce, we recommend indulging in an equally rich beer. White Rabbit Dark Ale is one of Australia's best dark beers, and the caramel and toffee notes work perfectly with the duck.

Kimberley Moore.

POKLOL

Poklol has decided to do what they do best (Korean barbecue meats) and combine them with everyone's favourite potato staple. They beer-battered their fries and deep fry the heck out of 'em before topping with the choice of bulogi beef, chilli chicken or chili pork. And as if that's not enough to sell you, they smother the fries in cheese, kimchi, shallots, Japanese mayo and sweet Korean barbecue sauce. A Little Creatures Pilsner will finish the combo off with a not-too-heavy, not-too-light flavour profile and cool down that chilli burn.

MR MIYAGI

Now, some of you might question the logic of a sushi and french fry hybrid, but dare to be different with Mr Miyagi. His fries are like nothing you've had before — they're made from rice. He takes rolled seasoned sushi rice, batters and deep fries it into thick-cut fries served with creamy, spicy sauce and a ramen dressing.

To balance this carby, crispy, gooey mess, we recommend a light bev. Go for a Little Creatures Pilsner, a light but slightly bitter brew, to cut through the intensity Mr. Miyagi has wrought.

HOY PINOY

Hoy Pinoy knows that if you only eat fries for dinner, your mother will appear out of thin air and start berating you about not eating right. So to transform their fries from a snack to a semi-square meal, they've pushed the limits with a cheeky protein addition.

Their crispy fries come topped with wholesome roasted chicken smothered in a soy, pepper and vinegar glaze — they're so tasty you'll have trouble sharing. We recommend a mild Hahn SuperDry so as not to overwhelm the delicate balance of the glaze and to counterbalance the peppery element.

Kimberley Moore.

BOSOZOKU

Bosozoku is a relative newcomer on the scene, but don't let that fool you — their Night Noodle menu is up there with the big names. They've started with shoestring fries (already winning) and smothered them with katsu curry sauce. Then they add seaweed salt, fresh spring onions and fried shallots, and bang — you'll never be able to eat chicken katsu curry again without wishing it was a pile of fries. It's a rich and moreish dish, we recommend pairing it with a Little Creatures Pilsner, a distinct but light lager that'll pull all the flavours together nicely and compliment the sweet/salty dynamic of curry sauce and seaweed salt.

Hungry for more? See the ten dishes to try at the markets here, and feed all your cravings at the Melbourne Night Noodle Markets with expert beer pairings presented by Beer The Beautiful Truth from November 9–26. Entry is free.