Darwin Laksa Festival 2020

By Ken Teo at Ausinet – 18 December 2020 – Australian Institute of Electrotechnology

What is Laksa?

Darwin is known for its diverse culture, beautiful scenery, tropical lifestyle, its ever-lively harbour, and you guessed it right – the crocodiles. However, Darwin is now known as the undisputed laksa capital of Australia, where this spicy noodle soup is served with shredded chicken or pork, fish, or prawns. You can get it at most restaurants all day long. Many restaurants in the city today claim to offer the best laksa soup.

It might seem strange that Darwiners are obsessed with laksa, however, Darwin’s shorter distance to Asia and its multicultural society means that laksa is Darwin most popular cuisine without a doubt. Whether laksa comes from Indonesia, Malaysia or Vietnam, every bowl can be personalised to meet your specific taste up here. The noodle soup is even celebrated in the month-long Darwin Laksa Festival and experimented with different flavours and ingredients.

Dates: 26 October - 29 November

Image Courtesy from Darwin International Laksa Festival Facebook

Territorians embrace their multicultural community, love for adventure and tropical climate while participating in one of their favourite pastimes, eating laksas. The Territory laksas are considered to be amongst the best in the world. As a result, the Darwin Laksa Festival competition is being held for the second year to celebrate all things Laksa. The competition was open to any restaurant, café, or stall in the NT that served any laksa dish. From October 26 to November 29, everyone could take part in a Laksa Food Tour, visiting eateries to taste and vote for the People’s Choice Laksa.

The festival culminated in the CBD on Sunday, 29 November, in the evening, when the winners of the prestigious Golden Bowl Award and the two People’s Choice for Best Laksa and Best Inspired by Laksa Dish were announced. The judging panel led by Territory restaurateur and owner of Hanuman, Jimmi Shu, was invited to taste and score several laksas throughout the tour. The top ten laksas were determined by averaging their scores. They were also in a blind-tasting session to determine the Golden Bowl winner.

Records Smashed at the 2020 Laksa Festival

Image Courtesy from Darwin International Laksa Festival Facebook

There were 40 nominations for last year’s Laksa Festival. This year’s event was even bigger, better, and spicier, with Territory Laksa legends setting new marks.
During the Darwin Laksa Festival 2020:

❁ Almost 5,000 laksas and laksa-inspired dishes were purchased

❁ More than 1,300 votes were cast for the best laksa dish and laksa-inspired dish

❁ There were 49 participating venues and restaurants, offering 34 laksa dishes and 34 laksa-inspired offerings, including schnitzels, smoothies, ice cream, martinis, dumplings, and cocktails.

Winners were announced on the final day of festival celebrations at Chung Wah Society, Woods Street, on Sunday, 29 November, at 6 pm. The winners of the Laksa Festival 2020 are:

❁ People’s Choice Laksa Award: Mary’s Laksa

❁ People’s Choice Inspired by Laksa Dish Award: Berry Springs Tavern

❁ Golden Bowl Award: Chok’s Place

Where Can You Find Laksa in Darwin?

“Seafood Curry Laksa” by Raymund is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

Mary, the owner and cook of the well-known 20-year-old stall, makes everything from scratch each week, even the freshly ground laksa paste. The line that snakes through the market is a testament to the high recognition of her food.

From Mindil Beach to Rapid Creek and Fred’s Pass, practically all Darwin markets include laksa vendors to guarantee that everyone may enjoy this delicious cuisine. The laksa vendors provide a variety of delicious alternatives as well as excellent sites to watch the sunset in the NT. When there are no market stalls accessible, there is always a neighboring cafe or restaurant to satiate your cravings.

If you want to try Darwin’s award-winning best laksa, head to Chok’s Place in the Galleria on Smith Street Mall. They won this year’s laksa festival “Golden Bowl”, which was judged by local restaurateur Jimmy Shu and other panellists via a blind tasting.

To sample the People’s Choice laksa festival winner, then head to Mary’s stall at the year-round Parap Markets. Mary, the proprietor and cook of the well-known 20-year-old stall, prepares everything from scratch every week, including the freshly ground laksa paste. The long line in the market attests to her food’s popularity.

If you are looking for some bizarre laksas, you can visit the Berry Springs Tavern at Cox Peninsula to try their laksa schnitzel and laksa martini. These creative meal recipes gave them the People’s Choice Inspired by Laksa Dish award.

Conclusion

Image Courtesy from Darwin Laksa Mindil Beach Markets Facebook

The festival has successfully encouraged Territorians and visitors to eat out and order takeaways at some of Darwin’s fabulous eateries. It has been supporting jobs in what is traditionally called the quiet wet season period.

As stated by the NT Chief Minister, Michael Gunner, “The Laksa Festival is truly a celebration of an iconic Territory dish that brings people together and helps keep locals in jobs”.