Light Up Leederville Carnival Launch party

You are here: Home » Perth » Light Up Leederville Carnival Launch party

This week’s blog post was written by my guest writer Jenna. Jenna and I share our two biggest passions in life; cats and food. With so much amazing things happening around Perth lately, I have offered her the position as  my guest blogger on Chompchomp so my dear readers can read even more content on exciting things happening in our city’s foodie scene. 

I was lucky enough to receive an invite to a long table lunch to launch the Light Up Leederville Carnival. This was a ten course lunch held in the piazza on Newcastle Street outside Duende to kick off the carnival and to provide recognition to some of the key community members and businesses involved. The day was perfect for it: beautiful blue skies, not too warm with a light breeze blowing gently enough to keep outdoor diners comfortable. All food supplied was made on site in the nearby restaurants and carried to us at the piazza before being served.

DSC_0229-2

P1040464-1

The first course was supplied by Guzman y Gomez, a recent addition to Leederville. I always enjoy their guacamole, pico di gallo and house-made tortilla crisps and today was no exception. Such simple fare suited the laid back atmosphere.

DSC_0231-3

We were then presented with a traditional prawn cocktail supplied by Sweetlips of Leederville. The prawn meat was succulent with a tasty cocktail sauce and some silky avocado to enjoy. Being from an Australian household, the prawn cocktail is a very common feature at family Christmas lunch and this dish was a reminder of how close we are to that time of year. I still have to say that my Nan’s is better…just.

P1040454 590

We were then offered an onion bhaji from Bricklane. Made in the traditional fashion using chickpea flour, it was subtly spiced with perfect texture. As big fans of Indian food we found it a little bland for our usual tastes but enjoyable and would have pleased most palates.

DSC_0234-5

Zambrero supplied vegetarian chikitos which were very cute child-sized burritos. Enough for a few mouthfuls, I was feeling a little full by this time as the food was coming out quickly. As if sensing my need for a break, we were offered sorbet as a palate cleanser. This was a cucumber and mint sorbet crafted by Gusto Gelato. There was a little too much sugar overpowering the cucumber and perhaps lacking a citrus zing but still very refreshing.

DSC_0238-7

There was no rest for the wicked and the dishes continued to arrive. Malaysian-style satay sticks from Low Key Chow House were a crowd favourite. Deliciously sticky sauce with a smoky undertone from the charcoal grill. I mournfully wished I had put more of these on my plate as I watched the dish whisk away to serve another table.

DSC_0240-8

We were then served a traditional paella from the always popular Pincho’s. As usual, there were no disappointed faces and while I felt the rice in my serve was a little undercooked, the flavours were good.

DSC_0236-6

The wine was supplied by Cherubino Wines from the South West of WA. I have a tendency to get on my soap box about WA wine as I feel we make some of the best wines in the world. Cherubino had some nice wines for the event and I was particularly charmed by their white wine, an interesting blend of Pinot Grigio, Gurwerztraminer, Sauvignon Gris and Riesling.

P1040461 590

Our official entertainment included 17 year old Telstra Road to Discovery finalist, Sydnee Carter. Her gentle acoustic guitar and lovely singing voice completed the summer vibe. We were surprised towards the end with a taste of some more of the performers who will join the Carnival, a wandering troupe of lavishly dressed musicians.

P1040477 590A small ceremony to ‘light up’ the Carnival saw Town of Vincent Mayor John Carey pedalling his hardest on a small bicycle to power a case of lightglobes. This represented the amazing commitment to power the carnival using only renewable energy sources, a first for a Western Australian event! All stalls and stages will be powered by a combination of wind, solar, recycled oil as well as pedal power if any cyclists out there are willing to lend their legs to the cause.

P1040465-1

P1040470-2

To finish our lunch we were served a gluten free Carribean chocolate cake by Alternative Bites. Typical of some GF cakes, the sponge was a little dry but the mousse had a lovely texture and a hint of orange. Orange chocolate is one of my faves, so this was a pleasing end to our lunch.

DSC_0241-9

The Light Up Leederville Carnival runs from 12pm to 9pm on Sunday, December 6th ending in the evening with the ceremonial switching on of the Christmas lights and a fireworks display. The Carnival will also have 200 market stalls, 8 stages of performers and local artists as well as showcasing some of Leederville’s best local eateries.

www.leedervillecarnival.com.au | Facebook

 Jenna attended the Light Up Leederville Launch as am invited guest on behalf of Chompchomp. 

Comments are closed.