Night Noodle Markets introduce the Sunday Sessions

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Citi VIP area at Good Food Month Night Noodle Markets, 10-26 October 2014, Hyde Park North, Sydney

If you thought the Good Food Month Night Noodle Markets couldn't get any bigger in Sydney's Hyde Park, you were slightly off. Introducing the first ever Sunday Sessions of the infamous Noodle Markets, from Sunday afternoons at 4pm to 9pm from 10-26 October 2014.

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Lantern feature near the St James entrance

That's right, the Noodle Markets are on for our outdoor eating pleasure seven nights a week for just over two weeks during Good Food Month.

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Chinese lion dancers

But wait, there's more. The Noodle Markets have enlisted dessert big guns Gelato Messina, which are killing it in the themed festival scene, as well as bringing up bao barons Wonderbao and Filipino street food maestros Hoy Pinoy up from Melbourne to Hyde Park.

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Citi VIP area

The opening Friday night was insanely packed so I was glad to be able to squirrel away to the Citi VIP area, with its signature canopy of fairy lights. With a dedicated bar, Chefs Gallery noodle making demonstrations and the in-demand Citi concierge, it's the place to be for Citi cardholders.

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Seating in the Citi VIP area

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Citi concierge in action

As per last year, the Citi concierges will fetch food from stalls, bypassing the usual queues to deliver food to you in the Citi VIP area.

I'm not sure if there are rotating options through the two weeks, but on Friday it was only East Ocean Restaurant and Chat Thai on offer.

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Deep fried options of the Jumbo Pack from East Ocean Restaurant

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Steamed dumplings and bao from East Ocean Restaurant

With Friday drinks well underway, East Ocean's jumbo box of basically everything they have was a good option.

Top picks would have to be the Peking duck pancakes and salt and pepper pork chops, while the salt and pepper squid legs seem to be my annual Noodle Market must-have. Some of the steamed dumpling options were wanting, and without chilli sauce some were just downright dull.

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Steamed bao and gua bao from Wonderbao

Sydney loves something fresh, so aside from the long queues in the direction of the literally smoking Hoy Pinoy stall, Wonderbao seemed to be a popular pick with steamed buns as well as gua bao with various fillings on offer.

The latter garnered nods of approval all round, while the vegetarian steamed bao was moderately interesting to a herbivore.

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OzHarvest stand

There are fortune cookies on offer at the OzHarvest stand in exchange for a gold coin donation, near the giant inflatable lucky cat.

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Thatchers Cider area

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New seating options

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Yalumba bar (left) and Gelato Messina stall (right)

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SMH subscriber seating area

Ticks to the organisers for what looks like more seating options this year and some great sponsored spaces like the Thatcher's cider area, Tanqueray Gin Garden, Yalumba bar with upstairs space, and dedicated SMH subscriber seating beneath a tent-like structure.

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Lantern feature near St James entrance

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Lanterns

I'll be heading back to the over the next couple of weeks - maybe even on a Sunday night - with a hit list off the menu and some nostalgia for another year of Noodle Markets.

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SMH subscriber hub

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