The Weekend Series: from giant soup dumplings to ramen ice-cream – five things we are vibing on in October
Can you believe it’s October already? Soon enough we’ll be seeing Christmas decorations popping up everywhere, but not before we give you the rundown on what’s popping at home and around the world this month. If you like experimental food concoctions or are gearing up for the summer festival season, have a gander at what we are vibing this month.
Giant Soup Dumplings
If you like dumplings and/or soup you might want to sit down for this (or jump for joy, it’s your call). A hot new food trend we have noticed from across the pond sees the popular Chinese steamed xiao long bao or XLB dumplings taken to the extreme. Made famous by New York City’s Drunken Dumpling, these mega-sized tang bao or soup buns (or XXLB as we are calling them, for ‘extra extra large’) are massive liquid-filled dumplings often made with pork or crab gelatin that melts into a tasty filling. Tang bao soup dumplings are served in an individual basket and with a straw (a STRAW goddammit) – simply puncture and slurp.
Image via 626 Night Market Blog
KarTent
Camping festivals are some of the best ways to enjoy live music – the sights, sounds and atmosphere are almost unparalleled. That being said, many large-scale camping festivals face a troubling issue with leftover garbage comprised not only of food waste but also camping gear that has simply been left behind for clean-up crews to deal with. A group of young entrepreneurs from the Netherlands have come up with an ingenious idea to solve this issue – cardboard tents. KarTent is currently popping up at Dutch festivals, with rows of tents suitable for the average person solving space and waste issues. The tents can withstand a few showers and will last under heavy weather conditions for several days. Once the festival is over the tents are recycled and repurposed. KarTent is looking to put tents at Australian music festivals within the next 12 months – interested parties are encouraged to get in touch.
Ice-cream ramen
Don’t scroll past this – hear us out. Ramen is without a doubt catching on in Brisbane thanks to a proliferation of quality spots around town. While some of us (me included) can’t get enough noodle soup, the future of the dish might have already gone beyond our wildest dreams. The latest in the wild and wacky world of experimental desserts is ice-cream ramen. Instagram is blowing up with pictures of the incredible dessert – focusing predominantly on the work of The Dessert Kitchen in New York City where kanten (a jelly like substance) is cut into noodles and layered over fresh fruit and doused in a creamy sauce. Okay, there’s no real ice-cream here, but it wouldn’t be hard to pack a few scoops in were some intrepid chef in Brisbane be willing to take a crack at making some (wink wink, nudge nudge).
Vans x Pixar’s Toy Story
Fans of Toy Story take special note of this one – Vans has just unveiled the first pictures of a limited run of sneakers inspired by the iconic Pixar films. The collaboration has resulted in a range of footwear and accessories that combine the classic Vans silhouette with some special colourways. Woody’s boots and Buzz Lightyear sneakers feature alongside many other beloved character, which are featured on the collection’s patterns across shoes, backpacks and caps. Want to know the best detail? Each pair of shoes has ANDY written across the bottom – caution: nostalgia warning is in full effect. The Disney Pixar Toy Story range will be available to shop in Vans retail stores and online as of Friday October 7.
Westworld
In television news, this year has yielded some absolute home runs when it comes to engrossing and entertaining shows. We’re not talking about Game of Thrones (we already know it’s great) – we’re talking about hot, fresh out of the oven shows. Of the newcomers making waves this year, we are buzzing over the likes of Netflix’s bulletproof superhero Luke Cage (which was reportedly so popular upon debut that it broke Netflix), Danny McBride’s darkly funny Vice Principals, Childish Gambino a.k.a Donald Glover’s Atlanta and HBO’s newest smash Westworld. Based on Michael Crichton’s sci-fi novel of the same name, Westworld takes audiences into a futuristic Western-inspired theme park inhabited by synthetic androids. Be sure to keep track of these shows come awards season next year.
BONUS: Coffee in an edible waffle cone
Coffee in an edible cup? That’s some goddamn Willy Wonka business right there. We noticed the coffee in a cone craze pop up on Instagram a few months ago, when South African barista Dayne Levinrad started pumping out the dessert caffeine hit. So how does it work? A custom-made waffle cone is lined with not one but four (yes, four) layers of chocolate, ensuring your beloved (and hot) coffee doesn’t spill out. But this isn’t your leisurely cup of jo – you need to make sure you finish in ten minutes before the chocolate layers melt. They you get to chomp down that chocolately espresso-y waffley cone and let the wave of pure joy wash over you. We’re happy to report the craze has finally come to Australia (eee!), and you can get it close to home on the Gold Coast at new Hot Shott in Main Beach. Brisbane cafes, we’re looking at you!
Image via Coffee in a Cone
