One of the great things about the Enlighten Night Noodle Market is that smaller local Canberra businesses get to introduce their food to locals and visitors who may not have tasted their food before.

This year is the first time Miss Van’s Street Food is taking part in the Night Noodle Market, and for owner Andrew Duong, he is looking forward to the overall experience of being part of the markets (yes including the queues) and bringing his food to a large Canberra audience.

I caught up with the very enthusiastic Andrew at Miss Van’s usual location at Westside Acton Park to discuss all things noodle market. As a small business Miss Van’s is keeping their menu small – serving three items, to ensure every single aspect of the dish is the best it can be, Andrew has made the curry base from scratch.

“Its a noodle market – so we have to serve noodles right?”

Coconut Chicken Curry Noodle Soup – made from Nan’s 50 year old recipe,

So what’s on the menu?

“It’s a noodle market – so we have to serve noodles right?” Andrew told me. He is making one of his favourite dishes, his nan’s 50-year-old recipe for Coconut Chicken Curry Noodle Soup. Miss Van’s has already done a test trial of the curry based soup in Canberra, serving it from their Westside Acton Park stall last winter. “It went gangbusters” Andrew said, “We got great feedback”.

Miss Van’s has worked in collaboration with another local Canberra business, Dream Cuisine, to develop a simple dessert – a Coconut and Pandan Portuguese Custard Tart. They are infusing coconut milk with pandan and baking fresh tarts each day of the markets.

Also, for sale are jars of Miss Van’s Chilli Oil,  that goes with everything (one of his staff members told me they eat it on their eggs for breakfast).

Miss Vans – Chilli Oil

We sampled the Coconut Chicken Curry Noodle Soup and the Coconut and Pandan Portuguese Custard Tart. I was worried that a curry soup on a hot summer afternoon would be hot + hot + hot, but I was so wrong. The curry was mild and soft with tender boneless chicken, as though it had been in a slow cooker and the noodles soaked up the curry soup. The Portuguese Custard Tart nicely complimented the curry soup, with light, flaky pastry and subtle flavours – the pandan did not overpower the coconut flavours.

Miss Van’s is easy to spot at the Night Noodle Markets, look for the bright yellow signs, and Andrew is eager to hear what you think of Nan’s soup

What you need to know:

• Enlighten Night Noodle Markets 2016
• 4-13 March 2016
• stalls open from 5 pm
• Reconciliation Place, Canberra

Coconut and Pandan Portuguese Custard Tart

On social:

Instagram: @missvansfood

Facebook: Miss Van’s

Twitter: @missvansfood

Hashtags: #missvansfood #EnlightenNightNoodleMarket #EnlightenCanberra #Enlighten2016 #VisitCanberra #SoFrankSocial #CBRmap_festival