What's the lowdown?
There's a show on the telly called MasterChef that you might have heard of. All-round top bloke Matt Sinclair was the runner-up this season (only by a two-point margin, mind) and with business/kitchen partner Moe Rickard, he's now serving Asian-inspired street snacks at Ten Piece Cutlery, a food truck permanently parked Hamilton's Eat Street Markets.
Why should I care?
Because it's properly good food. A cut far above most of the noodles, pancakes, and chocolate sauce-drenched crepes found elsewhere at the night-time shipping container markets. All meat and seafood is sourced from Queensland and Sinclair is working closely with local farmers for the veg. The dishes are bright, fresh, full of flavour, and healthier than chips on a stick.
Very good. What are we eating?
The launch menu featured three items including fried Mooloolaba school prawns wrapped up in a taco with gochu (Korean pepper) mayo and wombok (two for $12) that punch with flavour. Props to Sinclair for keeping the prawn heads attached. If you've never had a whole school prawn before, head over to Eat Street and edify yourself.
A disposable wooden fork makes short work of slow-cooked tamarind-glazed beef brisket spiked with lemongrass-infused Thai fish sauce and served on vermicelli noodles ($14). Meanwhile, salt-and-pepper whiting tails with pearl barley, chilli-ginger dressing and crisp-fried shallots ($13) are gently pan-fried to put the flavour of fresh Queensland fish in the spotlight.
The menu will evolve over time, although punters can expect similar dishes if they pay a visit on the weekend (although the whiting might appear in a slider instead, says Rickard).
Will I have to line up for very long?
Probably not. Ten Piece Cutlery is located on the booze-free grass area away from the main market hubbub, so a lot of punters have likely filled up on funnel cake before they realise it's there. Best advice is to bypass the gozleme stands and head straight for Sinclair. Just don't have a beer or wine in your hand because for annoying licensing restrictions, you'll be told to finish it before setting foot on the lawn.
►Open Fri-Sat 4pm-10pm; Sun 11am-3pm.
Eat Street Markets, 99 MacCarthur Avenue, Hamilton, 07 3358 2500, tenpiececutlery.com.au
