Royal Croquet Club Bondi

Sara Allen
2nd Dec 2016

If you mention croquet to anyone below middle age, it generally conjures up visions of grandparents doddering around a grass pitch under the guise of an archaic sport. The Royal Croquet Club (RCC) has successfully rolled its namesake into a modern era with a fresh lifestyle festival celebrating food, live music, and art.

An Adelaide export, the travelling cultural festival has also received a warm reception earlier this year touring through Melbourne and Brisbane with thousands flocking to the event. It’s now our turn in Sydney. Descending upon the banks of Bondi, situated in prime position next to the Bondi Surf Life Saving Club, the RCC festival runs daily until Sunday the 4th December 2016 from noon until late.

Self-promoted as an event to welcome all ages, entry is free (except after 6pm on Saturday and Sunday evenings a $20 fee is charged) and guests can meander through the fashion stalls, the numerous food vendors, pop up cocktail bars, art installations, catch live performances from a stellar line-up of bands, and yup, even try your hand with a croquet mallet. The game is surprisingly addictive.

A few days ago, I was treated to a preview of the culinary offerings readily available to purchase at RCC. Keeping in line with the cultural theme, the organizers have curated an impressive selection of some of the best local favourites that our city has.

Included in the options on hand are: Bao Stop serving up a trio of their fluffy bao buns that house a selection of delicious carefully constructed fillings (chicken, pork belly, peking duck) and specialty sauces; Milky Lane have concocted a crispy fish burger endearingly named Frying Nemo that had me going back for more. Die hard carnivores are also catered with an array of more conventional meat choices from this Bondi local. Filipino favourite Hoy Pinoy showcase why they are still the street food kings with their signature skewers. The pork version is glazed with a sticky banana dressing, and the succulent chicken has been traditionally marinated for hours. Mamak needs no introduction, as never ending queues patiently snake outside their restaurant in China Town. This Malaysian institute is serving up many of their best sellers here at the festival including their wafer like roti, a coconut infused curry, and for those chilli fiends out there, accompanied with a fiery homemade sambal olek. Having worked and eaten my way throughout the Middle East for 6 years, I’m no stranger to their cuisine. Old City Kitchen & Bar is a relatively new kid on the Sydney food block but they came up trumps with their renditions of Lebanese bread wraps, and an enticing lamb kofta. If fried chicken is your thing, then make a beeline to Butter. They treat their chicken pieces first in a bath of brine, then exuberantly fry them producing a handheld lip smacking meal that is worth those extra calories. Rounding off the list is Gelato Messina. These people take their sweet stuff seriously, and I happily consumed my body weight in ice-cream that day. Contained in kitsch soup-like cans, there are 4 unique flavours for you to choose, or perhaps pick up all four. I won’t judge. Ranging from decadent black forest to a lighter coconut and lime gelato variation.

Royal Croquet Club
Running until Sunday December 4th midday to late daily
North Bondi Park
For more information head https://royalcroquetclub.com.au/

Picture supplied.