Almost 50 restaurants, food vans and eateries are participating in this year’s event

DARWIN’S second annual Laksa Festival kicks off today

Darwin's Laksa Festival is on again in 2020. Picture: Che Chorley

DARWIN’S second annual Laksa Festival kicks off today, with the next four weeks set to be dedicated to the iconic spicy soup.

Almost 50 restaurants, food vans and eateries are participating in this year’s event after the rousing success of the inaugural celebration of the Top End staple last year.

Festival goers will be able to vote for their favourite out of a total of 61 laksa or laksa-inspired dishes via the official Laksa Festival app.

Despite a last-minute glitch with the $30,000 app, it is now available to download.

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The winners will be crowned at a ceremony on November 29, where the top dishes in the People’s Choice and Judges’ Choice categories will be named.

For the overall Golden Bowl winner, top secret “laksa ninjas” will be visiting registered eateries throughout the month and short-listing the best of the best.

The top 10 venues will then participate in a blind tasting by an expert panel of judges, to decide on the ultimate Golden Bowl winner for 2020.

Darwin's Laksa Festival is on again from today. Photograph: Che Chorley

Once the app is live, users will be able to keep track of the laksa they’ve tried so far and with each dish tasted, their laksa profile will increase — starting at “laksa learner” before graduating to “laksa legend” status.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner said the festival was part of the Territory’s plan for economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

“The Territory is the safest place in Australia, which means we are back in business, back to work and back to enjoying the great Territory lifestyle — and that means smashing a laksa for brekky, lunch or dinner,” he said.

“But this isn’t just about laksas, this is about jobs — the Laksa Festival puts us on the map, boosts tourism and supports local jobs — so buy more laksas to save more jobs.

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“It is my priority to support Territory businesses by boosting the number of visitors coming into town and creating more local jobs for Territorians.”

Member for Port Darwin, Paul Kirby said attracting people back to the CBD was one way to help retail and hospitality businesses bounce back after tough economic times.

“The Laksa Festival is another way we are activating our CBD including through our street art festivals creating world-class murals, and our historic overhaul of our State Square by making it cooler and greener,” he said.