The Cooks’ Tour at Dandenong Market: A Foodie Adventure Worth Savouring
If you’re looking for a true feast for the senses in Melbourne, The Cooks’ Tour at Dandenong Market is a lesser-known delight worth exploring. This guided tour, led by the charismatic chef Tim Hollands, offers a peek into the incredible variety of ingredients and cultures that make the market a culinary treasure trove.
Tim is known for his passion and expertise. He goes beyond the usual shopping experience, immersing you in the stories behind the stalls at Dandenong Market. Along the way, he shares favourite cooking secrets and introduces you to flavours that will bring something entirely new to your kitchen.
The Cooks’ Tour at Dandenong Market: A Unique Foodie Adventure
We meet up with Tim and the other tour participants on a crisp morning, ready to explore. Tim’s enthusiasm is infectious. He shares how Dandenong has become a go-to for adventurous home cooks looking for specialty items and authentic ingredients from around the world.
Tim starts by introducing us to a few of the traders, each with their own unique stories and tips for working with their products. From hand-rolled pastries to spice blends that evoke distant places, the selection feels like a passport to international cuisine.
The traders’ warmth and dedication shine through as they explain how to use, store, and enjoy their goods. This personal touch makes the experience feel genuine and authentic.
Next, we head to the kitchen for an in-depth cooking demonstration and more tastings.
Stories of Travel and Tradition
Chef Tim brings his own rich travel experiences into the tour, weaving stories that add an extra layer of authenticity.
Together with his partner Lena, Tim shares tales from their adventures abroad, illustrating how foods and traditions from far-off places connect to what’s right in front of us.
Our Review
Absolutely loved the whole market experience today. Tim was a great guide, showing us around the different aspects of the market, in a very friendly, natural manner. Gathering a few samples of food from different stalls, explaining the ethnic background of the people and sometimes a personal story as well, it was easy to feel a familiar, family-like atmosphere.
We were able to taste the food from the different stalls as an “entree” to Tim’s cooking class where we were shown how to cook 2 curries, and then enjoy eating a fish curry, yellow rice and sambal, followed by a chicken curry with roti. Dessert was poached pears, which Lena was in charge of, and Tim demonstrated how to make the super delicious caramel sauce. The whole time Tim chatted very naturally, easy to follow and I personally found his explanation of using whole-seed spices very inspiring I could easily follow his instructions and make my own curries from scratch. Wonderful.
I found the idea of being guided through the various food stalls and then attending a “cooking class” very innovative and very enjoyable. However, the price might be too much for a pensioner, but what a wonderful gift, or experience for other Seniors, Totally recommend this to anyone and would love to come again, even as far as from Geelong, to experience the “Food tasting tour”.
After our lovely “Food Time” we enjoyed walking around the rest of the market, buying some plants and produce. The prices of goods at the market all seemed very fair and affordable.
– Terrie
Seasonal Highlights and Surprises
One of the exciting things about The Cooks’ Tour at Dandenong Market is how it changes with the seasons. Each tour brings a new theme and fresh, seasonal products. This time, the focus was on winter flavours, ideal for hearty curries and spicy stews. We learned about seasonal vegetables, tasted handmade cheeses, and discovered aromatic herbs that bring winter dishes to life.
A real highlight was our stop at a seafood stall, where Tim showed us how to check for freshness and shared his favourite fish marinade recipe. We also visited a delicatessen specialising in Middle Eastern ingredients. There, Tim explained the subtleties of sumac and pomegranate molasses—two ingredients we’d heard of but never really knew how to use.
Our Review
For me, our visit to Dandenong Market was a mix of childhood nostalgia and an awakening into how our multicultural community thrives through enjoying different cuisines.
As a young teenager in the 1960’s I enjoyed many family outings to the Dandy Market. My Mum was a great meat and three veg cook, healthy food for raising a family but not really tantalising to the taste buds. Our venturing into other cuisines involved walking past the one or two delis at the time and wondering what all that strange food was.
Today, 60 years later, I love being part of a community that has developed an amazing acceptance of a large variety of ethnic groups along with their unique cuisines.
On our Cook’s Tour at the Market today it was wonderful to see this acceptance in action as our Guide, Tim, introduced our small group to the aromas, sounds, colours, tastes and characters that welcome you as you explore this place.
We started the tour looking in awe at the wonderfully presented fruit and vegetable stands and wandering among, and meeting some of, the Street Food vendors. Sampling some of their delights was a treat for later in the kitchen.
Wow! The 3.5 hour experience and sharing of Tim and his wife’s knowledge had us salivating as they presented a master-class on curries and spices. All ingredients used, fish, chicken, rice, spices, fruit and more were obtained from the Market and the results of their cooking skills were a taste explosion. A memorable day, well worth doing…
– Chris
Practical Tips and Culinary Wisdom
The Cooks’ Tour isn’t just about browsing; it’s about learning to make the most of the ingredients you take home. Tim made sure everyone left with practical, useful advice for storage and cooking techniques, so we’re sharing some of his best tips below:
- Seasonal Choices Matter: Tim emphasises the value of buying what’s in season. Seasonal ingredients are not only fresher but often more affordable and flavourful.
- Using Exotic Spices: Tim encouraged us to try cooking with spices we hadn’t used before, like sumac, which adds a lemony zest, or Baharat, a Middle Eastern blend that works beautifully in stews and marinades.
- Try Before You Buy: One of the joys of Dandenong Market is the chance to sample products. Tim’s advice? Don’t be shy! Most traders are happy to offer samples, allowing you to explore new flavours before committing.
These are just some of our many takeaways, you’ll have to do the tour yourself to have the full experience.
Tips and Tidbits for The Cooks’ Tour at Dandenong Market
- Arrive hungry and ready to learn, there’s so much value packed into this tour!
- Each of The Cooks’ Tour options vary, however, they generally include a guided market tour, a cooking demonstration, a delicious 5-course meal, and a small goodie bag;
- Cooks’ Tours are seasonal and you can select from different themes, such as pasta or paella making;
- The Cooks’ Tours begin at 10:00 am, and last 3.5 hours;
- Booking is essential as spots on The Cooks’ Tour fill up quickly. You can book your spot through the Dandenong Market website or by calling the market office;
- Check the Dandenong Market website for up-to-date pricing and tour availability;
- Street Food tours at Dandenong Market are another a fun option, shorter in length and without the cooking demonstration;
- The Cooks’ Tour is designed for adults and food enthusiasts, but children over 12 with an interest in cooking may enjoy the experience;
- Let the market office know about any dietary restrictions when you book, so they can inform Chef Tim in advance. The tour offers plenty of sampling opportunities, but Tim is mindful of allergies and restrictions and can guide you to suitable options;
- Have bags or a travel trolley ready for shopping at the market after the tour. Read more about the Dandenong Market here.
Accessibility
Dandenong Market is wheelchair-accessible and offers accessible toilets and wide walkways. Accessible parking spots are located near the market entrances for those coming by car.
Getting There
- By Car: Dandenong Market is about 35km southeast of Melbourne’s CBD. There’s ample parking at the market, with the first two hours free. Enter via Clow Street or King Street for easy access. Ticket holders for The Cooks’ Tour have free parking.
- By Public Transport: Take a train on the Cranbourne or Pakenham lines to Dandenong Station, then hop on a bus or make your way along the streets 950 metres distance.
Dandenong Market
Clow Street &, Cleeland St, Dandenong VIC 3175
(03) 9701 3850
Open hours
Monday Closed
Tuesday 7 am–4 pm
Wednesday Closed
Thursday Closed
Friday 7 am–4 pm
Saturday 7 am–4 pm
Sunday 9 am–4 pm
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