Home to the largest urban population in Australia – and the most culturally and linguistically diverse one at that – Western Sydney is finally having a moment. Off the back of anthology film Here Out West, the ABC is taking us on a food tour of the area with its new documentary series 8 Nights Out West, exploring the varied and ultimately delicious cuisines thriving in the region's cultural hubs.
What is 8 Nights Out West about?
Separated into eight parts, actor and filmmaker Arka Das will be joined for a meal by a special guest from Here Out West. Each meal is an opportunity to spotlight a restaurant or suburb dishing up exciting, authentic flavours and the community behind the cuisine.
Episode one begins in Lakemba, specifically along Railway Parade which is known as the Bangladeshi strip. Hailing from Bangladesh himself, Das calls upon fellow actors Rahel Rohman and Thuso Lekwape to join him soaking up the flavours and sounds of their surrounds.
As for the other episodes? Expect to land in Rooty Hill for Filipino fare and Blacktown for a Burmese and Kurdish meal. Meanwhile, the camera will follow Das as he eats his way through Canley Heights for Vietnamese, Guildford for Lebanese, stopping at Fairfield for Chilean asado, and finally capping the series off with Indian at the ambient Harris Park.
Who is involved?
As mentioned, writer and actor Arka Das will host the series. In an interview with Urban List he said, “Growing up eating all around Western Sydney—which undoubtedly has the best food game—I thought about how there was no food show" spotlighting the food I was eating. And so, "I wanted to make one through a local lens and talk to the communities that are holding up the food culture in the area,” he explained.
“The diversity and breadth of food in Western Sydney is unmatched, and I hope more people find travelling for good food accessible after watching the show," Das continued.
Is there a release date?
If you want to tune into 8 Nights Out West, a new episode will air on ABC TV and land on ABC iview every Sunday at 8:30pm. The first is already live, so what are you waiting for?
