Richmond Night Market: A summer staple of Van City
If you asked someone from Vancouver for the best food Asia has to offer, 9 out of 10 people would point you to the Richmond Night Market. This Asian food market is open every weekend from April to October and is sure to have something for the whole family. I visited the market for the first time last weekend and it was worth every penny.
Getting to the festival is super easy from downtown — take the Skytrain for 20 minutes and then it’s a 10-minute walk away from the station. Don’t worry about getting lost; many signs and volunteers are standing waiting to assist you to the venue. If you’re driving, plenty of parking is available, removing the need to follow people leaving the market like a stalker to find a car spot.
Once at the market, I found a huge line at the entrance just to get in and it stretched to the parking lot, but I soon realized that it moves fast. Unfortunately, while I was standing in line I realized that the market and stalls mostly only accept cash. But DO NOT do what I did. Being the dumb Torontonian in Vancouver, I walked 20 minutes far to find an atm only to realize there were ATMs right by the entrance, albeit hidden behind the sea of people. Moral of the story: check for ATMs at the venue before panicking and walking off a mile away.
When I entered, I was taken aback by all the aromas and sounds. It feels right, the right place to be for a foodie. There is a huge stage by the entrance for performances. If you are into K-pop you will have a blast watching them. The performances run all day so you can always catch one, no matter what time you choose to visit. These performances are usually local dancing or singing groups volunteering so be sure to give them a huge cheer when you see them.
Coming to the food, although I was limited to seafood due to the minimal halal options available, I still found myself in a food coma by the end of the night. The first item I tried was deep-fried squid. I know what you’re thinking, “Squid? Zohair?” But hear me out — it tasted delicious. The squid was cooked to perfection and the spicy sauce gave it just the right amount of heat. I ordered a small plate for 18 dollars but it was more than enough for two people. My brother and I finished the whole plate in less than five minutes. The squid was a solid 8/10 given how well the sauce complemented the coating around the squid. Every bite was full of flavor which I could just not get enough of.
For dessert, we got the mochi french toast. This was the highlight of my night. Believe me when I say these were the best fresh toasts I have ever had. They were so soft in the center and crispy on the outside, cooked to absolute perfection. Paired with the mochi and the Nutella dressing, it was a combo to die for. It was so good we had to have it twice. The French toast is a 10/10 in my books. Believe me, I will go back every weekend just to have them again.
After we were done eating we headed to the carnival games. We tried our luck with ring toss and milk bottle throw but failed miserably. Both were for 10 dollars and you get 5 tries. We only had to hit the target thrice to win something. We could not hit one -_-. As a software engineer, my subpar coding skills could not help me win one prize-who would’ve thought huh? There was one game called Reaction Ring, where you had to catch falling magnetic sticks before they hit the ground. For 20 dollars you are given three rounds in the ring. I went into the ring thinking ‘This game, I’m going to kill’ — and sadly managed to only catch one stick :). Looks easy but once that first stick falls you lose all your composure. Here is a video of Minifilo one of the people working the machine. I found out the hard way that it’s not as easy as he portrays it to be.
Defeated by the games we turned to our only source of happiness: FOOD. It was now time to try the deep-fried dynamite roll. This was essentially a deep-fried sushi roll in the shape of a hot dog for 20 dollars. The tempura for the roll had been cooked to perfection and the spicy mayo sauce made it all come together so nicely. I was left licking my fingers afterward. It was a bit difficult to eat because the cucumbers and avocado kept slipping out of the roll but all in all it was a solid 7/10. I thought it was a little too pricey for one roll but that’s just the Richmond Night Market for you.
Of course, we could not end the night without another dessert so we went and got hot buns with cookies and cream ice cream. The bun was so soft and gooey when you bit into it. With every bite fireworks went off in my mouth. The creamy richness of the ice cream mixed with the softness of the buns ooh la la. It was to die for. For only 15 dollars this was a solid 9/10. I would’ve liked a bit more ice cream for the size of the bun but it was more than enough to satisfy my sweet tooth.
All in all, the Richmond Night Market is a wonderful celebration of Asian food and culture in Vancouver, and a must-visit for all foodies, local or visiting. However, it is a bit on the pricier side, so make sure to take a decent amount of cash with you (or you could always use one of the ATMs on site. Visiting this market will be one of my frequent weekend excursions this summer and I highly recommend it be yours too. It is a family-friendly place with lots to do for everyone going.
Overall Rating: 8/10.👌✨
