Food & Fun: A night at the 626 Night Market

Friday afternoon, the first day of this monthly summer event called 626 Night Market, the temperature was 82 degrees but in direct sun it felt more like 100 degrees. Despite the grueling temperature, hundreds of people brave the heat exposure and flock to Santa Anita Race Track for the opportunity at the first taste of Asian street food.

As a veteran attendee of this event, the plan of action is to walk the layout and make mental notes of dishes I should try. This “window shopping” will help to find alternative spots to purchase some of the more commonly sold items.

For five years, 626 Night Market has brought both authentic and fusion style Asian food to Southern California.

The gates open and vendors are still setting up while the masses filter in. The atmosphere is laid back as people take their time visiting each vendor’s stall. If previous years have taught me anything, it’s that pacing oneself during this eating Olympics is a must. There are so many food vendors to choose from, from the exotically weird to the deep fried familiar. This event can bring even those with the biggest appetites to their knees.

 

But first, an ice cold libation is in order for some relief from this beating sun. A slushie seems fitting but not just any slushie, one served in a light bulb. In a recent youtube video by Megan Bowen, an American living in South Korea, drinks served in light bulbs seem to be all the rage in South Korea. Being a fan of the lychee fruit, I decided to take a chance on this flavored offering. This decision didn’t disappoint. It was a bit on the sweet side, but the fragrant frozen fruit juice served in a kitschy glass light bulb was just what the doctor ordered.

Walking around getting the lay of the land can build up quite an appetite, so I decide to grab some takoyaki. This is my first time trying takoyaki. The anticipation and excitement of trying a new food is more than I can handle as I wait in line; the delicious smell of these puffs baking wafting into my line doesn’t help either.

The first bite and a burst of creamy, gooey goodness fills my mouth. So many flavor sensations in one little ball. Initially, the sweetness from the tanota sauce surprises me but then the savory flavors from the bonito flakes and the octopus stuffed puff take over. This is a different kind of umami but very good nonetheless.

While enjoying the takoyaki, I noticed the next stall over…….Bulgogi fries!

Bulgogi fries, the perfect Asian fusion style street food for this foodie. Decadence is word that is not often associated with fries except for this time.

I may be a little biased on this dish but I can’t help it, french fries are my kryptonite. The first fork full of bulgogi fries tastes so luscious. The combination of fried potato, melted cheese, egg yolk and bulgogi is quite rich but then the sweet Korean slaw cuts in and balances off the combination that would otherwise seem a little too overindulgent. If eating a bar of expensive chocolate is sinfully sweet then bulgogi fries is it’s savory equal.

As daylight turns to night, thousands more people are starting to descend onto the event and each aisle is getting harder and harder to maneuver through. In this crowd, teens and young adults file in wide-eyed at the prospect of finding something just right to dig into. Petite elderly ladies watch after their rambunctious grandchildren as mothers and fathers pick up the night’s first meal.

In Asia, night markets are a nightly event and part of daily life. The street air is filled with a unique combination of barbeque, fermented tofu and Chinese Five-Spice, a seasoning blend of cinnamon, cloves, fennel, star anise and szechuan peppercorns. Night market is where people of all ages go to grab convenient street food while shopping cheap wares from street vendors or to catch up with friends and family members.

In Los Angeles County, the same experience, as in Asian, can be had for four weekends between July and September.

The bulgogi fries left a great impression, so much so I was starting crave bibimbap. Heading over to the BibiGo food truck, my mouth started to salivate with as images of past bibimbap experiences flash through my mind. A rice bowl with julienned sauteed vegetables, kimchi, a raw egg, topped with sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Not all bibimbaps are made the same and the bulgogi fries made me crave for a bulgogi option of bibimbap. As luck would have it, BibiGo had a variety to choose from including bulgogi. There was no raw egg option, so fried egg it is. The presentation was decent, however the taste was disappointing. The only redeeming quality of this bowl was the tender bulgogi and the spicy kimchi. The texture and taste of the mushrooms and tomatoes seemed off, as if they opted for a canned vegetables. The rice was a little too wet making the whole bowl a mound of mush when mixed.

Heart heavy with disappointment, I meander through the crowds looking for something else to cleanse my palette. For the past five years that I have been going to this event, this is the first time I was disappointed in a meal.

As the hot summer night starts to cool slightly, dessert was on my mind. The thought of street dessert reminds me of watching Chef Eddie Huang’s television show Huang’s World where in episode, Taiwan Part One, Huang stops at a booth selling penis-shaped waffles and popsicles. As luck would have it, 626 Night Market has a vendor selling penis-shaped cakes, called D-Cake.

Although the D-Cake was tasted good, it wasn’t quite what I was looking for. So, the mission begins to find a dessert that satisfies the sweet tooth and also cools the body from the warm summer night. Five minutes later, I find myself at a nimo yaki stand. The soft serve ice cream nestled in a fish shaped cone looks promising.

The chocolate soft serve ice cream was as expected, sweet and cold, nothing much to call home about. The “cone” is what brings the element of difference. It has the texture of a thick waffle. Nestled inside this waffle is red bean paste. Aside from its novelty fish shape, this dessert is adequate.

Belly full and heart happy, checking out the entertainment of the night is next on the list.

In the back corner of the festival, a group of teens huddle around a makeshift dance floor while an adjacent DJ mixes beats for them to dance to. B-boys, street dancers, and even the occasional ballerina, take turns twisting, contorting and spinning, expressing themselves through body movement. Everyone surrounding the dance floor bobs their heads to the beats while shouting encouraging “ayyys” and “ooohhs” to the dancers. This positive energy is infectious and I contemplate never leaving this section of the festival.

As much as I feel I want to end my night here, my sense of curiosity urges me to explore the other corner of the festival where a large stage with a laser light show catches my attention. With each step closer to the stage, my ear picks up the rhythmic thumps of bass music. One hundred feet away and I start to feel those beats in my chest. As I round the corner to the stage, my entire body is encapsulated in music. I’m not the only one, hundreds of EDM lovers are already in the front the stage bouncing to the beat of the music, lost in the mix of hip/hop, pop, and dubstep.

Smiles and laughter are abound. It is here I decide to join the revellers dancing the night away while burning off all those calories that was just consumed.

The San Gabriel Valley is a melting pot of cultures. Hidden in its cities are some of the best places to get Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Taiwanese, Japanese, Filipino, Korean, and Indian foods east of the Los Angeles River. Fortunately for us living this side of L.A., summertime is the best time to experience all these different types of foods in one event, the 626 Night Market.

To have an experience close to that you’d get in Asia, bring a friend 626 Night Market and visit at night. Crowds offer a great opportunity to people watch while waiting for your order. The long waits will also allow you to digest your last meal before ordering something new. It’s also at night where the live entertainment really livens things up.

If you’re not big on crowds or waiting in long lines for food then consider visiting between the hours of 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Afterwards, enjoy the live music entertainment or test your luck playing typical carnival games like ring toss or shooting hoops.

Whichever time of day you decide to visit, come with an open mind and empty stomach. Don’t be afraid to experiment with foods you have no idea about, even if you don’t like it you’ll at least have a story to tell friends and family.

626 Night Market is located at Santa Anita Park, 285 West Huntington Drive, Arcadia, CA, 91007. This weekend is the last event for this summer, and 626 Night Market boasts that it will be there biggest one yet. They are open 4 p.m. – 1 a.m., Friday, September 2nd through Sunday, September 4th. For more information visit www.626nightmarket.com or follow their social media accounts, @626nightmarket on both Twitter and Instagram.