Foods to try out at this year’s Richmond Night Market
With over 600 foods to choose from, here’s some recommendations to guide your next visit to the market
Taiyaki, chicken karaage, sushi hot dogs, and root beer milkshakes are just some of the food items available for purchase at the Richmond Night Market. (Brylian Marin)
As the Richmond Night Market returns to the city this summer, locals may be interested to know which festivities this night-time event has to offer.
Open on Fridays and the weekends until October, one of the night market’s main draws is its vast diversity of food. With vendors from different parts of the world, the market’s cultural diversity of food means there’s just about something for everyone.
With more than 600 food options to choose from this year, it’s often overwhelming when it comes to deciding what to eat.
Lucky for you, I checked out this year’s market to see what it’s like and tested out some food options. While there were many different foods to choose from, it was difficult to decide on what to cover. Here are five food options I recommend checking out at the Richmond Night Market.
Sushi hot dog
One of the new additions to the Richmond Night Market, sushi hot dogs are popular among visitors — based on the long line of customers at the vendor.
This food offering is essentially a deep-fried sushi roll, shaped like a hot dog, cut open, and stuffed with toppings. I ordered the teriyaki sushi hot dog, which had two pieces of chicken, some cucumbers and was topped with green onions, seaweed, bonito flakes, and a drizzle of teriyaki sauce and Japanese mayonnaise.
Considering this was the most expensive food item I bought at the market, costing $18, I hoped it would be worth it. Luckily, it was, and it had a very vibrant taste. While it wasn’t my favourite food item at the night market, I can see myself ordering the sushi hot dog again.
Chicken karaage
As someone who always likes eating chicken karaage, I knew I had to check out a booth called “Karaage King.” There were five options to choose from, but I decided to try the teriyaki mayo flavour.
The karaage was well cooked, and the teriyaki sauce with the Japanese mayonnaise drizzled all over the meat provided an exciting taste. My order cost $15 and is something I’ll be sure to get again in the future.
Taiyaki
A common street food in Japan, taiyaki — a fish-shaped cake — is available to order at the market. While there were filling options like custard and red bean, I opted for Kit Kat out of curiosity.
While simple, it’s a tasty dessert or small snack to have while exploring the night market. It costs $9, which might be a bit much, but I would still recommend it.
Freshly squeezed lemonade
While not the most unique food option there, I did try a booth preparing freshly squeezed lemonade. Something that stood out to me about this booth was an option to get 68 ounces of lemonade — the largest size possible.
I got watermelon-flavoured lemonade in the smallest size possible, costing $5. Honestly, all I have to say is that it’s a tasty and refreshing drink to have as we get into the warmer times of summer. I should note, a lemon slice is included in the drink, so be wary of seeds.
Root beer milkshake
Considering I’ve always liked having vanilla ice cream with root beer, I thought this was interesting enough to try out. While this drink might not be for everyone, it may have been one of my favourite things I tried.
The price also doesn’t seem bad for what it’s worth, costing $10. Overall, the root beer milkshake is definitely my top recommendation to check out at the Richmond Night Market.
