THE ASIAN GARDEN MALL IS HAVING A MINI NIGHT MARKET WITH STREET FOOD! IT'S 5PM - 10PM EVERYDAY JANUARY 15 TO FEBRUARY 6.
The event is in conjunction with the annual Flower Market that runs daily from 10am to 10pm selling everything you need for your TET needs like red lucky envelopes, snacks, dried food goods and of course FLOWERS!
*note: Tet means Lunar New Year in Vietnamese. 2016 welcomes the Year of the Monkey o February 8!
You see this man? He posed for my camera! And can serve up a mean grilled squid ^__^ !
So yummy! Also, whatever they put in that green sauce...mann... get me some more of that please! If you go, you'll know what I'm talking about!
$6 for the entire grilled squid! They cut it up for you for easy eating and serve it up with yummy sauce! Add sriracha if needed but honestly... that green sauce they provide is SUPERB.
FRIED FISH BALLS! THERE ARE FISH BALLS INSIDE OF THESE!
PRICES AREN'T TOO BAD HERE! THAT'S WHY I LOVE THE ASIAN GARDEN MALL NIGHT MARKET.
ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THE NIGHT MARKET HAS TO OFFER IS THE FRESHLY MADE PANDAN COCONUT WAFFLES. THEY ARE SUPER CRISPY YET SOFT AND MOIST INSIDE. BEST OF ALL, ONLY $2.50!
INSIDE THESE DUCK EGGS ARE... WELL BABY DUCK. I KNOW SOME OF Y'ALL DON'T EAT THIS BUT I PERSONALLY LOVE EATING BALUT!
LEFT: FRESH HOT CORN MILK. TASTES EXACTLY LIKE CORN... AND IT'S ADDICTING!
RIGHT: PANDAN MUNG BEAN MILK. I LOVE BOTH...
WE ARE ENJOYING OUR FRESHLY GRILLED CORN!
IT'S ALL ABOUT THAT GREEN SAUCE! WHICH IS SPICYYYYYYY! REMINDS ME OF THAI SAUCES!
THIS RIGHT HERE IS THE GRILLED RICE PAPER. THEY ADD GREEN ONIONS, EGG PORN FOR Y'ALL, DRIED SHRIMP, PORK, AND MORE!
DOESN'T THAT LOOK DELICIOUS?!
THIS IS THE FINISHED PRODUCT OF THE GRILLED RICE PAPER! THEY FOLD IT UP AND CUT IT UP SO IT'S EASY TO SERVE AND EAT! WOO! 10/10 RECOMMEND THIS ITEM!
This is one of my favorite night markets. I especially love the summer night markets at Asian Garden Mall too! Compared to many other night markets like the 626 Night Market or the Ktown Night Market or even the UVSA Tet Festival, this night market is free admission and free parking. With that in mind, the food and everything is actually affordable. The prices aren't ridiculous and I think are quite fair for a festival type event.
My favorite foods to get here include the grilled corn. It's not gonna be your typical Mexican Elote corn. Instead, it's Viet style with mo hanh (green onion oil) slathered all over the corn. The corn is also chewy in texture and overall just BOMB DOT COM!
Compared to last year, they have something new! Or at least something I didn't notice before: grilled rice paper. Last year it was all about the rice paper salad tossed with quail eggs, sliced mangos, etc. This year, there is grilled rice paper. For only $5 it's a whopping good deal that will make your exotic taste buds happy. They literally grill a piece of rice paper in front of you and top if off with green onions, an egg, dried shrimp and pork! Top it off with your favorite sauce and bam! It's so good! Easy to eat too! I totally recommend this if you don't know what to get!
Don't stop though. There's so much more! Although this is just a mini night market with only about 9 food stalls, each booth has so many interesting things! If you're foreign to Vietnamese Street food then definitely definitely try everything here. You can't go wrong with the Bot Chien (Fried Rice Cake). This is commonly served at Dim Sum restaurants. Rice Paper Salad, Pork Skewers, Fried Taro cake, Grilled Quail and Balut are also yummy!
The Pandan Coconut Waffle is a must. Honestly, you cannot go wrong with this. It's only $2.50 for a freshly made waffle (without the coconut shreds, that'll be just a few bucks more). It's super crispy on the outside evidenced by the beautiful brown color and soft and moist on the inside. I got a few (well actually more than 4 but who's counting) here.
Wash it all down with Pandan Milk or Corn Milk. They have many drinks here but where else do you see Pandan Milk and Corn Milk all in one spot! I love both and every time I went here (yes, I went here 3 days in a row and 5 days total so far) I know I had to satisfy my cravings for corn milk! It tastes exactly like corn. Ask for samples! Pandan milk is a Vietnamese classic if you can't decide.
I'm not lying. There really is a night market here! Somehow, every year, at least one of my friends will complain to me that they were unable to find this. I understand though. The main event is the Flower Market so they use the main area for all the flower booths and vendors. The Night Market is actually on the side in an alley, kind of. Basically, it's one the left side of the Flower Market. If you enter the Asian Garden Mall from the front, just make your way to the left and there will be a small street (actually the parking area for other stores / restaurants) dedicated to serving your favorite Vietnamese Street food you never knew you started craving.
How to get here:
Address: 9200 Bolsa Avenue, Westminster, CA 92683
I recommend going on a weekday (there are raffles and prize on weekdays!) because there will be parking and there will be no lines. Weekdays aren't crowded and you can just chill around. Weekends are a whole different story. If you do plan on going on a weekend, just be warned that parking is gonna be tough, crowds are ridiculous, and there are long long lines. I see people park across the street in other plazas when it's the weekend and walk over.
Stay updated on Asian Garden Mall:
Official Website: http://asiangardenmall.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asiangardenmall/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AsianGarden
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