Do you hate eating alone? What better way to enjoy street food treats like slithery BBQ'd squid tentacles, spicy potato spirals or icy mango slushes than among a throng of thousands of like-minded snackers on a summer night?
Asian night markets provide crowd-pleasing eating meccas in Taiwan, Malaysia and Thailand, to name just a few spots. Inspired by these affordable, lively street scenes, a proliferation of night markets have sprung up from New York to California. But the oldest and largest night market in North America is just outside of Vancouver, Canada.
The 16-year-old Richmond Night Market is open weekend evenings in 2016 from mid-May to mid-October and estimates 30,000 visitors a night. If that sounds like crowded chaos, remember that Canada is the capital of politeness. Richmond, in Greater Vancouver, qualifies as the North American city with the largest proportion of Asians and, boasts a population of 60 percent immigrants — the highest percentage of any North American city. These numbers suggest a wide range of tasty nibbles waiting to be enjoyed at their famous night market.
You can select from 500 food items including Chinese BBQ chicken knees and gizzards, Japanese battered octopus balls, Indonesian dumplings, Filipino Egg Rolls and German Bratwurst and chow down in a swarm of friendly, cooperative and equally voracious eaters.
1 of 20
![]()
The market aisles are awash with the smells and sounds of sizzling dishes – BBQ squid tentacles here.
Photo: Anna Mindess
2 of 20
![]()
Bubble egg waffles are another Night Market staple.
Photo: Anna Mindess
3 of 20
![]()
This chicken on a stick is a snap to eat.
Photo: Anna Mindess
4 of 20
![]()
Popular Filipino foods include fish balls, pancit (noodles) and kikiam (ground pork and vegetables wrapped in bean curd sheets).
Photo: Anna Mindess
5 of 20
![]()
If you crave mango -- and who doesn't? -- many luscious choices abound.
Photo: Anna Mindess
6 of 20
![]()
Icy mango slush with boba balls and chewy grass jelly.
Photo: Anna Mindess
7 of 20
![]()
Pigs and hedgehog buns steam into cute dim sum.
Photo: EatsShootsEdits via Foter.com
8 of 20
![]()
Avoiding gluten? Try a burger with a rice "bun" instead.
Photo: Anna Mindess
9 of 20
![]()
Summer night + lots of people, shops, games, entertainment + 80 different food stands = recipe for perfect a Night Market
Photo: Ross G. Strachan/Flickr
10 of 20
![]()
If you get too full, a poster suggests some alternative uses for a "Rotato" (e.g., microphone, light saber, fencing sword or robot antlers).
Photo: Anna Mindess