OC Night Market // Food Diaries

Check out our food and drink choices this year at OC Night Market!

Tanota Takoyaki – Japanese breaded bits of octopus in ball shaped form, you get 7 with each order, which is plenty to share. These are extremely hot inside so poke a hole to let it cool down.

Rolling Ice Creamery – Thai inspired Ice Cream, flattened and rolled on a frozen platter is a unique way to enjoy a classic dessert. We had the Hulk, which was matcha green tea infused wit strawberries and the Bangkok Special, which was Thai Iced Tea, infused with Cinnamon Toast Crunch. They were both so yummy, and it’s amazing to watch how they create it.

Frozen Kirin Ichiban Beer – We got a free sample of this half frozen slushie and half liquid beer, it was actually quite refreshing and a perfect pairing to all the Asian style foods we got to taste!

Bee Pop – They had an amazing green thai tea milk tea! They serve their drinks in bag form.

Dragon’s Queen Grill – We waiting almost 2 hours for these Bulgogi Fries, but it was worth. Run by a small family, it feels like a fusion home cooked meal! They’re portion size is huge too!

There were also tons of other things to see and do. Lots of local artists and businesses selling their goods. There's also a carnival game section where you can win prizes. In the back area, performers of many different talents provided amazing entertainment throughout the night!

Let me know what was your favorite thing to eat, drink, see or do at night market this year!

6 Tips to Optimize OC Night Market

Walking into OC Night Market is a foodie’s dream come true! This year definitely topped previous years in size, vendors, and things to do! It’s not just about food and drink, they have artists, performers, and even carnival games.

Inspired by night markets in Asia, this event brings together local businesses and community into one dedicated space. Here’s how to make your visit to one of the night markets most memorable!

  1. Bring Cash: Most places only accepted cash or had a fee if you used credit card. So make sure you withdraw some cash before you enter the venue, the line for the ATM was long too! You’ll need money for parking, admission, food, drinks and merch! Make sure you keep track on how much you spent.

  2. Prepare your Stomach: It’s easy to let yourself go in the beginning; it’s a marathon not a race. Pretend you’re on a food tour; buy one small portion and share with your group. This way you can sample a lot of different dishes and desserts instead of getting full on one meal.

  3. Come Early: It is a night market, but they do open around 4pm! I think it’s best to come during opening so you can avoid all the crazy lines that for later in the day, this way you can get everything you want to try quickly. Also with daylight still around you’ll have the best instagram pictures. Trust.

  4. Plan what you want to try out: Look at the directory on their website before you get to Night Market and make a top five list of things you absolutely want to try! Once you get your first meal, head to whatever you want next. Skip the tables, eat while you wait in line and be efficient with your time. Some lines can get up to 1 – 2 hours especially for the insta-worthy food.

  5. Take Pictures: All the vendors and performers definitely appreciate the social media love! Take some pictures of your amazing food and drinks and tag the restaurant where you got it. You’re a food blogger now! Don’t forget to document what you feast one, once you eat it all up it’s gone!

  6. Try Something New: If you really want this to be a unique experience, try something that you’ve never had before. This is the time to be adventurous! Some booths don’t actually have physical stores, or the food trucks are hard to catch when they’re in town. These vendors are priority since you’ll never know when you’ll be able to try them out again. Make your visit worth it by not getting something you can buy at another time (local shops).

 Let me know what you guys decide to try!