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Believe it or not, I've never visited the original International Summer Night Market in Richmond. No, and it has nothing to do with being located in Richmond either... I've been to the other one countless times, but have only a half-hearted attempt to show for the ISNM. But with an invite and free parking in hand, I gave it another go. Also invited was Sean, which was a huge relief as there was no way I could finish all that food by myself (really!).
Before I even got my bearings after parking the car, the gluttony began with the Hurricane Zucchini Fries and Yam Fries by J&J The Original Potato Fries. With only a light dusting of batter, they were able to crisp up the zucchini despite its water content. However, for the parts we didn't eat immediately, it did get soft. That wasn't an issue with the yam as it was crunchy from start to finish. For both, there was more than enough seasoning that accented the natural flavours. Next up, we sampled the deep fried Green Onion Pancake from New Style Green Onion Cake. As their namesake suggests, this was not like the traditional pan-fried version. Rather, it was almost waffle-like in texture with only a smattering of onion.
Also from the same booth, we had their Banana Spring Rolls which were served as a sweet interlude prior to more savoury eats. This was simple, yet a well-executed spring roll that was crunchy, easy on the grease and filled with sweet ripe banana. After this, we were hit with a wall of food including the Deep Fried Stinky Tofu by and Taiwanese Pork Sausage by Taiwan Traditional Snacks (Lu Gang Lao Jie). I thought that the pungency of the stinky tofu was just right with an appealing sharpness. As for the sausages, they were meaty with a touch of fat and of course were typically sweet. Along with these, I tried both the Sesame Sauce and Tomato Sauce flat noodles from Cold Steamed Noodles. These featured soft rice noodles that were bathed in a significant amount of sauce. I much preferred the tomato version as it had more of an impact with a slight tang to go with the dominant sweetness.
Continuing on, we got one of the standards of any night market being the Potstickers from Top Wok. These were masterfully seared where the bottom of the dumplings were super crispy and browned. The wheat wrapper itself was a touch thick, but not overly doughy. Inside, there was a good mix of juicy pork and veggies which was accented by the sweet soy. Moving onto something Japanese, we dug into the Okonomiyaki from Cocoro doused with a considerable amount of sauce and some mayo. This was soft and almost fluffy which contrasted its appearance. Since it was devoid of any meat, the whole thing also ate light. Despite the amount of sauce, it didn't taste over-seasoned with only a moderate sweetness.
Acting like a palate cleanser, we were presented with one each of the fresh Watermelon and Pineapple Juice from All About Ice Cream served in the fruit itself. I've had these before and I definitely prefer the pineapple more due to the sweet acidic juice. As much as the watermelon was refreshing, it didn't have the impact of the pineapple. Looking at the picture and to the right of the fruit, we took a bite into the Chicken Strips from Chicken's Breading Fav (don't understand this name though!). We were presented with both the regular and a herbed version. These were definitely juicy with a lightly crispy breading on the outside. Onto something related, but a bit more interesting, we tried the Chicken & Waffles from Mother Clucker's (love this name!). With an Asian twist (nori, bonito, chili mayo and sweet chili mayo), this was rather tasty. The waffle was nicely crisp while the chicken strip benefited from crunchy breading. Personally, I could've done without the sweet chili as it was the dominant flavour.
I'm a big corn fanatic, so when we were able to customize Corn on the Cob from Fresh Roasted Corn with a variety of salts and seasonings, I started to salivate (even though I was getting full). As simple as corn on the cob can be, the ear I had was masterfully prepared where it was just cooked with sweet bursts of juice from each niblet. I had a combination of garlic powder, salt, cayenne and Parm which elevated the natural flavours as well as adding a nice kick. From there, we proceeded to try both the Lamb and Chicken Skewers from Xin Jiang A Fan Ti Halal BBQ. These were pretty addictive with enough seasoning to tickle our tastebuds. There was spice and saltiness to go with the natural sweetness of the meats. It was pretty cool to watch them being made as they were seriously getting an ample charring from the grill.
Of course a visit to the night market wouldn't be complete without some BBQ Squid Mix
from Lao Er BBQ. Consisting of both squid rings and tentacles, the mix was grilled with a mildly-flavoured satay sauce. As much as I enjoyed the texture of the squid (being chewy with a slight bounce), I didn't get much impact in terms of taste. Maybe the sauce did not caramelized onto the squid itself. From squid, we went to Deep Fried Oreos served with ice cream (something I've had at the PNE before) from Cocoro. Yes, the various things subjected to a light batter and then deep-fried has been nearing ridiculous levels. However, I didn't mind the oreos as they became soft and warm with the trademark sweet icing and chocolate cookie. This one was almost a carbon copy of the one from the PNE.
Continuing on with the sweets, we got the impressive-looking Fruity Ice complete with watermelon, fruit cocktail, banana, red bean, ice cream and condensed milk. As you can imagine, this was fairly sweet due to the condensed milk, red bean and ice cream. When mixed together, it didn't get much milder as the ingredients completely flavoured the ice (which melted quite quickly due to the temperature outside). With the same sticky and sweet condensed milk, our Green Tea Fried Mantou from Amazebuns was more than adequately sweetened. However, due to the blank canvas of the fried mantou, the sugariness was spread out somewhat. Generously sprinkled on top, the green tea was noticeable and slightly bitter (which counteracted the sweetness).
Although we'd already had several rounds of dessert, the gluttony did not end there. The good news was that we had something lighter and not sweet. Over at Mr. & Mrs. Poppins Popcorn Bar, we sampled the Truffle Parmesan Popcorn and Sweet Seaweed Furikake. Lightly popped with a buttery crunch, the popcorn was dressed in enough seasoning for impact. Back to the sweets, we headed over to Soy Boy for their home-made Sweet Tofu Pudding with honey cubes, sweet purple potato balls and grass jelly. This was surprisingly one of my favourites of the night as everything was fresh and only lightly sweet. Even the ginger simple syrup was not sugary, which afforded me the opportunity to enjoy the dessert without getting sick of it.
The most visually-striking item at the ISNM had to be the Flower Cotton Candy by Sugar Twist Cotton Candy. Yes, the darn thing wasn't cheap, but seeing how much time and effort was put into creating the candy art, one can understand. Now as much as the final product was super-impressive to look it, eating it was like typical cotton candy. Now I couldn't end off my night of eating with cotton candy could I? So I made one last stop at Golden Sand Club for a plate of their Deep-Fried Capelin Fish (the ones with a tonne of eggs). Despite the indifference of the staff and substantial wait time, it was ultimately worth it as the little fish were crunchy and well-salted. Inside, the meat was moist and yes, it was filled with the delicious roe. Okay, we stopped eating at this point. We were really too full to try anything else despite the little voice inside my head saying otherwise (or was that Mijune's voice?). Although the ISNM lacks the merchandise booths of the other night market (as well as being smaller), it makes up for it with the layout of the food stalls. There is much more room to maneuver as well as the lack of an entrance fee.
*All food and drinks were complimentary*
The Good:
- Layout allows for easier walkability
- No entrance fee
The Bad:
- Smaller with less merchandise
- Less food stalls too
International Summer Night Market
12631 Vulcan Way
Richmond, BC
While I was in Miami a couple of years ago, I was planning to visit Sayaka Kitchen. Sure, it was featured on Triple-D's and that was one reason I even knew about the place, but I was really curious about their Bao Buns (a bit repetitve as bao means bun...). Now I never made it out there, yet it made me curious as to why there wasn't something like that here in Vancouver. Yup, we can find Bao all over the place in the GVRD, however, most are authentic Asian restaurants. Well, look no more, as Bao Down has come to town.
Meeting up with Sean, we decided to try nearly all of their Baos except for the vegetarian option (I wonder why?). To start, I tried the Jaws consisting of coconut-crusted Ocean-Wise Vietnamese catfish, kimchi tartar sauce, Food Pedalers microgreens & cabbage in a Thai Vinaigrette. I found the catfish to be prepared beautifully with a crunchy shell. Inside, it was flaky and moist. Creamy and zesty, the tartar sauce went well with the fish as well as the slightly acidic salad. Next up was the YVR with sesame-seared albacore tuna, wasabi mayo, baby pea shoots, avocado, sweet soy and double smoked bacon. As evidenced in the picture, the tuna was seared lightly, hence sporting an appealingly rare centre. It was buttery and soft which contrasted the crunchy bacon. I didn't get much of the wasabi while the smooth avocado added a certain creamy brightness. I felt this bao was missing something.
Onto something not from the sea (unless you think like Jessica Simpson), we tried the Bao Chicka Bao Bao with fried lemongrass and garlic marinated free-range Fraser Valley chicken breast, crispy garlic, palm sugar & fish sauce glaze, fresh cilantro, garlic scape mayo, pickled carrots and scallions. Hidden beneath the ingredients was a large piece of chicken breast that was neither dry nor juicy. Crispy and nicely soaked with a sweet and salty glaze, the chicken was further accented by the aromatic mayo and acidic carrots. Appropriately named, the McDowell featured some familiar ingredients such as AAA Alberta beef patty, cheese, special sauce, onion, pickle and crisp lettuce. Yes, think Big Mac in bao form. You know what? It did taste like a Big Mac where the patty was well-charred while still moist.
Back to the fish, we tried their other featured bao being the Mahalo with Ocean Wise tuna poke, crunchy taro sticks, shiso, BBQ pineapple salsa, avocado and jalapeno buttermilk slaw. Similar to the YVR, this bao was very subtle in taste. In fact, I had a hard time discerning any flavours other than the pineapple and herbal shiso. The poke could've used a bit more soy in my opinion. I enjoyed the fresh creamy avocado though. We then moved from delicate to outright in our faces with the Two Worlds Collide!!! featuring star anise & ginger braised Paradise Valley pork belly, chicharon and crispy pork belly with hoisin glaze, carrots, daikon, scallions and gochujang. It was indeed a contrast of textures as the braised pork belly was super soft and fatty while the crispy belly was crunchy (albeit rather dry and hard). I definitely got the sweet hoisin hit as well as the background anise from the braised belly. Interestingly, the gochujang was not noticeable.
Last but not least, we limped into our last bao (cuz we were full duh!). The Flip Side was constructed of sweet soy marinated & grilled Paradise Valley pork loin, crispy garlic, pickled carrots & radish with shoyu fish sauce dressing. I guess this was an attempt to emulate Filipino BBQ pork. Although it wasn't as charred as I would've liked, the flavours were there. As with all of the bao, they were a bit on the lukewarm side. If they were served steaming hot, I think it would've gone a long way in achieving that pillowy soft texture associated with Chinese mantou. From all the bao we tried, I thought they were not bad. Of course some were better than others (and that is subjective) where the pricing was fair in my opinion. Unlike others have remarked, I thought the 90's music blaring out was on fleek (LOL) as it brought me back to my youth.
The Good:
- Fair pricing
- Interesting combinations
- Loved the 90's tunes
The Bad:
- Bao were a bit cold and stiff
- Flavours could've been more bold
Miss Y, a frequent dining companion of mine, has been somewhat AWOL for the past little while. No, she hasn't begun food cheating (is that a real term?) on me and started eating with someone else. Rather, she has taken a keen interest as to where her vegetables and meats are sourced. Naturally, it makes it hard for her to eat out. With this in mind, I was curious when I got invited to Chill Winton's media dinner. You see, Executive Chef Derek Bothwell is passionate about the ingredients he uses. In fact, Chill Winston has their own farm plot in Tsawwassen and their meats are organic, free run, antibiotic and hormone free, and ocean fare that is exclusively line caught and from sustainable stock.
With in mind, it wasn't unexpected that we were started with some appies in the bar including a beautiful Earthwise Platter consisting of organic hand-picked veggies served with anchovy dip, harissa and a mushroom cream cheese. As evidenced in the picture, the veggies were vibrant and fresh. Of particular interest was the nicely sauteed asparagus and sweet carrots. Arriving at the same time, we also sampled the Ploughman's Plank with house-made fennel sausage, pork pistachio apricot pate, mackerel, mustard and pickles. Lean and meaty, the fennel sausage featured a noticeably crispy exterior. The mustard was necessary as the sausage was a bit dry due to the lack of fat. On the other hand, the pate was smooth and sweet. Most surprising of all was the mackerel rillette where it wasn't overly salty nor fishy. It ate much like a meat rillette in terms of texture.
Our 3rd appetizer was a Tartare Duo including Ostrich (with Thai chili, roasted garlic, pickles, quail egg & chicharron) and Ahi Tuna (with jalapeno, cucumber and rice crisps). The lean hand-chopped ostrich did its best impersonation of beef while spiked with a certain lingering spiciness. I thought the chicharron could've been lighter as it was a touch chewy. Buttery while not overly soft, the ahi tuna was quite nice. I enjoyed the background spice from the jalapenos that didn't overwhelm the tuna. After this, we moved to a table where we were presented with the Tri-Tip Bison Salad with farm greens, cherry tomatoes, cashews, feta cheese, apple and sesame vinaigrette. This was fairly straightforward while executed right with sufficiently tender meat prepared a bit past medium-rare. I liked how the greens were dressed just enough that there was some impact when eaten together with the bison.
Continuing on with the appies, we got a mini version of the Chicken & Waffles with liver pate and syrup. Yes, you read this right, there was a smear of liver pate underneath it all. As much as it seemed strange, I've had something like this before at Blacktail (where it was foie gras mousse). In addition to the sweet syrup and savoury fried chicken, the Earthy pate offered up another layer of taste. Back to the other ingredients, the waffle was thin and crispy while the boneless white meat was moist and sported a crispy breading. Prior to our entrees, we were served 2 sides including the Green Beans with coconut red curry and Spaghetti Squash with fresh basil pesto and sunflower seed
butter. Crunchy and only lightly cooked, the green beans were really fresh and vibrant. Although the aromatic and slightly spicy coconut curry was a nice match, it was a bit difficult to coat each bean with sauce. As much as it didn't look like much, I really enjoyed the spaghetti squash. It retained a bite while being lightly seasoned. This afforded the opportunity for the 2 accompanying sauces to do their thing.
Onto my main, I selected the Vancouver Island Roasted Sturgeon with house-made sausage cassoulet and caper butter sauce. Being a firmer fish, they did a remarkable job where it was flaky and surprisingly moist. On the outside, there was a crispy and caramelized sear that added a caramelized smokiness. Underneath, the cassoulet was hearty and well-seasoned. However, I would've liked to see firmer beans though. With a mild salty-tang, the butter caper sauce was a good match for the sturgeon. Too bad it was mostly soaked up by the beans. I was also able to sample the Chilean Seabass poached in ponzu (Cam Neely anyone?) with prawn risotto. Sporting an attractive crispy sear, the seabass was buttery and flaky. It was seasoned just enough with a citrusy saltiness. As for the risotto, it was creamy and lightly briny. It was a tad overcooked.
For dessert, we were moved down to Guilt & Co where we enjoyed their live band and energetic atmosphere. I quickly dug into the Peanut Butter Custard with raspberry mousse and white chocolate crumble. This was appetizing where the rich peanut butter was nicely accented by the tart mousse. Adding a mild crunch was the semi-sweet crumble. Next up was the Chocolate Terrine with toasted coconut, mint puree, coconut jam and vanilla meringue. The terrine itself was rich and decadent with a slight bitterness. I enjoyed the aromatics of the coconut and the mint created a familiar combination. Lastly, the Cherry Semi-Freddo with aerated pistachio cake, milk chocolate ganache and toasted pistachio was a light way to finish off the 
night. It was definitely less impactful than the peanut butter custard where the mildly sweet semi-freddo was airy as well as the fluffy cake. Overall, I was quite surprised with the food at Chill Winston as it is remarkably different than my last visit. What impressed me the most was their commitment in sourcing quality ingredients.
*All food, drinks and gratuities were complimentary*
The Good:
- Sustainable and quality ingredients
- Well-executed proteins
- Great location and patio
The Bad:
- Flavours on the milder side
- Super busy on sunny days, prepare for a wait
Here is another example of the "this restaurant has been around forever and I must've driven by it thousands of times without trying it". Yah, we all know those spots that are right there in front of us, but there is something that keeps us away. La Piazza Dario, located in the Italian Cultural Centre, has been a usual sight when I pass by when heading into Downtown Vancouver. Heck, I drove by it daily when Viv and I were still dating as it was on my route to her house. 2 things finally made us eat there: a coupon and the intriguing suggestion by Costanza.
So we gathered up both families and made it a date for a Sunday (when the coupon was valid). The adults started with an order of the Calamari Fritti served with a lemon wedge and home style tomato sauce. We found the crunchy breading to be consistent where it adhered to the squid uniformly. It was well seasoned, but the squid itself could've used some salt prior to frying. Texturally, the squid was on the softer side. We ended up getting a variety of pastas to share including the Rigatoni con Salsiccia in a zesty tomato sauce. Meaty, yet mildly spiced, the amount of sausage rivaled the amount of pasta on the plate. As mentioned, the tomato sauce was zesty and tangy that was not devoid of salt. The pasta itself was nicely toothsome.
As much as the adults enjoyed the rigatoni, the kiddies dusted off the Penne al Pollo featuring diced free range chicken breast in a creamy sauce. The sauce was indeed creamy, but not overly heavy as evidenced in the picture. We weren't sure if the light splash of tomato sauce was meant to be on the plate, but it brought a little colour to the sauce. As light as the dish appeared, it was well-seasoned while the chunks of chicken were moist and tender. Somehow, my daughter got my attention while I was busy eating and motioned over to the Tortellini Cardinale with veal-filled pasta rings in a classic cream sauce. I guess she was in the mood for creamy pastas. Interestingly, the cream sauce here was much less salty than the previous dish (which made it somewhat bland). The consistency was good though, coating each tortellini evenly. As for the pasta itself, it wasn't too doughy and somewhat softer. The veal filling was a touch mealy and natural-tasting.
I was not a huge fan of the strong truffle oil taste of the Tagliatelle Delizie del Bosco with sautéed gourmet mushrooms & herbs. With that being said, the rest of the dish was on point. Firmly toothsome, the tagliatelle was lightly kissed by the broth-like sauce that was Earthy and well-salted accented by fresh basil. Our last pasta dish was the Penne Ciociara with pancetta, peas & mushrooms sauteed in a garlic & tomato sauce. Once again, the pasta was fairly al dente while dressed in just enough sauce. Unlike the rigatoni, this tomato sauce was saltier with less tang and pepperiness. The saltiness was amped by the considerable amount of pancetta. Once again, the fresh basil added a nice aroma while the peas did their sweet pop thing.
We also got 2 meat dishes including the Alce alla Moda dello Chef featuring elk medallions roasted in garlic & rosemary with red wine reduction. Sadly, it turned out rare when we asked for medium (because of Elaine, but we actually wanted medium-rare). With such raw centre, the meat was chewy and overall difficult to eat. Such a shame as the meat itself was beautiful while the sauce was aromatic and not overly salty. Veggies were vibrant and crunchy too. Our second meat dish was the Anitra ai Funghi or pan seared duck breast topped with portobello mushrooms. The fully cooked duck breast was a little dry, but still sufficiently tender. It wasn't particularly seasoned, but the salty mushrooms made up for it. Once again, the veggies were done just right. Overall, we thought the meal was decent except for the proteins. Service was pretty good despite what I have read while the prices were reasonable.
The Good:
- Reasonably-priced
- Fairly nice dining space
- Fairly attentive service unlike others have said
The Bad:
- Could be a tad salty for some
- Proteins could've been cooked better
Sometimes, I believe we go through certain themes when it comes to our food adventures after Monday night softball. We went through the dumpling phase one year and then moved onto hot pot (not sure why since it was Summer...). This year, we've only played a handful of games, but for the second time, we hit up a Latin restaurant in Chicha. Mind you, if this trend continues, I'm not sure if there are enough Latin restaurants to go around. As I've said before, Vancouver has a diverse food scene - in Asian food that is...
Seated at the long narrow table at the front, it was a great place to hang out, but not so much when it came to plate management. Thankfully, they expedited our dishes in a timed and orderly fashion. For starters, we had the Plantain Chips and Papas Fritas. Light and crunchy, the plantain chips were not greasy to the touch. The accompanying trio of aji sauces was a nice combination of heat (aji pepper), herbs (cilantro) and creaminess. Well-executed, the Kennebec potato fries were crispy with rocoto chili. On the side, the Peruvian tartar sauce was chunky and creamy with a touch of spice.
Onto some daily features, we dug into the Baby Back Ribs with orange aji panca glaze with green beans and maple bacon potato salad. Sweet, sticky and a bit spicy, the ribs were fall-off-the bone tender. Underneath, there was a cold potato salad that exhibited a sweet tang to go along with the firm crunch of the green beans. We also had the Chicken & Waffles featuring fried chicken breast, yuca waffle, bacon jam and maple syrup. We found the waffle to be dense, yet not heavy. It was almost like a bread pudding when combined with the sweet gravy. Essentially chicken strips, the fried chicken was moist with a super light breading.
Strangely resembling a poutine, the Lomo Saltado consisted of Pemberton Meadows beef, kennebec fries, red onion, peppers and tomato. Although the slices of beef were on point in terms of doneness as well as being succulent, there was very little of it. With the listed ingredients, the flavours reflected their presence with tangy sweetness. The fries remained crunchy due to the limited amount of "sauce". Our one vegetarian item was the Tacu Tacu de Locra de Zapallo which was crispy lima bean cakes, butternut squash stew, Parmesan and fried quail egg. I found the lima bean cakes to be firm and chewy. As much as I enjoyed the sweet squash, this plate was missing something (oh yeah... meat!).
Ending off the savoury items, we had the Arroz con Pato featuring Yarrow Meadows duck confit, coriander and dark beer rice. Fork tender and well-seasoned with a nicely rendered skin, the duck was well-executed. As for the rice, it was firm, yet saucy with a mild background hoppiness. To fulfill the dessert quota (because Bear was in the house), we had the Picarone or sweet potato and pumpkin Peruvian donuts with spiced honey and raspberry sauce. Part fritter and part cruller, these donuts were super crispy with a light fluffy interior. There was just enough honey for sweetness while the raspberry sauce added the necessary tartness. In the end, we were pretty satisfied with the food at Chicha. Yah, it's not really Peruvian food, but they do admit to being "Peruvian-inspired". On that note, they do succeed.
The Good:
- Decent eats
- Okay pricing
- Hip
The Bad:
- Smallish portions
- Not Peruvian, for those food snobs
Devo loves poutine. If possible, he could have it for breakfast, second breakfast (like Merry and Pippin), lunch and dinner. Oh and as a snack as well. So it wasn't a surprise when I asked him what he wanted to eat that he suggested the Spud Shack. Unfortunately, we arrived far too early for its opening time of 12:00pm. We could see all those delicious frites being prepared, but we couldn't have any! Undeterred, we went to the nearby Cockney Kings instead.
Despite my desire to order the halibut, my inner-Chinese came out and we opted for the AYCE Pollock and Chips instead. Yes, pollock is nowhere near halibut, but for $10.00 including bottomless soft-drink, it was too good to pass up. Despite being associated with imitation crab meat, the pollock was actually decent. It was fried up just enough where it retained a good amount of moisture and flakiness akin to Pacific cod. Light, mostly crispy and not overly greasy, the thin batter did not overwhelm the filets of fish. As much as we were dismayed at missing out on the Spud Shack, the fries here were good. Golden and gently crispy on the outside, it revealed a soft potato texture inside. The tartar sauce was creamy and slightly tart.
I decided to get a Seafood Chowder for good measure and it was more thick and brothy than creamy. There was a definite fish taste to the soup as evidenced by the good amount of ingredients. Personally, I much prefer either a creamy Boston chowder or a Manhattan-style over this version. But when it came to the actual fish n' chips, it was more-than-acceptable for a reasonable price.
The Good:
- Properly executed fish n' chips
- Decent service
- Reasonable prices
The Bad:
- Not a huge fan of the chowder
- Quite busy during peak hours
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Believe it or not, I've never visited the original International Summer Night Market in Richmond. No, and it has nothing to do with being located in Richmond either... I've been to the other one countless times, but have only a half-hearted attempt to show for the ISNM. But with an invite and free parking in hand, I gave it another go. Also invited was Sean, which was a huge relief as there was no way I could finish all that food by myself (really!).
Before I even got my bearings after parking the car, the gluttony began with the Hurricane Zucchini Fries and Yam Fries by J&J The Original Potato Fries. With only a light dusting of batter, they were able to crisp up the zucchini despite its water content. However, for the parts we didn't eat immediately, it did get soft. That wasn't an issue with the yam as it was crunchy from start to finish. For both, there was more than enough seasoning that accented the natural flavours. Next up, we sampled the deep fried Green Onion Pancake from New Style Green Onion Cake. As their namesake suggests, this was not like the traditional pan-fried version. Rather, it was almost waffle-like in texture with only a smattering of onion.
Also from the same booth, we had their Banana Spring Rolls which were served as a sweet interlude prior to more savoury eats. This was simple, yet a well-executed spring roll that was crunchy, easy on the grease and filled with sweet ripe banana. After this, we were hit with a wall of food including the Deep Fried Stinky Tofu by and Taiwanese Pork Sausage by Taiwan Traditional Snacks (Lu Gang Lao Jie). I thought that the pungency of the stinky tofu was just right with an appealing sharpness. As for the sausages, they were meaty with a touch of fat and of course were typically sweet. Along with these, I tried both the Sesame Sauce and Tomato Sauce flat noodles from Cold Steamed Noodles. These featured soft rice noodles that were bathed in a significant amount of sauce. I much preferred the tomato version as it had more of an impact with a slight tang to go with the dominant sweetness.
Continuing on, we got one of the standards of any night market being the Potstickers from Top Wok. These were masterfully seared where the bottom of the dumplings were super crispy and browned. The wheat wrapper itself was a touch thick, but not overly doughy. Inside, there was a good mix of juicy pork and veggies which was accented by the sweet soy. Moving onto something Japanese, we dug into the Okonomiyaki from Cocoro doused with a considerable amount of sauce and some mayo. This was soft and almost fluffy which contrasted its appearance. Since it was devoid of any meat, the whole thing also ate light. Despite the amount of sauce, it didn't taste over-seasoned with only a moderate sweetness.
Acting like a palate cleanser, we were presented with one each of the fresh Watermelon and Pineapple Juice from All About Ice Cream served in the fruit itself. I've had these before and I definitely prefer the pineapple more due to the sweet acidic juice. As much as the watermelon was refreshing, it didn't have the impact of the pineapple. Looking at the picture and to the right of the fruit, we took a bite into the Chicken Strips from Chicken's Breading Fav (don't understand this name though!). We were presented with both the regular and a herbed version. These were definitely juicy with a lightly crispy breading on the outside. Onto something related, but a bit more interesting, we tried the Chicken & Waffles from Mother Clucker's (love this name!). With an Asian twist (nori, bonito, chili mayo and sweet chili mayo), this was rather tasty. The waffle was nicely crisp while the chicken strip benefited from crunchy breading. Personally, I could've done without the sweet chili as it was the dominant flavour.
I'm a big corn fanatic, so when we were able to customize Corn on the Cob from Fresh Roasted Corn with a variety of salts and seasonings, I started to salivate (even though I was getting full). As simple as corn on the cob can be, the ear I had was masterfully prepared where it was just cooked with sweet bursts of juice from each niblet. I had a combination of garlic powder, salt, cayenne and Parm which elevated the natural flavours as well as adding a nice kick. From there, we proceeded to try both the Lamb and Chicken Skewers from Xin Jiang A Fan Ti Halal BBQ. These were pretty addictive with enough seasoning to tickle our tastebuds. There was spice and saltiness to go with the natural sweetness of the meats. It was pretty cool to watch them being made as they were seriously getting an ample charring from the grill.
from Lao Er BBQ. Consisting of both squid rings and tentacles, the mix was grilled with a mildly-flavoured satay sauce. As much as I enjoyed the texture of the squid (being chewy with a slight bounce), I didn't get much impact in terms of taste. Maybe the sauce did not caramelized onto the squid itself. From squid, we went to Deep Fried Oreos served with ice cream (something I've had at the PNE before) from Cocoro. Yes, the various things subjected to a light batter and then deep-fried has been nearing ridiculous levels. However, I didn't mind the oreos as they became soft and warm with the trademark sweet icing and chocolate cookie. This one was almost a carbon copy of the one from the PNE.
Continuing on with the sweets, we got the impressive-looking Fruity Ice complete with watermelon, fruit cocktail, banana, red bean, ice cream and condensed milk. As you can imagine, this was fairly sweet due to the condensed milk, red bean and ice cream. When mixed together, it didn't get much milder as the ingredients completely flavoured the ice (which melted quite quickly due to the temperature outside). With the same sticky and sweet condensed milk, our Green Tea Fried Mantou from Amazebuns was more than adequately sweetened. However, due to the blank canvas of the fried mantou, the sugariness was spread out somewhat. Generously sprinkled on top, the green tea was noticeable and slightly bitter (which counteracted the sweetness).
Although we'd already had several rounds of dessert, the gluttony did not end there. The good news was that we had something lighter and not sweet. Over at Mr. & Mrs. Poppins Popcorn Bar, we sampled the Truffle Parmesan Popcorn and Sweet Seaweed Furikake. Lightly popped with a buttery crunch, the popcorn was dressed in enough seasoning for impact. Back to the sweets, we headed over to Soy Boy for their home-made Sweet Tofu Pudding with honey cubes, sweet purple potato balls and grass jelly. This was surprisingly one of my favourites of the night as everything was fresh and only lightly sweet. Even the ginger simple syrup was not sugary, which afforded me the opportunity to enjoy the dessert without getting sick of it.
The most visually-striking item at the ISNM had to be the Flower Cotton Candy by Sugar Twist Cotton Candy. Yes, the darn thing wasn't cheap, but seeing how much time and effort was put into creating the candy art, one can understand. Now as much as the final product was super-impressive to look it, eating it was like typical cotton candy. Now I couldn't end off my night of eating with cotton candy could I? So I made one last stop at Golden Sand Club for a plate of their Deep-Fried Capelin Fish (the ones with a tonne of eggs). Despite the indifference of the staff and substantial wait time, it was ultimately worth it as the little fish were crunchy and well-salted. Inside, the meat was moist and yes, it was filled with the delicious roe. Okay, we stopped eating at this point. We were really too full to try anything else despite the little voice inside my head saying otherwise (or was that Mijune's voice?). Although the ISNM lacks the merchandise booths of the other night market (as well as being smaller), it makes up for it with the layout of the food stalls. There is much more room to maneuver as well as the lack of an entrance fee.
