I Spent a Total of $60 At The Richmond Night Market Food Stalls This Year— Here’s What I Got

Ah, the Richmond Night Market. There’s usually a pretty solid divide between the people who love it, and the people who hate it. After all, you’re forking over $7 just to get in, and the food in the market isn’t exactly cheap either. To celebrate the market’s 25th anniversary, the night market has introduced Happy Hour menu items, where every vendor is required to have at least one menu item priced at $10 or under. ‘Happy Hour’ is a confusing way to designate the treats, since the deals last all evening, but we’re not complaining about a deal. This year, I set aside only $60 for food, which I estimated would be enough for three mains, one drink, and of course, two mandatory sweet treats to round us off. Here’s how I spent it.

READ MORE: Ranking Everything We At at the Richmod Night Market

F23 – Ramen Donut ($10) 

This ramen donut was plastered absolutely everywhere as I walked towards the ticket gates. And being an easily influenced person, I made a beeline for it the moment I entered the market. The ramen used in this donut is the iconic Indomie Mi Goreng, a stir-fried instant noodle that’s typically served with a sweet soy and chili sauce. This time, the noodles were covered in a crispy golden-brown exterior and topped with spicy mayo. And yes, it passes the satisfying crunch test. However, what’s stopping the popular ramen donut from earning full marks is the consistency of the noodles. Since the noodles were cooked once before frying, you end up with a softer noodle that borders on mushy instead of bouncy.

F49 – Cheese Coin ($10)

The ever-popular cheese coin is a must-have when attending a food-related market or event. For $10, The Bank of Canaday offers the perfect blend of savoury cheese wrapped in a crispy pastry. It had advertised itself as being better than the ones you could find in Korea, so my Korean friend had to put it to the test. The verdict? Unclear: I only had one bite, because she ate all of it.

F75 – Oppa Korean Pizza ($10)

Sharing pizza can be a bit of a hassle at times—I’m a little shy so the last slice of pizza tends to get scooped by the more aggressive foodies in any group. Oppa Korean Pizza solves this problem by offering personal pizzas, served in an adorable yellow box with the stall’s logo on it. For the market, its $10 offering is an all-cheese pizza. Think thick gooey cheese sitting atop a golden-brown crust. The one drawback? Korean cheese tends to be on the sweeter side, and the lack of other toppings makes it so that it gets overly cloying after a couple of bites in.

F59 – Juicy Bears ($10)

I had my eyes set on Juicy Bears the moment I entered the market. The stall stands out amongst others with its striking blue sign and coloured bear bottles lined up on the counter. Ten dollars gets you a lovely bear bottle with whatever flavour you choose: I opted for Sunset, a mango-strawberry juice that was reminiscent of a gummy bear. You even get to keep the bottle!

F25 – Chocolate Strawberries ($10)

After the very heavy mains and a sugary drink, I was craving something fresh, fruity and vaguely healthy… so naturally I opted for chocolate-covered strawberries. Think big, juicy strawberries coated in decadent chocolate, with the strawberries’ slight tartness balancing out the rich, creamy coating beautifully.

F3 – The Classic Beignets ($9.50)

Originally I’d planned to only spend $50, but it’s the Richmond Night Market, of course I’m going to overspend. And I’m glad I did, because these beignets from Eat A Beignet were the highlight of the night. For $9.50, you get three sizeable beignets, served with lots of powdered sugar and chocolate sauce. The beignets themselves were airy and light, and I found myself constantly nodding my head in approval as I ate them all.

The Richmond Night Market is open now through October 13.