Richmond Night Market

My sisters and I spent several days in Vancouver, and we knew we had to hit the Night Market more than once, given the plethora of food vendors. We had heard that the lines to get in could be lengthy, so both times we arrived around 6:30 PM, just in time for the gates to open at 7 PM. General admission for adults was $7, but since there were three of us, we decided to go for the Zoom/Express Pass priced at $35. This pass allows for up to six entries, making it a better deal since we planned to return. I had seen reviews stating that the Zoom/Express Pass was only for groups of six, but I verified with the Night Market staff that this is not the case. The pass can be used by smaller groups and is only valid for entry, not for activities inside. It enables you to bypass the standard line, which has a shorter wait time. There are two separate lines: one for general admission on the left and another for Zoom Pass holders on the right. Once we got inside, I was absolutely thrilled! The Night Market is alive with food vendors, games, and shops, predominantly featuring Asian cuisine with a wide array of choices. Although the venue got quite packed, the wait time to order food was fairly short, peaking at around 20 minutes. We sampled several dishes, starting with skewers from Big Beard Super BBQ, which included Super BBQ Steak Beef, Honey Garlic Chicken, and Tofu Skin. Unfortunately, we found the skewers had an odd aftertaste that we didn't enjoy. However, the Fried Squid with chili sauce was a hit — crispy and tangy! The skewers were priced at four for $15, whereas the Fried Squid cost $15 for a smaller portion. Next, we tried the Chickin Cracklin Fried Chicken Skin, choosing Soy Garlic, Salted Egg, and Mapo Tofu flavors. The Soy Garlic was particularly delicious, and we ordered it twice! Each serving was $13, and the Salted Egg flavor was also good, while the Mapo Tofu had a rather unusual taste. Another favorite was the Tochi Mochi French Toast, which we ordered as a flight to sample all four flavors: Ovaltine, Kaya Coconut, Matcha, and Nutella. My personal favorite was the Kaya Coconut flavor, but I have a feeling the mochi French toast might taste even better on its own. It cost around $14 or $15. I also tried the Boomchicken Fried Chicken Bolo Sando, which was a decent sandwich, although the chicken portion seemed on the smaller side. The bun was buttery and had a perfect crisp texture, costing $17. We also had Takoyaki from a stall simply named Takoyaki, which was rather average. I enjoyed the Virgin Cocktail Piña Colada Slush, beautifully presented with lights, for $8 (with extra costs for upgrades). The drink itself was quite refreshing. My sisters were particularly fond of the Nori Express Sushi Tacos, which they tried twice, and we sampled several dishes from Aloha Boys, including the Flying Cup Noods and The Boat. The presentation of the Flying Cup Noods was especially Instagram-worthy, although I noticed that the bottom half of the cup was mostly cabbage, with only the top half filled with noodles. Nevertheless, the noodles had a perfect texture. The Tokyo Katsu Sand Chicken Katsu was quite small and a bit disappointing for $17, but on the bright side, the Mangoo Super Mango Mango Coconut drink was excellent — creamy and perfectly balanced at just $6. Finally, we tried the Squid Feast Fried Squid with sweet and sour sauce. While the squid was a bit tough, it was still tasty, though by the end of the night we were too full to finish everything. In summary, the Richmond Night Market was an exhilarating experience packed with a variety of food options, but I would advise pacing yourself to fully savor everything it has to offer!

Among the highlights I tried was the Roasted Pork Hocks, which were definitely worth it and offered excellent value for the money. This dish is one that will stick with me for a long time. The butter and garlic shrimp served in a pineapple were also quite tasty and came with rice and macaroni salad, though it was on the pricier side. It made for a fantastic photo op. The Juicy Soft Shell Crab Bao, priced at $14, was disappointing and didn't live up to the expectations. However, the Squid Fest was amazing—crispy and bursting with flavor. I also enjoyed the Taiyaki fish filled with red bean, which was generously stuffed. For dessert, we tried the shaved ice topped with ice cream, mango, and strawberries from Icy Bar, which was a refreshing treat to cool off with. The Tochi Mini Mochi French Toast sampler was a bit of a letdown; it looked great but didn't taste as good as I had hoped. On a positive note, the Sharbat Mango Lassi was delightful and refreshing. The Richmond Night Market not only features a wide range of street food vendors but also offers plenty of fun games where you can win cute stuffed animals, along with some small carnival rides. You can also find vendors selling keychain toys and socks. Overall, it's a lively atmosphere filled with delicious food and entertainment!

The Richmond Night Market is an absolute must-visit in the summer! It features a wide variety of delicious food, a vibrant atmosphere, and entertaining games. Here are the vendors I sampled: Los Andes, Japanese Rice Crepes, Poh Wah Dim Sum, Tochi, Virgin Cocktail, and Lao Er Squid!

Our friend ordered grilled octopus, which came in small fry containers for $15 each, but it was quite tough. We tried coconut ball drinks (coconut meat and juice) for $15 each. I couldn't resist a stand selling onion pancake sandwiches, thinking they might be akin to Taiwanese beef rolls. The cashier/owner assured me they could make it, so I ended up paying $8.50 for a plain, tiny sandwich with just a few bites of beef and hoisin sauce. The potato spiral sticks ($9) were the most interesting and delicious item we had. Overall, it's nothing like the night markets in Asia where you can find delicious and inexpensive street food. It's worth checking out once, but I doubt we'll be back anytime soon.

I also sampled the pork belly from the Korean BBQ stand, which was served on a bed of cabbage. I mistakenly expected them to grill the pork, but instead, they just drizzled it with American BBQ sauce. I've learned that BBQ sauce and pork belly don't really pair well together. I'd suggest sticking with the traditional options instead. Finally, my boyfriend ordered the mochi filled with fresh strawberries, which was delightful! It was a little on the expensive side, but the quality was outstanding. We had a fantastic time there, and it truly was one of my favorite experiences during our visit to Vancouver.