Five new vendors to know at this summer’s 626 night market

Night Market 626 is finally making its return for a ninth season at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia after the pandemic put events on hold last year. The popular foodie event usually takes place 10 times from May to September and draws up to 100,000 people every weekend. While 626 Night Market has made a name for itself as a must-see stop in SGV with over 250 food, merchandise and craft vendors, it has also solidified as an incubator to showcase talent. culinary events to come.

Many food operations that had humble beginnings at 626 Night Market have opened their own permanent restaurants. “Those with less capital can test the waters here before they try to crack open a brick and mortar. Those who are successful here can grow their fan base and be very successful, ”says Annika Yip, 626 Night Market Marketing Coordinator.

Some of the most successful 626 Night Market alumni include siblings Philip and Carol Kwan, who made their Mama Musubi stand a household name in LA and Smorgasburg Farmers’ Markets. The Kwans also opened at Kitchen United in Pasadena, a cloud kitchen that allows customers to order meals at many of LA’s most popular restaurants. Philip Kwan went on to create many other successful food businesses such as Mission Control, Twisted Tiki, Mcfadden Public Market, and Amazebowls. Viral Ramen Burger creator Keizo Shimamoto has attended 626 night markets and opened in New York City and Smorgasburg in Los Angeles. Shimamoto went on to open a Ramen Burger restaurant in Koreatown in Los Angeles and a ramen restaurant in New York which closed last year. He is currently awaiting the opening of his new restaurant, Ramen Shack, in San Juan Capistrano, which is expected to open later this summer.

Other vendors at 626 Night Market that have opened physical locations include: Jichan’s Onigiri-ya, Milk Tea Company, Takoyaki Tanota, Drunken Cake Pops, Cafe 949, Main Squeeze, Sushi with Attitude, to name a few -a. While new vendors are constantly being added, here are five new vendors to watch out for at this year’s 626 Night Market.

Kefir mix

Move over the kombucha, there is a new fermented drink in town. Kefir drinks are all the rage in Asia right now, and Kefir Mix owner Quyna Nguyen is the first to bring flavored kefir drinks to Asia in California. The drinks are popular in Asia for being a healthier alternative to boba drinks. Kefir is a healthy, fermented food with a consistency comparable to yogurt, and research shows it may help boost immunity, ease digestive issues, and control blood sugar, among many other health benefits.

Cultivated and fermented using kefir grains, the drink has been consumed around the world for centuries. As a result of fermentation, very little lactose remains in the kefir. All the kefir is freshly made each day and served with purple rice, mango, strawberry, and even Oreo. Nguyen opened his store in Santa Ana in May 2021 and will be at 626 Night Market this summer.

WezzArepas

Kristie hang

WezzArepas offers traditional Colombian street food at night market 626. The stall is a new take on the classic Colombian dish made with ground corn dough. Arepas are usually served with accompaniments such as cheese, meat, and avocado. While traditional arepas use white corn, WezzArepas uses a sweet yellow corn cake with a filling in the center of mozzarella cheese. You can also add jalapeño or pepperoni to the arepas. Plus, the stand serves Colombian-style hot dogs cooked with grated mozzarella cheese and bacon, then topped with three kinds of sauces: creamy cilantro, rose, and pineapple sauces. Each hot dog is then topped with chip pieces for a crunch.

Vegano by Stick-Station

Kristie hang

Vegano from Stick Station specializes in quality vegan popsicles designed for people with lactose intolerance and casein protein allergies. Creamy popsicle flavors are made with rice milk which in turn produces a creamy flavor using less than half the sugar that other popsicles use in the market. Flavors include: choco coffee chips, matcha, rocky road, coconut, mango chili, mojito, and strawberry lemon. This will be Vegano by Stick Station’s first foray into 626 Night Market. They operate in Hermosa Beach, South Pasadena, Playa Vista, Long Beach, Mar Vista and Torrance Farmers Markets.

mason’s lair

Kristie hang

Mason’s Den will serve TikTok’s famous mini pancake cereal. The pandemic has led to some interesting culinary trends like sourdough bread, Dalgona coffee, and feta pasta, but the folks on TikTok have made a bowl of mini pancakes covered in syrup and milk that you eat with a spoon. a viral sensation. Customers can choose between original pancake batter and matcha before browsing through the number of potential toppings, including sour gummy worms, fruity pebbles, Teddy Grahams, Oreo crumbs, strawberries, blueberries and maple / caramel / chocolate syrups, among a plethora of other breakfast cereals and toppings. In addition to the viral mini pancakes, Mason’s Den will also serve funnel cakes, corn and other fair trade fried foods. Owner Jerman Arteaga has already been booked for next year’s Coachella and Stagecoach festivals.

Sandoitchi

Nadia Chaudhury / EATX

Sandoitchi is a Texas-based Japanese sando restaurant that will debut at 626 Night Market this year. Japanese sandos are made on thick, fluffy milk bread called shokupan. Sandoitchi, which means sandwich in Japanese, serves versions with egg salad, pork katsu, hot chicken katsu, and fruit cream. Sandos are known to sell out within minutes in Texas and in all the different pop-up locations. Chef Stevie Nguyen rose to social media fame with a ridiculous $ 75 wagyu sando topped with black truffles and gold leaf in the past.

The first 626 night market of the year will be July 9-11, followed by July 16-18, August 27-29, and September 3-5 with hours from 4 p.m. to midnight on Friday and Saturday and through at 11 p.m. on Sunday.