We came, we saw, we left. Very few vendors. That's fine if there's a good selection of stuff, especially food vendors. But we found it almost impossible to find any vegetarian options! How many meat on a stick items can a night market have?! Even the hardcore carnivores in our group didn't see anything exciting and voted to leave too. Also, everything was really pricey. Potato curl on a stick (admittedly it was a large stick!) was the price of a whole noodle soup at a regular Asian restaurant. 1 star for it not being as crowded as the Pleasanton one. 1 star for relatively easy parking in the huge mall lot. 1 star for the nice weather lol. I'm feeling generous. read more

626 Night Market Mini - Milpitas - This is about ¾ of all the vendors - Festivals Near Me - Milpitas, California

(Went April 2023) First time going to a mini night market and I have to say it was fun! There's a small amount of vendors but you can see who the vendors are in advance so you can decide if you want to go to at that date or a different one. There's plenty of parking since the event is held in the parking lot of the Great Mall. After you're done eating, you can spend the rest of the day in the mall. read more

626 Night Market Mini - Milpitas - From GIM Belly (Get in my Belly) - Garlic noodles and bbq chicken (~$20) - Festivals Near Me - Milpitas, California

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Mini nite market at the Great Mall. Sign in to get tickets. May not be able to enter without it Be ready to wait. Long lines read more

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As another yelper said before more...Yikes. Visting on their first weekend in July should've been a fairly clean cut ordeal, but when they said 'mini' I didn't realize it meant only 5 food stalls, 1 vendor, and Comcast internet? It's free for entry and it shows in the lack of effort (which makes it stranger that they insisted you sign up for a ticket online before they let you in). There wasn't a line when I went at 5pm and parking was easy, which would probably be the only reason I'd advise one to check this event out. Although they had portapotties most of the soap dispensers had literally nothing in it and water wasn't working in half of them. Table count was pretty low at 5 tables too, so you won't be getting much seating. Some had umbrellas for shade, but you might need to finagle them yourselves as only one was setup properly. Prices aren't listed on most stalls, probably to obscure sticker shock. We got a potato swirl ($13) for my brother's curiosity and we dived in on Katna's kitchen ($60 boodle plate) since I've been curious about their food, but mostly disappointing unfortunately. The potato swirl (sour cream) had a good texture of somewhat crispy outside and soft taters on the inside, but it was caked thoroughly in an inedibly salty mixture. I seriously had to thwack it for several minutes to get enough of the salty powder off that you could comfortably eat it. Katna's Boodle plate was quite underwhelming, but at least it was enough food for 3-4 people. The pancit was a mushy mess and the chicken was rock hard. I couldn't tell you what was in the fried spring rolls since the meats were so overdone (nice sauces couldn't salvage those). The only salvageable parts were the skewer (fantastic softness and flavor once you get it off the stick) and the sisig (only 'alright' at best with a rather mushy texture to it, but flavorwise it was somewhat fragrant). I suspect the low throughput that day meant we got 'leftovers'...skip the mini and stick to the mainstay event for sure. This one just isn't really worth it. read more

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Mini Night Market in the Bay! Tina's Tips and Tricks: - Reserve your tickets online - Park near Olive Garden - Check in and enter on side facing McDonald's with your tickets for entry - Come as a group, disperse, and conquer FOOD STANDS: Cafe 949 + Lobster + Garlic Noodles $43 + Garlic Noodles $8 + Garlicy goodness with an OK amount of lobster - Needed to cracker for the claw :( Sugar Mama Sugarcane + Original (16oz) $10 + Strawberry $10 - A little too sweet for me, but still tasty! Big and Long Potato Swirl + Sour Cream + BBQ (2 for $20) + Strawberry Lemonade $5 - Very good! - Need to eat right away or it gets cold! - Brother said the sour cream one was too salty Supreme Musubi + Original spam musubi $6 + Bought to-go for the brother Pros: - Efficient with check in - Nice food vendors and janitorial staff Cons: - Not enough seating and tables - Need more lighting and maybe heating lamps since the weather is a little chilly now Suggestion is that maybe for food festivals in general should be like Resort World in Las Vegas with iPads or more digital so we can order and receive texts when food is ready, but might be too high tech. Pretty good turnout! It got packed after 6-7pm, but I think it depends on the day. Definitely happy that it's happening in the bay! read more

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It's something to do if you are in the area. Reserve tickets online to avoid any hold up when entering. Online it says there are 3 dozen vendors, but there are more like 1 dozen vendors. There is great food and a small space to socialize. The prices are along the lines of a them park with a few places that aren't so overpriced. My friend got shrimp dim sum, truffle/Parmesan Tator tots, the Watermelon sugar high drink, and 3 Ube flan. She wasn't a fan of the dim sum. She enjoyed the tator tots, and LOVED the Ube flan. I got 2 alcoholic beverages @ $16 each, 2 chicken skin cones @$17 each and some oil and a candle. The Chicken skins came in a very small portion for just under $20, and if I'm being honest, they had great service but the chicken skins are just ok. The chicken skins do taste much better with the sweet and sour sauce though so I'm gonna chop it up to an experience. Bring fu@k you money and expect to spend it, it's good stuff. I do believe the vendors rotate here, but this isn't something I'd travel 35 minutes to do again. read more

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Such a fun experience if you don't come with super high expectations, especially with lines that weren't as long as I expected and different food vendors to choose from! Let's talk about expectations: on average waits for food are ~40 minutes per vendor which was what we expected and you are likely going to drop $50-100 per person (~$20-30 per entree). As it got busier though, it was nearly impossible to find a table or spot to eat the food we got. The experience can be a hit or miss depending on the time you go and the vendors you buy from. Infamous Fries (5/5) Parmesan Truffle Tots: ohmygoshhhh the tots were so crispy and soft, and they doused the tots with so much truffle oil. Parmesen, truffle oil, and tater tots are a match made in heaven! Miniyaki Cheese Shell Taco (4/5) Lobster Taco (4/5): taco shell made out of cheese is a unique idea, but I thought the cheese shell and lobster topping did not compliment well with each other. It tasted better separately. The taco was really good while warm but once it got cold, it wasn't as good. Also kind of overpriced at $28 a piece, but it's the Bay Area... Miniyaki Steak and Grill (1.5/5) Wagyu Skewer (2/5): there wasn't a line to order but took 30+ minutes to receive our order. Our plate was bloody from the skewers but the wagyu was so tough it seemed overcooked. The Chinita Baker (4/5) Ube Cheese Buns (3.5/5): the bun was soft and fluffy, but it was cold upon receiving it. I was expecting some type of cheese pull but the cheese inside the bun was not melted at all, which was a bit of a disappointment. [Unknown Vendor Names] Skewer Sampler (3.5/5): consists of fish ball, lobster, and some other skewer. The fish ball skewer was my favorite-- the fish balls were bouncy and juicy. The other two skewers had interesting textures. Mango Juice (5/5): the juice was so refreshing and it came with such a cute bear bottle! read more

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Yikes... The lack of organization and preparation shows. There was only ONE entrance and ONE person scanning entry tickets, which was really inconvenient. We had to wait at least 30 minutes in line just to GET INSIDE. They really need more staff or a second entrance. The variety that they had was fair. Wagyu yakitori, grilled lobster, Korean corn dogs, and dumplings are all pretty standard. There were also a couple non-Asian cuisines like jerk chicken, Hawaiian shaved ice, and birria tacos. There was definitely a lack of some staples though... Not many beverage options. Only the baby bottle aguas frescas. There also wasn't a single boba shop??? How strange! There also weren't any takoyaki, noodles, or Hawaiian Honey Cones (as advertised). In the end, my friends and I shared some potato swirls (after waiting in a 20 minute line) and called it a night... I definitely would not recommend this unless you are willing to drop lots of money and time for these food stalls. read more

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Arrived 10 minutes before opening which I definitely recommend. Did not have to wait for any lines and was able to snag a table with covering. It is free entrance and plenty of parking all around. We ordered a walking spicy hotpot that came with a drink ($18), Combo plate of bbq chicken and pork belly ($25), lumpia rice bowl & skewer sampler ($34), and truffle Parmesan fries ($15). Food was definitely pricey for what you get. My favorites we ordered was the walking spicy hotpot & lumpia bowl + skewer sampler. The hotpot was a pretty good deal compared to everything else since it came with a drink. I think it would of been perfect if it came with a carb like some rice. The lumpia & skewers were also delicious though the cucumber salad lacked in flavor & the rice that came with the bowl tasted off. Overall, a fun little hangout if you have a bit of money to drop. Expect to spend about $20 a entree plate and at least $10 for a snack. read more

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The good: Free entrance! I enjoyed this mini version of 626 Night Market. I like being able to sample all types of foods in one event. Some of the vendors were the same from the bigger night market (i.e. Fancy Favors Macarons). I tried bone marrow tacos, fish tacos, and some filipino pastries. There was plenty of parking at the mall parking lot and parking was free. There were 2-3 non-food stands that sold sweaters, stickers and plushies. There weren't lines when I came. The bad: There were 2-3 communal tables but it would've been nice if some stand up tables or other areas to put food down were available. I had some foods that were too difficult to eat as a "street food" type food and required I have two hands free. The entrance area wasn't clearly marked. My bone marrow tacos were $27 (I think). Everything is pretty expensive here. Some vendors took 15+ minutes for your order to be ready. At the bone marrow stand they gave my food away even though I came back at 15 minutes as they had asked. Then, I had to wait an additional 5 minutes. The interesting: Even though entrance is free, you still need to get tickets in Eventbrite. read more

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We came here a few weeks ago around 6pm, saw the long hardly-moving line wrapping around the block (actually I couldn't even see the end of line), turned around and left. I already knew the festival was too small to be worth a 1+ hour wait (yes, you can see from the outside most of what they got, though the eateries rotate so it's not the same each day). Came back this past Sunday at 1pm (the time they open), and this time I actually got to check out this "night market mini" (for lunch, not dinner... which was fine by me, to avoid the wait times). There was no line at all for entry, and hardly any lines for food either, if you go early. The cheese tacos from Miniyaki Cheese Shell Tacos were good, crispy cheese, tasty ingredients, especially the garlic pork belly (an awesome low carb snack, and surprisingly filling). Not sure what makes Infamous Fries and Tots "infamous"... Is it their 45 minute wait time for lobster fries? Or perhaps their lack of communication? We were their first order of the day, they probably should have informed us it would take that long. They said the wait was for "cheese". Honestly, it wasn't even worth the wait, the cheese was salty, the lobster was pricey, and the fries alone were actually quite delicious (like really good!), but McDonald's is right next to 626, so you can easily get more value there for fries and quicker service. At the center of the market, you'll find a drink tent and a small eating area. But seating is extremely limited. Note to the organizers: If you're only gonna put out 5 tables with seating, at least use bigger tables that are easier to use for communal seating. The tables they had fit 2-4 people max. I live like 10 minutes away, and it's free admission, so it was worth the experience. Would I drive more than 15 minutes for this, or pay to get in? Nope! read more

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Photos from nearly a week ago on a Saturday at 1 PM opening hour. I was still disappointed. Too many cars and parking lots were full at The Great Mall in Milpitas. Instead, I parked near the mall's food court lot and walked across the mall over to SAKS and then walked through that busy side of the parking lot. You would think that the Night Market location might be near the movie theater side where it would make sense. Lesser cars on that end. I went to check out the new vibes and was curious about the food vendors. It turned out to be located on one of the busiest sides, right across from the Farmers Market area. Absolutely unsafe for pedestrians to be crossing the street as cars enter and exit the parking lot. The entrance and exit was on the same narrow path/same narrow side. Why didn't they separate the entrance and exit? There were more than enough staff members on site checking people in. Yes, they checked to see if you have the ticket(s). It felt a bit uncomfortable there, especially with the crowds close together in that area. Crammed. Crowds were coming in and out from the same one side. Food selections were very limited and the lobster stand was overly priced for sure. Even the tacos were expensive (doubled the price). Japanese fusion stands looked attractive. Jamaican food stand was new. Not many beverage selections. There were a few small gift vendor stands, but not much to see. What you see in my photos were pretty much it. I captured every corner of it. Online advertisements looked great. However, Night Markets around here are still too small for me to enjoy. Not much improvements. 12-15 small food vendors is not huge. They need more vendor sign ups and need a much better location. I didn't like this one at all. Hopefully, this location will double the number of food vendors or at least change the location. Something definitely didn't feel right. Customers came across the cities to come here and to visit the shopping mall. Long long lines at the entrance and long long lines at the food stands. It was not at all exciting and food prices were more expensive than prices when eating inside the restaurants for each plate. Just sharing my own honest opinions here. You have to attend and experience it in order to know. read more

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I've been to a few of the NorCal 626 night market and I've always expected lines with expensive items... the expensive part I wasn't surprised over, but how sparse the market itself. If the tickets for entry wasn't free, I'd honestly feel completely ripped off. I'd say 1 star, but the food items I wanted were pretty ok to add another star to this. Going on 6/3/2023, there was no line to get in thankfully. Parking was easy as the mall lot was very big. I thought the emptiness was just us arriving at a not busy time... but it was quite dead in terms of 626 markets. There were basically only 6 stalls all together that sold drinks and some food, 1 alcohol stand and a few small shop vendors for croc charms/jewelry/patches. Admittedly I many only wanted yakitori skewers, chicken with mochi at the end... the wait for them was incredibly long. $13 for 2, was more on the toasty side but chicken was very juicy (both original and spicy are the way to go). The Hawaiian Honey Cones was another item we got. I love the Hokkaido soft serve, but the cone was definitely more of a gimmick than anything else. It did come off a little stale to me - a mess to eat...fun for pictures and such though. I would like to be able to get a cup of the soft serve alone. As for drinks, a smaller baby bottle with no refills is $25? Never again, the pineapple was good... but not worth the $25. As for boba, I visited the Lilikoi vendor and a P.O.G with lychee topping came out to about $12. It was a bit sweet, but nice for the warm weather. Final Thoughts: No security for the event, checks or anything, just watching over the wristbands for 21+ to get alcohol. For how other events have happened...no checks (though convenient) do make me hesitant to return. This really could've been done better... or just postpone to have more vendors to have a more put together event. read more

I'd like to start off by saying the event itself is a nice idea and located in an ideal location... its easy access to Bart and VTA and located in the Great Mall Parking Lot. Now I am all for supporting small businesses but hot dayum prices are doubley inflated. Luckily the admission is free but you will easily drop $150 to $200 in an hour... I would say less than an hour but waiting in line and then waiting for the food to be ready itself takes 30 to 40 minutes. 2 Cheese shell tacos served with bulgogi and kimchi was $50 ... no prices are listed so it's like you wait in line for 20 minutes ... you get to register to order and you get sticker priced shocked with the cost ... baby bottle drinks and mochi chicken skewers and boom bank is broken. With how much you pay and how much you get its really not worth it... even if you get an adult cocktail that is smaller than a red solo cup will cost you 16 to 30 bucks. Needless to say we will not be going back.... prices are inflated times 10 and the atmosphere is cozy. They have small sticker vendor and also croc charm vendor but again prices were ridiculous. Bring the carnival games . Mobile food trucks and drop the prices and we shall return read more

626 Night Market Mini - Milpitas - Bulgogi cheese taco - Festivals Near Me - Milpitas, California

I came, I looked, and I left. I give 1 star for the location, since it was conveniently at the Great Mall, but when I went there were less than 10 vendors. I get that this is supposed to be a mini market, but I would expect more than that (plus they advertised more stalls). At least this was free admission and free parking, but I definitely wouldn't pay for this. To make things worse, they weren't completely done with bathroom cleaning when they opened the market so it smelled bad. Not appetizing to get any food at all. There was no shade on a super hot day, no benches to sit, and barely any vendors. Unless you actually happen to be at the Great Mall, just save your time and go to the real 626 market. read more

Like others, this is probably not the best experience. I get that we are in the bay and inflation exists, but man, these prices are outrageous. Is it because of how much they have to pay to be here? The good - free entrance and free parking. The other night markets charge and make money off of us to begin with and is a nightmare to park at alameda and san mateo. The cons - and this is going to outweight the good. Little vendors. Repetitive food. way over priced but that's on the vendors part. The vendors WERE NOT good this time around. Also staffing... the tables were so gross and not cleaned out throughout the night. Most decent thing were the skewers - 4 for $25. Potato skewer things - 2 for $20. took forever, oily , and way too much powder flavor. It was not good. Fries - $60 for bulgogi and lobster. Nothing special and skimped out on protein. Agus fresca $40 but you get a refill... Overall, way over priced for ok food. I didn't pay entrance, but I sure spent $145 in an hour! read more

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This was just a "mini" night market with about a dozen food stands. The one in Pleasanton at the fairgrounds should be much larger if you're in the mood. The Ube cheese rolls were my favorite dish. Everything we found after that turned out to be fried and greasy and got to be a bit much. Truffle Parmesan tater tots Cheese shell taco Lots of dessert options too, but the Ube cheese rolls were enough for us. The one thing they allow that is highly recommended is bringing a folding chair. Seating is always limited, so bringing one is highly recommended. read more

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The Milpitas mini night market is near Olive Garden. Came here last weekend on a Sunday, which was somewhat packed. The lines were really short, which was nice. We got our food quickly. We got mochi yakitori, which I enjoyed the most. Wish they put more mochi, they only put one mochi at the end. We got the mix&match which was 2 for $13. We also got the bone marrow taco next, which was pretty decent. I enjoyed the bone marrow more than the actual taco. It was about $27 for 2 (about 6 inch) bone marrow. Lastly, we got the wagyu steak slab which was about 4 oz. It was $36 and not worth it. We asked for raw and they cooked it well-done. We asked them to remake it and it was medium rare and pretty salty. But it was still pretty decent wagyu. At least they remade it, if we ate it well-done, it would have been a very sad day. read more

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I'll keep this one short and sweet. **Reserve your free tickets online in advance to avoid unnecessary waiting. This is exactly what is advertised to be- A MINI MARKET. Not sure why people are upset there are only a handful of vendors as they say that online. A few drink spots, food vendors and then retail vendors as well. We had Yakitori Yado (try one of each, the original and spicy), Supreme Musubi (lechon kawali, definitely up to the hype), Chinita Baker (she has SHRIMP LUMPIA! Or Big Shrimpin lol), Miniyako (the cheese taco was a let down), and Ubenamon (went with the Ube & Champarrado flavor). We came in around 5 on a Sunday and had very short wait times in line; in fact the longest line we stood in was Yakitori Yado because it's intoxicating smoke filled the air, making it a popular booth. All the booths we visited took card or some form of online payment so no need for cash. If you wanna change up your weekend routine, try some street food and don't mind the company you're going with- I suggest going! read more

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Overall experience was meh considering how low the food quality was and how over priced everything was. Spent $40 for two potato skewers and $40 for two cheese shell tacos with bulgogi and pork belly (not including tip!!). The potatoes were way too salty. The cheese shell tacos were overly greasy with barely any meat at all. We ended up only eating the meat and tossing out the cheese shell of the second taco because of how greasy it was. I regret not getting Jollibees at the mall instead on the walk there LOL read more

Some interesting options but everything is SUPER overpriced. At least double what I expect. Hawaiian Honey Cone - $20 - tastes like a McDonald's ice cream cone but in a "j" shape Potato swirl - $13 for 1 - $13 for one potato?!?! It's big but this is an insult Cheese shell tacos - $20 for the cheapest one - I thought I was reading the numbers wrong for a minute. We were in and out in 10 minutes. At least it's free to get in. read more

Thought I'd check this out instead of eating the usual stuff at the Great Mall. Not much going on. Not many vendors. Super, super overpriced. Spent $22 for average Carne Asada tots. Avoid! read more

626 Night Market Mini - Milpitas - Festivals Near Me - Milpitas, California

Suuuuuuuuuuuper overpriced. We wanted to try all the foods but it was like $30 for a taco and $15 for an ice cream cone. The lines were also very long. We probably waited around 20-30 minutes for some stalls just to place an order, then about another 15 minutes for the food. We got the takoyaki, spam musubis, and mochi chicken skewers which were good but also very overpriced. The sakura drink we got was bitter and sour and a total waste of money. All the food was decent but not worth the price. read more

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Love the idea of a night market, but the prices were ridiculous. 1 paid $24 for 2 potato swirly things that was really salty. The bulgogi fries was $25+tax, so I didn't even bother to get it. The only thing I thought was fine was the $20 Hawaiian icecream. The icecream was 2/5 but the cone was 4/5. Like some reviewers have mentioned, the price needs to be reasonable for me to come back. read more

626 Night Market Mini - Milpitas - Hawaiian Icecream - Festivals Near Me - Milpitas, California

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Very hot, no shade. They put up like 10 patio umbrellas on an 86°F weather. There is Lilikoi boba where they sell 16oz boba for $12 + tax. That's highway robbery and the city is allowing it. Yakitori Yado has more reasonable prices. Chinita Baker is also jacking prices up. $1 per 2-inch eggroll. Not a good experience for 626 Market. I wouldn't go again. read more

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Dont waste your time coming here. Food is way overpriced. I ordered 1 bulgogi taco and 1 garlic pork belly taco for $48. What a rip off.. i thought he said 28 bucks and i handed him 2 20 dollar bills then he says 48 bucks. I couldnt believe what he just told me so i repeated my order to him. 1 bulgogi taco and 1 pork belly taco is 48 dollars?. I was shooketh so i just left in disgust. This is highway roberry. read more

This is a review for that food vendor "Cheese Shell Miniyaki Taco" that is so disorganized with no customer service skills. The event started at 1pm and I even came late at 1:30, this food vendor is not even ready to serve food, the staff is just setting up their stuff and grill which is really late, while other food vendors are ready to serve customers. The girl at the register is so rude & did not want to answer my simple question, I asked her how much is the price of each taco and she said "it depends on what taco you want" then she walked away quickly. So this is how you do business for real? Like WTF, this got me really hangry under the hot, hot weather. If you do not want to tell me the price well you should place a sign of your prices right in front of your booth! The other guy told me it's $21 for just 1 pork belly taco and I said "no thank you!" This is def a freakin rip off! I'm not gonna pay for a pork belly/bulgogi/lobster taco for $21-$25 each if I can make my own at home. What a stupid waste of time to check out this food booth twice today! No wonder there were no lines of people on this one read more

626 Night Market Mini - Milpitas - Festivals Near Me - Milpitas, California

4 tacos for $96 1 Juice for $36 1 Tater tots $24 Palm of hand size tiny plate of meat $32 Nobody lists prices in order to obfuscate their scam. Event area with 6 seating tables so don't expect to sit down - only stand while you eat. The organizers didn't even try to make a venue space. Simple review: DON'T GO! Just go to a restaurant and have dessert at a nice shop rather than come here. read more

It has been quite a long time since I have been to a 626 night market and I decide to take trip down back to memory lane. It was nice since this event was free. When it comes to the price of the food I was shock how much everything has increased. I tried a spam misubi which took about a 30 minute wait which cost 10$ and was a bit underwhelming. I feel like it is something I can easily make at home. Next, I tried the crispy pork belly rice bowl which cost $20 It tasted mediocre, the sauce in the rice bowl tasted like sour apple sauce. The crispy pork belly was hot and fresh however it was overdone so the skin was actually really hard to chew and bite over. Lastly, I tries the most expensive taco I ever paid for in my life - a $23 garlic flavor crispy pork taco. The taco was actually my favorite out of the 3 I tried. I enjoyed the taco however it lacked the flavor of garlic which I thought it would have and I am a huge garlic fan. With 23$ i think i can a bunch of tacos that are top notch rather than one over priced taco. Overall the food is underwhelming and IMO the foods are priced unreasonably expensive. read more

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It's mini and pricy. Good dating spot tho. Highly recommend the honeycomb ice cream.

Horrible. Very over priced BAD food. I don't mind overpaying but at least be good!? The potato swirls wasn't even crunchy and the chicken skewer tastes very bland. Overall, I will never be coming back to this night market. read more

Not fun and not worth it. Everything is Insanely overpriced. Some vendors did not have a price list. A sugarcane drink is $19 and mostly all ice. A lemonade in a mini size baby bottle is $25 and was told with unlimited free refill. came back for a refill, they said not free but cost $15 per refill. A lemonade and one refill cost $40. what a ripped off. very disappointed. will not come back again. zero star. read more

Long line everywhere. Decided to start with the elote to start out since there were few people in line. We knew the foods were overpriced but $11 for a corn?? It was also the worst elote I've ever had. It was dry and tasteless. We didn't bother rtrying anything else after that experience. Lol read more