Atlanta has a diverse international culture scene, but it takes time to explore. Food is oftentimes a superb way for Atlantans to experience different cultures. The Atlanta International Night Market, founded in 2016 by David Lee and a group of friends, aims to raise awareness around the breadth of Atlanta's cultural identities through sharing food and cultural performances.
This year, ATL International Night Market took place in the city of Lawrenceville, and attracted foodies from all over to enjoy the diverse food culture as well as to watch amazing performances. I went on early Saturday afternoon, and was delighted to try a wide range of international food despite the drizzling weather. These delicious treats were my highlights!
1. Yi Fang Taiwan Fruit Tea
No food trip is complete without boba. We started out by grabbing boba from Yi Fang, a boba franchise that is no stranger to any boba lovers, especially old-school boba maniacs like me who prefers fruitiness and brown sugar in their drink. I highly recommend their signature Yi Fang Fruit Tea if you also enjoy fruity flavors, and their Brown Sugar Pearls Black Tea Latte if you like natural sweetness. By the time we got there, they were running low on pearls so I opted for grass jelly in my black tea latte. The chewiness and herbal taste of grass jelly make the drink even more refreshing.
2. MY's Vietnamese Food Mobile
Food trucks are always the best when it comes to any food market. We were quickly attracted to the Vietnamese Food truck with a line around the block. They provided Bánh Mì, egg rolls, rice vermicelli and different combos. We tried the rice vermicelli combo with pork, fries and popcorn shrimps.
The combo comes with fresh grilled pork, shrimp, egg rolls, fish source, and veggies. The combo gives the taste buds a variety of flavors: sweetness from the grilled pork, a sprinkle of spiciness from the sriracha, and crunchiness from the Mung Bean sprouts.
I have been thinking about these French Fries for days after my visit to the ATL International Night Market. I can assure you that these French Fries were so yummy that I can nearly taste their crunchy, salty texture right now.
3. Singasoul Kitchen
Singapore is famous for their street food, be it Hainanese Chicken Rice, chili crab, or fish-head curry. Singasoul at ATL International Night Market offered Chicken Rice, Satay, Epok-Epok, Roti Prata with Curry, and Mee Goreng. We ordered Satay and Roti Prata with Curry. I recommend the Roti Prata for the creaminess from the curry.
4. Hungarian Artisan Sweets, Cambodian BBQ (and much more!)
I did not get to try every food stand, but the Cambodian BBQ skewers were phenomenal if you love BBQ! There were also Hungarian Artisan Sweets, Jamaican jerk pork, and much more international food to try. Besides the food stands, there were also merchandisers representing different cultures and selling artisan goods. Once finished with food hunting, we wrapped up our food trip by sitting on the lawn and watching cultural performances by amazing local artists.
It was a wonderful food trip going to the ATL International Night Market. Not only were the foods memorable and unique, but I also learned more about Atlanta's cultural identities.