NorCal Night Market 2018 Review

A friend invited me to the NorCal Night Market, and I was really hesitant to go. I had just drained my wallet in San Francisco a few days before, the commute was far, and I'd already gone to the OC Night Market. What could be so special about this one? I recognized so many vendors from the OC Night Market, BUT there was a fair share of really cool NorCal/Bay Area vendors. I made sure to hit up all the NorCal ones, since we don't have those back home.

The BART ride was a long one; we had to make a transfer, and rode all the way to the end of the Dublin/Pleasanton line. We wanted to save money by taking the bus, but couldn't find it, so we Ubered there. Well, our Uber didn't know where the Uber entrance was, so he dropped us off a far walk from the gates. Gotta pre-burn those calories.

See my OC Night Market Guide post for tips on how to get the most bang for your buck, and maximize your time.

Kaisen Don

After taking a quick spin to scope out all the vendors, I decided to try Kaisen Don first. There was a long line, so I assumed it would be good. They specialize in donburi, Japanese rice bowls, but were also serving up uni, scallop burgers, and poke tacos. I really wanted a truffle salmon donburi, but I didn't want to fill up on rice and pay $13 for a small portion. I ordered a salmon poke taco–it was $6 but worth it for the freshness. The salmon was buttery, the nori, along with the masago, added a nice crunch, and there was just the right amount of rice. I'd love to try their donburi at their restaurant.

Rice Rice Baby

Ok, so all the desserts I had (and I had way too many) were amazing, but this won ranks at the top of my list from the night. This was my first time having mango sticky rice–I've seen it on menus at Thai restaurants, but I've never actually ordered it. Rice Rice Baby serves up a few different versions of this classic Thai dessert. Some have purple rice, egg custard, and even matcha, but I went for the Notorious O.G. I seriously couldn't decide–I wanted to try them all–but I chose to be basic and try the traditional mango sticky rice. I was blown away by how delicious it was! You sort of forget you're eating rice because the coconut milk adds a whole new flavor to it. The mangos were soft, tangy, and fresh, and the mung bean crisps added a nice crunch. I couldn't get enough! The portion size was a little small for the price, ($7) but I would go back to Rice Rice Baby again and again. Hopefully I see them again soon!

I Love Brulee

Before coming to the Night Market, I knew I wanted to grab a mini creme brûlée from I Love Brûlée. Sadly, when I arrived at the booth (around 7PM), they were out of all the flavors I wanted: coconut, ube. There was only a choice of matcha, s'mores, and coffee. I went with the matcha–it was actually quite delicious. The custard had the perfect amount of matcha flavor, but was a little on the cold side. Cracking the brûléed sugar with my spoon was the best part. The crunch was the perfect contrast to the smooth custard. This dessert was light, with the right amount of sweetness, allowing my sweet tooth to still have tolerance for the many more desserts I would eat throughout the night.

Takoyaki Yamachan

For the longest time, I was afraid to try takoyaki because of the octopus–that was before I was a foodie. After telling myself that the octopus was cooked and such a small piece in comparison to the batter around it, I finally tried it. This was only my fourth time having takoyaki, but let me just say, Takoyaki Yamachan does it best! The takoyaki was still the slightest bit gooey and the sauces added great flavor, along with the minute crunch from the bonito flakes. $7 for 5 balls was a great price, however the other flavors cost more.

This is the ultimate Japanese street food snack!

Crumb•Wich Silvanas

The crumb•wich was the most unique dessert I tried at the night market! And one of my favorites! This is a Filipino dessert, similar to an ice cream cookie sandwich. The cookies are replaced with cashew meringue and the ice cream with buttercream. This dessert is finished with a dusting of cookie crumbles. The crumb•wich was light, airy, and had that satisfying crunch that quickly melts in your mouth–characteristic of a meringue. Crumb•Wich Silvanas offers Filipino-inspired flavors: buko pandan, ube, mango. I went with the pandan, a plant whose green leaves give a fragrant, aromatic flavor. I prefer this dessert to the denser American ice cream cookie sandwich. I did not feel gross or full after eating it and would never have discovered this ethnic dessert had I not attended the night market! I wish this small business good luck for the future!

Binka Bites

Filipino food back at it again with delicious desserts I never would've thought to exist! You definitely can't find these back home in south, south Orange County. I truly love the variety of ethnic cuisines up here in the Bay Area.

Binka Bites are inspired by the Filipino Christmas dessert, bibingka. They are made from rice flour and coconut milk, giving this dessert a denser, yet spongy texture. As soon as you take a bite, your teeth sink in, making the sound of when you squeeze a sponge! It sort of reminded me of the mochi muffins from Third Culture Bakery, but I would equate binka bites to a cupcake, as they are more flour-y.

There was only one box of one flavor left when I reached the booth (around 8 PM). I was debating whether or not I needed another dessert, but I bought one anyways because it was something I've never seen before! The price was reasonable, too–$4. I am so glad I was able to try it. It was absolutely delicious, and the frosting was super light and fluffy–and topped with Oreo crumbles. I ate half at the market, saving the rest for the next day, but as soon as I got to the BART station, I opened the box and finished the other half–it was that good!

Matcha N' More

Matcha N' More uses the highest quality ingredients–they import ceremonial grade matcha right from Uji, Japan–and use nothing artificial. My friend and I shared the 24K gold matcha soft serve in a black sesame cone. It was the most expensive ice cream I've ever seen–$12–but it was so creamy and smooth. Honestly, the gold is just for show, but it makes the photo that much better. The gold glimmers in the light and hugs the soft serve, still showing the details of the ridges of the swirls. Eating the gold was a little weird–it felt unnatural–like, I'm not supposed to be consuming gold. This is the best soft serve I have ever had! There was no grainy-ness or weird aftertastes, and the density was perfect. Look at that perfect swirl! Just overall, wow!

I had an amazing time at the Nor Cal Night Market and was glad I was able to try so many fun, unique vendors from around the Bay Area. I hit up all the spots on my list and spent just a little over $40.