Street. Eat. Central.

Located in the heart of Houston’s China Town is the Hong Kong City Mall. Like any mall, HKCM is home to a number of cafes, restaurants, retail stores, and services. Once every blue moon, you can find some of the best Asian street food in the city at its open-air market! [Featured image: @shawnchippendale]

One might be tempted to label the Asian Market behind Hong Kong City Mall as a “hidden gem”. With a Facebook page that hasn’t been updated since 2016, a half-baked website riddled with broken links, and virtually no social media presence outside of devoted fans, it’s the kind of place that thrives through word of mouth. But make no mistake, for anyone that’s been to the night market, it seems like anything but a secret.

At night the area behind the Hong Kong City Mall comes alive with Asian food vendors and the swarms of hungry Houstonians looking to get a cheap bite. Park in the front and stroll through the mall’s food court to the back. Out back the open air is thick with smoke, steam, and clouds of ambrosia.

In these times, rather than follow what you read on Yelp (or here for that matter), you ought to explore. Follow your eyes, nose, and stomach as you peruse the many Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese food stalls. Ogle at the sizzling marinated skewers. Swoon at the grilling clams. Drown yourself in Boba. Contain yourself (or don’t) at the sight of homespun sweet bao — the market is your oyster. Also, the market has dynamite oysters.

It can get packed so if you’re not good with crowds you might want to get there early. Also seating is very limited so if you’re planning on putting on some weight, you might want to bring a chair to give your poor legs a break. Prices typically range from $5 – $10 per dish. Remember, the market is cash only.

The mall is open from 8 a.m. – 10 p.m. daily. The market, however, only happens every two months or so. As stated, there is very little advertising for the Asian Night Market so keep your ear to the ground. Or, if you’re in the area, stop by the Hong Kong City Mall and take a peak out back — you never know.

All said, the Asian Night Market at the Hong Kong City Mall is a treasure in Houston’s food scene!

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