Asian Night Market in Jacksonville

Words by Kara Carter

You may have seen lively videos of people roaming the streets of Thailand and Vietnam, specifically at night, eating traditional foods and delicacies like skewers, papaya salad and Vietnamese pancakes. Now this experience is coming to Jacksonville! 

The Asian Night Market is held the last weekend of each month on at Asian Square Supermarket on the Westside. The market highlights the various Southeast Asian dishes along with music, dancing, karaoke, a bounce house for the kids and refreshments. The food is made by different vendors from different backgrounds, and it is an exploration of Southeast Asian cuisine. 

The food highlights countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia and the Philippines. Glenda, one half of the team behind @Tagalongwithuss, a local food and event page on Instagram and TikTok, said some of her favorite food was the bánh xèo, which is like a Vietnamese crepe with various toppings like bean sprouts, shrimp and pork. The cheesy garlic bread was an unexpected highlight at the market, as well. She also said the homemade sugar cane juice was sweet and refreshing and paired well with the other foods.