Ottawa Gets a Taste of Asia at Annual Chinatown Night Market

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Photos by Kat Walcott

The Ottawa Chinatown Night Market was bigger than ever this year! With the gorgeous weather this past weekend, guests came out by the hundreds for this three-day extravaganza of food, culture and music.

Co-presented by bubble tea company Chatime this year, along with regular host Ottawa Asian Fest, the event was noticeably bigger than last year’s, taking over a large block of Somerset street, between Bronson and Arthur, right at the entrance of Ottawa’s Chinatown, by the gorgeous Royal Gateway arch.

The festival truly transported you to Asia, where night markets like this are common place in places such as Tokyo, Seoul and Hong Kong. There were dozens of vendors, selling a variety of delicious Asian street food such as the popular BBQ squid on a stick, steamed dumplings, bubble waffles, bubble tea and the notorious, and appropriately named, stinky tofu who’s smell radiated throughout the street.

Along with getting to eat all these different dishes, the open market set up gave guests a chance to see how all their favourite Asian treats are made as vendors cooked away at their stalls. Most notably, how the popular Japanese street dish takoyaki is moulded into its signature ball shape and how bubble waffles get their famous bubble pattern.

Besides the food, there was also some fun entertainment on the small stage in the centre of the market. Local singers and dancers performed to a variety of both Western and Asian music and there was also a karaoke segment which allowed guests to take the stage and sing their favourite songs for the crowd.

The Chinatown Night Market proved to be another successful event in the city’s busy summer of festivals and we cannot wait until next year’s market!