What to Eat at the First-Ever Lunar New Year Nite Market This Weekend

A first-time New Orleans-area food festival celebrating Lunar New Year takes place this weekend, convening dozens of local food and drink vendors, AAPI student organizations, and nonprofits to celebrate the Year of the Rabbit. NOLA Nite Market, the organizer of the popular food festival by the same name, along with Sông, a community development organization that also runs the VEGGI Farmers Cooperative, is hosting the two-day Lunar New Year Nola Nite Market.

The free-to-enter celebration takes place Friday, February 3, from 5 to 10 p.m. and Saturday, February 4, from noon to 10 p.m. at the Westwego Farmers Market (484 Sala Avenue). Below, here’s a sampling of the participating vendors and what they’ll be serving, including spicy rice cakes, Filipino barbecue skewers; Japanese taiyaki, and much more.

2WayStreetNola

Beef jerky chips; Korean-style fried chicken wings (sweet soy or honey butter)

Asian Outdoor Kitchen

Lemongrass grilled chicken skewers; banh mi; dirty bird fries; and pork bacos

Baomi

Garlic butter shrimp or grilled pork vermicelli; basil popcorn chicken; egg rolls; and grilled pork skewer

Get Ur Mom and Dim Sum

Crab rangoon; dan dan dumpling

Kais Sushi

Ahi tuna nori taco; salmon nori taco; chili garlic crawfish nori taco; soft shell crab nori taco

K-Town BBQ and Tofu

Sausage, beef, or spicy pork kimbop; chicken, bulgogi, or spicy pork barbecue cups; and spicy rice cakes

Kusina

Pork adobo; ube mango pudding

Lola J’s Bistro/Tri Mo Filipino Cuisine

Filipino BBQ skewers; lumpia; chicken adobo; pancit; turon; ube puto; bibingka cakes; and halo-halo

Lufu

Vada pav (fried potato dumpling sliders); Tangdi kebab; and butter chicken

Mr. Bubbles Nola

Grilled beef skewers; pandan king cake slice

Nola BBQeaux

Smoked brisket fried rice; smoked pulled pork banh mi; and smoked burnt ends skewer

Sandoitchi

Egg salad, truffle chicken katsu, spicy truffle chicken katsu, and fruit and cream sandos; chicken karaage

Tea Bar

Nutella, strawberry, and banana crepes; three-piece Nutella, red bean, and ube taiyaki

Thai’d Up

Roti with curry; crab rangoons; wings; chicken satay; grilled pork; Thai beignets; and a papaya salad, pork skewer, and sticky rice combo

T Swirl Crepe

Banana chocolate, strawberry banana, matcha chocolate truffle, banana Nutella, strawberry Nutella, or smoked salmon crepes; ice cream; and Thai tea