Ranking Everything We Ate at the Richmond Night Market in 2024

If you’re headed to the Richmond Night Market this summer, you must be mentally prepared to spend $50. There’s no way around it. With $8.50 admission and the average food price sitting around $17, this iconic April to October event has less of a “market” vibe and more of a “splurge” vibe when it comes to money. So… is it worth it?

That’s the question I decided to solve on my 2024 Night Market trip. I’d try some of the most popular foods on offer and rank them by deliciousness. It’s a tough job, but someone has to do it.

Some things to note: because my personal taste leans more savoury, the items on this list lean that way, too. And, despite the ranking, everything I tried was very good (after all, I only got the items that were spoken highly of by friends, family and the internet) so keep that in mind. This is the best of the best, and they can’t all be number one.

Before we get into the rankings, here’s my pre-Night Market advice.

Know Before You Go to the Richmond Night Market

1. Bring cash. A lot of the vendors are cash only or charge more for credit card transactions, so make sure to have plenty of green (and blue and red… whoever made up that slang term was definitely American) on you.

2. Arrive before 6:30p.m. or after 8:30pm. The Night Market hours are 7:00 p.m. to midnight, Friday to Sunday. I arrived at exactly 7:00pm on Sunday and waited in a long, winding line for just over half an hour. But by 8:30 or so, the line was empty again. So I suggest either being a very early bird or fashionably late to minimize your time in the queue.

3. Be mentally and economically prepared to spend $50. I said it before but it’s worth repeating: you’re going to have a much better time exploring the wild and wonderful foodie scene if you’re not clutching your pearls at the prices. Unless you’re planning on not eating (gasp) or have a relatively small appetite (couldn’t be me), this isn’t a particularly affordable outing.

But the food is good. And weird. Let’s get into it.

Richmond Night Market 2024 Foods, Ranked

#7: BBQ Squid

I wish I could rank this higher, because  booth F58, Lao Er BBQ Squid, has a lot going for it: the portion size is pretty hefty, the service is quick as hell (my hot food was sitting in my hands before I had even put my change away) and the food itself is simple. Almost every other item on this list—and at the Night Market—is deep fried, covered in sugar or has some kind of gimmicky angle, and while there’s a place for that, there’s also nothing wrong with going back to basics.

All this is to say that the BBQ squid ($16) tasted great, but it was extremely chewy and didn’t quite have the wow-factor that the other things I tried did. I think this dish would be a fun thing to split with a group, but it was too much for me. I’m sure a more diehard squid lover would beg to differ.

#6: Mango Paradise Bao Bun

Bao Buns, booth F08, may be sixth when it comes to food, but I’d easily rank them #1 when it comes to experience. I was drawn to the booth by passionate yells of “Number 7? Your buns are ready, hun!” and “My buns are better than Beyonce’s, yall!” from an extremely effective seller. The exuberant bun slinger decked out the deep fried milk buns with a flourish, shouting to passersby as he did so—and I love a show.

So, I got the Mango Paradise Bao Bun ($15) and got to experience the joy of hearing my own number called. All this is is a milk bun deep fried with a scoop of ice cream, mango and condensed milk on top. It’s delicious, obviously (in what world is fried dough, ice cream and fruit not good?) and super filling—shared between two people, it’s perfect.

#5: Birria Tacos

So I got tacos at an Asian market, sue me! Birria is tough to resist in any situation, and the smell coming from Poncho’s Tacos (F09) made me want to levitate off the ground and float towards the booth. Looney Tunes style.

To make sure I had room for the rest of my Night Market smorgasbord, I got a single taco ($8). It was the single hottest food item that has ever been placed in my hand (heat went right through the little cardboard tray). This taco was fresh: crispy with cheese and dangerously toasty. I did a complete lap of the food booths while waiting for it to cool off enough to take a bite. The wait was worth it, the taco was gloriously juicy and dripping in bold consommé. Just beware the hotness (a phrase I’d love as a bumper sticker, by the way).

#4: Ramen Donut

The famous ramen donut (booth F23) is splashed across signs all over the Night Market’s entrance, and while I knew I had to order one to at least try it (and get the beautiful photo you see below) I wasn’t really looking forward to it. Of all the items on offer, the ramen donut seemed the most gimmicky and Instagram-focused. I thought it would photograph beautifully but not really be worth the hype, kind of like macarons (fight me).

Well, I was wrong. The $10 ramen donut— a package of Indomie instant noodles that are cooked, formed into a donut shape with mozzarella cheese, breaded and deep-fried then topped with spicy mayo and green onion—was actually really great. It’s donut-ness comes only from its shape, so the taste is really just ramen and cheese (no complaints). Who knew the delight that would come from holding cooked ramen in your hand and not having to deal with a bowl and chopsticks? It’s an indulgent treat, for sure, but it’s weirdly one of the cheapest foods in the whole place and has my full support.

#3: Basil Popcorn Chicken

Back to the classics. There is a lot of fried chicken on offer at the Night Market, so I spent a lot of time picking which booth to visit. This one (booth F39) called Taiwanese Street Food boasted stinky tofu (curiousity, piqued) and basil popcorn chicken. It was not as flashy as its neighbours—no jubilant yelling, no life-size cardboard cutout, no bubble machine—but the food looked good.

I saved the stinky tofu for another visit and got the basil popcorn chicken, and I have absolutely no regrets. From the way that the chef expertly stacked the fried chicken on the tray (she PACKED those suckers on there, making sure I got my $14 worth) to the crisp basil placed on top to the way each piece had a delightful crunch and juicy centre, it was perfection.

#2: Xinjiang Style Lamb Bun

Proof TikTok marketing works? I was really excited to try the Chef James (Xinjiang Man) booth at F7 because of the charming, hilarious videos that his daughter posts on TikTok. I ordered a single Xinjiang style lamb bun ($8), again because I was trying to be a reasonable, responsible diner and knew I had a lot of food to fit into one trip.

I wish I had gotten more. This little lamb bun was made to order (meaning there was a little wait) and made with so much care. The bun was soft and sweet, the lamb was moist and a little spicy (big cumin energy here) and a little cilantro provided a balancing, fresh element. I’ll definitely be ordering a full set (four buns for $25) next time.

#1: Dynamite Sushi Hot Dog

Finally, we’re at number one. This item won in every category: it was delicious, beautiful, inventive, filling and relatively reasonably priced. In fact, the only points I’d take off the sushi hot dog’s score would be for mess… unlike a hot dog or sushi, this is pretty difficult to eat with your hands.

But I’m not afraid of a challenge. This sushi hot dog—rice formed into a bun shape then fried and topped with prawn tempura, avocado, cucumber, masago and edamame—was a beast I happily conquered at booth F23. Like the ramen donut, this gorgeous monster is only a hot dog in its general shape (no weenies here). Street food is good, but a lot of it doesn’t explore much diversity when it comes to colour or texture (something Vanmag art director Stesha reminds when I’ve accidentally pitched a food story that might as well be titled Beige Foods of Vancouver). The sushi hot dog nails texture (soft, crunchy, smooth, crispy, fresh, fried) and colour (green, orange, purple, pink) completely.

Does it rival Michelin-starred dishes? Of course not, we’re at the Night Market. But this one is a definite do-over; a food that felt close to my heart in it’s deliciousness and cultural makeup. We can’t all be award-winning, pristine elegance. And ethnically, I’m kind of a sushi hot dog, too.