Misuri Holds First Gateway Night Market Creating a New Community Highlight

The city of Millbrae held its first Gateway Night Market on March 14 (last Friday), attracting over 30 vendors showcasing a variety of Asian cuisines, including Xinjiang grilled skewers, Taiwanese stinky tofu, Cantonese salt-baked chicken feet, Filipino barbecue, and high mountain tea, allowing visitors to enjoy delicious food while immersing themselves in diverse Asian culinary culture.

In addition to food stalls, the night market also featured various booths selling handmade crafts, souvenirs, clothing, and home goods, making it an ideal destination for finding unique gifts and decorations. During the event, there were live music performances and a free outdoor screening of the movie “Inside Out 2,” creating a lively atmosphere for people to indulge in shopping, dining, and entertainment on a joyful evening.

Organized by the Peninsula Economic Alliance, co-sponsored by the Gateway Integrated Development Zone, and planned by OMG Entertainment, the Gateway Night Market was expected to attract nearly 2,000 attendees, according to Marian Kong, a director of the Peninsula Economic Alliance. She hopes that the event will boost the economy, enhance visibility for businesses, and promote community interaction. The night market will be held monthly, with plans to introduce more activities to attract greater participation from the public.

Kong emphasized the concept of “borderless commerce,” highlighting the alliance’s diverse array of over 200 businesses representing different ethnicities participating in the night market each month, offering residents a wide range of choices and fresh experiences. She believes that in the near future, the Gateway Night Market will become a major community event, akin to Millbrae’s Chinese New Year and Mid-Autumn Festival celebrations, drawing thousands of attendees annually.

Brian Yi, the investment director of Republic Urban Properties, expressed the goal of creating a vibrant community to unleash the area’s potential and strengthen its connections with Millbrae and the entire Peninsula region.

During the event, Millbrae Councilwoman Yan He joined the night market to enjoy the festivities alongside the residents. She has been advocating for a night market in Millbrae as a way to stimulate economic development, increase the city’s visibility, and elevate its reputation. He stated, “Last month, the night market in South San Francisco was a great success, and currently, there is no night market in the entire Peninsula region.” Therefore, she has been actively promoting the concept to fill this gap and bring more business opportunities and vitality to the local community.

Gladys Nguyen, co-owner of Chinita Baker with her Filipino husband, showcased crispy roasted pork belly as their specialty, along with a variety of baked goods and beverages. They also offered popular street snacks such as chicken spring rolls, lobster balls, fish balls, and fish cakes tempura, which were well-received by customers.

Nguyen expressed her love for Millbrae, praising the lively atmosphere, enthusiastic crowd, and great customer base, as they reside nearby and particularly enjoy participating in events in the area.

Vince from Honey Mom in San Bruno specializes in thousand-layer cakes, birthday cakes, and signature cakes, which are highly popular among customers. He also served passion fruit lemon chicken feet and signature salt-baked chicken feet, both with unique flavors. He hopes to introduce Honey Mom to more people, stating, “Our products are delicious, diverse, and made with care.”

Jack Chang, founder of Tea Roaster from Taipei, focuses on Taiwanese high mountain tea, currently offering green tea, high mountain oolong tea, and Sun Moon Lake black tea. During the pandemic, he discovered the cultural value of tea and aims to introduce Taiwanese high mountain tea to more Americans through his roasting techniques, spreading the traditional culture.

ALI’S BBQ, known for Xinjiang-style lamb skewers, chicken skewers, and beef skewers, is operated by a group of students. The students from San Francisco State University expressed their desire to familiarize more people with Xinjiang lamb skewers and appreciate the unique dining culture. Ali from De Anza College stated that living abroad is challenging, and he hopes to “earn some money to ease the burden on his parents.”

WhatCoffee brought French-Asian fusion pastries to the night market, offering a variety of flavors of croissants and exquisite desserts. Seventeen-year-old Amy, the sister of boss Rain Sun, is responsible for beverage development.

She shared that the baking team starts work at four or five in the morning to ensure all products are freshly baked, insisting on using fresh fruits to make jams, presenting pure and natural flavors. Moreover, they specially roast coffee beans in-house, allowing customers to taste the most carefully crafted desserts and beverages.

Rick Buchikos from South San Francisco and his friend from San Carlos visited the night market specifically to taste Gim Belly’s roasted pork belly again. “I first tried their roasted pork belly at the Treasure Island festival last summer and haven’t been able to forget it since, so I came here today to relish it once more,” he said. “I really love night markets, especially the Treasure Island Night Market; it’s not just lively but also provides hours of fun.”

Second-generation Taiwanese American Julia Kong and her husband, accompanied by two adorable dogs, strolled through the night market to experience the lively atmosphere. She commented, “The variety of food here is amazing, offering diverse choices suitable for families and pets alike. The entire night market has a festive atmosphere, organized and fantastic to experience!” Among the offerings, rice balls were her favorite.

The Peninsula Economic Alliance (PEA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting economic prosperity in the San Francisco Bay Area Peninsula region. Its primary goal is to foster economic development by creating a favorable business environment and advocating for policies and measures that benefit business growth and community well-being.

The alliance aims to connect government, businesses, and the community to establish a broad business network and support a diverse business ecosystem, including retail, dining, services, and hospitality, leveraging the geographic advantages of Millbrae’s proximity to major transportation hubs and affluent communities. Members can exchange contacts, share successful experiences, and collaborate on projects together within the organization. ◇