Two girls review two snacks (actually) and attend Night Market!

It was a Friday evening, and the chill from earlier in the day had worn off. Sitting on Low Steps felt less like torture and more like an enjoyable, people-watching experience. Night Market, an annual event organized by the Chinese Students Club (CSC), was about to begin. Various local restaurants were peddling their dishes, while clubs were encouraging passersby to take a look at poster boards and donate in exchange for a mango lassi, pineapple bun, or homemade chocolate chip cookie.

Hi everyone, I’m Isabelle, ethnically Korean, but went to Chinese school for most of my life. I also know Cantonese AND Mandarin, so those are my credentials. 

And I’m Delaney from Utah.

To start off the night, we caught up with a friend who helped organize the event and realized the job wasn’t all fun and games. We asked her which food she was most excited for and that’s when we found out she couldn’t “eat anything because [she was] tabling”. ‘Tis the life of a working woman. Even though she couldn’t eat, she said she was excited to watch the dance performances!

Large crowds had begun to gather around food spots. Interested in tasting a few dishes ourselves, we tried to buy some food. That’s when we were informed that you had to buy tickets as they in fact did not take venmo… so off we went to wait in the ticket line. We discussed our predictions for how much each ticket would cost while waiting.

Isabelle guessed 5 tickets for $7. Delaney guessed 5 tickets for $10.

It was actually 5 tickets for $9. (So I’m better – Delaney)

We went around to each table, assessing which one to patronize. While perusing the options, we overheard some peculiar remarks. One student was caught saying, “As an Asian, I feel so included.” We passed by someone filming the beginning of a TikTok: “Hi I’m — and I’m trying…” To say the least, the vibes were festive.

We found our friend at a table peddling dumplings. In addition to the three dumplings we got with two tickets, she was kind enough to throw in a freebie (shh don’t tell anyone).

Drum roll please… it’s now time for… 2 Girls 1 Snack! Dipping our dumplings in soy sauce, we went after the vegetable dumplings first. Looking at each other both a little surprised after taking a bite, we mutually agreed that they HIT. The chicken dumplings were less exciting (maybe even a little disappointing) simply because their flavor was not as good as the vegetable… we should’ve eaten the chicken first and the vegetable second, but whatever. You live and you learn.

Overall dumpling review: the vegetable dumplings were a high 8/10 (taste was 100% there, but the skin was too thick), and the chicken dumplings were a solid 5.5/10 (not worth the tickets).

Delaney, unfortunately had to leave (she’s just soooo social), abandoning me (Isabelle) with our three remaining tickets. Feeling slightly more peckish, I got a plate from another table, choosing between noodles or rice and chicken or fish dishes. I got noodles and fish. The noodles seemed to be similar to udon noodles, thick wheat noodles whose texture signaled they had been sitting in their catering container a little too long. But they were tasty! And the fish and bamboo shoot dish reminded me of this rock cod stir fry I used to get from a restaurant back home. Some nostalgia but with a twist! 

Now sadly alone, I parked myself next to Alma as the sky darkened, waiting for performances to start. The music was turned up. More and more people began to crowd the steps. Finally, at 7pm, the mics were turned on and introductions were made. With that classic awkward, read-off-a-phone cadence, the night market organizers thanked sponsors, fellow organizers, performers, and the Columbia community as a whole. 

There were hip-hop mashups with traditional instrumentation, live band performances, lots of acapella Chapell Roan, and energetic dance routines. During a hula performance, someone behind me said “so majestic,” and I’m going to have to agree. Watching these performances made me wish I was artistically inclined. My friend was in two of the dance groups, so there was a lot of yelling during her performances. 

Thankfully, the weather stayed relatively warm. As those of you who attended Night Market last year well know the late autumn chill had already set in, and the cold had gotten to many in the audience. However, this year, no puffer was required, and the audience crowded on Low Steps remained long after the sun had set. Even as performances continued, others still mingled around the food tables, buying up the last few buns, dumplings, and noodles. The lively atmosphere was maintained throughout the night. I was still buzzing from the excitement and energy as I settled into Butler for a night of homework (while Delaney was out partying sheesh).

Photos by Bwog Staff