On Sunday night, my sister and I explored the first Tokyo Night Festival hosted by SHUN Japanese Kitchen at Social Beer Garden in Houston. It was our first night market, so we didn't really have any expectations. One thing we really didn't expect was the line to get in, which took 2 hours... But the event was open to the public at no cost, so it was a really good turn out for their first event. The market went from 5 pm to 11 pm, and was 21+ only after 9 pm.
There was a long list of vendors including SHUN, HAKO, Daido Japanese Market, Proper Rose Garden, Ube Co. HTX, Ramen Tatsuya, Aqua S and more. The venue was pretty large, although seemed crowded due to all the people. I was more interested in the food, while my sister was interested in the cuter products. A lot of the vendors had repeat items, which were stickers and T-shirts (wasn't up our alley), making a great selection in one place for people who are looking for this. One thing I will say, which goes for any market, is walk the full market before making purchases. We bought a keychain at the front of the market (not realizing there were more vendors further back) for $16 that was sold at the back of the market for $5..... So lesson learned there.
There was a long line for the SHUN Japanese Kitchen booth so we weren't able to try it, but it smelled amazing! I would definitely visit the restaurant on my own time (with out the long lines) to try some of the awesome meats they were grilling.
The other thing I saw that I definitely made a direct line to was the desserts. If you know me, then you know I have a MAJOR sweet tooth. Ube Co HTX had a number of Ube ingredients and desserts, but I ordered the mini ube tarts and the ube cookies. Y'all... this has become a must have dessert for me. The ube texture mixed with the sweetness of each dessert was so delectable, I can never go back! It was a light texture too, which I loved and kind of contradicts the way I know sweet potato (cousin to ube) to make desserts heavier and more filling.
The desserts were also so cute! They make a great gift to someone who is a major foodie or just a friend that needs a little pick me up. They also offered a sweet ube halaya that can be a dessert or used as a base for for other desserts. Ube Co HTX is made to order currently, but I know there are other places that use this ingredient in similar ways if you need a sweet fix now.
Overall, I can say the market was a good experience and I am very happy at how many different restaurants I discovered. Next year, if it's in a bigger space with an even bigger list of vendors, I think it is something I would do again. Definitely made my list of things to try in other cities, as well. Looking forward to expanding my horizons here! If you're interested in seeing more about this past event, check out the Facebook page here!
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