Memphis celebrates diversity at second annual Asian Night Market

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The Vietnamese American Community’s second annual Asian Night Market at Tiger Lane sparked excitement for the Asian community in Memphis over the weekend.

Quynh Tran, president of the group that sponsored the event, said that the goal is to introduce the rich cultural heritage of Asia to the Memphis community.

“The primary purpose of the market is to encapsulate the vibrant, communal spirit of Asian markets, reminiscent of the experiences,” VAC President, said.

There were cultural performances and Chinese, Vietnamese, Laos, Filipino, Indian, Polynesian, and Malaysian cuisines for attendees to pick from.

“By offering a slice of Asian culture, the night market aims to foster appreciation, understanding, and unity among diverse community members, bridging cultural gaps and creating a welcoming space for cultural exchange,” Tran said.

According to Tran, she and the VAC team made efforts to relocate the market last October to a location that could hold up to 8,000 people because of the unexpectedly large attendance last year at Crosstown Concourse.

The organization introduced an admission fee of $15 to cover the increased costs to ensure a high-quality experience.

With increased costs came an increase in vendors. This year the market had over 80 vendors, with more than 60 of them being food-related.

One of those vendors was a Laotian husband and wife, Paul Phosy and Joanna Soukkaseum. The couple attended last year’s market and their booth sold out within two hours.

They said their main goal was to showcase Laotian cuisine for those who have never tried it.

“If you like spicy food we can definitely bring in the heat,” said the vendors. “A popular saying we have is “Baw phet baw saap” which translates to “If it ain’t spicy it ain’t good.”

Foods they sold included papaya salad, homemade Lao sausage, beef skewers and sticky rice.

Tran said that night markets are a staple in Asia with each country showcasing its traditional foods.

“For instance, you wouldn’t find Filipino, Thai, or Polynesian dishes in a Vietnamese night market,” Tran said. “However, at our event, we bring together an array of street foods from across Asia, offering a taste of several cultures in one festive evening.”

First-time vendor LemdaddyZ Kitchen LLC is a family-owned business that is run by Lemuel and Janice McCall. They said they wanted to pique the interest of the Mid-South community and showcase some of the Asian and Filipino culture through the desserts they offer.

The family highlighted their Filipino desserts which are the ube (vibrant purple yam) desserts. They sold ube crinkle cookies, ube brownies, ube gooey butter cakes, pandan cookies, and more.

Hoping to provide a memorable experience for customers, the pair said, “We want our business to grow and for customers to keep craving our homemade baked desserts.”

“The food has definitely been a huge hit,” Filipino attendee Arianne Untal said. “Just having the sense of seeing people who look like me in the city I live in is fantastic.”

Untal said that because America is a melting pot she believes the Asian community in Memphis will gain more appreciation because of the market.

“It was heartwarming to see so many Asians in the Memphis area come out and meet each other, reinforcing the strong bonds within the Asian community,” Tran said. “The event was a celebration and a powerful reminder of our vibrant and supportive community.”

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