On Wednesday night, Bruin Plaza was transformed into a marketplace.
The aromas of freshly made Chinese food like Taiwanese sausage and tofu pudding filled Bruin Plaza as students and visitors began to arrive.
The Taiwanese American Union put on its second annual Night Market as a fundraiser for the club.
The market was meant to imitate a traditional Chinese night market. Night markets are a staple of many Chinese cities, open for business daily after sunset, said Justina Kwong, a third-year communications studies student.
Encompassing most of Bruin Plaza, the night market at UCLA was manned by more than 40 members of the Taiwanese American Union serving about 100 people in line for food at any given time.
Open for business from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., the market featured nine distinct Chinese dishes including stinky tofu and noodles with vegetables. Traditional beverages like tea were also available.
Some dishes and drinks, like boba ““ an iced or ice-blended tea with tapioca balls added to it ““ were familiar to those passing by. Other foods like green onion pancakes, made by frying flatbread batter mixed with scallions, were not as commonplace.
“My particular favorite was the pork over rice,” said Trang Nguyen, a third-year international development studies student.
“I also think that the red bean-tapioca soup was very good.”
Pork over rice is made by marinating pork in a spicy garlic and pepper sauce. Once the pork is added to the rice, a spicy hoisin sauce is ladled on top of the meat to complete the dish.
Red bean-tapioca soup is made by adding tapioca balls to a red bean liquid and freshly chopped vegetables. The mixture gives off the smell of a red bean stew and maintains a characteristic maroon color even after the addition of the tapioca balls.
The festivities also included four games: bingo, ringtoss, a knocking-over-cans game and a fishing game.
Participants won small prizes like stuffed animals for completing the games successfully.
“This is the second year that the Taiwanese American Union has (organized the Night Market),” said Angela Liu, the internal vice president of the Taiwanese American Union and an organizer of the event.
“We are trying to make the market an annual event. The market turned out really well this year, so it will hopefully continue on into the future.”
Some students came down to the market not only for the food, but also to relax and enjoy a stress-free night with friends.
“I really enjoy the atmosphere of the Night Market,” said Debbie Duan, a second-year civil engineering student. “Not only is the food great ““ I particularly enjoy the tofu pudding ““ but I can (also) eat with my friends and a lot of other students.”
For other students, the Night Market is an unusual treat ““ an event that stands out of their normal routine.
“If you are willing to wait in line, the market is great,” Nguyen said. “The food and games are fun and are something out of the ordinary.”