By Phyllis Louise Harris
September 2014
One of the most memorable
experiences I had in China 30 years ago was a visit to the night markets in
Chungking. Imagine narrow city streets filled with vendor booths and carts
offering everything from food to clothing, to plants and animals. The sun had
set and this mountain city was in complete darkness. The only lights were from
bare electric bulbs hanging from wires strung on trees and poles. Despite the
eerie look of the bright lights and pitch-black shadows, the place was packed
with people looking for bargains or just meeting friends for snacks or dinner.
The closest thing we have
to that experience is the Little Mekong Night Market on the Green Line on
University Avenue from Dale to Marion in St. Paul. With more than fifteen
restaurants nearby it is also a great place to enjoy some of the Twin Cities
best Asian food.
In 2010, when construction
began on the Green Line and University Avenue became a construction zone,
businesses along the way were concerned about surviving the next four years
with the decrease in customer traffic. To help overcome some of the problems
eight business districts were created along the Green Line with special events,
promotions, and anything that would keep customers coming to the torn up
streets. Little Mekong was one of those districts.
From 5:00 – 10:00 pm the
Night Market around Western and University is filled with guest artists
performing dances, playing instruments, singing, drumming and offering a wide
variety of Asian arts plus kids activities. Along with a variety of vendors and
nearby restaurants, Little Mekong comes alive with opportunities for shopping,
dining and just enjoying Minnesota’s cool autumn nights.
Here are just a few of the
restaurants in the Little Mekong section of the Green Line on University Avenue
starting at Dale Street and moving to Marion Street.
Al Hue Bakery & Deli,
Vietnamese Pho Ca-Dao
Restaurant, Vietnamese
Bangkok Cuisine, Thai Phuong Café
& Deli, Vietnamese
Bankgkok Thai Deli &
Supermarket Tay Ho,
Vietnamese
Cheng Heng Restaurant,
Cambodian Thai Cafe
Ha Tien (to go only) Trieu Chau Restaurant,
Vietnamese
Lao-Thai Restaurant University
Buffet, Asian
Little Szechuan, Chinese Wung Lee
Supermarket Deli
Mai Village, Vietnamese
There are just two markets
left this year, September 6 and 21. Take the Green Line to the Western station
and you will be in the heart of the festivities. Help support those hardworking
store and restaurant owners who survived the construction and are looking forward
to meeting new customers the line will bring to the area.
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