Sunday Asian Street food market in Santo Domingo

If you are on Sunday in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, you cannot miss it! Located not far from the city center. Actually, it is quite close to the Old Town, and it is a unique experience. Although it is not a very big one, well to tell you the truth, it is located only on one side of the street and with no more than fifty stands, this market is worth visiting.

That is the place where Asian people meet, share their passion, culture, and offer local products. It is also a great place to buy Asian meals, vegetables, and spices fresh and in a reasonable price. Apart from that, thanks to it you might be able to learn something more about Asian cuisine, customs, and the way of preparing regional food.

Everything what you can find there is super fresh, home-made, or made at the moment you order it. It is natural, nicely served and prepared by natives. It is done according to their traditions, with their ingredients and with heart.

Here, close to the Chinese Gate and to the Chinese District, people from different Asian countries gather, prepare food, cook, fry, and sell meals.

What kind of food is in the Asian Sunday Morning Market?

Actually, almost everything. Everyone will find something for himself. No matter whether you are Vegan, vegetarian or on a diet. Or, whether you would just like to try something new or just something else from your regular meals.

Apart from that, you will be able to buy ingredients needed for preparing an original Asian food. In the Asian Sunday Morning Food Market, you will get fresh fish and seafood for your sushi. Vegetables and fruits for a Chinese fried rice or for a raw mango salad. Finally, you will buy dairy products and their vegetable substitutes like soy cheese tofu.

But, if you are looking for a ready to go food, or for a food that is prepared in the most traditional and original way, you will have such a chance too! While this market is the best place to try unique and indigenous dishes prepared with love and passion, you cannot miss it. No excuse.

If you are in Santo Domingo just a day and it is Sunday, start your Sunday morning on this market. Skip your breakfast at home or in the hotel and have it there. Try rice flour buns, Asian-style sponge cake or do it in a traditional Chinese way – have a baozi or try Japanese gyoza dumplings. Later, try fried noodles or a Japanese pizza – okonomiyaki.

So, what exactly can you buy there?

Vegetables, herbs, and spices

Plenty of them. Mostly everything that is green. Napa cabbage, lettuce, green beans, broccoli, spinach, Chinese kale, cucumbers, and many fresh herbs. Apart from that, onions, tomatoes, carrots, and peppers. Finally, ginger, curcuma, pepper and dried herbs and spices.

Fruits

If you are looking for something refreshing, juicy and healthy, then get a good portion of fresh fruits. Choose between mangoes, avocadoes, papaya, cherries, passion fruit, or big strawberries. Buy just a couple of them. Just piece by piece and prepare a fresh fruit salad at home. Or, if you know you will like them, have them per kilo. But if you are afraid, you will not be able to eat all of them quickly, try them served on a plate.

Fresh fish and Seafood

Sunday Morning Asian Street Food Market is also a great place to buy fresh fish and seafood for your home-made sushi. Choose between whole fish, fish fillets, steaks and seafood fruits like prawns and squids. Their quality is really good. Fresh, cleaned and stored on ice heaps or in portable fridges.

If you are crazy about seafood, that is also here, where you will get big tiger prawns, fresh squids, cocktail prawns, and mussels. Use it in your paellas, salads or in ceviche.

Dairy products

Finally, if you prefer something light, plenty of healthy proteins and home-made dairy substitutes, here you are! Dairy products and their vegetable alternatives are sold on a couple of stalls. Choose between a firm and soft tofu cheese and decide whether you want it already packed or whether it should be cut from a large, tofu block. Real, organic eggs are in some places too. In case you are looking for any milk to prepare a healthy, vegan milkshake, good news for you too! Soy milk in glass bottles is there too!

Meat

And what about meat? Well, if you expect to get there an original Japanese Kobe beef, you would be probably disappointed. Sorry for that, but it is better to know it before you wake up early and go to the market.

Actually, meat does not come in a raw form. The only way of getting it, is to buy some already prepared, ready to go meal. And with that, you will not have problems. Remember, that although Asian cuisine uses a lot of vegetables, meat is very popular too. Pork, chicken, and beef - all of them.

Try Chinese pork baozi buns, Japanese yakisoba noodles or gyoza dumplings. Or, have takoyakis or chicken yakitori.

Dumplings

Two options for you. One from a Chinese cuisine, and the second, from a Japanese one. If you are looking for a Chinese breakfast dish, choose baozi pork buns or dumplings. However, if you prefer something more similar to a traditional European dumpling, choose Japanese gyoza.

Sushi

Asian Sunday Morning Market is also a good place to buy fresh sushi. And it is really fresh. Not only because someone says so, but because it is prepared just in front of you. Thanks to that, you would be able to pick your favorite ingredients and have it the way you love. If your imagination is limited or if you prefer to go with something you are familiar with or something traditional, buy these already packed sets.

That is also a good place to learn how to make sushi. As you can observe the whole process, you will be able to improve your skills. Another thing is, that in the same time, you will find out how to make it in the best possible way and what should you still improve.

Sweets

This market is also a good place for all those loving sweets. Try some of them from a Japanese cuisine like imagawayaki with a red bean paste or go with something more Western style sweets like for example an Asian version of a sponge cake.

Tea, soft drinks and alcohol beverages

Do you know bubble tea? Or milk tea with tapioca? If not, you will have a chance to try it here too! Asian people love it. Taiwan, China, Thailand, Japan, in all these countries there is plenty of places where you could buy it. Either in a small shop or from a local vendor. Packed in plastic bag, or in a tall, plastic cup with a lid and with a straw. Here, you will be able to try it too. Served in cups with lids, so easy to take with you and jump to the next food stall.

Local specialities

But what is the most important, is to try something unique. Something you cannot get in any regular shop, or in a basic Asian restaurant. Something, that would be hard to find, unless you go to Korea, China, or Japan. The best thing would be to buy at least one thing from every culture. As there are not hundreds of them, but just a couple, pick something from each countries' cuisine and compose your five-course meal! Start with a sushi set. Then grab a Japanese octopus meat ball – Takoyaki. Pair it with a Korean kimchi salad. Then, continuing with a Japanese cuisine, try yakisoba noodles. Finally, finish your meal with a tapioca bubble tea accompanying Japanese semi-sweet imagawayaki cake.

Which cuisine can you try in the Asian Sunday Morning Market?

Chinese

Try some Chinese specialties like baozi buns with pork, Chinese bubble tea, soft or firm tofu cheese, or sponge cake Chinese style - kueh neng ko.

Japanese

While sushi and boba bubble tea is also known in other Asian countries, there is a plenty of dishes, that are typical for Japan. Let’s have an example of yakisoba noodles, sweet tofu balls – mitarashi or a Japanese style pizza – okonomiyaki. If that is not enough for you, then maybe try some pork or chicken dishes like yakitori chicken skewers or pork gyoza dumplings. Or, if you prefer fish, then go with cod fish fritters, known in Japan as satsuma age, or try octopus’ balls – takoyaki. However, if you are still not satisfied, grab some sweets like wheat flour imagawayaki with red bean paste – Adzuki bean.

Korean

This market is also a good place to try some Korean dishes. Apart from sushi, tofu cheese blocks and bubble tea, you will have an option to try kimchi – a fermented cabbage salad. 

What to eat in the Asian Sunday Morning Market?

Side dishes

Sushi – Japan, Korea, China

Kimchi – Korean

Meat

Okonomiyaki – Japanese – Japanese-style pizza with eggs, meat, and vegetables

Yakisoba – Japanese – buckwheat noodles with meat and vegetables

Gyoza dumplings – Japanese – meat dumplings, fried on one side

Jiaozi dumplings - Chinese - meat dumplings

Baozi - Bao buns – Chinese – steamed buns with pork or vegetables

Korean Bao buns

Yakitori – Japanese – chicken chops on a stick

Teriyaki – Japanese – chicken in teriyaki sauce in a wrap

Tofu

Mitarashi tofu dango – Japanese – sweet tofu balls with soy sauce

Tofu cheese – Japan, Korea, Thailand, China

Fish and seafood

Sushi – Japan, Korea, China

Satsuma Age – Japanese – cod fish fritters

Takoyaki – Japanese – octopus’ balls

Sweets

Imagawayaki, obanyaki – Japanese – a sweet, wheat flour cake with red bean paste – Adzuki bean

Mitarashi tofu dango – Japanese – sweet tofu balls with soy sauce

Ji dan gao or kueh neng ko - Chinese chiffon cake (sponge cake)

Tea

Boba – Japan, Korea, China, Thailand, Vietnam - bubble tea, tapioca tea, pearl milk tea

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