Market on 8th, the South Bay’s first food hall, is serving a mix of flavors from all over the world.
The food destination on 41 East 8th Street opened its doors in 2021 and has since rotated its vendors, which include several eateries and a bookstore called Wordsmith. Indoor and outdoor seating is available, along with communal tables, couches and fire pits.
The family-friendly space is owned by the Tubao family, who immigrated to the U.S. from the Philippines in the 1950s. Many of the vendors have multicultural backgrounds and roots in the South Bay.
The lineup includes White Rice Panciteria by chef Phillip Esteban (Filipino cuisine); Mixed Grounds Coffee; Ping Yang (Thai food), MNGO Café & Desserts (Japanese); La Central Urban Grill (Mexican); Smitty’s Taste of the Bayou (Cajun-Creole); Pizza Kaiju (Italian fusion); Donburi Rice Bowls (Japanese); Cafe Indonesia (Filipino-Indonesian); Ewa 88:Poke (Hawaiian); and Bar Kada (beer, wine, cocktails).
“The whole market is unique, like there’s nothing else like it here,” said Bobby Alfonso, who owns Cafe Indonesia and Ewa 88 and co-owns Pizza Kaiju.
In December, Charlie Knowles and chef Manny da Luz—the owners of Bica on Adam’s Avenue—will the market with their newest rotisserie concept, Butcher’s Plate.
The main focus will be on rotisserie plates including Jidori chicken, peri peri chicken, herb chicken, za’atar chicken and house-made porchetta, along with salads and gourmet sandwiches.
Knowles says his meals will be both high-quality and affordable. “Our main thing is that we have to be able to feed the masses (at accessible prices),” he said.
Market on 8th is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Sunday.
Visit marketon8th.com and follow @marketon8thst on Instagram.
Roxana Becerril is a freelance writer.
