By Amanda Coscarelli and Zachary Chen, Sept. 7, 2021
The Blossom Market Hall is a new community space that seeks to highlight the cultural gems of the San Gabriel Valley through quality food, Wi-Fi lounges and meeting rooms which are set to open in October as a hub for the community to connect.
Wife and husband, Nellie Tran and Chris Tran, co-founders of Blossom Market Hall, embarked on the project three years ago to create a space that encourages conversation and creativity. The hall will feature 13 vendors of various cuisines who, like the Trans, hope to celebrate the merging of cultures through food.
“Often when people think of food in San Gabriel, they know it for the really great Chinese restaurants,” said Nellie Tran. “We would really love it if people thought of San Gabriel not just as a town to get really great Chinese food, but just really great food in general.”
Most of the vendors are local and serve a wide variety of items ranging from Vietnamese coffee to tacos and vegan burgers. Nellie Tran emphasized that most of the vendors offer a fusion of different cultures within their food such as La Olla, which serves Mexican seafood with a Vietnamese influence.
Blossom Market Hall will be more than just an eatery, though. Nellie Tran explained she wants the hall to bring the community together after a period of isolation during the pandemic. The hall will be open until 11 p.m. on weekends and will occasionally feature live music. She also mentioned there will be no music played through speakers to encourage conversation.
Delilah Barasch, CPP hospitality management student and foodie , explained a social space is essential to bring in customers.
“I think places that tend to look trendy and have open spaces, as well as cute areas to lounge, will always draw in business,” said Barasch. “That’s what catches my eye the most. A good place to eat is a good place to eat but add a great experience outside of just the food and that’s what will bring students back.”
A few of the vendors visitors can expect to see include:
– La Olla: Husband and wife, Joei Miu and Antonio Aguilar, bring a modern take to mariscos by incorporating Vietnamese and Mexican influence in dishes such as camarones a la diabla and tostada de ceviche.
– Caribbean Gourmet: Yonette Alleyne, a Guyanese woman with a passion for island food, will bring Caribbean specialties such as oxtail stew, chicken curry, vegan curry and pastries baked from scratch.
– Spotless Burgers: This plant-based burger spot offers non-GMO, cholesterol-free healthy options along with craft sodas and other signature refreshers.
– Rori’s Creamery: Rori Trovato started her business in Santa Barbara County and comes to the San Gabriel Valley offering artisanal ice cream, including vegan and non-dairy options.
– Manduyo: Husband and wife, Martin Kim and Jenny Kim are San Gabriel Valley locals set out to bring people together through Korean fusion delicacies.
Hosted in the historic Mission District of San Gabriel, The Blossom Market Hall also aims toward rebuilding an inviting space for community gatherings after being set ablaze last summer.
“We have a lot more space that is dedicated toward community activities. We wanted this project to be our way of giving back; we want this to be a very community-oriented food hall,” Nellie Tran explained.
Of the 11,700 square foot building, 2,000 square feet is designated to community space. This will consist of a Wi-Fi lounge, meeting rooms for the community to gather and an art gallery for local artists to showcase their work. The space will also feature a performance stage on the ground floor for local musicians to perform live.
“The building is next to the Mission Playhouse and is the perfect place for people to gather after an event,” said Chris Tran. “Being next to the Mission, we have a lot of history with this location. With a food hall, you need that history.”
For more information on the Blossom Market Hall, visit their website or Instagram page.
Correction: This article was edited on Sept. 8 to correct a mention of Rori Trovato’s gender and the items she will be serving at Blossom Market Hall.
Feature image courtesy of Circle Tea Bar.