NATIONAL CITY, Calif. (KGTV) — National City is aiming to become a new Foodie destination with the opening of the South Bay's very first food hall, "Market on 8th."
Serving up Thai comfort street food is Thunchanok Srinark Peralta, owner of Ping Yang Thai Skewer and More.
"This is my first restaurant ever," Peralta said, smiling.
It is one of 14 ethnic food stalls in the newly opened "Market on 8th" in Historic Downtown National City.
Other stalls include Weapon (Japanese ramen), Serbesa (Filipino), MNGO (desserts), Moe Coffee (cafe), Pacific Poke (Hawaiian), La Central Urban Grill (Mexican), Smitty's Taste of the Bayou (Cajun BBQ), and many more.
ABC 10News first introduced you to Market on 8th in November 2019. South Bay's prominent Tubao family hoped to turn a run-down furniture store into a hip new food hall by early 2020. But then the pandemic hit. After a considerable delay and millions of dollars in added costs, it is finally here.
"I want them to feel at home. We built this for the community. I want them to meet their neighbors," developer Joel Tubao said. "I want them to come in and enjoy not only this establishment that we built but also to stay and hang out."
Just a block away, there was another grand opening of Parco, a mixed-use affordable housing development. It is part of a larger effort to revitalize the whole area.
This concept of a live, work, play, and eat local applies to many of the vendors at the food hall.
"This is just only eight minutes from my house," Peralta said. "So I could come here anytime. I could go home as late as I can because it's right next to my door."
Peralta said opening her first restaurant during the pandemic was a big gamble. But she said the vibe of Market on 8th and the drive of her fellow restaurateurs helped to pull the trigger.
"Here, you can order everything and then sit together and eat and talk," Peralta said. "I think that is the most important, and that's why they built this community."
Peralta said the reception has been overwhelming. She hopes customers walk away with a taste of Thai and National City.
"I want them to know my culture from the first bite," Peralta laughed.
Many of the stalls are currently hiring food handlers. For more information, click HERE.
