By Kaiya Suehiro | Staff Writer
Blossom Market Hall opened to the public on Dec. 9 in the San Gabriel Masonic Lodge building, which was built in 1949. It is a food hall with 12 vendors and a place for the community to come together and appreciate the arts.
Manduyo, one of the vendors, serves Korean food. Their specialty is creating handcrafted mandu that are colorful and masterfully wrapped.
The Quesabirria from La Olla is the perfect combination of crisp and tender. They also sell mariscos dishes, but the tostada de ceviche was not acidic or spicy enough.
Customers can watch pastries being made at Caribbean Gourmet. They also have oxtail stew, jerk chicken, curries, and friendly staff.
People can head over to Spotless Burgers for burgers, tacos, and fries. The burgers are impressive because they are plant-based but they have the same taste and texture as meat.
Another place that makes burgers is Cafe et Cetera, but they are mainly focused on breakfast foods. Items served are breakfast sandwiches, toasts, sweet crepes, and savory Chinese crepes.
As the name suggests, Sushi Rolland offers sushi rolls. The sushi does not stand out in any way and the menu could have used more creativity.
Burnt Belly serves barbeque, but they are only open five days a week from noon to whenever they sell out of food, which means they may be closed for dinner.
There are many options if a customer wants a drink to go with their meal. Circle Tea Bar sells boba and milk tea, while Angel & Mason sells craft beer and local wine. AK Fresh Roast serves Vietnamese coffee. Their pandan coffee has pretty colored layers.
Smoothie bowls from Honey & Hive are fun to create and eat. There are smoothies and customizable bowls with acai, dragonfruit, or chia bases. They have a variety of toppings like granola, fresh fruit, and bee pollen.
For people with a sweet tooth, Rori’s Artisanal Creamery has ice cream with vegan and non-dairy options.
There is indoor and outdoor seating, and take-out is available. The second floor has a skylighted Wi-Fi lounge, a Meeting Room, and an indoor balcony that overlooks the food court. Some of the historic parts of the Masonic lodge building were preserved. A couple of the lights are modeled after original lights, and four theater seats remain on the balcony.
The Meeting Room can be rented for private parties, meetings, seminars, and exhibitions. Nonprofits can book the space for free.
When not in use for private events, the Meeting Room is an Art Gallery that displays art from local artists. The current exhibition features the works of Clarissa Castillo-Ramsey. The art is available for viewing or purchase. The painted canvases were colorful and abstract, and the best is a mesmerizing interpretation of the moon.
Blossom Market also hosts special events, such as movie screenings and music performances. Live musicians play on a stage on the first floor, so people can listen to music while waiting for food.
The Market is full of people, with the limited space forcing people to interact. People can laugh together and make new friends as they stand in line, while others simply dance to the music.
There is a variety of food from around the world, along with visual and performing arts from locals. Blossom Market is not just a food hall, but a place that supports and is supported by the community.
Blossom Market Hall
264 S. Mission Drive
San Gabriel, CA 91776-1127
Mon: 7am – 10pm
*Certain vendors closed on Mondays
Tue: Closed
Wed to Thu: 7am – 10pm
Fri: 7am – 12am
Sat: 9am – 12am
Sun: 9am – 10pm
*Individual vendor hours vary. Please check vendor descriptions for their hours.
