Plia's Kitchen at the Saturday Farmer's Market

The brightest spot during my pandemic related furlough was the quiet Saturday morning Farmers Market. Weaving my way through the aisles of stalls according to the path set up by the market’s planners to keep COVID exposure to its minimum, I came to know many wonderful growers and producers for their delicious products. There were no prepared food vendors allowed, however, so I missed out on what now appears to be a crucial part of the market: the food stalls in the Washington street parking lots beside the river.

We sampled Boba Tea from Pink Guava during opening weekend, and this weekend, the curious appetites of both my husband and I brought us to Plia’s Kitchen and their stall at the farmer’s market this year. We received several recommendations for Plia’s over the course of the year. We just never made it to their brick and mortar location on Webster before we stepped up to the menu at the market.

It’s not exactly a breakfast menu, if I’m being honest. We arrived at the market around 8 am, and while there were some more breakfasty options available, little crab rangoons, Hmong Egg Rolls, and something they called a stuffed chicken wing were all appetizing enough to my husband and I that we put aside morning protocols to have a taste of something new instead. The actual seating in the food vendor area is limited, so be prepared to take a short walk to the river front to hunt down a bench or two if you’ve got friends along. We did.

We sat down with my mother-in-law next to the nearby dock in a shady little patch behind one of the nearby apartment complexes. There, my husband opened up our styrofoam clam shell to reveal its contents. I knew by the smell it’d be good, and the view confirmed that for me.

The way people fold and stuff rangoons is different all across the country, and when I first saw my rangoons sitting on the top of our fried goodies pile, I was slightly skeptical. They looked slim, but they ate well. The filling to wrapper ratio hit exactly where I wanted it to be, especially after dunking in some sweet chili sauce. My husband helped himself to the egg rolls and the stuffed chicken wing, both of which appeared to be stuffed with a mixture of vermicelli rice noodles and shredded carrots and cabbage. I wasn’t hungry enough to join him, but they looked amazing.

Plia’s has been out at the market every weekend so far alongside Pink Guava and PhoComa, holding down the fort for local businesses. I really do believe there is something for everyone at all three. Next time around, we’re hitting up PhoComa for our market brunch.

Plia’s Kitchen, as mentioned before, has a brick and mortar location on Webster Avenue, just a few blocks west from the hospital. You can visit them during the week every day but Sunday, but be prepared to do takeout only. According to their facebook page, they are still only taking orders over the phone for pick up. With the mask mandate lifted and CDC guidelines adjusted, that could change.