For Sunday Funday, Akshay and I decided to go on a foodie adventure at the new Mission Viejo Union Market. Since my parents have let me borrow their camera for an indefinite period of time, Akshay and I decided to take advantage of the new toy. The lesson we learned is trying to find the happy balance between taking the “perfect” photo and not allowing our food to get cold!
I discovered this Union Market through Instagram, when some of the OC foodies I follow started posting tasty photos. Our original idea was to try at least one item per venue. However, our plan quickly changed when we arrived and found many of the restaurants closed. At first, we were really surprised at how empty the market was for a Sunday, smack dab at 12pm. Then we realized that this place is still brand new and many locals aren’t even aware of its existence! We ended up trying out two places inside the market and then venturing outside to a taco cantina.
As soon as you enter the market, there’s a huge bar (Dry Society) situated right in the middle. Surrounding it, there is a mix of cafes and sit-down restaurants. Since our plan was to eat multiple types of food, we decided to go the casual route and check out the smaller mom n pop shops.
(Note: all food descriptions are from Akshay since he’s a literary savant)
Milkbox: Milkbox is basically a milk tea and boba shop. If you live in Southern California, you’ve seen a million boba places by now, but this seemed a bit more focused on coffee/ tea than most places I’ve been to. We ordered the Mustache Iced Tea and Chocolate Mint Milk Tea. I have no clue what was in the Mustache Tea, but I enjoyed it. Tika like the Chocolate Mint Tea more. Niether one of us are huge boba fans, so we ordered without. Total cost was $10.
Mustache Tea on the left and Chocolate Mint on the right
Hummus Bowl: You can probably guess what the theme of this place is. We ordered the Shakshuka, which is a dish I (Akshay) have always wanted to try. For those unaware, shakshuka is poached or fried egg surrounded by a sauce of tomato, chili, cumin, and other spices and goodies. Pictures on the internet have looked amazing, so when I saw it on the menu, I had to try it. The shakshuka they brought was surrounded with hummus more so than the tomato sauce, which was a bit of a bummer. I guess it makes sense though lol. We had to pay a buck for a couple extra pieces of pita bread, so total price came out to about $14. It was good though, and we both devoured it. The restaurant owner’s name is Shai, and he came and chatted with us for a few minutes, which was nice.
Deliciousness on a warm piece of pita bread
Taco Cantina: Right outside the Union Market. Cheap tacos, pretty good, pretty filling. Definitely check it out, especially for a snack. The tacos were like a buck or buck fifty each. Salsa bar, all that good stuff as well. (Tika’s note: The decor was super vibrant and upbeat. Loved the bright colors.)
So much color!
Carne asada and carnitas tacos!
I think this place has a lot of opportunity to grow and become a fun weekend spot for people of all ages to hang out at. There is a section where folks can play ping pong, table soccer, and bean bag toss. Also, there are couches and random seating areas to enjoy a beer or fancy cocktail while catching up with friends. I hope as the market grows, more small cafes with unique menu items will open. Next time, Akshay and I are going to try Anchor Hitch and Dry Society for a cute date night!
Check out the Union Market Mission Viejo’s website for more information on food/drink/retail.
