Firstly, we decided to try the Fat Panda Bing food stall selling authentic Chinese street food. This immediately stood out due to the long queue - which can surely only mean the food must be worth waiting for. My friend Lizzie ordered the Classic Bing (wrap) which is apparently one of the most famous types of street food in China. It was £5, vegetarian, and essentially a thin egg-based wrap containing spring onion, sesame, lettuce, coriander, and a crispy cracker. There was also the option to add numerous toppings or choose the spicy shredded chicken version. We got to watch this made in front of us which was exciting in itself and she said the taste was incredible. They have a wide range of choices on their menu, from steamed rice dumplings to fried custard buns. Their chow mein, in particular looked amazing, I definitely want to return to try it. In conclusion – 100% worth the long queue.
Next on the list was the traditional favourite, mulled wine. Here you could choose between spiced mulled cider, a festive gin and of course, mulled wine. I decided to go with the mulled cider; unfortunately it did not live up to my expectations. I would recommend sticking to the mulled wine. Also, each drink was £5 (cash only) for a very small cup, I know Christmas markets are typically expensive, but this did seem particularly steep.
For dessert we decided to try the crepe stand, which had a variety of different options to choose from. I decided upon the lemon and sugar crepe as it seemed slightly less sickly after having the mulled cider. The price was £3.50 and as expected, it was delicious. The other crepe options were Nutella, biscoff and cinnamon sugar to name a few. You can’t go wrong with pancakes at a Christmas market.
Strolling by the stalls nestled around Grey’s Monument, I noticed there were plenty of other options for food which I didn’t get to try, including Acropolis for Greek gyros, a Caribbean food stand, a hot dog stand, churros and of course various bars/drink stalls offering hot drinks and alcoholic beverages. Although slightly disappointed by the size of the market in comparison to other cities, I would recommend stopping by the Newcastle Christmas market in order to try to delicious food – definitely go to the Fat Panda Bing food stall!