Emeryville’s Public Market just got even more interesting. Over the weekend, chef Nite Yun, who runs a Cambodian pop-up called Nyum Bai (“eat rice”), opened a food stall in the market, joining an increasingly eclectic mix of restaurants.
Yun has signed on for a six-month residency with an option to renew, according to Inside Scoop. She will operate out of a turnkey space that the market plans to use as a rotating kitchen space for more up-and-coming food businesses in the future.
Nuym Bai offers a menu of street food based around noodle and rice bowls. Yun’s dishes harken back to the food that she grew up eating after her family immigrated to Stockton from Thailand. According to Inside Scoop, she will be focusing on three noodle soups, including her signature kuy teav Phnom Penh (a pork and seafood rice-noodle soup). She’ll also have a beef noodle soup, as well as a vegetarian soup and at least one pork-based rice plate.
The E’ville Eye reports that Yun eventually plans to add additional dishes that she has “discovered on … recent travels.”
For Yun, the Public Market offers a great place to grow her business. She learned about the space through her involvement with San Francisco’s culinary incubator, La Cocina. “To receive all the support from La Cocina, then be up and running in an established food hall is like a dream come true,” Yun said in a prepared statement. “I’ve been a customer at Public Market from a while back. It’s so cool that Nyum Bai will join the other local, independent food businesses here.”
The Public Market team is likewise enthused about the new tenant. “The Bay Area is in for a real treat with Nyum Bai. Not only is the food delicious, but Nite’s fun spirit is a great fit for the good vibe that Public Market has always fostered,” said Tim Bacon, the senior vice president of City Center Realty Parners, which owns the building, in the statement. “It’s been a pleasure getting to know Nite and the La Cocina team. We’re delighted that this pop-up opportunity can help a promising young entrepreneur.”
Nyum Bai joins current tenants Shiba Ramen, KoJa Kitchen, We Sushi, Mayo and Mustard, Wazwan, Hot Italian and Oui Oui Macaron in the market. Additional upcoming openings include Granja Eatery, Fish Face Poke Bar and The Periodic Table. Construction is also underway for the neighboring New Seasons Market, which will open late this year.
