Harvard Square’s Night Market Has Closed for Good

Night Market / Photo by Sarah Storrer

Cambridge is down a unique, affordable restaurant. After nearly five years in Harvard Square, Night Market closed after service last night for the final time.

Located off of JFK Street in an underground spot, Night Market was a hidden gem of Asian street food-inspired small plates, fun sake cocktails, and bright graffiti-inspired decor. Executive chef Jason Tom was inspired by his prolific travels to create snacks like Sichuan peppercorn “numb nuts,” deviled tea eggs, and “lick ’em stick ’em” steamed rice balls; plus signature shareables like spicy dan dan noodles, “Kaiju-style” daikon fries, and shaky shaky beef. Night Market was a great spot for a first date, and it was early to ride the wave of a rotating frozen cocktail selection, specializing in sake slushies.

The funky spot debuted in late 2014, as the first of what would become the Duck & Chicken Restaurant Group. The group’s Parsnip restaurant opened across the square a year later, then expanded into the Back Bay with B3 at Berklee, which only lasted a year before closing last November.

Tom, a Cambridge native who has cooked at Chez Henri, Island Creek Oyster Bar, East by Northeast, and other local restaurants, plans to take some time off “somewhere tropical” before “moving on to other exciting projects,” says a Duck & Chicken representative. The West African street fare-inspired Chop Bar pop-up by chef Kwasi Kwaa, slated for Night Market on April 29, is moving to Parsnip and continuing as planned.

“We’re saddened to be closing our doors at Night Market as of Friday, 04/19,” Night Market shared on Instagram last night. “We are so incredibly grateful to everyone who has been a part of our story – our restaurant staff, our occasional visitors, and all of our wonderful regulars over the years. THANK YOU ALL”

Stay tuned for news about what’s next for chef Tom, and the Duck & Chicken Group. Pour one out for sake slushies in Harvard Square.

75 Winthrop St., Cambridge, 857-285-6948, nightmkt.com.

View this post on Instagram

We're saddened to be closing our doors at Night Market as of Friday, 04/19. We are so incredibly grateful to everyone who has been a part of our story – our restaurant staff, our occasional visitors, and all of our wonderful regulars over the years. THANK YOU ALL

A post shared by Night Market (@nightmkt) on Apr 18, 2019 at 9:04pm PDT

Chef Jason Tom. / Photo by Sarah Storrer

Photo by Jared Kuzia