Asian Cuisine Thrives at the Sturgeon Bay Farmers Market

Mariel Gonzales started The Purple Yum, her Filipino food business, with a straightforward goal.

“I really, really want to share my culture through food,” she said.

Gonzales grew up in Bacolod, located in Central Visayas in the Philippines. She first came to Wisconsin about 10 years ago as an exchange student in the Dells. 

Every week, she sets up at the Sturgeon Bay Farmers Market and sells serving after serving of pork belly adobo, lumpia (Filipino spring rolls)  and ube crème brûlée cake. 

Though Door County isn’t exactly a hotspot for Asian cuisine, the weekly Sturgeon Bay Farmers Market stands out as an exception, offering options for pancit, egg rolls, crab rangoon, pandesal, bao, sesame balls, ensaymadas and more – all in one spot.

Mike Vue, who operates the LaLa’s Sweets stand, likes mixing international dishes into his menu for a variety of options. In addition to offering snow cones, smoothies and mini filled donuts, he sells Korean corn dogs (hot dogs and/or cheese covered in a yeasted batter) and Thai iced tea (strongly brewed Ceylon black tea, typically paired with either sweetened condensed milk or simple syrup and lime).

In many cases, customers at his stand are trying these foods for the first time, Vue said.

“They tend to like it. They say ‘Oh, that’s how it tastes, it’s pretty good,’” Vue said.

Vue first came to the farmers market with his brother, Dan, who operated the former Dan’s Kitchen in Sturgeon Bay. Inspired by the friendly faces he saw there, which he still draws motivation from today, Vue decided to pursue his own stand.

“I don’t mind if I earn anything. I don’t care, as long as I just enjoy what I’m doing,” Vue said. “I enjoy life, and I like all the people here – they are nice and friendly.”

Dan’s Kitchen, an Asian restaurant in Sturgeon Bay, changed hands earlier this year, and is now owned by Jet and Angelina Lee under the name PTY’s Kitchen.

PTY’s, which stands for Pog Thiab Yawg, “Grandma and Grandpa” in Hmong, also posts up at the farmers market each week with a shortened version of their regular menu.

Even for a business with a storefront on 3rd Ave., setting up a stand at the farmers market is lucrative, the Lees said.

“We’re not busy anyway in the morning,” Angelina Lee said. “I figured, ‘Well, why don’t we do it [the farmers market], because it’s in front of the door.’”

Around 10-10:30 am, a line begins at their stand. Some customers return week after week, like one man who buys five or six stuffed chicken wings at every market, according to Jet Lee. This dish is also one of Angelina Lee’s favorite foods at the stand; they remind her of the street food where she grew up in Thailand, she said.

Gonzales has also cultivated a community of regulars at The Purple Yum.

“I feel so great when they stop by and say, ‘Your food is really good and I’m happy you’re here,’” she said.

She enjoys introducing people to Filipino culture in an area where Asian food options are limited, she said.

“I’m so happy that I’m able to show them and let them experience my culture through food,” Gonzales said. “Because that’s what kind of represents us Filipinos. When we get together, there’s always food.”

Gonzales hopes to expand The Purple Yum’s production in the next year to attend additional events around the county. She plans to purchase a food truck to assist with that process.

For now, The Purple Yum, PTY’s Kitchen and LaLa’s Sweets only attend the farmers market in Sturgeon Bay, as does Bao of the Door, which sells home-baked Asian goods.

While the Bao of the Door has already made its last farmers market appearance for the summer, the stand served a variety of sweet and savory bao – fluffy, filled, steamed buns from China – as well as other baked goods, like scallion bread and sweet sesame bread.

The farmers market in downtown Sturgeon Bay runs weekly on Saturdays, 8 am – 12 pm, through Oct 11. For a full list of vendors, visit sturgeonbayfarmersmarket.net/vendors-list.