Brooklyn’s biggest food hall just got bigger, with DeKalb Market Hall welcoming two new vendors to the coterie of cuisine already on display.
The bustling bazaar, located in the basement of City Point Mall in Downtown Brooklyn, has added Baby’s Buns and Buckets, a Thai-inspired sandwich and bowl joint, and juice and smoothie bar Essex Squeeze to the formidable roster of vendors it’s assembled since opening in 2017.
Baby’s Buns and Buckets is the brainchild of sisters Sage and Senna Lau, who say they want to capture the intersection of Thai street food and American fast food. As such, the menu consists of favorites like honey pork, Thai fried chicken, fried fish, or mushrooms on buttered brioche buns, or in a KFC-esque bucket. The sisters say their passion for food was inspired by their parents, who immigrated from Thailand and Hong Kong and have worked in the food service industry since the 1980s.
“We get to celebrate our heritage every day, and it’s gratifying to share our culture with so many people in Brooklyn,” said Sage Lau. “Growing up, we got to see our mom give others the experience of what it is like to taste authentic Thai-style street food. Now, we get to see firsthand that same joy food can bring to people.”
All buns at the colorfully-styled stall cost $7, while buckets will run a cool $16.
Also making its debut at the food hall is Essex Squeeze, a brand new health food vendor of juices, smoothies, open-face sandwiches, and acai bowls. The business was founded by Charles DeLaCruz and Cedric Hernandez, childhood friends who grew up together on the Lower East Side, and elected to get into the juice biz after noting the conspicuous lack of nutritious and affordable local options in their youth.
“When Charles and I were younger, we were raised in poverty and didn’t have the opportunity to invest in a well-balanced lifestyle. We understand the importance of it, but know it isn’t easy to prioritize,” Hernandez said. “That’s why we started this healthy type of hustle to create delicious recipes at a price that everyone can afford while fulfilling this longtime entrepreneurial dream of ours.”
The two new stalls join a wide range of favorites boasting cuisines from around the world, from Venezuelan food at Arepa Lady to Pakistani burgers at BK Jani, Turkish kebab at Kotti Berliner Doner, and ice cream at Ample Hills.
