A2 reading: A street food market

Every Saturday, a car park near the river in our town becomes a street food market. From eleven in the morning until nine at night, about thirty small stalls sell food from all over the world.

I go there almost every week with my friend Jamal. We usually arrive at about twelve, because later it gets very busy and you have to wait a long time. First we walk around and look at all the stalls. Then we each choose something different and share it.

Last Saturday I had Mexican tacos with chicken and a spicy sauce. Jamal had a big bowl of Vietnamese noodle soup. For dessert we shared some Portuguese custard tarts. They were still warm, and they were delicious. Each dish cost about eight or nine pounds, which is cheaper than a restaurant.

The people who cook at the market are interesting too. Many of them started with just one stall, and now some have their own restaurants. The woman who sells the noodle soup is from Vietnam. She learnt to cook from her grandmother, and she uses her grandmother's recipes. She told us that she wants to open a restaurant next year.

There isn't only food at the market. There is often live music, and in the summer there are films on a big screen in the evening. Children can play games, and there is a stall where you can learn to cook simple dishes.

The market has one problem: there aren't many places to sit. When it rains, it is not much fun. But on a sunny day, there is no better place in town to spend a Saturday afternoon.