Gajiza Dumplins, the Laotian- and Thai-influenced dumpling pop-up run by chef Jasmine Haskins, has traded its roaming setup for a permanent stall inside Meijer’s Rivertown Market in Detroit’s Rivertown neighborhood. The counter is now serving steamed dumplings, build-your-own hot noodle bowls and bánh mì sandwiches, with staff seen steaming and plating orders inside the market on Thursday.
A photo gallery credited to David Guralnick captures Haskins and team members Maria Perez-Cuellar and Mason Christnagel preparing food and working the counter. The close-up shots highlight the dumpling steamer, prep line and made-to-order setup for shoppers weaving through the aisles, according to The Detroit News.
What Gajiza Is Serving
The Rivertown stall sticks to Gajiza’s Southeast Asian lean, with several varieties of steamed dumplings, customizable hot noodle bowls and bánh mì sandwiches on fresh baguettes. A local business roundup notes the counter quietly opened in early January and is planning a larger grand opening later this season, per Chevy Detroit.
From Pop-Up To Market Stall
Gajiza started as a pop-up concept and rotated through temporary residencies while waiting on a permanent home. An earlier profile traces Haskins’s background, prior stops on Bagley Avenue and plans to produce frozen dumplings during the build-out phase. Those moves helped build a local following that the new Rivertown Market counter now aims to serve from a fixed address, according to Axios Detroit.
Rivertown Market’s Local Focus
Meijer opened Rivertown Market in 2021 as a smaller-format downtown store that leans into local and artisan products. The company lists the market at 1475 E. Jefferson Ave. and notes daily hours of 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. The concept is designed to host local vendors and prepared-food counters, making it a natural fit for a kitchen like Gajiza’s, per Meijer Newsroom…