The air is always festive with spectacular array of food during the blessed fasting month of Ramadhan in Malaysia. Daily Ramadan food bazaars sprout all over the place under colourful parasols selling sweet and savoury dishes. For thirty days, endless selections of mouth-watering delicacies attract crowds from every race and nationality. Some dishes are made especially for Ramadan and not available for the rest of the year. The bazaars start as early as 3.00pm and end after the buka puasa at Maghrib prayer time.
The biggest and busiest bazaars in the city are in Kampung Baru and Jalan TAR-Masjid India. In Kampung Baru, the traditional Malay food and rare desserts from hundreds of stalls can fix anyone’s cravings. You will find a strong East Coast slant here, with food that includes the iconic blue nasi kerabu, sweets like kuih jala emas and tahi itik by the Kelantanese stalls, and if you are lucky, ketupat sotong. People also queue for the free packets of the famous bubur lambuk prepared by the mosque nearby.
Jalan TAR-Masjid India’s bazaar targets the office workers before they leave home for breaking fast. This super dense maze of stalls starts early, lively with smoky grills, makeshift kitchens and jovial sellers. Make a beeline for asam laksa, popiah basah, Hokkien noodles, murtabak as well as nasi campur stalls that sell various types of rice, condiments and dishes. The popular Mak Wan nasi campur stall is usually sold out by 6:00.
Right across the Dato’ Keramat LRT station, you will find the relatively small but great Dato’ Keramat bazaar always packed with hungry crowds. The bazaar never disappoints and keeps getting bigger every year. The crowd can expect long queues for the Malay kuihs, ikan bakar stalls, murtabak, roti John and steamed rice with spicy fried chicken.
On Jalan Telawi in Bangsar, the night market spot is transformed into a packed bazaar during Ramadan. Smaller compared to the others, the bazaar offers a wide variety of selection for buka puasa cravings. Among them are the delicious rojabak (a roti jala-murtabak hybrid) with curry and vinegar dips, freshly-grilled succulent ayam percik, nasi kerabu, nasi dagang, Portugese grilled fish and coconut ice cream.
The TTDI Ramadan bazaar is another favourite during Ramadhan. Now accessible via the new MRT, the high hit rate at this popular bazaar means you almost never go wrong at any of its many stalls. More upscale and not as pocket friendly, some of the popular items here include the murtabak Maggi, Popiah Power and Mie Cord Char Kway Teow, with Ramadan staples like nasi tomato, nasi hujan panas and piping hot lemang with rendang. Come early and get ready to queue.
Photo Credit: Kuala Lumpur Website
