Bazaar Ramadan 2010

@ Taman Tun Dr Ismail, KL

bright red strawberry jelly

Rain rain...please go away especially when it's ramadan bazaar time.... This dreary weather is definitely putting a damper for this ramadan. Nevertheless, I do have snaps I managed to capture right before the raindrops began to fall on my head.

sweet pastel steamed kuih apam tepung beras

Taman Tun Dr Ismail's bazaar seems to be shrinking as the years go by but it still remains a favourite among many especially on Sunday when it is combined with their night market. I spotted old favourites like the pastel coloured steamed kuih apam tepung beras stand. They're always here every year and there's something so delicate and pretty about their teeny weeny steamed goodies that I can never resist a snap.

whole roast lamb

We spotted something unusual this year that made our mouths salivate - whole lamb being roasted over a charcoal fire. The shredded lamb meat is paired with toasted roti arab that gets an extra delicious touch since the drippings from the roast lamb are dribbled on it when the bread is being toasted. Unfortunately the rain came too soon or else we'll be chomping on the roast lamb between the grilled roti arab. I guess that is the incentive to return for that.

roti arab to go with the roast lamb

If you come early, you'll notice a lot of prep work goes into each stall...like the murtabak man who has to fry up each dough parcel filled with a meat and egg mixture until it is crispy on the outside. Or the Indian ladies who are frantically frying up deep fried treats like vadai and a batter filled with spices and curry leaves.

the making of a murtabak - lots of eggs and legwork

We're early hence we get gorgeous pictures of uncut jellies - freshly moulded from their round metal trays. They look so pretty with their tops decorated with fresh fruits - strawberries, mango and kiwi. The same stall also sells creme caramel - that sweet wobbly concoction that is favoured by many. You can buy them in two versions: sliced from a large piece or packed in individual plastic containers.

cute kid

This year seems to be the year of the lemang....almost every bazaar sports a stall selling lemang this year. For the Taman Tun Dr Ismail stall, it is set up just like a lemang stall with the bamboo sticks placed around a fire. There's even beef rendang to complete the whole ensemble to satisfy your glutinous rice cravings if you can't wait for the Raya celebrations.

creme caramel all packed and ready to go

As we venture near the fruit stalls from the night market, I manage to catch some enthusiatic customers buying and eating their durians on the spot. It looks darn tempting as they seem to be enjoying their creamy pungent durian thoroughly.

lemang with rendang

Another commonly seen trend in most bazaars, green coloured Khatira drink. This sweet tasting drink has biji selasih or those froggy eggs (basil seeds for the technical) in them and taste nice and refreshing especially chilled. As we were early, I didn't spot the infamous briyani rice stall and putu piring stall. I guess it warrants another revisit soon when the rains stop.

durian crazy

jalan-jalan cari makannnnnn.....

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Bazaar Ramadan

@ Shah Alam Stadium, Section 13, Shah Alam, Selangor.

gorgeous colours in the cendol jugs

Shah Alam's Ramadan bazaar holds a special place in my heart, probably because it is the nearest one to my office. Due to its proximity, we often go there on a daily basis, checking out the numerous stalls and trying out most of the items. Since I was busy with work last week, we tend to visit the place quite late when there's a huge crowd. However last Friday, we made it early and I managed to capture one of nicest set of pictures of the bazaar.

my one in the million shot - batter suspended in the air

If you're looking to snap pictures, make it a point to go early. You get to capture stacks of food laid out nicely, the stall owners prepping up their food and you don't need to jostle with the crowd for space.

the art of making lacy pancakes, aka roti jala

The cendol jugs were out on display again this year - two varieties, one with pulut and another with a mix of colourful jellies. Managed to get fantastic shots of those refreshing looking desserts, perfect for breaking fast with.

buns stuffed with sambal and cucumber slices

Another favourite was the roti jala stall manned by 2 ladies. I managed to even snap a gorgeous picture of the batter suspended in mid air, just when the lady was swirling it to form the net like pancake. Looked really good and they were serving it with either a sweet durian sauce or the savoury and more common chicken curry.

satay being grilled on hot charcoal

In terms of popularity, the stalls of Popiah SS Ali seem to have fallen badly in those stakes. No one seems to be interested in queueing for their popiahs despite them having at least 3 stalls around the bazaar. I guess discerning tasters have figured out the quality of the popiah has dropped tremendously. I've tried the original one in Ipoh, last year and to be honest, the taste has gone down hill.

Papa John's infamous roti john

Instead, one of the most popular stalls is Papa John's. Loads of people queuing up for their Roti John, that looked so incredibily good with a choice of minced lamb or minced beef. I'm definitely going to spend some quality time queueing up for that roti john since it looks delectable.

colourful agar-agar

What else was around? The colourful agar-agar stall was doing brisk business as usual - lovely colours all decked out in rainbow of colours. The sweet stalls always seem to finish the fastest, come a little later and they're all gone, especially those yummy or popular ones.

lovely stained glass agar agar

This year, there are loads of soy bean milk stalls - Soy Bean Station and Soy Bean Otai. Both seem to be vying for business with a few stalls around the bazaar, selling soy bean milk and tau fu fah flavoured with gula melaka syrup.

my favourite item in the bazaar - pecal Tanjung Karang

My must-have at this bazaar - the pecal Tanjung Karang for RM2.50. Similar to gado-gado, I love this simple dish of beansprouts, sweet potato leaves and compressed rice cubes (nasi impit) drizzled with their unique sauces. They give you two types - a thick and spicy peanut sauce with another watery one known as the lontong sauce with beans and shredded coconut. Give it a try, as it is absolutely yummy stuff.

juicy and succulent ayam bakar kenyalang

I also like the ayam bakar kenyalang (RM18 for one bird) - roasted chickens on charcoal stuffed with herbs and drizzled with a sweet soy sauce. The meat is juicy and succulent. Also spied in the bazaar - western favourites like pizza, meat kebabs and chicken chop.

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Bazaar Ramadan

@ Kelana Jaya, Petaling Jaya

sweet jelly for breaking fast

It is that time of the year...the unmistakable plumes of smoke signify ultra-delicious ayam percik, satay and ikan bakar being cooked on the spot, the crazy queues of people lining up for famous popiah basah or murtabak and of course those irritating double parkers who think they own the road! Yes, it is ramadan bazaar time where you get your pick of a smorgasbond of Malay delicacies (with a few Western influences).

cutting potatoes into a spring, coating with sauce, ready to be fried, deep frying in hot oil till crispy

It takes me a while to get into the groove of doing the bazaars probably because I tell myself every year that I shouldn't do it anymore since it drains so much energy from me plus the conditions are never too great for picture taking i.e. if it is not the hot sun casting blasted shadows on everything, it is the torrential rain that threatens to dampen out the whole bazaar.

spring like fried potatoes

However the lure of so much great food available is too tempting for a foodie like me that resistance is futile despite all those mental promises. As I have been quite busy, I only managed to visit the bazaars during the weekend. Most places such as this favourite bazaar in Kelana Jaya have not changed much as the same old stalls are still there like the colourful jelly stall I featured last year. This bazaar seem to have an overabundance of jellies though - all in various colours. Right next door to the fruit jelly stall is a rival one who does not boast colourful fruit enhanced ones but does offer some tempting delights like another colourful marbled jelly.

adorable kid

One stall nearer to the front will definitely be the draw of little gals...as they have adorable and colourful small jellies set in agar agar. According to the owners, the mixing of the two means different textures: a softer jelly within a harder agar agar. Those colourful sprinkles on top seem to bring out the kids as I spied two little gals ogling over the stall and pointing out what they want to their mother.

I want some of these uber cute agar agar jellies

Besides jellies, we stumbled on another new creation - the Kentang Spring. This family was using a contraption to create a spring like effect to small potatoes that would be stuck on a long skewer. The potatoes will then be coated in a sauce and deep-fried till crisp. They claim to have different flavours: tomyam, cheese and BBQ. We tried one stick and it was pretty nice and crispy, keeping through the hours. It can get a little difficult to peel the potatoes out as it tends to stick to the skewer. If you want something a little different, go for this unusual snack.

mangosteens

If not there are loads of traditional favourites like cencaru sambal - fish stuffed with a fiery red sambal that is pan fried. There's loads of ikan bakar stalls and ayam percik ones. Spotted two stalls selling ayam golek - rotisserie chicken that is roasted in those portable ovens. There are quite a few stalls selling mini roti boom and another stall selling deep fried oyster mushrooms.

sweet broths, oyster mushrooms ready to be deep fried, mini roti bom, cencaru sambal

When we were there, we even spotted Health Ministry officials walking around asking the stall owners questions. I guess there is a concious effort to ensure that the food is kept healthy but one wonders whether the stall owners will be answering since they are all so busy prepping for their business.

ribena jelly with grapes

One item that seems to be gaining popularity in almost every bazaar is Nasi Ambang - a wrapped up packet of rice and fried beehoon with meat. A complete meal on its own, this kind of rice parcel originates from Jawa.

health minister officials, satay, nasi ambang and apam balik

You can also find roasted ducks from Sabri Hoi who has a stall in Shah Alam. Last year, he first started his business in the Shah Alam Ramadan Bazaar and they have expanded the business. While the Shah Alam outlet keeps the ducks behind a counter, this one seems to deep fry the ducks and sell them chopped. There seems to be quite an interest for these halal roast ducks.

deep fried popiah

There's also quite a few stalls selling Kelantanese food here - nasi kerabu, laksam, solok lada and etc. You can even get the sweet akok made from duck eggs and sinfully sweet jala emas or golden threads that is soaked in syrup.

jellies and more jellies, roast ducks and screaming fishes

If you don't feel like eating much, just grab some fresh fruits as there is one stall selling mangosteens, duku langsat and rambutans. Other regular stalls include the kek batik and creme caramel stall, the roti jala stalls, the sata man and etc. Take your pick as there is just so many that the choices are mind boggling.

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Bazaar Ramadan

@ Pandan Indah, Selangor

mini chakoi

It took us quite some time to locate this bazaar, but we're glad we pursuited it as it had some unusual stalls. Love how each area has their specialties.

pandan kaya packed to go

These teeny weeny chakois or dough fritters seem to be unique around this area, as I first stumbled upon it at Nong & Jimmys at nearby Taman Dagang. I reckon it could be a Thai influence since I've seen them selling these, in Bangkok and Haadyai before. I love the pandan flavoured kaya served on the side, to dip these crunchy fritters.

payment is needed, seri muka

There's quite a heavy Thai influence around the Pandan Indah area, with restaurants and the popular Thai Market Font located within the shophouses. That's where people come and get those Thai vegetables, spices and herbs you don't get in the local markets. Every Sunday, drop by as they serve these super spicy curries made from unknown items, satays, noodles and etc.

fire fire fire....for char kuey teow

Back to the bazaar, the stalls are cramped in one small area near the apartments but the crowd is bearable. Not being from the area, I have no idea what is famous but some stalls get a huge following like the Nasi Lemak Bob - packets of nasi lemak being prepared like a factory production line.

pretty colourful fruit agar agar

We were attracted a stall selling all kinds of agar agar with fruits within them. Pretty to look at, snap pictures but honestly they just tasted average only.

assorted jellies and kuih

One particular kuih stall was doing booming business, a mini van selling with trays and trays of Malay kuih, agar agar including the watermelon agar agar. Must be very good stuff as the queue was so long for their items. I also spied one stall selling the dried agar agar, known as agar agar sakar. Pretty rare stuff since they're very hard to make.

delish ayam golek and cockles

There were a few stalls selling cockles done in various ways, cooked in a spicy sauce that looked very delicious, roasted (bakar) and steamed. The ayam golek was also present with the stall owners using various methods to make this delectable juicy chicken - one within an enclosed "oven" and some just on a rotating metal bar.

deep fried chicken done the Uncle Bob way

I was very surprised to see Uncle Bob's fried chicken here. More popular in SS2, this Taiwanese influenced deep fried chicken is very delicious especially eaten hot but has loads of MSG.

serunding - meat floss

Some stalls had taken old items and given it a new look, like this fellow who was selling Roti John Bersalut - he added a breadcrumbs to the bread to give it a crispier texture.

roti john bersalut with a breadcrumb crust, nasi lemak Bob

Loads of rojak items were sold here, you had the fresh fruits version, the deep fried version known as rojak singapure where you pick the items and they cut it for you and for the first time ever, they even had packed rojak paru goreng aka rojak with fried cow's lungs!

rojak singapura, rojak paru goreng and rojak buah

One stall had the whole lamb being roasted over a charcoal fire. Sadly since I was late (searching for the bazaar), we only managed to catch a picture when the meat has already been almost stripped apart. The stall owner was also grilling some parts of the lamb on a seperate grill as it was not cooked properly. Looked very good since he slathered some brown sauce over it.

picking your fish

One stall owner was frying up char kuey teow with huge flames. Wonder if the noodles will taste nice, as everytime he added something, it almost went up in flames.

kerang bakar

Some stalls were selling modernised items like muffins or more like mini cupcakes, since they had various toppings like chocolate chips and oreo crumbs.

muffins

Pretty good selection at this bazaar, makes it a great place to drop by during the weekend.

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Cendol Pak Akob

@ Section 16, Shah Alam

nope, he ain't waiting for a bus

Stall owners often find the weirdest places to trade and this particular stall is quite unique, since it is located in front of a mosque (just a few doors away from an Indian temple and school) and right next to a bus stand. In fact, due to the lack of space on the sidewalk, you end up sitting at the bus stand to drink down your cendol or like this man, to eat your plate of rojak. Famous in Shah Alam, Cendol Pak Akob is where everyone stops to quench their thirst with the cendol and rojak.

cool down with cendol mixed with kacang merah

I must admit I've only tasted the rojak once pretty long ago and if I remember correctly, it wasn't exceptional tasting. Just ordinary run of the mill stuff given a fiery dash of peanut sauce to fill up your tummy. What I like is his cendol (RM1.20) - those cool jade green slivers resembling worms drizzled with gula melaka syrup and drank down with coconut milk. Here, the shaved ice that top the bowls of cendol are pretty fine, hence they melt down quickly to cool the coconut milk.

cendol with tapai - delish combo (RM1.70)

The stall also serves one of my all time favourite combinations - tapai (fermented rice) with cendol. While the tapai here is quite light tasting (not very pungent), it still makes a fantastic duo when eaten together. As and when you place your order, they will unwrap the small banana leaf packets filled with the fermented rice and put it in your bowl. If you are looking for a very filling meal - add pulut with your tapai cendol for RM2.20.

no way you can miss this at the side of the road. I like the mix of English and Malay words on the signboard.

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Moroccan & Middle Eastern Food

@ Tajine, Jalan Bukit Bintang, KL

waraq ainab - grape leaves wrapped rice, delish appetizer (RM8)

Sunday, Monday, Happy Days....! (from the iconic Happy Days theme) Let's start the week, off with some colour and a little out of the ordinary. The weekend was good, kicking off with a fantastic dinner (more on that magical experience this coming week), a little cinema magic with loads of steel (and too little human involvement or nary a plot) and ending with one of the most touching movies I've watched for a long time, the award winning Departures.

1. coloured lanterns, 2. mint tea, 3. busy traffic on Jalan Bukit Bintang, 4. tangy tabbouleh

Feeling a little adventurous last weekend, we took a walk down the busy touristy streets of Jalan Bukit Bintang. Expect to catch tourists from all over (Phillipines, China, Indonesia, Middle East and etc) down this infamous strip of reflexology joints, pungent perfume shops, budget hotels and etc. Arabic words on signboards stamp out Middle Eastern joints (and influence). If it wasn't for the local city council's famous logo, "Sayangi Kuala Lumpur", I would think I've wandered into some foreign land. I have been eyeing Tajine, this Moroccan place for quite some time - visible when you're dallying away at the traffic lights on busy Jalan Bukit Bintang. Ironically, the day we visit it, the cops seem to be guarding this place (since two of them were monitoring the situation right in front of the restaurant's entrance). Kinda reminds me of my first Nepalese experience in Khukri on Jalan Silang, where the day I visited it, the FRU raided the street for illegals.

1. the closest we got to the tajine, 2. hummus tahina, 3. pretty tiles, 4. comforting lamb kofta tajine

Not surprisingly, the place is quiet with no other customers. Located on the first floor, the restaurant is quaint with a large glass window to let you spy down on the busy ongoings of Jalan Bukit Bintang. I love the little touches here - colourful tiles decorating one portion, plates on the wall as decoration, a tagine and coloured glass lantern on the windowsill and carvings on the ceiling. Great to add atmosphere in my pictures.

pretty baklava and plates on the wall

The menu is a mix of Middle Eastern and Moroccan dishes like pastilla, couscous and etc. We order a mix of Moroccan dishes with familiar Middle Eastern favourites for appetisers. The waitress looks Chinese and I almost want to rattle out to her in Cantonese but her weird accent stops me from uttering a word. After we place our orders, there seems to be a commotion down at one end where a Middle Eastern lady is arguing with people.

We're a little too far to eavesdrop on their conversation but luckily that ruckus does not interrupt our service, as appetizers arrive fairly quickly. Thumbs up to the Waraq Ainab (RM8) - grape leaves wrapped rice drizzled with oil and served with diced tomatoes and lettuce. A little cold but not frozen to death, it's light and delish to kick off the meal. I liked the tangy flavours of our Tabbouleh (RM10) - chopped curly parsley tossed with teeny weeny bits of chopped garlic, lemon and oil.

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