Ramadan bazaars are one of the must-go places during the fasting month. With a large range of freshly prepared meals available, these bazaars can be lifesavers for working mothers and others; all you have to do is purchase what you want, bring it home, and enjoy the food with your loved ones.
OVER the years, Ramadan bazaars have become one of the biggest attractions during the fasting month.
With a large range of freshly prepared meals available, these bazaars are also lifesavers for working mothers and others; all you have to do is purchase what you want, bring it home, and enjoy the food with your loved ones.
The bazaars are little food havens, with everything from traditional kuih to a variety of delectable side dishes and much more to explore.
Personally, I think that it is quite fortunate that I live in the Matang area, as there are five bazaars in this area alone:
Metrocity Uptown Ramadan Bazaar, Emart Matang Ramadan Bazaar, Matang Jaya Ramadan Bazaar, Matang Mall Ramadan Bazaar, and Masjid Al-Abyad Ramadan Bazaar.
Matang residents are incredibly spoiled for choice; if they don’t mind getting stuck in traffic and having to look for parking, they will surely find the meal or drink they’re looking for.
I was able to visit three bazaars in the first week of Ramadan: one outside Emart Matang and the other two in Taman Matang Jaya.
Out of the three, the Emart Matang bazaar has the most stalls — I believe over 30 — and hence a wider selection of food, particularly for Muslims breaking their fast.
Fresh sugarcane juice, traditional kuih, notably Pulut Basong, and Asam Pedas Ikan Bawal are the foods I won’t pass up if I visit this bazaar.
I’m not sure what stalls sell Pulut Basong and sugarcane juice, but I do know that Nasi Campur Lia’s stall is the one that offers my favourite Asam Pedas.
In addition, they have a single stall inside Jom Ngopi Cafe, located behind the Ninso Matang building. This is my preferred spot to have “nasi campur”, or economy rice.
The phrase economy rice is typically used by local food vendors to describe the variety of ready-cooked foods they provide to go with a plate of rice.
In the meantime, if I visit the Matang Jaya Ramadan Bazaar, one item I always have to get is Murtabak Sardin. This murtabak is not only reasonably priced at RM5, but it is also very tasty and is packed with stuffing. The accompanying dhal curry is also excellent! This stall also sells Murtabak Ayam for the same price.
It is undoubtedly different from the other murtabaks, such as the ones I purchased during Ramadan last year, which are thick but mainly filled with onion (instead of meat) and taste a little bland.
Meanwhile, Matang Mall Ramadan Bazaar is the ideal option if you’re searching for a wide selection of ready-cooked foods.
The definitely must-buys if I come here are Paru Sambal (or Paru Goreng Berlado) and Masak Lemak Daging Salai, sold by the Qaseh Sumayyah Katering stall.
A range of dishes are available for as little as RM5, and the portions are generally good for the price.
All in all, these three bazaars are some of the best places to visit during Ramadan if you reside close to Jalan Matang.
If you’re looking for more culinary alternatives, you should visit the bazaar at Emart Matang, and if you’d rather not deal with traffic, you should go to the Matang Mall and Matang Jaya bazaars.
In terms of prices, there is no denying that there are some stalls that have increased the price of their goods compared to last year.
I noticed that one-litre bottled fresh sugarcane juice is being sold at multiple stalls for RM12, as opposed to RM10 the previous year. However, the majority of vendors in these three bazaars still sell food and drinks at the same price.
If it is your first visit, you may compare the prices first if you don’t mind walking for a long period of time in the heat.
However, it should be remembered that not all cheap food is bad, and not all expensive food tastes better.
What’s important is that, if you can afford to, do visit the Ramadan bazaars and support our local traders.
