To the markets!

 

“To market, to market to buy a fat …” a line in an old Nursery Rhyme came to mind as we headed to the Sydney Markets with the aim to shop for fresh fish, vegetables and fruits.

 

Heading into Sydney Markets in Flemington

Malcolm and Yeen will be hosting a dinner with the family in their home and when Yeen asked Uncle Steven what cuisine he would like to eat – Chinese or European – his spontaneous reply was, “Steak!”

 

Aware that she is a versatile cook, he was not hesitant about placing his “order” for dinner in their home. Photos of their home-cooked steaks posted in our family chat group had given Uncle a mouth-watering desire to have a taste of such juicy meats.

 

His reply helped Yeen to curate a menu that featured beef steak and salmon steak as the protein dishes with side dishes of salads and vegetables.

 

Checking out the seafood options

She also planned to get fresh mangoes to make a mango pudding filled with cubes of mango, to serve as dessert.

 

So there we were at the market, on a mission to get fresh produce to cook a sumptuous spread for the family.

 

While Malcolm and Yeen carried out a survey on the fish options to buy, I observed that the right side of the entrance to the huge warehouse-like building was blocked by a queue of people. Then I saw that they were mainly Asian, waiting for their turn to be served at the counter for… salmon bones.

 

Bountiful, colourful fruits and vegetables

The ambiance of this market was typical of markets the world over, where vendors called out the lowest prices of fruit or vegetables in a repetitive monotone over the hum of shoppers browsing around, selecting their best buys.

 

Besides hearing the English language, I also overheard conversations in Mandarin, Cantonese and Korean, as shoppers discussed the best options to pick from the wide array of succulent fruits and vegetables displayed for sale.

 

Best buys of zucchini and eggplant

Many of the vendors were of Asian origin while there were many who appeared to be Middle Eastern, Italian and Fijian or Samoan.

 

The difference here, however, was this market experience was enhanced with live music entertainment by a male soloist as he sang popular English songs, accompanied by guitar.

 

I have always enjoyed visiting fresh markets for the sight of a wide range of colourful merchandise and the noise of haggling before the vendors gave in to the persistence of determined shoppers.

 

With a dinner menu in mind, Malcolm and Yeen made a beeline for the stalls to get the ingredients to prepare the dishes on their menu. I saw that they chose and bought beetroots and cauliflower…

 

Choosing a watermelon...

Meanwhile, I wandered around (like a typical tourist!) to capture some photos.

 

I was thrilled to see huge capsicum in bright colours – red, yellow and green – glossy purple eggplants and a wide selection of juicy fruits.

 

There were cherries, plums, nectarines, apricots, avocados along with tropical fruits like mango, pineapple in different sizes and watermelon, with and without seeds (I heard the vendor yelling out this info!)

 

Shoppers came with their own carrier bags, the hand-carried types as well as two-wheeler and four-wheeler trolley bags. Some older shoppers even drove mobility scooters to shop while the market offered the hire of shopping trolleys at a price.

 

Heading into the Pendle Hill Meat Market

It made sense that the last item to shop for here was fresh fish. And with our hands full of heavy shopping bags, we headed back to the car. Little did I know that Malcolm had already been back to the car, twice, to store his shopping.

 

The main course for our family meal was meat – beef steak – to be specific, so after a quick lunch of takeaway kebab, we headed out to Pendle Hill Meat Market.

 

Along the fence which bordered one side of the carpark, I spotted huge replicas of a pink pig and a brown ox, as part of the décor and identity of this meat market.

 

Choices! Choices! Choices of meats and cuts
 

As its name suggests, this destination was a supermarket that stocked a wide range of meats, from fresh to frozen, preserved and canned. There were sections for beef, lamb, chicken and pork, along with cured meats like ham, bacon and sausages.

 

There were also sections for fruit and vegetables, bread and eggs, like a regular supermarket but the main focus was as a meat market for a wide range of meats and cuts.

 

While Malcolm and Yeen made their choices of beef cuts, I explored the aisles and spotted an exciting range of Ayam brand products. I paused when I spotted canned petai, satay sauce and satay seasoning, items not available in our local stores.

 

The canned versions of Malaysian flavours

This, I guessed, was probably because we can conveniently get fresh ingredients to prepare our favourite dishes while the canned versions catered to connoisseurs in a foreign country who (desperately!) desired the taste of such Malaysian flavours.

 

When I considered the canned satay sauce and seasoning, I was filled with much gratitude in having the privilege to savour freshly prepared skewers of satay and dip sauce, ever so often at food tastings, reviews of Ramadan buffets and Hari Raya open house events.

 

Making the best choice of meat

For a moment, I felt sorry for those who did not have the pleasure of tasting, freshly cooked, authentic Malaysian cuisine. But having relocated to a foreign land, they should, however, be prepared to miss out on enjoying local delicacies, food and fruits or pay higher prices for imported ingredients and be satisfied with the frozen, bottled and canned versions.

 

Then I saw that Malcolm and Yeen had completed their shopping and were ready to leave the meat market with choice ingredients to cook up a storm.

 

Looking back to that market day, I not only had the privilege to witness their shopping of ingredients, I also observed how meticulous they were as good hosts, in preparing the meal to setting the table and serving, as well as to sitting down to savour the sumptuous spread with the family.

 

For every step of this interesting market experience, I am grateful and blessed.

 

#MyJohorStoriesTravelogue

#MyJohorStoriesJanuary 2026