Return to the Ramadan Bazaar

 

It has been too long since I last visited a Bazaar during Ramadan mainly because my nearest go-to Ramadan Bazaar which used to line the open carpark of the Larkin Stadium, was removed to another location.

 

The outdoor Ramadan Bazaar at the
Angsana Johor Baru Mall

At every Ramadan Bazaar, parking was always a hassle and as I was not willing to park illegally, I opted to go to areas where there was proper parking.

 

The past few years of uncertainly had kept people indoors at each Ramadan but with the reopening of the economy, bazaars were also reopened and shoppers – in search of some tasty treats – returned in full force.

 

At each festive season, be it Chinese New Year, Christmas, Deepavali or Hari Raya, it was my annual practice to visit a mall or market just to soak in the atmosphere.

 

Patiently queuing up for turn to order food

For Raya this year, I chose to indulge myself with a destination choice of the Angsana Johor Baru Mall at Bandar Baru UDA where the Raya shopping mood was at its height during the last week of the Ramadan month.

 

With browsing around for the best buys, a bit of retail therapy was always fun particularly when there was such a wide range of quality merchandise to choose from.

 

At about 5pm, the crowd inside the mall seemed to thin out probably because many have headed into the outdoor bazaar to get some food for the breaking of fast.

 

Skewers of satay being freshly grilled

This signaled the right time for me to head outdoors too.

 

As I walked into the bazaar again, I could not help being distracted by billows of smoke rising from open charcoal grills, the sight, smell and sounds of freshly grilled meat and throngs of people browsing along the stalls for their pick of food and drinks.

 

Stalls were festooned with brightly designed banners and posters that listed specialties that ranged from rice, noodles, meat and poultry to cakes, drinks and desserts.

 

Ayam golek, whole birds grilled on a spit

After completing a survey of what was being served at the stalls, it was time to decide on the items that should go into my takeaway dinner buffet spread.

 

A scan of the crowd revealed that the longest queues were at the stalls for freshly grilled satay – skewers of marinated beef and chicken – so I opted for a choice of items that had less of a queue.

 

The other factor that helped me decide on which stall to patronize was if the food was properly covered or served fresh from a glowing grill or simmering, covered pot.

 

Ayam percik, marinated chicken skewered 
on a stick of split bamboo and grilled

Among other items, there was ayam golek, whole birds lined up on an open spit that were regularly turned around – thereby earning its name, golek – and grilled to perfection.

 

Another popular chicken item, distinguished by its bright marinate, was ayam percik, marinated chicken parts skewered on a stick of split bamboo and grilled.

 

I was amused to observe a vendor wielding a chopper to split open a tube of thick bamboo to remove the steamed glutinous rice rolls, lemang, from within.

 

She wielded a chopper to split open a
tube of thick bamboo to remove lemang rolls

Observing this, I thought it was as authentic as it comes for traditional glutinous rice steamed in coconut milk that was usually savoured with serunding, a savoury meat floss and beef rendang.

 

While I followed my nose to discover a stall that served grilled fish wrapped in banana leaves, I found something new at another stall where a small crowd was waiting for their orders of grilled oysters in half-shells and toasted & torched squid.

 

Some vendors were calling out to attract more customers and when I stepped closer, I saw they were preparing Kueh Lopes, a familiar favourite of my late grandmother.

 

Preparing kueh lopes for sale

At another stall, a vendor was working at a custom-designed steamer to make small tubes of putu bambu, another version of the saucer-shaped putu piring.

 

Then I spotted another family favourite, served in its original and crispy versions – apam balik.

 

This round, fold-over pancake was offered, filled with a choice of sweet ingredients but my pick was the original pancake sandwiched with crushed peanuts and corn kernels.

 

Putu Bambu being steamed on
a custom-made steamer

I must confess that it was such a long time since I tasted this that I decided to buy two pancakes and save them for breakfast and tea-time the next day.

 

When I decided on my choice of famous Nasi Briyani with a side of beef rendang and ayam masak merah, the friendly vendor echoed the same question I was also asked by other vendors in simple English, “You from Singapore?”

 

“No,” I replied and declared (in Malay!), “Saya Anak Johor!”

 

Something new to me: Grilled oysters and squid

On hearing this, the vendor volunteered the info that I could enjoy this tasty Nasi Briyani all year round – not just at Ramadan – as it was served from his restaurant at Jalan Tampoi.

 

I thought my dinner buffet spread just needed one more item to complete it when I spotted a stall that offered tahu-begedil with dip sauce, and local kuih in small packs.

 

I realized that this was a typical situation at any Ramadan Bazaar when one often could not resist getting just one more item to add to the already plenty you have already picked from the many stalls.

 

A colourful range of refreshing drinks

Finally, I left with not one but two more items: A box of tahu-begedil with dip sauce and a box of kueh koleh kacang, our late grandfather’s favourite kueh.

 

Our dinner that evening turned out to be a veritable buffet, a very satisfying meal indeed from my return to the Ramadan Bazaar in 2023.

 

To readers celebrating the festival in a few days’ time, I take this opportunity to wish you and your families, Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri.