Freshly-grilled dendeng among the essentials at the Ramadan bazaar
Here are some of the must-haves at the extensive Ramadan bazaar in Kampong Gelam
The Ramadan bazaar in Kampong Gelam is back again this year from 12pm to 11pm daily until April 16.
With 86 food stalls, the bazaar - Raikan Cahaya Ramadan (Celebrate the Light of Ramadan) - stretches across Kampong Gelam, Kandahar Street and Baghdad Street.
With so many food options to choose from, TNP highlights the more noteworthy ones, from the most popular to the hidden gem.
The must-try
Who: Tebuuuu
What: No surprise that one of the more popular stalls at the bazaar is a drink stall. They sell tebu (sugarcane) drinks infused with citrus. Apart from that, they have katira, bandung and chendol. Prices range from $6 to $7.
"We make our sugar cane slightly different from the usual hawker centre version," said owner Nur Shakirah Azman, referring to the citrus flavours added (grapefruit, orange and calamansi), which offer a sweet, sour, or bitter nuance to the beverage,
We like: Tebu Original. You can't beat the good ol', natural sugarcane juice, especially on a humid day or to break fast with.
Best Value
Who: The Original Vadai
What: This booth sells 7 flavours of vadai -- prawn, ikan bilis, grago (shrimp paste), masala, vegetable, chilli and onion. At $1.30, this is one of the cheaper options at the bazaar.
We like: We recommend the prawn vadai, and so do most patrons we spoke to.
Longest Queue
Who: Ramly (by @balangboy_ramly)
What: The OG pasar malam food and fans' favourite, Burger Ramly, has four types of burgers to choose from - beef, chicken, fish and benjo (egg). It costs $4.50 each (the benjo is $3), but you can take advantage of the promotion for beef, chicken and fish burgers at 3 for $12.
We like: Our favourites are beef and chicken, but it's the sauce that makes the burger what it is.
"(The sauce) is delicious. It has a combination of mayonnaise, black pepper and chilli sauces," said patron Putra Aly. "It has the longest queue because it is still the best thing (at the bazaar).
Most high-priced
Who: Big Paw Paws
What: Three words: Bar. Be. Que. One of its specialties is the smoked beef brisket ($16), but the platters are what attracts the most attention, as they are great for breaking fast in a group. They range from $30 (small) to $68 (3-4 pax) and the largest order includes smoked beef brisket, wedges, one charr'd chicken chop, four artisanal sausages, two wings, two garlic butter rice, two mac and cheese servings and two fried buns.
We like: The artisanal sausages; crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside.
Most Underrated
Who: NOODZ by Helwa's Gourmet
What: From noodles to dendeng to bingsu (Korean iced dessert), this stall has customised its menu to suit your taste buds. The dendeng (thinly-sliced grilled meat) costs just $6 while other menu items range from $5 to $14.
We like: The dendeng is a must-try. You can even catch them grilling the dendeng for you up close.
