Top Vegetarian Picks At The Pasar Malam


We now have an idea on what a pasar malam (night market) is and you’d probably have visited one recently. If you had, you’d have noticed there are countless number of local food selection at the pasar malam. Even so, I find the vegetarian selection in the night market not easy to find.




Today I am going to share some of the yummy vegetarian bites you could try out at the pasar malam. Some of these may contain egg, so please clarify with the stall operators if you have restrictions.

  • Tofu Bakar  
Tofu Bakar is a vegetarian item in Bangsar pasar malam, but it may not necessarily be elsewhere. It is one of my favourites, that’s why this tops my list.
Tofu Bakar is a vegetable stuffed soya (tofu), grilled over charcoal. Once heated lightly, it is removed from the grill and cut into smaller pieces. It is then topped with black vegetarian sauce and crushed peanuts.


  • Appam Balik
This is a sweet pancake filled with a generous serving of chopped peanuts. Some versions also include corn paste and scrapped coconut fillings, as add-ons.  Appam Baliks  are easy to eat on the go. It is usually sold hot, so be careful not to burn your tongue.

  • Fruit Rojak or Rojak Buah
Rojak Buah is an assorted fruit salad mixed with a tasty black sauce. It is also topped with plenty of chopped peanuts and hot sauce.  Shrimp paste is sometimes added to the mixture, so do request for the vegertarian version when ordering. Also, request for less ‘chilli’, if you cannot handle the hot spice. The stall operator thought I could. Hmm.... Nevertheless, Rojak buah is delicious!

  • Assorted Deep Fried Rice Flour Snacks
There are several delicious varieties of fried rice flour snacks to choose from.  Rice flour items are freshly fried. I like the sweet ones that have black bean filling.

  • Puttu Bamboo
This is a sweet rice-flour mixture steamed in bamboo containers and, once cooked, the puttus are topped with scraped coconut as a garnish. There are usually two flavours sold – original (white) and pandan (green). You could order either or both.  This is a hot seller.

  • Vadai and Puttu Mayam
These are popular Indian snacks. This stall operator offers a few varieties. She also provides some chutney (a spicy dip) for the vadai. Puttus and string-hoppers (both steamed rice-flour variations) are also sold here. These are delicious light tea or dinner items.

 



  • Banana Fritters/Pisang Goreng
In the picture, the stall operator is showing me her latest offering - pisang goreng topped with cheese. I am old fashioned, I prefer the traditional one. The traditional is the plain ol’ deep fried sweet banana fritters.


  • Cut and whole fruits
There are plenty of must-try local and imported fruits at the market.  They are fresh and juicy. 


  • Corn on the Cob
This is a classic – grilled or boiled sweet corn. I can’t have them, and that’s just too bad, an allergy reaction.

  • Fried Noodles  
Be prepared to wait, here is where you get the best freshly-prepared noodles under the stars (and sun) in the neighbourhood. Vegetarian noodles are prepared on request.

  • Biscuits and Nuts
These are convenient pick-me-up tidbit choices. I like the selection of nuts.

  • Crispy Pancake
I have always been fascinated with the art of making pancake this crispy and thin.




  • Dim Sum/Pau
These buns come in interesting shapes. The stall owner told me the vegetarian-looking ones like the corn and peanut are vegetarian and contain only vegetarian fillings.


  • Assorted Drinks
And finally, a drink, something to cool you down on a hot day after all that shopping. 

To finish off, lets have some coffee. Below is an ice-cold Caribbean coffee made using the fresh fruits I had just bought from the market. It is a lemon, orange and pineapple infused filter coffee. You could also replace the coffee with black tea for a variation . Allow the mixture to stand for an hour, at least; the longer it stands, the zestier the flavour. Here is glass of cold Caribbean coffee for you and me.  Very refreshing indeed.


Till we meet again, enjoy your cuppa and have a nice week.  💗💙💚💛💜💗

Looking for something to do over the weekend? Come and join me at the Pasar Malam.


A few have asked me what I do on Sunday afternoons. My answer would always be the same……I have a few important errands to catch up on.

All time favourite - satay
One of these is not only important but also ‘hot' because it usually involves walking in the heat. My mission is to get ‘sweet-looking’ apples and a few seasonal fruits, and some local hot-bites to satisfy my fussy appetite. I am talking about my weekly routine to the Pasar Malam.

One for the lovely lady?
Pasar, in the Malay language, means market and Malam is Night. So, there you go - Night Market! Traditionally, these markets would start operating in the late evenings but, these days, some start as early as 3 pm. Try to be there early if you wish to get perishables - the freshest of fresh sellout fast. 

Banana fritters

Pasar malams in Malaysia are street markets which generally operate weekly. Usually, vehicles would be prohibited from using the streets when and where these markets would be operational. These markets sell food, drinks, vegetables, fruits, small household items, t-shirts, footwear, etc.  The stall setup, venue, frequency and individual vendor licenses for the area are managed and administered by the local municipalities.

At the market
These markets are usually in residential areas to provide shopping convenience to those living in, or visiting, the neighbourhood.  For visitors to Malaysia, these night markets provide a great opportunity to visit local neighbourhoods and to taste local delicacies.

Delicious local berries
Below is a link to a list of pasar malams in Kuala Lumpur.
(at the time of publication of this post, information on operational hours was not available.)
http://www.dbkl.gov.my/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=246&catid=30&Itemid=160&lang=ms
More chicken

The pictures in this post were taken at the pasar malam in Bangsar, a residential neighbourhood in Kuala Lumpur. This market is open every Sunday evening, rain or shine.  

Sugar cane juice
There are many different types of drinks sold at the market. These drinks are non-alcoholic and usually chilled. My top pick is soya milk with brown sugar. Street markets do not have stools or chairs to sit around. So, if you prefer to sit somewhere or to have warm drink, you could indulge in some coffee or tea at any of the many cafes nearby. Last week, after shopping, I met up with a few friends and we decided to go to a coffee bar for our hot drinks - a Latte, a Cappuccino and a Piccolo Latte. Coffee was good but pricey. The ambiance was pleasant and ideal for us to shake off all that heat, catch-up up on old stories and talk about those stars.

Our drinks
In my next post, I will share my top food & drink picks at the pasar malam. Till then, enjoy your cuppa. 💗💙💚💛💜💗

Zen in the Big City - Hong Kong Style!


What comes to your mind when you hear of the name Hong Kong? For some, it’s the array of shopping options it offers; the endless selection of dim sums, rickshaw noodles and milk tea; the opportunities for a change from the routines.

For me, it’s the marvellous architecture, sky scrapers & skyline.  



Hong Kong is now known as Hong Kong Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China. It is a small island, formerly a colony of the British Empire. It remained under the British control until 1997, when it was returned to China. Hong Kong is a global financial centre, and therefore, one would notice the presence of many international banks here. Getting to Hong Kong is easy. There are plenty of international flights to the Island. The flight duration from Kuala Lumpur to Hong Kong is just about 4 hours.

I mentioned the skyscrapers a short while ago. There is one place in Hong Kong you can go to, if you don’t really want a stiff neck looking up at the skyline. Head to Victoria Peak. The locals call it The Peak, the highest point in Hong Kong Island.

My trip was a short one but a fun one with family and friends. Our first stop, was of course that Peak!  

The Peak is located on the western part of the island.  Getting to The Peak is not difficult. There are plenty of transport options for you to consider, including public buses, taxis, tram, cars, or the old-fashioned hike. The Peak tram service started in 1888. This service is popular, so be prepared to wait in queue to get your tickets. Tickets are also available online.

Since time was limited, my travel group opted for a taxi.  Along the way to the top, we were teased with peeping views of Victoria Harbour and the city’s distant skyline.

The Peak is a major attraction in Hong Kong. It draws an estimated 7 million tourists a year. For some repeated travellers to Hong Kong, it has become a ritual for them to visit The Peak each time. Victoria Peak is open from 7am until 12 midnight. According to Wikipedia, the property value here is one of the highest in the world. And here is where the super-rich in Hong Kong live. I was trying to spot Jackie Chan’s house from the taxi. The taxi drove by too fast, I must have missed it!


There are a few things one could do here, I have summarized these into the following:
  • Soak in the stunning views of Hong Kong city, the harbour and Kowloon at Sky Terrace 428. Sky Terrace 428 is a wok-shaped terrace with a viewing platform.
  • Visit Madame Tussauds – get up-close and personal with champions like Yao Ming, music icons like Lady Gaga and movie stars. If you are lucky, you could even be standing next to Tony Leong, one of Hong Kong’s’ leading actors (of whom I am a fan). The real one, I mean.  I have got to make it a point to pray for better luck for my next visit.
  • Shop at the Peak Market or grab a nice spot in a cafe and enjoy some coffee and the view. There are also a couple of restaurants here.
  • Visit the Chocolate Museum Factory of Hong Kong located in the Peak Galleria.


My second stop is Chi Lin Nunnery. This nunnery is a Buddhist temple complex built in 1930 in the Tang Dynasty style. It is in Kowloon Hong Kong. This is a wood-structure building and, interestingly, is noted as the world’s largest ‘hand-made’ wooden building. There are three gates to the complex, each representing a trait – compassion, wisdom and skills. All around the court yard, there are numerous varieties of beautifully crafted bonsai plants. There are also many marble structures and under each one you will find a thought-provoking quote. Here is one by Master Qing Gong, Yuan Dynasty:

“Going around places with a scissors and a ruler
Busy every day with thread and needles
Measuring the long and short of other people
When is one going to measure one’s own merits and shortcomings?”




Yet another place to visit is Nan Lian Garden, a Chinese classical garden. It is also built in the same style as Chi Lin Nunnery. It is located just opposite the nunnery. In addition to the Nunnery, this garden also provides a pleasant escape from busy Hong Kong’s busy life. The garden is maintained by the Chi Lin Nunnery. Here you will see beautiful ponds, pagodas and bridges. If you are searching for some peace and tranquillity, this place will not disappoint you.

Now that I have reached the peak and attained inner peace, it’s time to get energized with some sugar and of course local coffee. Local coffee is popular in Hong Kong, and so we headed for Tsui Wah, a popular tea restaurant that also serves good coffee. First opened in 1967, this restaurant is a household name with many branches all over Hong Kong, Macau and Mainland China. Our order was ‘Coffee Jiu’ which is simply coffee with milk. This is a hot fragrant Hong Kong-style coffee.  If you prefer tea, try ‘Cha Jau’.  The Hong Kong style milk tea is more popular than the milk coffee version. When you are here, don’t forget to get one of those crispy butter and condensed milk buns – sinful but keeps you wanting more. Heavenly!!


That's all from Hong Kong for this trip. See you next week in Kuala Lumpur.  Have a nice weekend and enjoy your cuppa.  💗💙💚💛💜💗