Sultan Mosque
As part of the month-long event themed 'Hari Raya @ The City', jointly organised by Jalan Besar GRC, the Malay Heritage Centre and the Sultan Mosque, there are lots of activities going on at Kampung Glam from 14th August until 27th September 2009.
I wanted to introduce this Malay festival to several new immigrants, so I brought them down to Kampong Glam to soak in the atmosphere.
Stall selling my favourite Malay traditional kueh kueh (cakes)
There is a food and traditional handicrafts bazaar, as well as activities such as free workshops and exhibitions at the Malay Heritage Centre and Sultan Mosque.
Glutinous rice cakes (Lemang)
My friends were more interested in the food. :D My friends were curious and kept asking questions,the food sellers were more than willing to share with us their food culture and traditions. We tasted and bought quite a lot of traditional Malay food.
different varieties of yummy dates
I love dates and was so happy to see a stall selling a wide variety of them. The most expensive dates are from Morocco and cost S$36 a kilo! I couldn't get to taste many of the dates because there is a minimum purchase of 250g per item, no free tasting. :(
Hari Raya Aidilfitri at Kampong Glam
14th August - 27th September 2009
Wordless WednesdayFirst Commenter -
Hi, this is one of my favourite places to visit in Singapore. And I have good memories of the time when we have explored it once together. :)
ReplyDeleteoceanskies,
ReplyDeleteIt's my frequent haunt because of the famous teh tarik, Middle-eastern food and Nasi Bryani. :P
We should go back again to explore more nooks and corners. :)
Wah! Look so festive. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm looking forward to eat some lemang, but have to wait until we got back from Tokyo lah this year. ;)
I love lemang! but usually, during Hari Raya, it's hard to find a good lemang :)
ReplyDeleteIt's like a Ramadhan bazaar? Yummy looking lemang.
ReplyDelete$36 for a kilo of dates is expensive.
Wow! Looks like kampung glam is really glamour huh! Just look at the variety of yummy dates. Gosh! :p
ReplyDeleteMmmmmmm lemang is here today! I like lemang eat with rendang or serunding, can't wait la to devour all the Raya goodies soon. Sure put on weight then huhuhu! ;)
ReplyDeleteI've never been to this place in Sing, but it looks really interesting ECL. :)
ReplyDeleteOMG how I love Nasi Bryani and Rendang curry!!!
ReplyDeleteI recall fragrant dishes like Lontong,Mee Rebus and Nasi Lemak.
Singapore really is a food paradise.Sounds like a very interesting festival.
Selamat Hari Raya to all concerned!
wow yummy rice cake love it...Happy RT!...
ReplyDeleteHi ecl,
ReplyDeleteI hv to seek out where kampung Glam is ! R they just as bustling outside the festive season ?
I didnt know the nice rice cakes r called lemang. Learned something new today :-) I had a muslim friend whose mom made them for Hari Raya n served it with a thick spicy chunky peanut sauce. Was so surprised it tasted soo good even without the satay !
3 pcs for S$ 1 is a good deal :-) It's alot of hard work for so little for the vendors, tho.
I just paid € 0,49 for 250gram of moroccan dates. It's 50% off, so I am stocking up for Xmas. The price will be doubled when the festive season begins here.
My hubby is wondering whether the price of hawker food will keep rising until it's too expensive for one to start cooking it at home ? Would like to hear ur view on this ;-p
cooking at home is always much cheaper than eating out..
ReplyDeleteYes, we could. :)
ReplyDeleteA date after next week please. I have a music exams next week. Wish me a good performance for the examiners please.
Hmm, I love dates especially those from Morocco. They are sweet and have small seeds.
ReplyDeleteLooks like fun and what great way to use your creativeness too - wish I could participate!
ReplyDeleteBtw: My WW is up too :-)
The architecture is stunning, and the food fascinating. I'd love to see all those dates. I've done a couple of raw food diets and dates were something I ate daily. They are soo sweet though, I have to have them with some kind of nut. I became a connoisseur for awhile, always looking for a new tasty variety. Thanks for another spectacular WW
ReplyDeletei love lemang but it's hard to come by these days. it sure goes very well with the rendangs.
ReplyDeleteI got to eat dates only when there are relatives that arrive form the middle east(OFW).I love the sweet taste and aroma.
ReplyDeletetoo bad no free taste? how can you choose the best of what you want to buy?
ReplyDeleteecl always having fun =)
happy wednesday!
i remember the cake you like =)
ReplyDeleteGeylang would have been a better choice for you if it's for food-hunting.. There's a whole bog white tent for it.. :D
ReplyDeleteI love to use dates to put on a cake:) I will certainly visit Kampong Glam this week - haven't been there for awhile.
ReplyDeletelina,
ReplyDeleteLemang is so sedap! I look forward to it every Hari Raya. :)
You going to Tokyo!? Wow. Wish I could take a holiday too.
blue crystaldude,
ReplyDeleteI can find lots of good lemang during Hrai Raya. It's an annual thing for me. Wish I had a Malay friend who can teach me to cook yummy lemang. :P
Mei Teng,
ReplyDeleteWe have two huge Hari Raya Bazaars in Singapore now. I would buy my favourite Malay snacks from the Geylang Serai Bazaar every few days. :)
The dates are expensive but delicious! Once a year luxury for me. :D
Tekkaus,
ReplyDeleteKampong Glam has always been a great place to find good food and go people watching. Lots of tourists come here.
I visit every week. :)
Mariuca,
ReplyDeleteKampong Glam is small but cosy and lots of interesting things waiting to be discovered.
I love the goodies during Hari Raya which I look forward every year. :P
I have put on some weight since the start of Puasa. :(
Never mind, I shall puasa (fast)after this. :)
jean,
ReplyDeleteAnother Nasi Bryani fan! hehe...
I often wonder how Singaporeans like you who have migrated, how you can tahan missing all these food!? I would miss them like mad if I don't eat them for a week.
Now, talking about these local food makes my mouth water. :P
gengen,
ReplyDeleteThey are glutinous rice cakes which is a special dish for me. :)
Hi Dutchie!
ReplyDeleteLong time no hear from you. :)
Kampong Glam is a bustling place, it especially comes alive at night when visitors come for food and drinks at its numerous unique eateries. I love the Middle-eastern eateries.
You should visit it the next time you come back. Call me. :)
I like the Lemang as it is like our Bak Chang, only that there is no filling in it, we can choose to add serunding, peanut gravy or rendang to it. A great meal by itself.
It's a blessing we can still find yummy snacks at cheap prices. But that is not going to last long with the rising costs of raw materials and salaries of workers. Plus there is a lack of people wanting to learn how to make traditional cakes or dishes. :(
It is expensive to eat out these days, even at hawker centres. A bowl of so-so minced meat noodles with 2 fish balls costs S$3.50 at some hawker centres these days! How do the average Singaporean cope?
I can hardly find a S$2 plate of chicken rice. If I do find one, the plate of rice would only be enough for a small eater like me.
There are pros and cons of cooking meals at home.
One does not save much money or time to cook at home, For the busy Singaporeans, it is more convenient to buy ready cooked food.
Unless one has a huge family, the time spent to prepare a meal is long.... the marketing, cutting, cleaning, marinating of ingredients and cooking time. And with the rising cost of ingredients, it is not economical to cook at home.
I cook at home because I enjoy cooking and trying out new recipes. Plus my son is honing his culinary skills so die die also must cook at home. haha....
Wah! The Moroccan dates are sold so much cheaper at your place of residence! You better stock up for Xmas. :P
wenn,
ReplyDeleteDepends on what dishes you cook and for how many...
oceanskies,
ReplyDeleteBest wishes on your exams!
Hey, next week would be good. Let's try out a Moroccan restaurant I just discover! I haven't tried the food yet. It's been quite some time since we last met.
I'm looking forward to having dinner with you. :)
stanley!
ReplyDeleteAnother date lover! er.... not the pak toh type of dates, right? hehehe.....
I must gather some date lovers to organise a date tasting party. :)
Renny,
ReplyDeleteYou are participating in WW too? Welcome!
Read about our different cultures yah....
Sukhmandir Kaur,
ReplyDeleteYou eat dates daily? Not that easy for me to find good dates plus it is costly for me when taken as a snack. :P
The Sultan Mosque is a majestic building with a history. Many tourists enjoy their visit here.
life ramblings,
ReplyDeleteAgree on the 'hard to find' part. :)
I love it with rendang too! Yummy!
fatherlyours,
ReplyDeleteSo the dates are a rare treat? For me too. There are more varieties to choose from during Hari Raya.
Ayie,
ReplyDeleteYes, so disappointing. No free tasting. :(
So many varieties of dates but cannot taste a tiny piece for free. The stall owner had many requests to try the dates but she just smiled. The minimum purchase of 250g per item is daunting too.
I just bought the minimum amount.
Cashmere,
ReplyDeleteEach bazaar has its own unique stalls and goods. It is very crowded at Geylang Serai Bazaar. Difficult to walk also. In fact it's very near to my house. I go every 2 days. :P
MommaWannabe,
ReplyDeleteYou have to see Kampong Glam in this festive mood. It's different and it's once a year thingy. A different experience.
You are a date lover too. :)
Thanks a lot for your wishes.
ReplyDeleteAfter next week please.....I have not tried Moroccan food yet, and will love to have your company to check it out. We keep in touch, after next week please?
Singapore seems to be very multicultural ! I just wanted to show you the Buddha feast we had here in Belgium if you have time have a look here
ReplyDeletehttp://gattinawritercramps.blogspot.com/2009/09/my-world-buddha-feast-in-huy-belgium.html
Wow, so many types of dates to choose from!
ReplyDeleteHi ecl,
ReplyDeleteThanks for ur detailed response :-)
Well, I'm a regular reader of ur blog but it's very daunting when ur comment colomn is already so full ! It must take up alot of ur precious time ? I do enjoy hearing what others hv to say on each subject.
Thanks for the invite. Will keep it in mind. Recent years we hv opted to see the rest of Europe. Hubby n I cant tahan the heat n crowd in SG, to tell u the truth. Also, he laments abt the high cost which is equivalent to NL, for his gadgets (in Sim Lim).
When the craving for asian food reaches meltdown (haha), we would head out to Amsterdam to pig out n lag back loads of goodies but they r never quite the same as in SG (n cheaper too !)
Wow u lucky lah - got son with culinary skills ! He can take over from u on alternate days at least ! I cant get my lau kong to help with any domestic chores *sigh* It gets boring when I'm eating what I cook day in n day out. We only hv restaurant prices here for eating out, so we do that only occasionally. SG has that blessing that hawkers still exists !
i believe that the stall owner can sell more if she allow food tasting. it won't hurt to give a piece of date for those interested buyers. I can tell it was to hard for you to choose which one to buy =(
ReplyDeleteIs Glam short form for Glamour? Such a wonderful place to go to fill up your tummy! : )
ReplyDelete