If you’re a sucker for Night Markets and the rural side-street markets selling the varied food and clothing items, then the JB Night Market is a place you shouldn’t give a miss visiting. Reminiscent of the occasional Pasar Malams that you might run into, the visuals and atmosphere we’ve remade from our trip down is definitely sure to stir a certain kind of night market lust within you, especially if you’re on vacation.
The JB Night Market takes place only on Mondays, opening from 430pm with most stalls calling it a day by 8pm because of sold out goods. The stalls also span from the KSL Shopping Centre to the Grand Paragon Hotel – so be sure to expect a lot of time spent here!
Suffice to say that there is hardly anything you cannot find here, the JB Night Market boasts tastes and food items we all love and know from our hometown Singapore – maybe even better. Street stalls selling roast and barbequed meat, fruits and appetising buns and dumplings will, without a doubt, remind you flavours of a home away from home – only more aromatic and bustling.
Here begin a few of our SHOUT favourites that deserve a cameo in our breakdown for you – that will hopefully reinforce the Asian tastes you know and are extremely familiar with.
1. Muah Chee (RM 3, RM 4, RM 5)
A traditional Chinese dish or dessert consisting of glutinous rice flour coated in a mixture of sugar and finely chopped peanuts, the experience is much more than the flavourful taste that bursts from the chewy and sticky cum sweet combination the dish entails – the whole act of the hawker preparing the items in front of you in a communal setting takes enjoying this treat to a whole new level.
2. Chwee Kueh (7 pieces for RM 4)
Yet another local and well-liked dish amongst Asians, Chwee Kweh is a mushy-textured rice cake that is topped off with salted turnip – tastes and touch very akin and in touch with a region and its people. Fragrant, crunchy and sinfully oily but tasty, this dish is a must-go-for, for its flavour and its presentation.
3. Ma Lai Gao or Malay Steamed Cake (1 piece for RM2, 3 pieces for RM5)
A traditional Cantonese steamed brown sugar sponge cake, this dish borders more on the sweet rather than savoury side. Spongy, sugary (depending on your preference for the sweets), the Ma Lai Gao is definitely a good choice to make when trying to employ a “finish” to your oily indulgence with the past two posts.
4. Carrot Cake (RM4, RM5)
More typically known as Fried Carrot Cake – this dish is mainly a serving of stir-fried radish cake. You can typically have a choice between two permutations of it – black or white, however the carrot served here comes with dark soy sauce that adds that extra tang.
5. Aiyu Jelly
You can find the Aiyu Jelly midway throughout the Night Market – no better apt place to find such gems for they are refreshing, both in appearance and taste. Purchasing one is compulsory for the indulgences you would definitely have committed walking through the Night Market.
Considerably more known as Ice Jelly, the smooth and saccharine taste of the Aiyu Jelly is ultimately thirst-quenching (it is suspect that one serving might not be enough).
6. Flavoured Steamed Buns (1 piece for RM1.70, 3 pieces for RM 5)
Jagong, Pandan Kaya, Red Bean, Yam, Pumpkin
These flavoured steam buns are just what their name suggests – with the various flavours listed above for you to try from. If the conventional bao with filling isn’t your cup of tea, maybe these flavoured ones with a range of interesting flavours, especially the pumpkin, is sure to do the trick.
7. Smelly Tofu (1 packet RM 5)
The traditional method of producing this dish is to prepare a brine made from fermented milk which includes vegetables; the brine can also possibly include dried shrimp, amaranth greens, mustard greens, bamboo shoots, and Chinese herbs. More of a dish that requires an acquired taste, or if you enjoy strong tastes of soy, this dish is nonetheless a favourite and is worth a shot. This mobile “stall” is located at the end of the night market just outside of Grand Paragon Hotel.
8. Tau Huay or Beancurd (1 small cup/packet – RM1.50, 1 big cup/packet – RM2)
Consisting of beancurd jelly with surrounding sugar syrup, Tau Hui is the ultimate thirst-quencher and reigning Dessert go-to in Singapore. Soft, melt-in-your-mouth, slushy and many levels of sugary, this dessert is perfect for a hot day out.
9. Thunder Tea Rice
Many herbs are used in the making of this dish, owing to its high therapeutic and curative value, without compromising its taste. As if a testament to its traits, the stall at the JB Night Market closes early because its Thunder Tea Rice sells out extremely quickly and on top of its popularity garners long queues.
Time:
4.30pm – 10.00pm
Address:
Located just outside of Coffee Bean, KSL Shopping Centre
33, Jalan Seladang, Taman Abad, 80250 Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
in Johor Bahru
