What do T-shirts, tiger prawns and toys have in common? Nothing much, except they can all be found at a pasar malam (a Malay term for 'night market'), a bargain-hunter's paradise where you can find practically anything under the sun.
The Malaysian night market is based on a concept of open-air shopping where street vendors 'take over' a designated street to set up shop. The designated street, a normally busy one, is closed to traffic from the early evening to late at night, only to be transformed into a network of brightly-lit stalls for as far as the eye can see.
The cool Malaysian nights, with temperatures between 75-80(F (around 24(C) all year round, are perfect for outdoor shopping. Even the wetter monsoon months of May thru September and November thru February fail to dampen the spirit of the crowds as the vendors are quick to sprout large, colorful umbrellas offering shelter to their customers and their goods.
Perhaps the most famous pasar malam in Malaysia is at Petaling Street in the heart of downtown Kuala Lumpur, the capital city. Popular among bargain-hunting locals, it is also a tourist haven for its varied choice of souvenir T-shirts, imitation watches, electronics, bags, and shoes. It is open every night, and is especially crowded just before the major festive holidays such as Chinese New Year, Hari Raya and Deepavali.
And while you're here, plan to savor the year-round variety of exotic local fruits such as the durian (notorious for its pungent smell which may put some people off, but mostly irresistible to the locals), papaya, pineapple, nangka (jackfruit), rambutan (a sweet fruit with a hairy red or yellow skin), mangosteen, ciku (pronounced 'chi-ku', a small sweet fruit with a pale brown skin), and starfruit, to name a few.
Equally colorful but perhaps less accessible to tourists are the night markets in the suburbs. These markets are held on a rotational basis at different suburbs on different nights of the week. You won't find the touristy items on sale here as these cater mainly to the locals' daily needs - from alarm clocks to zesty lime juice.
Each pasar malam comprises of a different combination of stalls, and new items are constantly being added on in line with current trends and market demand, so there's always something new and exciting to look forward to at each visit. From as early as 4pm, the suburb pasar malam is already abuzz with activity and color, and the traffic is starting to bottleneck around the designated street as vendors park their vans and mini-tricks indiscriminately to unload their wares, and shoppers try to beat each other to any available parking spot in the vicinity.
A two-lane street accommodating three rows of stalls can become a tight squeeze as the crowd thickens, so it's best to go early to beat the crowds and to secure the best and freshest choice of food. With fewer shoppers about, it is easier to make your way around the stalls and to take your time to browse.
By around 6pm, the market is in full swing as the first batches of office workers sweep in. It's now closer to dinner time and people are looking to fill an empty stomach. The weather being less sunny at this hour, it's a more popular time with Malaysians who typically try to beat the heat by staying out of the sun.
There is so much here you'll be spoilt for choice. For the office worker who needs to leave for work early and don't have time for the morning markets, the pasar malam holds the attraction of being a convenient stop on their way home from work where they can pick up their supply of fresh groceries.
For those intent on cooking up a storm in the kitchen, there is stall upon stall selling fresh seafood, poultry and meat products, a limitless variety of vegetables, and other raw ingredients. Dried and preserved items such as dried shrimp and ikan bilis (anchovies), mushrooms, salted eggs and century eggs are easily available here too.
For singles and those too busy or tired to cook after a long day at work, there is a large selection of ready-to-eat food - everything from fried chicken wings to a whole roasted duck to Chinese dumplings. It is possible to have an entire dinner-to-go neatly packaged in a Styrofoam box consisting of rice with an appetizing accompaniment of homemade dishes 'just like Mother used to make back home'.
Thirst-quenchers such as the ever-popular soy bean drink and sugar cane juice are a permanent feature here. For dessert, there is a list as diverse as tofufa (a soft white jelly made from soy bean curd eaten hot with syrup), swiss rolls and cakes, and red bean soup (a thick sweet soup made from boiling red beans).
Then there are the clothes stalls where you can find your weekend casuals such as shorts, T-shirts, pajamas, shoes, even socks at bargain prices. Of late, the selection has become increasingly trendy, offering fashionable wear at below shopping-mall prices.
If you're looking for household items such as kitchen utensils, plastic containers, mattresses, towels, baby cribs, even rocking horses, you can find a good selection here too. There is pet goldfish for your aquarium, and fresh flowers from the Cameron Highlands (located 1,829m above sea-level in the state of Pahang, 295km away from Kuala Lumpur) to spruce up your living room.
If you have friends living in Malaysia, I suggest you ask to be taken to a suburb pasar malam. It's less touristy but there's lots of exotic local delicacies you can sample, and probably even some useful items you won't find back home - all at bargain basement prices.
The pasar malam is, as I said earlier, a bargain-hunter's paradise. This means you do not merely pick up an item and pay for it, you first go through the process of bargaining. Here, the smart shopper doesn't take the price tag at face value but tries to get real value for their money.
Bargaining is a practice in this part of the world where you try to persuade the vendor to part with his ware at a price lower than what he's offering to sell you at. A good starting point would be to offer to pay 40-50% of the price quoted. Most times, the vendor will flatly refuse to accept your price at first, but will likely make you a counter-offer.
This is your cue to raise your price by 10% so that the price you are offering now is 30% of the original price quoted by the vendor. If he refuses, raise it by another 5 to 10%. Keep doing this until you reach the minimum amount you are willing to pay, above which you feel you won't be getting value for your money.
If the vendor refuses to sell at the lowest price you have offered, tell him you're not interested any more and start walking away. If the vendor is keen to close the sale, he will call after you and tell you he's willing to sell. If he lets you go, console yourself that there's probably another stall down the street that will agree to your price.
For someone unaccustomed to bargaining, it may initially seem like a real challenge for something as simple as buying an item you like. But believe me, it does get easier with practice. Some points to consider though:
For the best offer prices, it's a good idea to check out several stalls and do some comparison-shopping before you start bargaining.
Don't start bargaining on something unless you're genuinely interested in buying it. Otherwise, the hassle is not worth your time and effort, and you might very well end up buying something you don't really want.
Remember to keep that smile on as you bargain. Treat it as a game and have fun at it. Don't stress yourself out if you can't secure your best price. Be content that any price you pay will probably be less than what you'll be paying back home anyways.
Some things that you can't bargain on - ready-to-eat food items such as noodles, etc. Once you've mastered this intricate but interesting art form, you'll be walking happily away with the best bargains.
Some useful tips before you step out to the pasar malam:
Although tropical nights are fairly cool, the relative humidity can be quite high. The lights from the stalls also generate quite a bit of heat. So it's a good idea to wear light casuals such as shorts, T-shirts and a good pair of walking shoes.
During the rainy season, carry an umbrella. Malaysia is prone to convectional showers in the late afternoon and early evening. The rain usually comes and goes quickly, but can be pretty heavy.
As most travelers already know, you should always be careful with your travel documents and money especially in crowded places, the pasar malam included. So it's always a good idea to keep your wallets, pouches and other valuables out of reach of pickpockets.
The pasar malam is truly a feast for the eyes and the palate (not to mention what savings your pocket would enjoy!) on a tropical night out. The atmosphere is almost festive, and there's so much to see and buy and eat. So do make a point to check out Malaysia's bustling marketplaces - always different, always exciting - on your next visit.
No comments:
Post a Comment