Ramadan Bazaar of Miri

This post is dedicated to my son who misses going shopping with me in Miri and elsewhere. He misses the Ramadan bazaar too where we used to enjoy myriads of goodies in the past. It is always such a heart warming excursion for mother and children to mingle around with different races - different sounds- different smells. Children can learn so many good values and acquire so much knowledge in the market place!! Good ethical business procedures build happy communities!!
A bazaar (Persian: بازار, Turkish: pazar, Hindi: बाज़ार, Greek: παζάρι (pazari), Cypriot Greek: pantopoula^[1]) is a permanent merchandising area, marketplace, or street of shops where goods and services are exchanged or sold. The word derives from the Persian word bāzār, the etymology of which goes back to the Middle Persian word baha-char (بهاچار), meaning "the place of prices".^[2] Although the current meaning of the word is believed to have originated in Persia, its use has spread and now has been accepted into the vernacular in countries around the world.^[3] In North America, the term can be used as a synonym for a "rummage sale", to describe charity fundraising events held by churches or other community organizations, in which donated, used goods, such as books, clothes, and household items are sold for low prices, or else the goods may be new and handcrafted (or home-baked), as at a church's Christmas bazaar. The bazaar has been the subject of many books, including: The Persian Bazaar: Veiled Space of Desire (Mage Publications) by Mehdi Khansari and The Morphology of the Persian Bazaar (Agah Publications) by Azita Rajabi. (Source : Wikipedia)

Remarkably this year at the Miri Ramadan Bazaar I discover a large number of international dishes. The different Muslim communities of Miri have portrayed themselves well and are indeed united in making the bazaar a success. People of different faiths and walks of life come together each evening for the whole month to experience a new culture (if it is so) or to enjoy a culture that is part and parcel of Miri cosmopolitan lifestyle !

Nasi Bryani Gam from the Indian Muslim Community - flavourful and rich! If you do not like too much curry do not add the curry condiment to the rice. You are also given a container of pickles to go with this excellent one meal dish. At RM6.00 you get one piece of chicken (not as shown in the photo) and one egg with one portion of rice. Basmatic is a special rice which costs slightly more than fragrant Thai rice in selected shops in Brunei. Now I understand it is still not available in Miri or Sibu. Indian restaurants also get their basmati rice by special order.


Lamb shanks....oozing with protein and fat...but very tasty.


Charcoal tandoori lamb shank....something to die for according to a friend. (RM28)


Indian Rojak from Singapore!! Oo la la!! You should buy three of this...not just one.



Ever since my stay in West Malaysia this is one NASI I get really hungry for......shoot me if I ask for a second helping....


West Malaysian chili stuffed with coconut and spices....goes well with Nasi Kerabu or Blue Rice . The blue colour comes from a natural dye of the Bunga Telang or Sweet Pea. Ask me for a small seedling.

Wow...excellently fried ikan kembong which is very sweet and this goes well with Nasi Kerabu too...



Tapeh/tapei is a Sarawak two day old fermented glutinous rice made with yeast. Very nice dessert or sweet. Apong leaves are used to wrap the rice.

Sarawak's own cerolot...nice rice cake sweetened with gula apong or nipah palm sugar.Really organic.



A boat of goodness....


This is another new dish....Arab bread....what is it? Try one at the Bazaar...RM2.00

Kelupis ready for steaming...another Sarawak favourite of mine.

Western influence...which is very attractive to young teenagers and kids!!

The bazaar lives up to its name - different dishes from different nationalities...what is missing is perhaps Nasi Katok of our neighbouring country of Brunei.

But on the whole it is a bazaar worth going to if you have plenty of time to lepak or loaf around. It is also a good place where you can pick and choose a good evening meal fit for a king or queen if you are in a hurry.....

Have a fun time with your family I must say!! After all it is once a year!

Selamat Hari Raya to all my Muslim friends....Have a safe and holy festival of Eid. Peace. Salam. Ping Ang. Shalom.