BY CK LAM

The celebration of the holy Ramadan festival brings along a unique experience that can be enjoy by all Malaysian, the food bazaar. During this festive season one can get to sample a variety of authentic and delicious Malay cuisine which is freshly prepare for the Muslim to break their fast.

One such food bazaar in Penang is at Jalan Makloom, parallel road to Jalan Sungai Pinang. The place is jam packed with 50 over hawker stalls and stretches all the way to Jalan Perak.

From the wide spread of food and delicacies, not to be miss by visitors are the Malay traditional kuih, lemang, barbeque chicken, nasi lemak, laksa beras (Kedah/Perlis), rendang, satay, cucuk udang and nasi ulam. Other Malay newly cross culture food is also fast gaining popularity such as the beef and chicken pita, burger, apong balik (Chinese known as ban chang kuih) and chicken rice.

The owner of Melati Kebab Pita serves pita with beef stuffing and chicken stuffing. The owner fry the minced meat in a flat pan till it is flavorful. Onions, chopped tomatoes and strips of cucumber are added on for texture and flavor. One can smell the delicious aroma of the meat wafting all over the place. The stuffing is drizzled with chilli and tomato sauce, and mixed together before being stuffed into the pocket of the pita bread. It tastes simply delicious!

You will be delighted to find other favourites such as nasi briyani, popiah and murtabak. For drinks there are the popular ros syrup, ice jagung, ice cincau, mata kucing, sugar cane and the refreshing soy bean.

Stalls that constantly attract crowds are the kuih and pita kebab stall. There is a wide selection of desserts with jellies, savory kuih and the rich creamy kuih made from coconut and palm sugar which is popular with all ages. Delicious onde-onde (mini green balls filled with the syrup of palm sugar) is not to be left out!

Other favourite that is cooked on the spot is the BBQ chicken wings and a handful of grilled items. The well marinated chicken wings are beautifully grilled with a hint of charcoal aroma. The chicken marinating sauce seeps deep into the meat, making every bite satisfying with the infused flavors.

It is interesting seeing the crispy deep-fried mushrooms at the bazaar. It is so easy to pop the mushrooms into the mouth. The other crispy pieces of keropok lekor made of fish paste are best eaten with its chilli sauce. These two deep-fried items are great snacks to nibble on, which leave you wanting more.

Cahaya Mutiara Nasi ayam, Hardi Madu Nasi goreng ayam and the pungent and flavourful Nasi ulam are popular rice dishes. Nasi ulam is served together with onions, fried ikan bilis, salted egg and fresh local greens and herbs. Nasi ayam comes with a salad of cucumber, tomatoes and lettuce.

With so many satisfying treats, it is hard not to stop by this place for food to break the fast. The place gets crowded from four in the evening.

Written by CK Lam, food blogger and editor of http://www.what2seeonline.com ; featuring the Best of Penang Food. She constantly combs Penang for the best gastronomical delights and loves promoting Penang Cuisines, Culture and Heritage.