This will be my last article about Ramadan bazaars around Singapore. Previously, I have written posts on the Muscat Street Bazaar, Geylang Bazaar and Raja Kuih Hari Raya Cookies Bazaar. This will be the final one and it's about the Ramadan Bazaar located at Woodlands right in front of Woodlands MRT Station and beside Causeway Point. This is one of the largest Ramadan bazaars to be found in Singapore alongside the Geylang/Paya Lebar Bazaar. Just like other bazaars, there is a wide range of street food, clothes and all kinds of stuff to be found here.
Just like the one at Paya Lebar, the bazaar is located at an open field and it's a giant tent with wooden platforms and floorings covering the grass at the field. There is a small staircase at one side of the bazaar for visitors to easily enter and once you're inside, a huge array of stalls can be found at almost every corner of the tent. Of course, signature stalls like Ramly Burger stalls and Dendeng stalls are found here at the Woodlands Bazaar. You can never go hungry if you're here shopping for street food.
Like the bazaar at Geylang, there are several stalls selling Dendeng. If you don't know what's that, they are slices of chicken and beef that's been marinated and grilled with different kinds of spices. I bought a few pieces from this particular stall and they looked like they've been grilled a long time ago. Just like the one I bought at the Geylang/Paya Lebar bazaar, it's delicious, moist and has that kick when I took a bite of the Dendeng.
This was an interesting discovery at the Woodlands Bazaar. During Hari Raya visits, children and teenagers will get money in green packets that will be given by adults. However, green packets seem to be out of date nowadays. Now, they're made with different kinds of designs and colours. Some designs that caught my eyes were the ones that imitate Singapore's old banknotes. If you look closely, they really resemble the banknotes that were used in the olden days but these have been printed with the word 'Specimen' and Hari Raya greetings. With these messages printed on these packets, it's impossible to call them counterfeits. These designs are so much better than traditional green packets. Other unique and eye-catching designs were also available.
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| Chicken Ham and Cheese Takoyaki |
Anyway, the balls were delicious. I could taste the meat that's inside the balls but I can't really taste the cheese. The sauces that were drizzled all over the balls made it more salty and sometimes, the saltiness can be too much. The fish flakes can't really be tasted due to the overpowering flavours of the soy sauce and mayonnaise. If you're a big fan of Japanese street food, I don't see why you should not get this. Like I said, it's cheap and easy to eat but you should stay away from this if you're that sort of person that wants to cut down on salt intake.
I also came across another stall selling dishes that are a little bit different than the usual 'Nasi Padang' fare that's sold at various Malay coffeeshops around Singapore. I don't really know what they sell here so I can't tell you what is delicious and what's not but if you want to try this unique Indonesian fare, you can visit the Rumah Makan Minang restaurant at Kandahar Street. The restaurant is also adjacent to the famous Sultan Mosque.
Of course, what would a Ramadan Bazaar be without Hari Raya cookies. There are plenty of Hari Raya cookies available for sale here at the Woodlands Ramadan Bazaar. They are ready to be picked up, served and consumed. Just like the ones at the Raja Kuih Hari Raya Cookies Bazaar that I talked about a few days ago, some cookies sold here are factory-made and branded so it's slightly cheaper than homemade ones. Homemade ones were available at other stalls within the bazaar.
If you're reading this right now, chances are the Woodlands Bazaar is already over but it's okay because there's still next year to experience all these again. Just like the other Ramadan bazaars at various parts of Singapore, there were large selections of street food, clothes, cookies and so much more. This will be the last article about Ramadan bazaars so if you want to check out more write ups about these bazaars, you can find it at the sidebar in the Archives section. I'll be taking a short break and not write until next week as I'll be preparing for the next episode of Frenzeelo TV so do look out for that.