Putrajaya Ramadan Bazaar 2024
Ramadan is here, and bazaars are cropping up in our neighbourhoods to bring us special delicacies that are obtainable only during this holy month for Muslims. A popular one among locals and residents living beyond its vicinity is Putrajaya Ramadan Bazaar.
This bazaar is the bell of the ball in Sepang, featuring over 150 vendors serving up a myriad of food options – XXXL prawns, Nasi Arab, and rojak cucur udang included. To help you navigate the bazaar, we visited it to round up some of its must-try foods.
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What you should know before visiting Putrajaya Ramadan Bazaar
Far gone are the days when we had to ensure our wallets are fat with cash before leaving home for a bazaar. Almost all of the stalls at Putrajaya Ramadan Bazaar accept e-Wallet and QR code payments, in addition to cash – so be sure to bring along a fully charged phone with you.
As for getting to the bazaar, taking public transport is not recommended as the nearest MRT station, Putrajaya Sentral, is about a 40-minute walk away. But there are several parking lots just a short walking distance from the bazaar, which is placed right next to the Masjid Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin.
You can plan to drop by when the bazaar opens at 3pm, with most of the canopied stalls ready to serve patrons. It gets most crowded around 5pm close to the time to berbuka puasa, with the crowds and food selections fizzling out soon after.
We also recommend bringing along an umbrella – it’ll come in handy to shield from the glare of the sun or the sudden rainfall.
What to eat at Putrajaya Ramadan Bazaar
Like at most Ramadan bazaars in Malaysia, you’ll find a good mix of food and drink vendors at the Putrajaya bazaar. There are over 150 vendors here, but a couple of them serve the same food – martabak, nasi kerabu, roti john, kuih-muih, watermelon juice, and more.
But the repeat options mean you can always come back to the bazaar and enjoy the same dish, made with a slightly different recipe, from another stall.
If you get overwhelmed, here are some stalls that you should look out for:
Lubuk Popia
Containers of these snacks are almost never filled to the brim – that’s how popular they are.
Popiah is a snack that we can enjoy all year round. But the popiah from Lubuk Popia is worth checking out. They have 6 filling options, including unique ones like Crab Rangoon, Carbonara, and Otak-Otak alongside the classic basah, goreng and sira options.
If you like the pairing of cream cheese and crab, the Crab Rangoon is for you – the savoury cream filling was a nice surprise when we sunk our teeth into the crispy exterior. The Popia Sira was also a standout, with just the right amount of kick to give each bite a burst of flavour.
You can get a box of 4 popiah rolls for RM6, with the Otak-Otak priced RM1/pc.
Satar Ikan Terengganu
For well-loved Terengganu snacks, make a beeline for Satar Ikan Terengganu. The stall sells two local specialities that even us Klang Valley folks have heard about and crave – Satar Ikan (RM3.50/stick) and Pulut Panggang Ikan. They also have a pile of Otak-Otak (RM1/pc) hailing from Batu Pahat.
Mee Tonggek Sotong Power
Image adapted from: Janet, @muuubin via Instagram
One stall that has locals swarming to the Putrajaya bazaar is Mee Tonggek Sotong Power. Established back in 2008, the stall is considered a highlight here. They serve a variety of mee tonggek (RM5) to pair with the star of their menu – XXXL sotong and squid, priced RM26 per giant piece.
The stall consistently sees snaking queues, with crowds gathering as early as their opening. But the orders get taken pretty quickly, so don’t fret if you see three simultaneous long lines trailing from the food counter.
Cucur Udang Alor Gajah
Cucur udang are typically palm-sized fritters that bring together prawns, onions, and chives to form a deep-fried mound. But there’s a deconstructed rojak version of cucur udang (RM10) at Cucur Udang Alor Gajah that comprises ingredients such as tofu chunks, shell-on prawns, fish cake slices, and potato cubes doused with kuah kacang.
The combination of textures from the rojak cucur udang was a standout – the portions are generous too, with a good amount of each ingredient to form consistently balanced bites.
Cik Myra Mango Float
Putrajaya bazaar has a good collection of drink vendors serving up everything from soya bean to watermelon juice. But the mango floats from Cik Myra have been floating around on social media. Their containers of bright-yellow mango juice topped with melting ice cream that looks like butter have been turning heads online and IRL.
We decided to give the drink a try, forking out RM10 for an XL-sized cup. While slightly pricey, the drink had a thick consistency and came with huge chunks of mango at the bottom of the cup. When we visited the bazaar, they also offered a deal of RM12 if you get two cups.
Seikatsu Takoyaki
Beyond the local food that we love, you’ll also find a good selection of Japanese food here. We stumbled upon Seikatsu Takoyaki, a humble stall churning out freshly made takoyaki. While this is a snack you can enjoy beyond Ramadan, the takoyaki at this stall had a nice barbecued taste – they don’t hold back on the bonito flakes either.
They have takoyaki with chunks of octopus, chicken, prawn, and crab. A box of 4 is priced RM5 – else, you can spend RM10 to get a mix of 10 different fillings and extra bonito flakes.
Ayam Champion
The fried chicken wings at Ramadan bazaars often steal the show. At the Putrajaya bazaar, there’s Ayam Champion, which has been roasting chicken since 2011. Their speciality: they marinate whole chickens for 5-6 hours before they’re put in a huge pot resembling an oversized planter to be baked for 45 minutes.
You can get a half (RM13) or whole (RM23) chicken.
Nasi Ganja Pegheleh
Nasi Ganja Pegheleh is another crowd-favourite at the Putrajaya bazaar, with long lines for their nasi ganja. You can pair fluffy rice with the various sides, curry, and the star of the show – a lamb shank or fried chicken – for the price of RM40.
Chef Ammar Nasi Arab
Image adapted from: @thisismrbuck via Instagram, @azwan_ via X
The Ramadan-favourite Chef Ammar Nasi Arab has once again set up a stall at this year’s Putrajaya bazaar, serving up their popular Arabic Lamb Shank Rice that needs little to no introduction. The dish comprises Nasi Mandi with slow-braised lamb shank and a saffron egg, which has been widely praised for its fragrant rice and tender lamb.
Putu Piring Warisan Melaka
Don’t be surprised to find a queue at Putu Piring Warisan Melaka. The enticing smell of putu piring that wafts from their store is thanks to the owner, who cooks the little round-shaped steamed rice flour kuih enticingly in plain sight. These kuih are served steaming-hot right off the stove, and are best enjoyed while the palm sugar filling is still warm.
Feast on a variety of Ramadan delicacies at Putrajaya Bazaar
There are a whole bunch of bazaars around Malaysia, each with their own unique collection of food offerings. At the Putrajaya Ramadan Bazaar, you’ll find at least 100 vendors, each churning out delicacies for those who berbuka puasa after a day of fasting – and the others looking to join their Muslim friends and delight in the foods that can only be found this time of the year.
You might also enjoy discovering Sai Food Stall, which serves RM10 banana leaf rice, and Yakiniku Kuro, which offers Muslim-friendly solo yakiniku dining experience.
Cover image adapted from: TheSmartLocal Malaysia