Pikachu mascot entertaining the crowd exploring food options.
TO stay ahead and attract visitors, Ramadan bazaar traders in Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI), Kuala Lumpur, have put a unique spin on traditional offerings.
For instance, Subaidah Shul Hamid and her son Mohd Firas Rokhaizan have added instant noodles to the traditional murtabak, which is a pan-fried flatbread typically stuffed with chicken or beef.
“My son loves eating instant noodles, so he wanted to do this version of ‘murtabak’.
(Above) Raihan introducing his Thai salad rolls to bazaar visitors.
“The ingredients are more or less the same but we do not add onions unless customers request it,” said Subaidah.
At the Sue Murtabak Maggi stall, Mohd Firas is seen tirelessly cooking to meet the demands of a long queue of customers.
This dish does not come with the flatbread.
Instead, it is made with pre-cooked instant noodles and a rich egg gravy comprising 33 local spices, placed in a specially made square mould on the griddle.
Mohd Firas making the instant noodle ‘murtabak’ he has concocted especially for the Ramadan bazaar in Taman Tun Dr Ismail.
“I started making this ‘murtabak’ with instant noodles this year and customers love it,” said 18-year-old Mohd Firas.
“They can choose to have beef or chicken as a filling,” he added.
“We only make it during Ramadan,” said Subaidah, who runs another stall nearby selling traditional murtabak.
Meanwhile, first-time TTDI Ramadan Bazaar trader Raihan Mohd Yusoff, 24, has been promoting his handmade Thai salad rolls to visitors.
Using rice paper, he offers various fillings including boiled prawn, roasted beef, chicken with mushroom, crabstick, and pan-fried salmon.
“My mother is from Songkhla, Thailand, and she made these salad rolls for me to sell at the bazaar.
“It’s something she grew up eating,” he said.
Raihan said his parents were also selling Thai salad rolls at Ramadan bazaars in Kuala Lumpur’s Taman Tasik Permaisuri and in Pandan Indah, Selangor.
The TTDI Ramadan Bazaar along Jalan Tun Mohd Fuad 2 comes alive as early as 3pm, buzzing with customers exploring an array of offerings beyond traditional fare.
There are of course classic delights such as nasi briyani, tepung pelita and nasi lemak.
Alongside them are international options like gourmet burgers and Wagyu fried rice, as well as other novelties like steamed buns in peculiar shapes.
Long queues can be seen forming at popular stalls as bazaar-goers wait patiently for their favourite foods.
One such stall, Pit Boy BBQ, draws a steady crowd eager to have mac and cheese mixed in a cheese wheel besides smoked lamb ribs and beef brisket.
Meanwhile, dancing through the crowd to delight children is a performer dressed as Pikachu from the popular Japanese franchise Pokemon.
Another performer, clad in rocker-style attire, plays energetic tunes at the bazaar entrance.
