Pasar Malam

Pasar Malam or Night Market is a "supermarket" along the road, in a field, usually at night, open once a week (however there are pasar malam that stay at a location for a longer period before moving), to provide for a community requirements especially in the rural areas.

Various Items are sold in individual open air "stores", from cloths to toys to food stuffs to VCD as well as the usual street food, (that is what i am interested in). The Street food can be surprisingly different and good at time. In general it is tasty, but "rough", the true essence of Street food. For this night dinner I (Takeaway) had Sushi, Satay, Koey Teow Thng and Deep Fried Yam Dumplings.

Pasar Malam has also become a Tourist site, especially for Pasar Malam near Hotels, where tourist can experience the "Local" life. However I must say that most Pasar Malam near Hotel looses it character as it turn into a large souvenir shop selling items from China, Indonesia,

Thailand and other countries and at higher price. So for Real Local Life, search for a rural street market.

Each Pasar Malam, has it unique character, base upon it's individual location, The photo's taken here are from a Pasar Malam at Val d'Or / Valdor a Chinese New Village (Resited) at Seberang Prai Selatan, Penang Mainland (South). Open only on Thursday, this Pasar Malam is very Chinese base, as with it's clients 90% Chinese, Here you will find Chinese base street food, the usual as well as the more "special" dish.

You may notice I give 2 spelling for the Village, This is because in International Maps it is given as Val d'Or, (French for Valley of Gold) while the road sign give it Valdor. Well I definitely prefer the first version.

This new village is well laid out in a grid patten, though with narrow lanes, It has it's own volunteer fire station, market, Chinese school, chicken farm, shop, coffee shops, temple .... (More on that in a later Post.)

Back to the Pasar Malam, Location: From the Main Trunk Road, Butterworth to Ipoh, turn left after you come towards a flyover at the Valdor Sign board, (Intersection with traffic light) and turn left at the first T Junction. First street on the left.

Open, Thuesday from 7pm onwards.