SE Asian wet (food) markets

[ecr]

We're planning a bit of food market-focused travel in SE Asia and I'm seeking nominations for 'best' food markets in the region. 'Best' is defined however you like (size, items on offer, vendors, setting, etc.). If you're a lover of food markets you'll have no problem understanding what we're after.

If you have a look at the 'food markets' category on my blog you can get an idea of what we're looking for.

We pretty much have Malaysia, Thailand, and s. Vietnam covered - esp looking for input on the Philippines, Indonesia (other than Bali), Lao, Myanmar, Cambodia. Oh, and Singapore.

Our itinerary is completely open at this point ... we'll go most anywhere.

Thanks for any ideas!

[PCL]

not sure if wet markets still exist in singapore i mean, like, they're so obsessed with sanitation...

[Julian Teoh]

Useful link here.

I have been to the markets in Holland Village and Chinatown - OK but probably not very exciting after you've been to Thailand and Malaysia.

As you would have noticed, the wet markets tend to congregate in the "heartland" areas such as Toa Payoh and Geylang. Here, the obsession with space economy and the consequent need for high-rises isn't so obvious. Off-topic, but I remember hopping on the MRT to Geylang for some wonderful frog porridge and thinking that this wasn't so unlike a small town in Malaysia.

http://www.entersingapore.info/country/Sho....htm#Wetmarkets

[ecr]

Yeah, I have my doubts about Singapore -- but it *is* in SE Asia, so thought we'd give it a try.

Gosh, I would have thought if there were any folks out there who would pay attention to these sorts of things (wet markets) it would be egulleters. Am I the only traveller who eschews museums and tourist sites in favor of wet markets?

C'mon folks, you got nothin' for me?

[Julian Teoh]

Yeah, I have my doubts about Singapore -- but it *is* in SE Asia, so thought we'd give it a try.

Gosh, I would have thought if there were any folks out there who would pay attention to these sorts of things (wet markets) it would be egulleters. Am I the only traveller who eschews museums and tourist sites in favor of wet markets?

C'mon folks, you got nothin' for me? 

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If you're still looking for a place to visit in Malaysia, you can try the Ipoh Central Market on Jalan Cockman, Ipoh in Perak State. I haven't been there for a while, but they used to sell lizards and "other things" for eating, as well as the regular chickens, vegies, pork, dogs etc. Nice, rustic, dirty, wet, earthy, fantastic!

It was also next door to the wet market located in Super Kinta, where you had live fish swimming in washing tubs. Order a decent sized fish and watch the fishmonger grab the threshing fish by the tail and slam its head against the ground. Beats iki-jime anytime.

[Austin]

Oh, I've got something...!

Are you sure you have Thailand covered? How about letting us know where you're thinking of going; I'll bet I can recommend some places you're not aware of.

And you said you're covered on Bali--I'm assuming this means you plan to visit the night market at Gianyar?

In Laos, you must visit the Luang Prabang morning market. If you go there you probably will: it's become quite popular among the old-Americans-in-white-shoes-with-videocameras crowd but it's still the same old wonderful market, with illegal jungle game and amazing local produce. The evening market in the same area is also fun, with more of an emphasis on prepared foods. Whenever we go to LP, we bring or by some plates and eat this food at our guesthouse; it's better than that of any of the tourist places.

In Myanmar, the morning market in Kengtung (also known as Kyaing Tong or Chiang Tung) is really fun and unusual, but not sure if you'll make it up to that corner of the country. The rotating market at Inle Lake is touristy, but interesting as well. I remember coming across a really fun morning market in an obscure corner of Yangon--sorrry I can't provide any details.

I'll let you know if I can think of any more...

Austin

[FoodZealot]

I went to every local market I could find on my recent trip, but they were all in areas that you seem to be familar with. There's some overlap here, but some that stick out in my mind are:

Penang - there's a morning street market in the Chinese neighborhood, and another market a few blocks away with live birds and such. Not so obscure or exotic of wares, but a great sense of place and how the locals shop for everything from brassieres to pork belly to desserts.

Hoi An - The Central Market right off the river is probably my favorite market on my whole trip. It's really big for such a small town, and full of very local ingredients. It's covered, but exceedingly picturesque.

Hue - Dong Ba market, especially the produce area, seems like it's been unchanged for many decades.

KL - Pasar Chow Kit for it's Malay/Indonesian ingredients. There may be more extensive markets, but the narrow aisles and setup of the vendors sitting/kneeling on their display tables was memorable.

Some quick notes on various markets: the downtown market in Siem Reap was pretty ordinary (I wanted to go to the one closer to the bus station, but didn't have time), the main market in Penom Penh had an interesting circular configuration, but was pretty light on produce and food in general, and the Hang Da market in Hanoi was tiny and had a small selection, but could have been in an Indiana Jones movie - with its rickety looking second level, and shafts of light shining down through the cooking and tobacco smoke. Cho Dan in Nha Trang is great to walk in, but the emphasis is more on housewares and souvenirs, rather than produce.

Good luck!

~Tad

[ecr]

Tad - thank you! Just the kind of info I'm looking for. Have heard about Hue. Know Chow Kit well, I love it. Phnom Penh we checked out a couple yrs ago but I wondered if it had gotten any better, food and produce-wise ... guess not.

Austin - markets will absolutely determine our destinations. And we'll be doing it in 3 or 4 trips rather than one so different countries not a prob. If we hear of a good one, we'll go there, so recommend away.

Bali - yes we've got Gianyar, Denpasar, Amlapura on the list. Luang Prabang have not been for 12 years ... not much of a market then and we'll look forward to going back.

Apparently this board needs a little Philippines coverage! Have been perusing the archives of this excellent food blog to get ideas for that country.

[orangeblossom]

ecr

I just saw ths thread and thought i'd chip in my two cents worth. Yes, S'pore still has its wet markets, albeit slightly more "sanitized" than its regional counterparts

Someone mentioned earlier that wet markets tend to be located in the surburban heartlands. This is true as most typical Singaporeans stay in HDB estates in the surburbs. While there has been an attempt at the gentrification of the city in the last 2-3 years, supermarkets are still more popular with young couples living in the city. Nevertheless, hearteningly, there has been a growing trend for supermarkets to incorporate some elements of the wet market, such as bins of live seafood and fresh produce (as opposed to the cling-wrapped styrofoam packs).

The two most widely acclaimed wet markets in S'p has to be Tekka market and Chinatown market. They have the best range of meat, seafood, herbs, spices, vegetables and fruits etc at reasonable prices. Also, because Tekka market is very close to little India, there is also a good range of Indian-related food products and spices.

There used to be also the Geylang Serai market, but that was recently torn down. It is being rebuilt and a temporary market housing most of the original stall-holders is located nearby. It is still wortha look for the myriad of Malay spices and foodstuff.

If you are going to Tekka market, it's worth taking a slight detour to Mustaffa Shopping Centre in Little India. It has a fantastic supermarket/foodhall, where you will find one of the best/freshest spice selection (this is due to a very high turnover vol), and a mind-boggling array of Indian (frozen) food items (ready-to-eat-meals, rotis, dairy products and so on. It's open 24hours, and I go occasionally for late-night food shopping sprees!

Btw, i'm off to ho chi minh tomorrow, for a week, and am looking forward to eating at all the fantastic places you, shiewie and pieman mentioned in the HCMC thread. thanks for the heads up. Yummmmm

[prasantrin]

If you are going to Tekka market, it's worth taking a slight detour to Mustaffa Shopping Centre in Little India. It has a fantastic supermarket/foodhall, where you will find one of the best/freshest spice selection (this is due to a very high turnover vol), and a mind-boggling array of Indian (frozen) food items (ready-to-eat-meals, rotis, dairy products and so on. It's open 24hours, and I go occasionally for late-night food shopping sprees! 

Mustaffa is one of my favourite places in Singapore, and it's the only shopping place I always visit. Do be careful about buying certain dry goods there--rice, possibly other grains, as well. I was once trying to choose some basmati rice, only to notice all the black bugs crawling through almost every single container of the stuff. If the rice is infected, chances are the flours and such are, as well.

[AlexBernardo]

The Philippines has some of the most amazing and most numerous food markets. They dot the islands. Practically every city and village has a wet market as it's a community's lifeblood. The largest is in Manila, the Divisoria market. The second largest is in Cebu, Carbon market, and third largest is in Davao City, the Bangkerohan market. These three largest markets also act as drop-off points and suppliers for smaller market in cities within their regions. For example, General Santos, a port city in the Mindanao islands is one of the major fishing ports in Asia and the world, a key supplier of giant tuna to Japan. It has its own market, of course, but much of its catch is also trucked to Davao City.

There are hundreds of major food markets all over the Philippines, and probably thousands altogether. If you're in Manila, I suggest visiting the Arrangue Market in Binondo and the San Andres Market, where you'll find some of the widest variety of exotic fruits. Up north in the highlands of Luzon is the Baguio City Market and La Trinidad, major suppliers of produce to the whole country.

Check out Market Manila for more info as he's the expert.

Just a few tips. You'll taste some of the best local food in and around the Philippine food markets. Go for the rice cakes, pork and chicken barbecues, and lechon (roast pig). Always haggle, the locals would respect you more. And hang on to your wallet and wristwatch!

[ecr]

Orangeblossom, prasantrin, thank you. Got a Sing jaunt coming up soon so yr comments are just in time.

BIG thanks to Alex - Philippines is a piece of the puzzle we'd been missing. Excellent info. BTW - have you heard of any floating or once-a-week markets in the Phil?

[Austin]

You said that you have Thailand sussed out, but I wanted to mention the city of Trang, in southern Thailand. It has one of the most colorful outdoor morning markets featuring all kinds of great regional produce and seafood, as well as arguably the best night market in the country, featuring amazing southern Thai dishes of every kind. Trang is also known for its old-world coffee shops and its dim sum shops, as well as lots of Thai-Muslim food. I think it could be considered the best food city in Thailand.

Austin

[AlexBernardo]

BTW - have you heard of any floating or once-a-week markets in the Phil?

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Great question. Unfortunately, I don't know, but I'd guess there could be floating markets in some places. There was a time when Metro Manila was teeming with them. Boatmen in rafts and bancas (wood canoes) plied the Pasig River and its tributaries to sell produce, seafood, farm products to well-to-do residents, but this was a long time ago and I don't know when it ceased. However, I can imagine that out in the provinces they might still be around as this is an efficient and convenient way to sell food in a country composed of islands and filled with waterways.

I've only read that in Tawi-Tawi, a group of tiny islands in the remotest southern end of the Philippines, floating markets are the means to supply and connect those islands.

Perhaps, others could chime in.

[hsimay]

For Singapore Markets

Not exactly attractive in terms of the Tourist factor, but a good market for me is one where I can get my good variety of local produce/ingredients without having to visit various places.

1. Zhujiao Centre (Tekka Market) ,Buffalo Road, little india precinct

2. Suburbs - Ghim Moh Market, Ghim Moh road, west side of singapore

3. Suburbs - Toa Payoh Market, Toa Payoh Lorong 1 Blk 127, north side of singapore

[LT Wong]

I'd recommend Tekka market in Little India - it is a good source for most ingredients.

The other suggestions that others have offered - Geyland Serai and Chinatown - are or will be under development for the next couple of years. I know there is a temporary market for the Geylang Serai hawkers, and the Chinatown market in its present location along Smith Street will be closed at the end of June. The stall holders will relocate temporarily to Outram Road which is about 10-15 minutes walk.

Geylang Serai is where one will go for Malay ingredients.

[His Nibs]

Actually for singapore, you can find wet markets in almost all the HDB estates. The big ones are of course those at chinatown, tekka as well as geyland serai. But if you are just visiting and not purchasing, I would suggest going to the one closest to your hotel if you are pressed for time. Oh.. don't forget to partake in the local offerings in the always ajoining hawker centre. If you are going to chinatown, I would suggest the Hill Street Char Kway Teow and the Nasi Briyani at Tekka (go for the one with the longest line).

[bvmisa]

Orangeblossom, prasantrin, thank you. Got a Sing jaunt coming up soon so yr comments are just in time.

BIG thanks to Alex - Philippines is a piece of the puzzle we'd been missing. Excellent info. BTW - have you heard of any floating or once-a-week markets in the Phil?

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Did you mean non-static markets, like farmers' markets? There are a whole bunch around Metro Manila, particularly one in TESDA that sells things from all over the Philippines... plants, sea cucumbers, exotic fruit, wild boar, hard-to-find unshelled nuts!

[ecr]

bvmisa - wonderful, thanks! I mean any type of wet market/food market. Particularly ones that feature unusual regional items, or that are particularly lively, or have an special 'atmosphere' (this will mean something to anyone who is a connoisseur of food markets), or take place in a historical or architecturally interesting building.

Can you give me a little more info on the one in TESDA (location, days) - we will be in Manila in December. Thanks again.

[debbster]

Wet markets are called 'palengke' in Filipino. In addition to Arranque Market and San Andres Market, also consider going to Farmer's Market in Cubao. This one is probably cleaner than the other ones. There's also Divisoria Market in Divisoria, Manila and Central Market in Quiapo, Manila and many more. There are also small neighborhood ones where the vendors know you by name.

Depending on how much time you have, I would suggest visiting Farmer's Market plus one or two of the big ones. Also, try to go in the morning when most of the action takes place. Farmer's Market should be ok, I think, but for Arranque or San Andres or Divisoria, be prepared for murky, muddy floors smelling of fish and garbage if you go to the fish section. The meat and vegie sections are generally alright. It's hard to describe, you've really got to be there to soak in the atmosphere.

Also, I think someone has mentioned this, please take care of your valuables and leave them out of sight. There no quicker way to ruin a fun trip than being pickpocketed.

Try things like dilis (small fried fish), kuchinta (native sweet steamed rice cake), puto (steamed rice cake), halo-halo (mixed sweet beans and coconut, topped with crushed ice, milk and ice cream), turon (banana wrapped in spring roll skin, then fried), banana-q (fried banana coated with sugar)...yummy... they use a kind of cooking banana called 'saba' that's only edible when cooked.

Hope this is helpful. Enjoy your trip!

[ecr]

debbster, thank you! I'm well acquainted with Asian wet markets, so the smells don't bother me. Esp appreciate your recomminding foods to try. Do you know of any great markets in other parts of the Philippines?

[debbster]

how far will you venture from manila? in mindanao, southern part of the philippines, fresh produce in markets will be very different from the ones in manila. they have fruits like mangosteen, durian, etc. that are not readily available in manila. their seafood will be different too. i remember in zamboanga (been there once a long time ago) they have this strange looking crab called 'curacha' (cockroach).

i can't recommend any particular market, not really familiar with that area, my guess is that big cities like zamboanga, davao or iligan will have interesting markets.

[debbster]

hi ecr, i had a look at your blog, in particular the section on food markets... interesting and wonderful pictures, made me want to go travelling again. you will not be disappointed when you visit markets in the philippines.

[ecr]

debbster - trip still in planning stages, that's why I seek advice. Will go where the markets are. Yes - I've heard about the markets on Mindanao, really makes me want to go. But I get conflicting opinions re: security. If we went it would only be to Davao, I guess. We want to document markets but not willing to risk life and limb to do so!

I've just ordered a book by Karen Delgado called 'Philippine Markets'. It sounds wonderful .... I'm betting will have some ideas for us. Manila we will stop on the way in or out, so markets there are of interest.

Always interested in unusual produce/food products specific to a region/locality.

Thanks!

[debbster]

debbster - trip still in planning stages, that's why I seek advice. Will go where the markets are. Yes - I've heard about the markets on Mindanao, really makes me want to go. But I get conflicting opinions re: security. If we went it would only be to Davao, I guess. We want to document markets but not willing to risk life and limb to do so!

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hi ecr, this is the official travel advice for the Philippines given by the Australian government. Not wanting to influence you either way, an advice similar to that would not stop me from going there, and hasn't, in the past.

Cebu would be great to visit, too. Alex mentioned the Carbon Market. Cebu is south enough to have lots of the fruit one would find in Mindanao. They have the best mangoes!! Cebu is well-known for lechon (roasted stuff). It was there that I first tried "lechon baka" (roasted whole cow). More common would be lechon baboy (pig).