I woke up really, really early during this long weekend coz I had always wanted to go to the wet market to shop for fresh produce with my dear but never could get myself to wake up in time. I’m glad I did coz going to the pasar pagi (morning market – don’t know why people here call it this) is fun! 🙂
The SS2 wet market is located at an intersecting lane and you’ll see a fair amount of vendors selling all sorts of stuff from chicken to vegetables (and everything in between). Pork butchers, fish mongers, they have it all!
There’s even a car that’s filled with flowers – for sale!
(the fresh flowers, not the car, I presume)
We got some piping hot yu tiaw (fried dough) to munch on while doing our weekly grocery shopping at the equivalent of the local market (instead of the supermarkets we usually go to).
The deep fried dough is awesome when eaten straight out of the boiling oil! 🙂
I also got two bak chang (glutinous rice dumplings) – the Dried Oyster Rice Dumpling has dried oysters, mushrooms, pork, salted egg, dried shrimp and chestnuts for RM 5.50 while the Salted Egg Rice Dumpling has all the above except for the dried oysters and with the addition of lintel / green bean for RM 4.50.
It’s really good when we ate it later in the day. However, there is only 1 small oyster about the size of my index fingernail so I thought a RM 1 premium isn’t really justifiable. I wanted to try their Pillow Rice Dumpling too but it’s a 3 day order wait. This stall has been featured in the papers and for once it’s worth the hype! Highly recommended! 🙂
My dear also bought this huge take away bag of soy milk for just RM 1. There’s about 1 liter of soy bean milk inside and the queue for this is insane – not because it’s good (it’s rather diluted) but coz you get a lot of bang for your buck.
We also looked at the fresh fish stalls – some of them had specimens that are still alive and kickin’ (or rather, swimming). 
I was interested in this huge eel that we later found out was called yellow conger eel. It’s RM 8 / kg.
I bought two generously long slices for RM 9. We later cooked them three (3) ways and it was really good! I didn’t know it was an eel at first, I thought it was a fish. Ling insisted it was an eel and I still thought it was a fish so we Googled it and discovered my better half was *right* – it’s a seasonal eel!
We also bought two chicken legs for RM 16.50 which I thought was a total rip off! It’s kampung chicken (free range chicken) and I was appalled that just one (1) chicken leg costs RM 8+. My dear told me the price range is about right. I’m used to supermarket chicken prices (the ones reared in stacked cages PETA types are always honking on about). Hot damn, that’s expensive!
I also found a vegetable which I thought was rather interesting so I got that and lotus root, which we haven’t cooked before. It made for a nice meal with the eel done 3 ways.
We also bought some pork ribs (to be cooked tonight!) before we headed to one of the food stalls located right inside SS2 wet market.
I had the Hakka Mee (RM 4) while she had the Curry Mee (RM 4). Mine had a bucket-load of MSG, which made it taste really nice. The owner/cook manning the stall is one grumpy lady though. I could tell she was slightly irritated when I ordered but for some reason or other, she didn’t take the piss out of me.
The woman who ordered after me was half of a middle-aged couple that just finished jogging and the owner raised her voice and was so rude to her that I wondered why they didn’t just walk away. We didn’t get the nasty treatment so I was thinking that this must be real good food for the other couple to take the abuse. The food wasn’t anything to write home about but it’s decent and cheap.
It’s the coffee that really takes home the cake though – home brewed old style with muslin cloth sieves blackened after ages of filtering the coffee grounds and with a sheen of grease (from the frying of the coffee beans with butter, lard, margarine or ghee). It’s a perfect cuppa hot strong brewed coffee that kick started an awesome day of fun in the kitchen and quality time spent together during the long weekend.
I’ll go to the local wet market again! The prices aren’t necessarily cheaper but the produce certainly is a lot fresher! 😀
wah so many stuff to buy!
Yup, it’s a good chance from the supermarkets we go to! 🙂
Maybe the grumpy old lady had a hard life… lol
Yeah, I figured as much. 😉
So just let her release her frustration. Hehe.
Haha! She was okay with me when I ordered, just mean to the older couple who came in from jogging.
Maybe they were customizing their orders too much for her liking while I just ordered from the menu printed out. 😀
Well, I guess it’s because the market is only opened in the mornings? I think folks in Western countries call it as either Flea Market or Farmer’s Market.
I prefer the night market, though; more goodies to be found and brought home to sample. =D
Maybe the grumpy old lady’s just stressed out and tired; do cut her some slack. =)
Haha! Yeah, I’m alright with her coz she wasn’t grumpy with me. 🙂
Just felt sorry for the jogging couple.
Yup! Farmer’s market is the usual term I hear. 🙂
Yeah, probably that’s it – only open in mornings, as vs our night markets or pasar malam, which sells totally different things from the morning market.
I prefer the latter coz we can get ingredients like meat while the latter offers lots of food to go but no raw produce. 😀
would love to try those dumplings! never had dried oysters dumpling before 🙁
It’s pretty good dumplings! 🙂
Quite a few places has dried oyster bak chang but usually rather expensive – it’s an RM 1 premium for just one tiny oyster.
There is conger eel in Chile, too, but it’s definitely a fish with a weird tail. It’s so good! Moist and tender.
The chickens were beautiful! I noticed their deep yellow skin right away as opposed to the white skin on most supermarket birds.
I liked the coffee pic. That was some black stuff! I’m sure you were wide awake for a day of cooking at home after that! haha! I didn’t know about roasting the beans in oil. I only ever air roasted my own beans. Does it change the flavor of the coffee?
Nice! I didn’t know it spawns all the way in Chile! 🙂
Yup, I agree, the flesh is really moist and sweet!
The yellow skin on chicken is how free range chicken is differentiated here (at least for me) – you’re right, the birds in supermarket shelves are all pale white but at 1/4 of the price!
It’s a tradition here to fry coffee beans in the morning with some kind oil – usually margarine nowadays before it’s been grounded up. It changes the flavor profile a lot – it’s delicious!
Most places don’t do it nowadays though…
Interesting trip to the market! Cheap and fresh too! 🙂
Yup! I loved going there! 🙂
It’s a nice change from the supermarkets we usually go to.
huhu, curry noodles, love it so much!
Yup, it’s good stuff! 🙂
I liked it too but it’s nothing to write home about.
Haven’t been to the wet market for ages – getting lazier by the day, old age. I sure would love to try those changs… Look HUGE!!! No, thanks…as far as the coffee goes – West Malaysian coffee, nowhere near Sibu’s… Just VERY black and stains terribly, not as fragrant and nice.
Yeah, pretty good bak changs they have over there. 🙂
I ate the last one today. It’s quite filling.
Some West Malaysian coffee are pretty good, same as Sabah – a lot of people overuse the term “Tenom coffee” but the real deal is better than any I had in Sibu (was in KK for almost 2 years).
Yeah!! We make it to the morning market. It always reminds us that we used to wake up early whenever we away for trip, right? It was fun, dear….
Glad you enjoy the aromatic coffee and I really like the smell.
Yup, it sure feels like a vacation dear! 🙂
I agree with you, it was fun to wake up early and go shopping at the morning market.
There’s even an uncle that asked us which country we’re from. Haha!
Love you dear! <3
Waahh…interesting pasar pagi. So many fresh items and also food too. Yee Ling’s curry mee looks nicer… 😉
Yup! I’ve seen it closing down at 12 pm so I woke up early and went with Ling over the weekend. 🙂
Yeah, but surprisingly my Hakka mee tastes better coz of the MSG.
I see the kari mee i know for who already before read the words :p
Eh did you guys spotted Mr Black Pau(Tg Sepat) being sold at the pasar? Someone told me it’s being sold there.
Haha! Yup, she had those coz I seldom order stuff like that. 🙂
Hmm…I’m pretty sure we didn’t but some stalls already packed up to leave even at around 9 am so I guess they sold out or something.
The soy bean stall sold out soon, guess they must have packed up at 10 am.
We’ll go sometime and look again! 😀
So you had a great time at the wet market and plan to go again?
If you want fresh produce in air con comfort, you can also try the NSK wholesale markets in air-cond environment.
Yup, it’s fun to go there, there’s so much fresh produce! 🙂
Nice, wholesale markets sounds fun too, it’ll be worth a trip just to see what they have! It’s good to buy some things that we use a lot in bulk too.
LOVE wet markets .. and the breakies there. Time to revisit the Setapak one.. We love that one haha!
Yeah me too! 🙂
It’s a lot of fun going to wet markets, there’s so much fresh produce there.
HB, do you think I able to find that special coffee in KL or in Singapore? Look good with butter or margarine in it .
Yeah, you’ll find it at the old coffee shops. 🙂
It’s getting rarer for people to do that nowadays though – check out the places with good coffee where old timers go to.
Living fairly close to SS2…. whereabouts exactly can i find the market? might venture out and have a look myself then?
Hey buddy! 🙂
You’ll want to go to the gas station at SS2 and have the police station at your right hand side. You might ask the cab driver to bring you to the SS2 Magnum 4D place if they’re Chinese, they’ll know where it is. It’s right next to “Medan Selera SS2” – SS2 Food Court, right beside it.
Hope that helps!
Yeh, i know where that is then i think.. cool , will check it out for sure
Hope you enjoy it mate! 🙂
I always go morning market, but not the one in SS2, too far for me….
Sometimes we buy in NSK, Kuchai Lama.. The price is reasonable and it’s fresh, too!
Yeah, I think all wet markets are awesome! 🙂
Fair prices (not necessarily cheap, but fair) and fresh produce.
I’ve never been to NSK before, now hearing it for the second time, I’ll love to!
My earliest trip to the market was 5am. That was actually to shoot. But yes it was so fun!
Wow! 🙂
Okay, I haven’t managed to get myself up at 5 am but I can understand how fun it’ll be to watch the vendors set up stall.
It’s my first time going here to get fresh produce!