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It’s the time of the year again! The highly anticipated Geylang Serai Ramadan Bazaar is back to celebrate this festive Raya season. From now to 24 June 2017, one can expect to find up to 1,000 stalls selling food, clothes and home essentials during this month-long event.
We made a visit to experience all the hype that the bazaar is getting on social media, and here’s what went on:
1. Prepare To Squeeze Through Massive Crowds
The Geylang Serai Ramadan Bazaar has become one of the must-go pasar malams for Singaporeans. And when there’s food involved? You can expect double the crowd, especially during evenings when most stalls are open.
Tip: Go during off-peak hours and on weekdays to avoid the crowd.
2. Hipster Food That’s Insta-worthy Yet Overpriced
You can find the latest hipster food trends at the bazaar — we spotted one of the longest queues for the hugely popular Raclette Cheese with Baby Potatoes and Hotdogs ($12). Which we felt wasn’t worth the long queue and could have better spent the money elsewhere.
Another recent trend is colourful drinks. Why not go for the Mangoon (Blue Lagoon with Mango Juice, $5)? This two-toned drink tasted as good as it looked. Note that this is a heavy drink to carry around while you do your Raya shopping though.
Our favourite was the Watermelon Volcano ($6.90 for 2-3 pax). It’s brilliant for the hot and humid weather we experienced, but get ready for the mess you might make while enjoying this!
3. Not All Food Stalls Are Halal-Certified
Some Halal food blogs did an undercover search to determine whether the food sold at the bazaar was Halal-certified or Muslim-owned — about half of the stalls there could not confirm if their food was Halal-certified. Just a heads up for our Muslims friends looking to buy food for breaking fast, always ask to be certain.
4. Check Out Many Other Non-Food Stalls
We’ve seen an overwhelming online coverage on the “insta-worthy” food, but were puzzled why these nostalgic game stalls weren’t really mentioned.
The bazaar also offers many other stalls where you can soak in all the fun with your family this Raya season — play a game or two and try to win some toys, or just explore and walk around the different stores. Don’t just get too caught up in the food section!
How The Bazaar Has Changed Over The Years
Past year editions of the Ramadan Bazaar have been traditionally focused on food and items essential during the Hari Raya period, which include Halal-certified food stalls selling food suitable for breaking fast.
While classic staples and Ramly stores are still aplenty, there seems to be a rise in stalls that are peddling more interesting variants that are all vying for your attention.
The new food options prove to be a welcome change for the masses, but the lack of Halal-certified food stalls, arresting of unlicensed food handlers and illegal workers had me thinking of the legitimacy of the Hari Raya bazaar.
If you guys have been to the Geylang Serai Ramadan Bazaar, do let us know what you think of it, and if you share similar thoughts with us.
Dates: Now to 24 June 2017
Price: Free Admission
