Here’s something to look forward to this March: the long-awaited Ramadan bazaar at One Kampong Gelam. Running till 5 April 2024, this year’s edition—named Gemilang Kampong Gelam—has more than 107 stalls operating daily from 2pm to 11pm.
These stalls are spread across Kandahar Street, Muscat Street, and Baghdad Street, so take your time to explore the huge space.
Let’s start the list with our favourite: The Shakehouse. My colleague and I dropped by slightly after 2pm, and were surprised to see that there was already a long queue in front of the stall. Naturally, our curiosity was piqued, so we decided to give their offerings a go.
Their menu mainly sees burgers and noodles, and we got the Special Chicken Burger ($8) to try. At first, we thought the burger was rather plain-looking, but it only took one bite to understand why there was a long queue. Packed with a thick, grilled chicken patty, fried egg, and caramelised onions all doused in a sweet mayonnaise sauce, this chicken burger turned out to be incredibly delicious. If you prefer your burger without an egg, get the Classic Beef Burger ($6) or Classic Chicken Burger ($6) instead.
We wanted to enjoy our burger with some fries, and so our next stop was Meatmymeat. With more than 7K followers on Instagram, they have already made a name for themselves with a lovely range of hotdogs and fries.
As adventurous foodies, my colleague and I got the Mozza Cheesesteak Fries ($11.90) as we saw that it was a new addition to the menu. Our takeaway box came with a warm bed of thin-cut fries loaded with grilled beef and what tasted like nacho cheese, then topped with a generous amount of mozzarella cheese.
After we were done with the savoury foods, we found ourselves standing in front of The Original Pisang Keju for some sweet Indonesian treats. Many are familiar with goreng pisang AKA banana fritters, but pisang keju might be novel to some. Pisang keju refers to banana cheese in Bahasa Indonesia, which explains the shredded cheese in this dessert.
You can choose from either the Standard or Premium flavour, with the former priced at $8 for six pieces, and the latter at $9. Standard flavours include Chocolate, Strawberry, Choc Rice, Oreo, and Condensed Milk, while Premium flavours range from Nutella, to Milo, Biscoff, Caramel, and Butterscotch. We chose Chocolate, and this featured a chocolate base with deep-fried banana fritters, and of course, shredded cheese as the finishing touch. We really enjoyed the sweet-salty balance thanks to the combination of cheese and chocolate! If you want to try a bit of everything, we recommend getting the Mix Flavour ($16) which gets you four different flavours.
To beat the heat, we dropped by Gaosyp x Offday Coffee for some cold drinks. It was easy to spot them as their signboards were adorned with trendy illustrations. Last year, we tried Gaosyp’s massive Watermelon Milk ($6.50) and Solero ($6.50), and this year, we were excited to give Offday Coffee a go.
Strawberry matcha is the latest craze on social media, so we had to get something similar—Pink Matcha ($8)—for the aesthetic. We also got a cup of their Spanish Latte ($6/$7) as it’s said to be the bestseller here. The Pink Matcha is a blend of bandung and matcha, with more rose syrup flavour to counteract the bittersweet taste of matcha. Also, I personally enjoyed the Spanish Latte as it was sweeter and creamier than a regular latte!
Gaosyp’s website | Offday Coffee’s website
We were sipping our drinks while exploring the bazaar when we came across Hawa Biryani Dam. As their name suggests, this stall specialises in briyani! They have a physical store in Paya Lebar just 10-minute away on foot from the MRT Station.
There are two kinds of briyani here: Ayam ($10) or Lamb ($12). My colleague was surprised by how affordable it was given the huge portions! Our container comprised a generous amount of fragrant basmati rice with a huge piece of chicken and shorba AKA briyani gravy on the side. The sauce had a distinctive tangy flavour that we’ve never tasted before.
Towards the end of our visit, Picanhas made us stop in our tracks. Known for their value-for-money steaks, their booth was a hit last year, and we didn’t think it would be any different this year.
If this is your first time trying their steak, we recommend getting the People’s Steak & Mash ($18). This crowd-favourite comes with 100g of their signature picanhas steak cut along with binchotan butter and tempura flakes. But if you prefer to have something to eat on the go, opt for the Pita Kita ($15) which features a toasted pita stuffed with pulled beef marinated in chilli peppers and tomatoes, and then topped with tempura flakes.
Yodaebak was one of our top picks as their sushi bake was really yummy. Each tray is priced at $12 or $15, and there are plenty of options to choose from: Unagi, Spicy Tuna, Salmon Mentai and more. This was great for sharing between the two of us, and we especially liked that it was hassle-free, as all we had to do was scoop it like how we would eat baked rice.
For the perfect quencher, head down to Air Balang. A massive cup of their vibrant drink costs $6, and you have seven different flavours to choose from. If you like anything orh nee-flavoured, the Taro Ice Cream is a must-try. Else, their Strawberry Ice Cream and Solero Ice Cream are popular flavours that are worth a shot. In case you didn’t know, the latter is a drink version of the childhood ice pop flavour.
Helmed by actress Ikah Jamil, Kream SG is another familiar face at the bazaar. Hotdog fans are in for a treat as they have four kinds here, along with Swedish Meatball ($10) and loaded fries. Out of their four coney dog flavours, the Mentaiko Dog ($8) sells like hotcakes; you’ll surely love this one if torched mentaiko mayonnaise is your thing. For a local twist, get the Flaming Cheese Rendang ($8). Many have touted this for the winning combination of charred cheese and spiced rendang!
Beef cubes are indispensable to any food fair and bazaar, and it seems like Beef Bro has understood the assignment with their wide range of beef cube flavours served as either short ribs or Wagyu. For something classic, there’s the Cheese Beef Cubes priced at $14 for short ribs and $22 for Wagyu. Otherwise, kick it up a notch and give their Mala Beef Cubes ($14/$22) or Truffle Beef Cubes ($16/$24) a go!
The sky’s the limit when it comes to the Kampong Gelam Bazaar! Feast to your heart’s content this Ramadan, and remember to dress for the hot and humid weather. If these stalls aren’t enough, read our Bugis food guide for affordable K-BBQ and famous kaya buns. Alternatively, check out our Huevos review for loaded tacos in Bugis.
Photos taken by Daryl Lim.
This was an independent visit by Eatbook.sg.
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