Siti Khadijah Market and Teh Tarik with Honey
Our jam-packed eating schedule eased up a touch on our third and final morning, which started out with a halal dim sum demonstration followed by breakfast at the Grand Riverview Hotel.
Baby Noah amused himself while the Dim Sum cooking demonstrati…Baby Noah amused himself while the Dim Sum cooking demonstration was taking place at Grand Riverview Hotel, Kota Bharu. Full blog post at jackiem.com.au
Posted by Jackie M. on Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Baby Noah amused himself while the Dim Sum cooking demonstration was taking place at Grand Riverview Hotel, Kota Bharu
Then it was off to Pasar Besar Siti Khadijah (literally, Siti Khadijah big market) – which is one of Kelantan’s most famous attractions.
Pasar Besar Siti Khadijah, Kota Bharu
Every Malaysian town has its own wet market, and it’s a hub of activity from dawn. It’s where the locals do their daily shopping for fresh produce and groceries, and have breakfast or lunch while they’re at it. I grew up accompanying my mom to the market every morning, and I always looked forward to it. Pasar Siti Khadijah is in a league of its own – it’s very large, colourful and filled to the brim with enterprising Kelantanese women selling produce, hot food and everything in between.
Here are just some of the photos I took (many were blurry because I was carrying Noah in one arm – there were no escalators/elevators and the place was multi-storey, so I left his stroller in the van).
Kelantanese kuih ie. sweets and snacks
Ketupat palas – compressed glutinous rice – in the foreground
Great looking lunch packs
Banana leaf-wrapped snacks including Nasi Tumpang on the left – recipe in one of my previous Kelantan posts
Colourful jellies
More delicious snacks
Stall selling Laksam and Laksa Kelantan
Herbs and vegies for Laksam and Laksa Kelantan
Food court on the upper level
Uniquely Kelantanese dishes on the menu including Nasi Air – literally “water rice”. Also, notice the Maggi noodles in the window – per my Maggi Ketam blog post
Mouthwatering seafood buffet spread
Giant prawns everywhere
Another famous Kelantan product is its keropok ie. fish crackers – so many varieties I’d struggle to figure out which ones to buy
Kelantan is also famous for its serunding ie. meat floss – I asked this lady if I could take a pic before snapping this photo; she replied with a cheeky roll of her eyes – “Just a photo? I thought you were going to buy something”. I love the sassiness of Kelantanese women.
Trishaw man outside Pasar Siti Khadijah
There was a bit of commotion inside Pasar Siti Khadijah when some of the traders thought I was Anita Sarawak, a famous blonde Malaysian (alright, Singaporean) singer from the 80s. Our tour guide was very apologetic, explaining Kelantan locals don’t get to watch a lot of television. I didn’t mind being mistaken for a 63-year old as long as it was Anita Sarawak.
Our final stop before the airport was to this food court that serves ikan bakar (grilled fish) but because we were there early in the day, they hadn’t started serving the fish yet.
Arriving at Warung Pak Mat in Kota Bharu, famous for its ikan …Arriving at Warung Pak Mat in Kota Bharu, famous for its ikan bakar and teh tarik madu (grilled fish and honey pulled tea). Full blog post at jackiem.com.au
Posted by Jackie M. on Tuesday, December 22, 2015
Arriving at Warung Pak Mat in Kota Bharu, famous for its ikan bakar and teh tarik madu (grilled fish and honey pulled tea)
We opted instead for Pak Mat’s equally famous Teh Tarik Madu – ie. honey pulled tea. It was easily the frothiest tea I’d ever seen and it tasted fantastic.
With Pak Mat and his Teh Tarik Madu
What an incredibly enthralling trip; I wish we had more time to explore the sights, sounds and especially the flavours of Kelantan. It was so different from the parts of Malaysia I’m familiar with, it was almost like visiting a foreign country. I can’t wait to go back.
Baby Noah at Kota Bharu airport waiting for our flight out to our next adventure – Penang
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