Open Late

Kuala Lumpur is bad news for recovering shopaholics. Air-conditioned, brightly lit, multi-floored, modern shopping complexes rule the city, tempting you from the heat outside with wares that are affordably priced and in choices to spoil you silly. When the sun goes down, you're still not out of the woods! In a tropical country like Malaysia, the best time to come out is at night. The shops might close, but the shopping continues... out in the open at what we affectionately call the pasar malam, or night market. This is shopping, Malaysian style.

The ubiquitous pasar malam is not limited to Kuala Lumpur. They can be found all over the country. Wherever there's a neighbourhood, you'll most likely find a pasar malam. People of all ages, races, and income brackets come to these night markets, possibly because it's heaps of fun to stroll along the stalls on a balmy evening in search of something to take home. But for the recovering shopaholic, the pasar malam might be your undoing, no matter how hard you try to resist. Venturing forth bravely out of curiosity would not kill the cat but it might burn a small hole in its pocket.

Usually held once a week, the pasar malam starts at about 6pm and goes right up till 11pm. Little vans and lorries pull up along a designated street, unload their wares and spread them across several makeshift tables. You want something on the cheap? You'll find it here, from groceries, clothing, toys, food, accessories, CDs, household items to the latest fads. And with a bit of bargaining, you can stretch your ringgit even further.

Haggling is a way of life here. In fact, if you want to sharpen your boardroom negotiation skills, practice at the pasar malam. More often than not, you'll see a woman bargaining up a storm with the vendor to the point of an argument over one ringgit; a few feet away, the woman's child will be pretending to look at something else out of embarrassment. But it's all part of the pasar malam etiquette.

Three of the more popular night markets are at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (popularly known as Jalan TAR), Bangsar, and Brickfields, all within Kuala Lumpur.

The Jalan TAR Jaunt
What do toys, traditional cakes, local food an d t-shirts have in common? Nothing much except they can all be found at the Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman (TAR) pasar malam.

The Jalan TAR pasar malam is one night market that is nowhere near a residential area. It comes alive every Saturday after 6pm in the back alley of the main thoroughfare. This could very well be the mother of all night markets. If you've never been here, you might be a little disoriented at first to find yourself in the middle of a jostling, bargain-hunting crowd. Your senses will be inundated with the smell of food, the sound of vendors hawking their wares, and the sight of countless merchandise.

Stalls are set up as far as the eye can see to your left and right, with almost everything you can think of - clothing for the entire family, traditional outfits, T-shirts, shoes, handicrafts, bags, souvenirs, hair accessories, perfumes, herbal remedies for various health problems, bric-a-bracs and knickknacks. You'll also find traditional snacks and even entire meals that are usually served in restaurants. Even hard-to-find food items are available here, such as authentic nasi kerabu, nasi dagang and nasi berlauk - all famous Kelantanese food, all rare in cosmopolitan KL.

There's more when it comes to good food; if you thought your favourite lemang, ketupat, serunding and dodol are only available once a year during Hari Raya Aidil Fitri or Eid-Ur-Fitr, you are in for a treat at the Jalan TAR pasar malam. Surrounded by a mind-boggling array of goodies, this is indeed a very fragile position for a recovering shopaholic to be in. But it's one of the best places to soak yourself in the pasar malam atmosphere in all its glory.

Bargaining in Bangsar
Bangsar is one of the most affluent and trendy commercial and residential areas in the city. The night market at Jalan Telawi draws a big crowd, both local and expatriate.

Held on Sundays, some vendors set up shop as early as 4pm. While you'll find your usual pasar malam fare here, it also offers something extra for the expat community: loads of fresh flowers and local fruits, souvenir T-shirts, batik items, and even spangled party outfits. And why not?

One of the main reasons for coming to Bangsar is for its pulsating nightlife. With lots of restaurants, pubs, bars, bistros and cafes located right where the pasar malam is set up, you can stock up on groceries and party clothes, then relax after all that bargaining with some supper and a tall glass of your favourite drink, all done within walking distance.

Brickfields Beckons
Not too far from Bangsar is Brickfields, the city's second Little India, after Jalan Masjid India. Catered to the predominantly Indian residents of Brickfields, the pasar malam at Jalan Berhala, held every Thursday, is more like a "morning market". More fresh food-oriented, you'll find loads of vegetables, spices, chicken, fresh fish and other seafood. It's the perfect pasar malam if you're too knackered to go marketing in the wee hours of the morn.

One of the best reasons to come here would be to savour the various Indian snacks, such as vadai, stringhoppers and appum, all freshly made on the spot. There's even a Punjabi food stall with authentic, freshly made chappati, prata and sweetmeats. Not everything at this night market is Indian, though. You can still get your Malay and Chinese food fix with delicious char kueh teow, yong tau foo, tau foo far, lol-lok and nasi lemak.

With so much shopping to do even at the ever-modest pasar malam, the best course of action for the recovering shopaholic would be to just give in to temptation today, which in all probability, you would have by now. But don't worry, there's always tomorrow. Or the day after...