Finding authentic Bruneian food while in Brunei can be a lot harder than one would expect. Most restaurants serve food originating elsewhere, and during our stay we ran into restaurants serving anything from Nashi Goreng to Japanese teriyaki. We wanted to ensure that we could try out some of the cuisine that is unique to Brunei, and in order to do that our best shot was to visit the Pasar Gadong Night Market.
Staying at the nearby Palm Garden Hotel our staff kindly offered to take me and my darling to the market in the evening, as the market opens up at 6pm. We soon discovered that the market was nice and clean, with well-organized food stalls selling a wide variety of foods. This is a place where many of the locals go to have their meals, and you could find anything from main course meals to desserts and drinks.
Money is not an issue here; The price for a dish is usually only between BND$1 – BND$3. A great opportunity to stroll around from stall to stall and try out new things as you go!
Another great thing is that the food often is cooked only when there’s an order, so in many cases you'll get the food straight off the grill.
At the market you can find all types of food, ranging from satay and chicken wings to grilled fish, lamb chops, beef steaks and more.
Above: Western hamburger
For those who wants to visit the market but aren't too adventures with the food it is also possible to find some western food options. You can also find stalls selling drinks, fresh vegetables and fruit.
Above: Fresh coconut
Above: Delicious Roti Boyan; a type of bread filled with various stuffings. When we asked to buy two of each type they gave us a couple of extra pieces for free! Really nice store :)
As you might already know, Brunei has some strict rules enforced to keep their people behaved at all times, and one example of this is a penalty charged to anyone who smoke in the vicinity of the market. Talking about penalties I can also mention that alcohol is illegal to sell inside of Brunei, so if you want to enjoy any alcoholic beverages you might want to bring some duty free for your own consumption. Apparently the limit is two bottles of wine or spirits and twelve cans of beer.
At the night market they do also sell local music, and considering the strict islamic rules in the country it was interesting to see that pop culture seemed to be less strict than other parts of the Bruneian society.
That's all for now, but hopefully my series of posts about Brunei can be of help to some of you out there considering a visit we figured it would be nice to walk to town on the first day to explore our surroundings a bit.
Thank you for reading! Please feel free to leave any comments or questions below
Anette
■ Basic Info
- Gadong Night Market
- Pasar Pelbagai Barangan Gadong
- ・Opening hours: 18:00 - 23:30
Related blogposts
- All blogposts from Southeast Asia
- All blogposts from Brunei
- Sightseeing in Brunei: A day of downtown sightseeing in Bandar Seri Begawan
- Sightseeing in Brunei: Eating Like A Local at the Pasar Gadong Night Market
- A Day Trip to the "Green Jewel of Brunei" Ulu Temburong National Park
- Sightseeing in Brunei: A Visit to an Iban Longhouse
- Brunei's Best Hotel: The Empire Hotel and Country Club
- The Palm Garden Hotel and Brunei's Best Health Club the Fitness Zone
Recommended Hotels in Bandar Seri Begawan
The Empire Hotel ★★★★★ → review | The Brunei Hotel ★★★ | Star Lodge ★★★★ | Palm Garden Hotel ★★★ → review |
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Thank you for reading! Please feel free to leave any comments or questions below
- Anette
About Anette
Anette came to Japan as an exchange student in 2010, met the love of her life and got stuck. From her base in Tokyo she writes about her experiences as a full-time worker in Tokyo and about her travels in Japan and abroad. She's a free-spirited adventurer who enjoys both the great outdoors and her urban lifestyle.
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