Gadong Night Market: The Best Place To Eat In Brunei [Travel Guide]

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Gadong Night Market

Brunei is a country reputed for its lack of nightlife.

But if you have one evening in Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei’s capital, you must visit the Gadong Night Market. The market (called “Pasar Pelbagai Barangan Gadong” or “Pasar Gadong” in Malay) is Brunei’s largest market and draws locals and tourists every night of the year.

It offers incredible variety and value, interaction with the local gastronomy scene, plus ample space to sit. This is the best place to indulge your taste buds in Brunei’s local, exotic cuisine. Arrive with an empty stomach, cash and ready to experiment. You may be shocked at the selection and prices! Brunei is not one of the cheapest Southeast Asian countries, but your Brunei dollars stretch far at Gadong Market.

In this travel guide, we’ll explore the Gadong Night Market.

We’ll cover the market’s history, its layout, what you’ll find here (meals, snacks, desserts, fruits and drinks), helpful tips, plus other markets you could potentially visit during your visit to Brunei. For any visitor to Brunei, be sure to read The Brunei Food Guide and 7 Fruits You Must Try In Brunei.

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Table of Contents

• Overview Of Gadong Night Market

• Gadong Night Market Layout

• Meals You Can Find

• Snacks You Can Find

• Desserts You Can Find

• Fruits You Can Find

• Drinks You Can Find

• Visitor Tips!

• Other Markets In Brunei

• Conclusion

• Best Way To Find A Hotel In Brunei

• About The Author (Taz Zaidi)

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Overview Of The Gadong Night Market

Vendors and patrons had maintained a night market for years prior to the modern market you’ll see today. During the 2010s, the Brunei government saw a need to improve the market and embarked on a project to transform it. But before the modern structure, tarp protected most vendor stalls from above, while the ground and aisles were exposed to the elements. Since the 2017 grand re-opening, the entire market is now roofed and has a solid floor. Helpful amenities, such as public sinks, were installed beside the vendors and seating areas. These days, stalls are organized and well-lit. Despite a transformation in appearance, the market maintains its charm. Vendors, patrons, and food options mostly remain the same. And because Brunei is not heavily trafficked by foreigners, the market maintains a local feel. Vendors are honest with prices, warm with smiles and not pushy. No need to haggle, as food and drink prices are standard.

*Viator.com offers incredible, quality Brunei tours. For the top-rated tour of Gadong Market (which includes other attractions as well), click here.

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Gadong Night Market Layout

The market is divided into four long rows of vendor stalls. There are no large obstructions inside, allowing patrons to see the full market from any spot. Thanks to the renovation, Gadong Night Market does not feel as crowded or as dirty as many other large night markets in Southeast Asia. The stalls are organized by meals, snacks, fruits and vegetables, desserts, drinks, and sometimes a stall or two selling clothing. But if you’re seeking clothes, walk a few minutes across the short Simpang 137 bridge to “The Mall” - Brunei’s primary shopping center, where you can find much more selection than in the Gadong Night Market.

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View of the Gadong Night Market from outside

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Meals You Can Find

Meal options include rice and noodle dishes, soups, stir-fry, fish and satay. Multiple stands allow you pick your own style of noodles or rice and pair it with a choice of meat for 1 BND. Rice dishes include nasi lemak, while noodle dishes include mee goreng. There are multiple soto (soup) options. A popular stir-fry option is beef lungs (called hati buyah). Satay options include lamb and chicken. Chicken butts (ayam tungking) are also popular. Satay meats are marinated in sambal (a mildly spicy peanut sauce).

Chicken butt (ayam tungking) skewers are a popular choice

Fish options range from grilled fish (ikan bakar) to fish sausages (keropok lekor), to the sambal-covered anchovies (sambal pusu). You may have encountered sambal pusu in Malaysia (called sambal ikan bills).

Roti John is a specialty of Gadong Night Market. This sandwich was created during the British imperial era, which its ingredients reflect. Roti John is an omelette sandwich served on a baguette, along with ketchup and other optional ingredients. It is also eaten in parts of Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Roti John ready to be enjoyed

*Viator.com offers incredible, quality Brunei tours. For the top-rated tour of Gadong Market (which includes other attractions as well), click here.

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Snacks You Can Find

From these meals, you can move on to the smaller snacks. The market offers a variety of options, but the most popular choices are pulut panggang, cucur pisang (banana fritters) and bakso (Indonesian meatballs). You can also find popular western foods, including fries, burgers, and chicken wings.

Table with pulut panggang and other snacks

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Desserts You Can Find

Dessert will be a highlight of your trip to the Gadong Night Market. With many options to choose from, the top three popular recommendations include:

Cendol, Kuih Malaya, and Brunei Donuts.

Cendol is a cold, sweet dessert popular throughout Southeast Asia. It is made with coconut milk, palm sugar, adzuki beans and green rice flour jelly. Other local fruit options may also be available. Kuih malaya (called “apam balik” in other regions) is a pancake-type dessert made with coconut milk. Brunei donuts are similar to typical donuts, with a cinnamon kick.

Cendol, one of the most popular desserts in Brunei

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Fruits You Can Find

As mentioned in the 7 Fruits You Must Try While In Brunei, the country’s fruit variety is incredible. You can find all those fruits in the market (account for seasonality). Gadong Market is a reliable place to try durian due to the selection, price and reliability. The market sells Brunei durians, as well as imports from neighboring Malaysian states (Sarawak, Sabah). This allows vendors to hold more selection and sell durian after the local season has ended in Brunei.

You have three options for buying durian at the Gadong Night Market:

• Tapau

• Per kilogram

• Ikat

Tapau refers to sliced durian packaged in plastic. This is the best option for sampling durian the first time. It is also the cheapest option. Vendors with scales on their tables will sell durian by the kilogram. At such tables, you make a selection and pay after the vendor weighs it. The price per kilogram drops significantly if you purchase three or more.

“Ikat” is a collection of a few durians tied together by plastic and sold at a listed price. Vendors determine the price based on ripeness, size and type. If you’re willing to fork up some cash and curious to try a rare form of durian, ask vendors for red durian (locally called “otak udang galah”). This type of durian has a typical exterior, but contains a strong, bright red pulp inside (rather than typical yellow/orange). Red durian sell at multiple times the price of common durian.

Batch of yellow durians for sale

*Viator.com offers incredible, quality Brunei tours. For the top-rated tour of Gadong Market (which includes other attractions as well), click here.

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Drinks You Can Find

There are many cold drinks available (well-suited for Brunei’s tropical weather). Tables offer an assortment of drinks to choose from, with the most popular being sugarcane drink. It is sweet, refreshing, and can be bought in jumbo size (size of your head!).

The Gadong Night Market has a variety of fruit juices

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Visitor Tips!

• Gadong Night Market is open daily from 4 pm to 10 pm. The ideal time to visit is during late afternoon to early evening hours, as some stalls open an hour late or close an hour early. The market is also most buzzing during this time, as the workday finishes.

• With dozens of grills cooking, you may feel hot in the market. As there are no walls, it’s best to sit on the perimeter or at the river just outside.

• Not all vendors are fluent in English but many clearly label their products by name and price.

• Remember to bring cash. Vendors don’t accept card payment. There are ATMs at The Mall, which is just a short walk from the market.

• Next door is the Jerudong Wet Market, with dozens of fresh fish stalls open during the day.

• There is free parking on the premises. You can hire a taxi to Gadong. Bus routes end by 6 pm.

*Agoda.com sells quality, discounted hotel rooms (UP TO $50 OFF!). To see today’s deals on hotels in Brunei (or in another destination), click here.

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Other Markets In Brunei

If you have the time and curiosity, you can check out three other markets in Brunei. While not as large as Gadong, they’re still worth a visit.

• Tamu Kianggeh is Brunei’s best day market.

  • It sits along the eastern side of Kianggeh River in Bandar Seri Begawan city center. This area has been a market for centuries, where Kampong Ayer fisherman traded fish with fruit vendors from land villages.

  • You’ll find various options here, including produce, spices, prepared meals, and fresh or salted fish.

  • Tamu Kianggeh is busiest on Fridays.

• You can also visit Tamu Tutong (open Friday, Saturday and Sunday) in Tutong District. This wet market is a great place to try produce, meals and handicrafts local to Tutong region.

• Tudung Saji market in Kuala Belait sells goods local to Belait District. It’s open on weekends.

*Viator.com offers incredible, quality Brunei tours. For the top-rated tour of Gadong Market (which includes other attractions as well), click here.

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Conclusion

Hopefully you found this guide helpful.

With its variety and low prices, the Gadong Night Market is the best place in Brunei to indulge your taste buds. We covered the market’s history, layout, what you can find (meals, snacks, desserts, fruits and drinks), tips for your visit, plus other markets to visit in Brunei. To learn more about Brunei, explore our guides below.

Enjoy your travels!

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Explore the Gadong Night Market through this tour, organized by Viator and run by locals!

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Best Way To Find A Hotel In Brunei

Agoda.com is well-known in Brunei (and Southeast Asia) for providing amazing deals on a wide range of accommodation options. You’ll find luxury or budget hotels, resorts, villas, hostels, apartments, guesthouses, bed and breakfasts, and unique/alternative types). Use the widget below or click here to search in Brunei.

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