Permas Sunday Night Market (星期日夜市) @ Permas Jaya in Johor (Masai) [Malaysia]

Our virgin visit to Permas Sunday Night Market was a coincidence as we had intended to check out Johor Jaya night market but the GRAB driver told us it wasn't operational that day! Not sure how true that was since Google Maps did indicate operating every day. 

Whatever the case, it did appear relatively promising! Crowd was good with a wide passage flanked by makeshift stalls that stretched about 500 meters! It did help that the drizzle in the afternoon had stopped, resulting in a relatively cool temperature.

I am just going to through the photographs in a somewhat chronological order and the second photo to include would be the stall for stinky tofu! Those who visit Malaysians quite often for staycations and for night markets would be no stranger to the black tea stinky tofu stall as it would also show up for the Monday night market outside KSL.

Fruit stall and the one that tugged my heart strings had to be the durians! One thing about eating durians in Malaysia; it was said that the better ones were all exported to Singapore given the higher profit margin. 

Plates of raw fish although these were the kind you can't eat sashimi-style. To me, the appearance of raw produce signifies a more local clientele, which would be preferable.

Local Chinese pastries! Acknowledging that I am no longer young with a bottomless pit, it's unfortunate I can't just order every single one of them to check it out, and there were dozens of selection!

The hand-punched lemon tea that was all the rage in mainland China! I am unsure how nice it would but I am happier drinking cheaper beverage like plain water, sugarless soya milk etc. I did have a weakness recently, 0% sweetness tea with pearls.

Fishes in plastic bags, including fishing fishes in light bulbs. 

To me, fish is good. Period. 

Grilled meat, including my favorite Thai style moo ping! Note, do your own calculation to determine if it would cheaper than Singapore. At RM5.00 a stick, it converted into to about S$1.40 which was quite similar in pricing to those sold in pasar malams in the little red dot; which was about three sticks for S$5.00.

Those familiar with the Monday night market outside KSL would know how crowded it was and the narrow passage was a direct contributing factor! It was way more relaxing at Permas Sunday Night Market where we didn't have to jostle with the crowd. 

What did Alex buy again?! I am very scared when he buys things as he stays with me and my small HDB flat flat didn't have sufficient space to store his stuff; some of which can be quite bulky! It doesn't help that he is quite the impulsive buyer.

Bags and wallets.

Muar traditional rojak; not sure how traditional it was even though the container of crispy doughsticks (youtiao) would be a no no for me. I love the kind of doughsticks that would be toasted before you throw them into the rojak bowl.

Hand Grab Pancake (Crispy Chinese Pancakes) with chicken chop / pork chop options, and even a local version that had otah. I have never eaten it before and from the look of it, I would assume it would be quite similar to roti prata.

Had to put this picture up. Love it when people photobomb.

The young chap was the helper for the Hand Grab Pancake.

Oyster omelette - my favorite had to be Hup Kee Fried Oyster Omelette @ Newton Hawker Centre even though as a foodie, I should have been more adventurous! 

Candied Hawthorn Stick (冰糖葫蘆) - this was a mini version made of fruits that would be more acceptable for the locals; candied strawberries looked so delicious!

Vegetables from Cameron Highlands; and you know what caught my eye? The ears of white corn! I remember they can be eaten raw, and you can read more here. Bought a few ears for home and they sure didn't disappoint.

Aroma of pancakes was so enticing! 

I have a love-hate relationship with pasar malams.

Indian biscuits with one packet for just RM 2.00! My elder sister loves muruku and for her, three packets at RM 5.00 would be more worth it. Imagine bringing one bag into the cinema; it's like eating kacang putih.

Fried chempedak! Some people are still confused over the differences between chempedak and jackfruit. Still not sure? Read here! Taste wise, chempedak is better! 

Sadly, both Jovyn and Jerald had grown into teenagers, rendering such toys to be too childish for their liking. I believe in experiences for presents nowadays, be it a visit to cat cafes, or a meal at a restaurant of their choice.

Love for the carbohydrate lovers.

Horror for the carbohydrate haters. 

Hard to find such traditional wooden chopping boards nowadays. As the name suggests, it had to be extremely hardy so that the knife doesn't cut through the wood. My issue was more with the risk of mold.

Fresh avocado juice! Shall try the small one, at RM 6.00 the next time. I was just sharing with a friend regarding my newfound love for avocado on toast but I didn't know how to choose an avocado! She did share some pointers.

More fruits.

Another photobomber stall operator and he was selling my one of favorite food of all times; fried chicken at just RM3.00! Maybe I should support the next time. Gosh, I am so going to overeat in my next visit.

Thank god I bake more than I cook. The above stall would attract the likes of my mother who would tell you ikan bilis is not all the same. Whichever the case, I don't like ikan bilis, so it's okay.

Vegetables all in plastic bags.

Guess easier to take, weigh and go?

Would you buy raw eggs when you are overseas? Knowing my clumsiness coupled with butterfingers, there's no way I would want to take the high risk of breaking them. It's not the breaking I am worried of; it's the mess I have to clear after that.

RM 25.00 a kilogram for red prawn durians. Expensive? 

I am unsure as I usually go for cat mountain king.

Food trucks; this is something Singapore severely lacks! It's a cheaper way to kick start food entrepreneurship in Singapore although I do understand the concerns on hygiene and cleanliness.

Aiyu jelly from Taiwan! Said to soothe your throat, in addition to quench thirst, beautify skin, protect your stomach and tonify your liver. At the same stall, you can also find honeycomb sugar and guilinggao.

Lanterns for sale as our visit was before the mid-autumn festival. Popular nowadays would be the battery operated lanterns; less fun those lighted by candles, I feel. 

Beancurd with either sugary syrup or gula melaka (I think). 

I had neither as my aim was more the soya milk on the side. 

A food I would always have when I am at pasar malams would be muah chee! There's just something so comforting to just stroll and bite through the chewy mochi coated with sugar and peanuts! Chose the above stall as it featured one of the characters from this old time comic strip; Mr Chin from Old Master Q! 

I am not going to deny that I have a recipe for muah chee butthe portion was too much for one to stomach, unless we have a party! In addition, when the craving starts, I can't just find all the ingredients and make on the spot! 

At RM 6.00 for a large serving, the muah chee was too soft for my liking even though some would likely enjoy the texture. I would also prefer it to be a tad sweeter as too much peanuts can tilt the overall flavor towards the bitter spectrum.

The traditional medicine stall with cream / oil said to be all wonderous and able to cure a lot of ailments. For the ignorant kids, our eyes were drawn to something else. 

Snake! According to google, this seemed to be the banded krait snake that's commonly found in Asia. Despite its high venom count, banded krait is known to be "generally considered timid and docile".

Continuing through our way; noted the 99 Speedmart along the way. Why make a mental note? Because this supermarket sells the cheapest Old Town Coffee! 

Cans of processed food. Why would people go all the way to a pasar malam to buy canned food? Reason being pasar malams in Malaysia are operated differently from Singapore; in Malaysia, some night markets are for daily necessities.

Glow in the dark figurines might not be daily necessity but in the eyes of Alex, they make him happy when he sleeps at night. I think he was the biggest spender that night as he bought quite a lot, including two bottles filled with glow in the dark beads.

Buns for you to steam at the comfort of your own home. 

So glad I am not big on buns, save for those with meat filling.

Pricing for your reference; note that the price was based on six buns. A typical set of six char siew bun cost just RM 8.00 (about S$2.30).  On second thought, I wonder if my mom bought any since she had a tendency to have buns for breakfast. 

So tempted to get the shao bao, the egg tart and malay cake! 

They would be nice for breakfast! *hardened the resolve*

Steamed dim sum too! 

Other Chinese pastries and biscuits, including mooncakes, Mid-Autumn festival had yet to pass then. Do you know that you can get much more affordable mooncakes in Malaysia?! Forget about the atas packaging in Singapore; eco-unfriendly and just a reason to jack up the prices! 

Vapes for sale! With its rising popularity due to its low cost, I am unsure how the government is going to control its sale. In Singapore, vaping is illegal but even then, it's so common to find people vaping in the public!

Again, another temptation.... I don't enjoy potato chips that much; my weaknesses are for certain traditional biscuits and also chilli tapioca chips....

I love putu mayam with orange sugar! 

p.s. didn't blur the operator as I thought he looks good here. 

More mooncakes!

Chinese dumplings and other Chinese goodies like yam cake, glutinous rice. Six types of dumplings for sale and my favorite kind had to be nyonya dumpling that cost RM 7.00 each.

Shall go for something healthier; custard apples! 

3 for RM 10.00 (about S$2.88).

Steaming hot malay cakes! In spite of the name, my understanding is that this sponge cake was part of Hong Kong dim sum and its historical origin is contentious. You may read more here. 

Lollipops! Never heard of Big Top brand and I always go for Chupa Chups. 

p.s. I still have lollipops occasionally and fav is the cream based ones.

Kitchenware and accessories! 

Prawn fritters at RM 2.50 each; the batter was a bit too thin and I miss the thick kind, purchased from a stall near Ang Mo Kio's Kebun Baru Market and Food Centre, that I used to indulge in. 

Japanese cuisine was included in the night market too! 

Slices of red watermelon! You know what's the best way to eat watermelon? Not to slice them. Get a whole watermelon, cut it into half, put it on your lap and eat it with a spoon! 

Braised meat from a moving stall as this was at the back of a truck! 

Food trucks are so versatile! 

Fried carrot cake; this actually had quite a few customers waiting for their food. I need to come again with the Greatest Kon as only he had the capacity and the will to eat much more than the rest of us.

Bras and panties; the young me would have been shy to step in. 

Nowadays, I am the one embarrassing Jovyn when I go in with her.

8 mangoes for RM 10.00?! 

I can't find such deals in Singapore. 

Vegetable stall had good business with its wider variety. 

Lanterns and toys again. 

Deep fried salted egg products like fish skin, french fries, broccoli, sweet potato, mushrooms, chicken and squid. Not sure about the prices; if not too pricey, I would love to try their salted egg chicken.  

Towels! 

The reading glasses claimed to have auto focus feature. I have both myopia and presbyopia; hence, such glasses wouldn't help me, sadly. Progressive lens are so expensive! 

I was wondering what's ayam kunyit; turned out it meant Fried Turmeric Chicken. My gosh, I love the turmeric marination! How how how? Two fried chicken stalls for me to check out next time... and I have stomach only for one.

Almost bought a kilogram of mangosteen! 

Thanks to Sandra, I am now quite good in choosing mangosteen! 

Cameron Highlands vegetables again.

No Thai milk tea for me! 

Their sweetness made me feel I will go diabetic anytime.

Essentially flavored jelly in a ball form where you can choose the flavor and then form them on a stick to make it look like a rainbow candied "hawthorn" stick that's instagrammable.

A Chinese altar at home is not essential for many younger Chinese now although joss sticks are still popular for use at temples and for important ceremonies, like funerals and the seventh month.

We bought some bamboo kitchen towels! 

4 small pieces for RM 10.00.

Same shop also offered bamboo socks! Socks made of bamboo fibers were said to be anti smell and that's beneficial for those with stinky feet! 

Choose your earrings! 

Breads and cakes! Compared to buns, I do crave for breads, even plain ones where I just need to slather some butter / margarine and spread a layer of granular sugar. 

Nyonya kuehs! 

Honeycomb sugar; the kind I used for my green bean soup. Said to "clears liver heat, relieves cough and removes phlegm, and clears heat-toxin." Okay on, shall remember to buy a pack next time.

Preserved fruits; keep a lookout and you would realize that those who generally purchase are from the fairer sex. Pregnant ladies apparently crave for sour stuff whereas for me, it helpswith my motion sickness. 

Milk tea in a pink truck.

Lego sets, not under the Lego brand, can be found here too! I don't understand its popularity as I definitely wouldn't have time to sieve through the small little tiles. 

Plants would be a definite for any local markets; in some markets like Gaya Street Sunday Market, you can even find fruit saplings for rambutan, soursop etc! 

More slippers.

Almost coming to the tail end of the night market; there's just a short stretch of stalls past the bend. I did a calculation and it's about 500 meters from start to end. 

Vegetables again.

Hand knitted floor mats! I almost wanted to get one but was stopped by Alex as I have quite a number at home! Damn, pot calling kettle black. 

My fight against the craving failed and I gleefully ordered a bag of fried chempedak from the makcik at 6 pieces for RM 5.00. Some were a bit cold although still nice and sweet with a thin, crisp batter. Wouldn't mind ordering again next time.  

An interesting looking fruit that I have never seen before. Known as Gac fruit, it originates from Vietnam and known for its "high contents of beta-carotene and lycopene". According to the poster, it's said to be beneficial for those with eye ailments. Guess I should have some given the issue with my left eye in recent months! 

Live meat crabs for sale! 

End of Permas Sunday Night Market but we would need to walk back to the entrance again where it's easier to get a GRAB back to the checkpoint. 

On our way back and trying to photos of stalls that I might have missed out. p.s. there would definitely be stalls I didn't take photos of and nevertheless, there could always be new stalls that popped out. 

For example, mooncakes would not likely be on sale on my next visit, unless I am delaying it till August next year! However, I have already penciled in my calendar for a revisit to Permas Sunday Night Market next month! 

Dilemma yet my stomach was already packed with food! 

I was thirsting for some cold beverage though.

Household appliances. 

Penang cuisine - the tantalizing aroma of Penang laksa can work up an appetite! Thankfully, I am not a fan of those thick noodles. Cendol wise, Melaka is better! 

The vibrant colors from fruits! 

Air guns for sale; looked fun although I know I wouldn't able to bring it into Singapore. With the recent gun incident at Bangkok, I am sure the Singapore authorities would be more stringent in their checks despite the fact that we have very strict gun laws. 

Quenching my thirst with the coconut water from this stall; it was claimed that the coconut water was fresh from coconuts, with no added sugar and no added plain water. After drinking a sip, I confirmed they didn't add sugar! 

Ending the post with pictures of my partners in crime! 

=====

Address

Jalan Permas 11, Bandar Baru Permas Jaya, 

81750 Masai, Johor, Malaysia

(near entrance of Renaissance Johor Bahru Hotel)

Map

As above. 

Operating Day

Sunday