We went to the Ramadan Night Market at Queen Victoria Market today. It was the first Ramadan Bazaar ever held at this iconic Melbourne landmark, as far as I know—at least since I moved here ten years ago.
I had been eager to visit ever since I saw it on Instagram a few days ago. Ramadan bazaars, in my experience, usually mean one thing: some of the best food you can find. And in Melbourne, that often translates to Indonesian food, or at least the promise of it.
After spending most of the day lingering in our old hangout in South Yarra, we arrived at the market at an awkward in-between time—too early for the Ramadan Night Market to be in full swing, but too late for me to stop by one of my favourite bookstores in Melbourne, Books for Cooks.
2 Nights of Ramadan Night Market in QVM
Located in Shed C, the Ramadan Night Market occupied only a single row—modest, but full of potential.
The stalls were just beginning to open, but hunger is impatient, and greed even more so.
Naturally, we went straight to the Indonesian stalls. We settled on dapurnya bubu, drawn in by its street food offerings. Their menu featured Pempek, Lontong Sayur, and even Cimol (which Fafa has been wanting to try ever since it went TikTok-famous, popularised by an Indonesian living abroad—something her cousins in Jakarta recently treated her to).
The neighbouring Indonesian stall, Diana’s Kitchen (where we ordered our housewarming finger food from), had a longer queue. They leaned toward heavier dishes and sweets, which I briefly considered buying to take home. However, a timely message from our next-door neighbour reminding us about tomorrow’s lunch invitation made the decision for me.
Back at Dapur Bubu, Fafa ordered the Mie Ayam, and I chose the Batagor. We were generously allowed to load up on as much sambal as we wanted—a small detail, but one that felt deeply and authentically Indonesian.
The only complaint came from Fafa, who noted that the noodles were cold. When I tasted them, I realised the gravy was merely lukewarm. For mie ayam, that is almost unforgivable. It must be piping hot, alive with steam and comfort.
Still, we left full and grateful.
By the way, there are also other non-Indonesian foods at the market, including African cuisine, Jerk Chicken, even Tacos, and dessert stalls such as Gelato and Luke Made’s doughnuts.
We made another slow round of the market, not wanting to miss anything, before being seduced by the most intoxicating oud aroma from a stall near the exit. We came home with beautiful frankincense musk resin, which I cannot wait to burn and let its sacred smoke bless our home.
Kudos to Queen Victoria Market for this effort toward diversity. May the Ramadan Night Market continue to grow, nourish, and bring harmony to the community for many years to come.
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[…] Ramadan is the holiest month in the Muslim calendar. During the entire month of Ramadan, Muslims fast every day from dawn to sunset, which is meant to be a time of spiritual discipline. […]
The musk resins are amazing 😍