Sadly, I left Manila to work abroad without experiencing Weekend Markets in Salcedo and Legazpi Villages in Makati, Lung Center in Quezon City, Ortigas and even the recently established Mercato Centrale in The Fort (I was planning to pay it a visit last December but I found out that it was closed during the week I was in Manila and only reopened last January 8 when I was already back in Penang).
Nonetheless, I have the luxury of time to go to public markets here in Butterworth particularly every weekends and even on Wednesday.
A street in between Taman Bagan Jermal and Jalan Raja Uda becomes alive every Wednesday night. Starting at 6PM, kiosks of varied merchandise and products from fruits,veggies, food stuffs, poultry products, seafoods, even clothes and whatever you can imagine are being sold there in its lowest prices.
Here’s the street scene when we went there last week…(photos were taken at 6PM; sun goes down in Penang at around 8PM)
Look at the, pardon my lack of term, baby eggplants…aren’t they cute for words? Pang-torta? 😛
My colleagues… scrutinizing the fruits and veggies…
Chinese here called our usual taho less tapioca or sago, Too Foo Far in brown sugar syrup; sarap! They sell it for RM1 (PhP 14) at the Wednesday Night Market but in food court in Queensbay Mall, they have it for RM 3.20 (PhP 44.80).
Si Manong nag-iihaw ng Chicken Satay…
More stuffs to grill or fry, you like?
Seafoods galore! Imagine a plate of prawns (not in photo) cost only RM 5 (PhP 70) and you can cook it as buttered with garlic or sinigang if you have sinigang with gabi mix from Pinas!
Ito pa!…pili na… (parang nasa Divisoria or Balintawak lang…)
Tonight, I went straight at the penthouse and passed on the Wednesday Night Market. Perhaps, next week after our very first beginners’ class for violin at 6:30-7:30PM, we’ll drop by here to grab some stuffs to cook and some ready to bite yummies.
Are you fond of going to the markets?
If you’re an expat/OFW like me, despite some people view market-shopping as a thing more apt for ladies, you’ll be forced to go to and buy something for your own survival.
BTW, Gong Xi Fa Cai everyone! Tomorrow marks our 4-day holiday here in Penang for CNY celebration; Thank God for paid holidays! I’ll join my colleagues and friends in exploring some parts of the island.
yeehaa! 😀
beyond toxicity @ docgelo.com 
Parang SAlcedo Market nga cya. I love going to these places kahit hindi bibili i just like looking at people na bumibili hehehe.
Happy Chinese New Year Doc 🙂
butterworth is far from what makati looks like, pero hindi naman ganoong ka-rural dito. may buildings din but most huge establishments and penang life itself are in the island.
i like this market kasi mura ang presyo! cost of living here is cheaper than pinas.
Gong Xi Fa Cai!
let’s explore pulau pinang on foot tomorrow, doc!
see u!
i live going to markets! My favorites are farmer’s and balintawak, sarap mamili dito kc daming pagpipilian. I have been of the SIDCOR weekend market (doc gelo,wala na po sila sa Lung Center, nasa CENTRIS na sila along EDSA) at the BANCHETTO of Emerald Dr. pero mas less ang produce but more on cooked food ang mga vendors. I have yet to go to Anton’s Mercato Centrale, just to try the Angus beef tapa. 🙂
thanks for the update, ingrid!
nakakainis nga, i was hoping and ready to buy some plants and zombies cupcakes and try bagnet in panini from mercato centrale weeks before i went on a holiday there last month only to find out sarado pala sila noon!
i’ve seen melena’s cakes from one of the blogs i follow, chocolate cakes look nice but melena herself is lovelier! hahaha.. *i wish tina won’t read this*
Mam Sir pili na! Hahaha!! Ang laki ng taho!
i love/hate that line! naku lalo na sa divisoria! nakakabadtrip pag di ka makapili. minsan ginaya ko linya ng kapatid ko, nang sabihan ako ng, “sir, pili na..” sa divi before, sabi ko, “merthiolate, meron kayo?” LOL! 😛
ako doc dba may line pa sila na “anu po hanap nila?” alam mo sagot ko doc? “pag-ibig meron ka?” sabay walkout hahahahha 😀
.. napansin ko rin yung taho! ang dai paninda ano.
favorite mo din? libre kita sa queensbay mall pagdating mo dito.
*can’t wait!* pasyal ka namin ni tina+gabby syempre
binilisan ko amgscroll sa chicken satay.. bawal magcrave. chubby na ko!
at kelan ka naman tumaba chyng? ano ako, obese? he he!
at ako, morbidly obese? not fair! haha! 😀
hindi ko sya gaanong gusto, chyng! i only ate it once and that’s it.
siguro i’ll give chicken satay a second chance pagpunta ni rob dito.
*good luck to my taste buds*
i love markets!!! love love! i love haggling, i love the environment, i love the people! i’ve learned that you can learn a lot about the culture of a place by going to their markets! 🙂
in fairness, ang sosyal ng taho nila ha! 🙂
i agree, we learn a lot by going to the market!
champion din kaya ako sa tawaran!
I have never been to a night market. I wish I could, but there’s none here, no night markets!!
it’s the same as any tyangge or bazaars around. the only thing is, there’s a wider variety of commodity; imagine wet and dry goods are sold all at the same time in a common place. palengke sa gabi! haha
Yun na nga eh, sana meron din dito, the only we have during the night are bars and restos, no night markets in Gensan!
I really regret na hindi ko na-try yung weekend market nung nagbakasyon ako. Ang saya naman dyan! Gusto ko yung chicken satay!
Local markets are a must-visit for me anytime I travel. It’s like peeking inside someone’s home and getting to know another culture more intimately.