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 should spend it at Gadong Night Market. The market (called “Pasar Pelbagai Barangan Gadong” or “Pasar Gadong” in Malay) is Brunei’s largest market and draws locals and travelers every night of the year. It offers incredible variety and value, interaction with the locals, plus ample space. For food lovers, this is where you can indulge your taste buds in Brunei’s local and exotic foods. Arrive with an empty stomach, cash and be ready to experiment. You may be shocked at the selection and prices! Brunei is not one of the cheapest countries in Southeast Asia, but Brunei dollars stretch far at Gadong Night Market. It’s possible to feed a family for just a handful of BND.

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 time 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 now modern structure, tarp protected most vendor stalls from above, but the ground and aisles were exposed to the elements. Since the 2017 grand re-opening, the entire market is roofed and has a solid floor. Helpful amenities, such as public sinks, were installed nearby 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 their prices, warm with their smiles and not overly pushy in selling. No need to haggle, as food and beverage prices are standard.

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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 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, you may prefer to 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 Gadong Night Market.

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 popular with travelers. 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

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Snacks You Can Find

From these meals, you can move on to 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. While there’s 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 shop the market for all the fruits in that guide. Gadong Market is a reliable place to try durian due to the selection, price and reliability. The market sells the Brunei durians, as well as imports from neighboring Malaysian states (Sarawak and Sabah). This allows the vendors to hold more selection and be able to sell the durian even after the local season ends 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 who have weigh scales on their tables will sell durian by the kilogram. At such tables, you’ll make a selection and pay after the vendor weighs it. The price per kilogram should drop 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 the ripeness, size and type. If you’re willing to fork up some cash and are 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

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Drinks You Can Find

There are many cold drink options available (perfectly 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!

• The Gadong Night Market is open daily from 4 to 10 pm. The ideal time to visit is during late afternoon to early evening, as some stalls open an hour late or close an hour early. The market buzzes 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 better to sit near 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 do not accept payment via card. 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.

*For today’s deals on hotels in Brunei (or any other 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 a variety of food 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 the Tutong District. This wet market is a great place to try produce, meals and handicrafts local to the Tutong region.

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

*For today’s deals on hotels in Brunei (or any other destination), click here.

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Conclusion

Hopefully you found this guide helpful.

With its variety and low prices, 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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