Murtabak Satu....Kopi Dua!

Saturday saw us heading to Den Haag again but this time with one sole agenda in mind - Pasar Malam Besar (literally means Big Night Market)!

It started last Thursday 17th May in conjunction with the Netherlands' public holiday, Ascension Day and will end on 28th May, also conveniently a public holiday celebrating Whit Sunday. (For the Dutch's complete list of public holidays, please click here)

My father was the one who reminded me about this Night Market - touted as the largest Eurasian festival in the world - after reading one of my many Den-Haag related blogs. Apart from pulling the huge crowd coming off the peak tourist season, the success of this annual event hinges on the prevalence of Indonesian way of life - culture, arts, food, language and so forth - on Dutch societies today.

Netherlands' strong relationship with Indonesia, spanning more than 300 years, has resulted in the exchange of ideas and developments on several fronts such as linguistic, cultural, religion, art, philosophy and gastronomy. It comes as no surprise then when many Indonesians chose to settle in the Netherlands as either immigrants or matrimonial partners.

As the Indonesian-Dutch population grows over the years, so do the number of said people grappling with their identity and lineage, as echoed by Pans Schomper in his bestseller book "Maaf, Saya Anak Belanda-Betawi"(incidentally, it is also on sale at the Book Kiosk). Thus, Pasar Malam Besar aids by bridging the generational gap and reconnecting different generations of Indonesian-Dutch with their cultural and ethnic roots.

With a slew of information up our sleeves, we planned to hop over to the Big Night Market in the morning, as soon as we got breakfast out of the way. Activities start running at 11:30 in the morning and ends at 11 at night. Since Sadia is much more cooperative early in the day, we decided to use this particular quirk to our full advantage.


We arrived around 11:40 at Den Haag Centraal Station and quickly walked to the nearby Malieveld open field where big circus-like tents were pegged to the ground. This series of eye-catching pavilions as well as festive banners and pennants greeted us amidst the morning gust.

Upon reflection, the self-contained humongous tents serve as a control for erratic weather and a hindrance for freeloaders. At a steep entrance fee of Euro13.50 per person (for the weekend; weekday fee is Euro10.50), they must take stringent measures to avoid losing money from any conceivable loopholes, literally and figuratively.

We duly paid the ticket prices at one of the many toll-like booths and proceeded towards the main fairground. The lobby area takes care of coat-checking and nursery cum play area for small children, toilets, a 'Warong Kopi' (Coffee Stall) and an Information Centre.

Not knowing what to expect, we strolled towards the main pavilion - Grand Pasar - where stalls galore entice customers with their merchandise, food and services. There were mainly Asian-orientated, covering a gamut of products (Pakistani carpets, Thai gemstones, Chinese cheogsams) produce (like durian, rambutan and mango) and food (dodol, sweet desserts and keropok (crackers)). The dim-lit quality of the enormous tent contributes to an authentic feel of a typical Indonesian (or Asean region, for that matter) night market.

We also stumbled upon the Malaysian booth which caters mainly towards providing information and handing out touristy leaflets. We were disappointed by the lack of fanfare and decoration at this booth. It screams monotony and insipidity. What happened to plugging Visit Malaysia Year 2007, people! Or, they don't want to overshadow a predominantly Indonesian affair?

There's another pavilion chiefly for Indonesian artifacts, woodworks and carvings, other knickknacks, and traditonal clothes like kebaya! These strategically-placed colourful garments stirred a temptation to buy what feels like the umpteenth kebaya top. However, after looking at the price (vis-à-vis the Ringgit currency) and familiar style, I decided against it. That means a new mini-project for Raya wear! ;)

First on the agenda however is eating! We found a halal Sumatran stall selling Murtabak Daging and were more than excited to dig in. Downed with home-brewed coffee (kopi), this Murtabak was delectable, albeit a pinch salty. Funnily enough, in my eagerness to embrace 'Malay solidarity', I impusively practiced my Malay while ordering the food and beverage. In turn, the Sumatran waiter mimicked my Malaysian Malay when he repeated the order to the guy kneading the murtabak dough. My husband and I laughed it off since our keen eyes were more on the prized delicacy.

Thereafter, we trolled the rest of the food pavilion and discovered an even bigger halal stall in the next tent, serving nasi uduk, soto, martabak, martabak manis (or apam balik) and a slew of other common fares from the Malay archipelago.

We rested our feet at the quiet Bengkel (Workshop) and Theatre pavilion, bearing in mind it was time for Sadia's nap. First, we had to change her diaper at the makeshift nursery and thereafter released her to the floor to roam about and tire herself out. When she didn't seem to let up, we watched a bit of keroncong performance at the main 'Pasar' pavilion. The music must have that lulling effect since she acquiesced to my nursing attempt and effortlessly fell asleep in my arms.





As accustomed, we took this opportunity to eat again! This time, the martabak manis, chicken satay and fresh coconut drink in sweet, red syrup. Mind you, everytime we indulge in these culinary exercises, we have to shell out a large sum of money. Indulging in hawker-style food at Euro-denominated prices is such a contradiction in terms!


It was already a quarter past two by the time we were done eating. By this time, the whole place was jampacked with people that in our way out of the 'Eet' Tent, one stall worker bumped Sadia's head in the babycarrier and roused her from her nap. Look where you're going Lady!

We tried in vain to put her back to sleep but it was to no avail. As such, we marched towards the exit ('Uitgang') and quickly snapped some photos at the entrance's planked pathways and archway.





Temperatures had risen in the late afternoon which nicely offset the cool breeze gently stroking any traces of bare skin. On the spur of the moment, we plonked down on the grass at the park adjacent to the Pasar Malam Besar and basked in the flora and fauna, which included rabbits, ducks, swans, seagulls and roe deers! Across a long stretch of picket fences and a winding brook, a herd of deers were feeding on verdant grass, oblivious at its string of admirers. How we gaped at these lithe creatures.....




Sadia still groogy from her kip, extended one arm out and gestured towards copious daisies growing underfoot. We happily complied and plucked some daisied for her to hold. Lazing around under the warm sun is a perfect end to our gastronomic adventures - hits and misses - under the Big Top.