Lakemba Ramadan Night Market 2019

Is this Sydney's best night market? I reckon so. The month-long Ramadan Night Market in Lakemba is one of our city's most authentically honest and community-driven events, providing a communal iftar from dusk til dawn as Muslims break their fast. You won't find commercial sponsors, chain eateries or ticket sales. This is purely about food cooked by the people, for the people.

It's no wonder then that the night market now attracts a stream of food tourists. Never been? Get yourself on the train to Lakemba. Follow the crowds along Haldon Street and your stomach can travel the world for cheap.

I've posted previously on the Lakemba Ramadan Night Market. Here's a whirlwind tour of my first (but not last) visit at this year's event.


Curries and crowds


Chicken tikka skewers


Paratha roti


Making martabak, paratha filled with beef, chicken or egg


More martabak


Jalebi fried dough coils soaked in syrup


Beef and camel burgers


Kaak bread filled with cheese $5

The grilled kaak cheese bread is my favourite snack. The bread is basted with butter on both sides and then grilled over charcoal so the sesame seeds become even nuttier, the bread crisps and the cheese melts to a stretchy lusciousness.


Sandpit coffee

Watching coffee being brewed in hot sand is mesmerising. It's also a great way to stay awake until dawn!


Knafeh


You'll find half a dozen stalls selling knafeh, each one cooked to a different recipe. This needs to be eaten straight away so the white cheese is warm and gooey, otherwise heat it again at home if you're getting takeaway.

Knafeh $7

Stretchy cheese, rosewater syrup and the crunch of string pastry and pistachios. The sweetest way to end your night.

See more Lakemba Ramadan Night Market photos from 2018 and 2016.



The Lakemba Ramadan Night Market in 2019 runs every night from 5pm (sunset) through to 3am. Crowds tend to peak 8pm-10pm. Saturday nights are the busiest with Haldon Street closed to traffic. The final night will be Thursday 6 June 2019.

Food stalls are set up along Haldon Street near Lakemba rail station, between The Boulevarde and Gillies Street. Some nights you will also find stalls along Railway Parade.

Due to the popularity of this event, street parking tends to fill quickly so take public transport if possible. A free park and ride shuttle bus to Haldon Street will run on Saturday nights, running every 30 minutes from Campsie (Shakespeare Street carpark) and Roselands (opposite Lantern Club) between 6.30pm and 2am.


Related Grab Your Fork posts
Lakemba Ramadan Night Market 2018
Lakemba Ramadan Night Market 2016