Chinese New Year Foh Sang CNY Night Market

Hello everyone 👧.

Before Chinese New Year's Eve, the town council organised night markets in many areas of Kota Kinabalu, but I visited only one last week. In my opinion, almost all the night markets sell almost the same goods, and it's very crowded with people, which makes me very uncomfortable.

I decided to go to the Foh Sang night market this year. This night market operates from 5.00pm to 12.00am. Last year, I had a bad experience getting to the night market around 7.00pm as I had to walk almost a kilometer from faraway parking lots and couldn't buy what I wanted as it was sold out or the stall was crowded with people. So, this time, @butwo and I reached this night market earlier, at 5.30pm.

As this is a date for me and @butwo, I did not tell my Mum about our trip to this night market earlier. 😶

The entrance of entering night market

Night markets have been separated into wet market (fresh vegetables and meats) and food sections. We went straight to the food section since there was nothing to buy from us in the wet market section.

One of a stalls at wet market section

There are many people in the food section, but not too crowded that time so that we do not have to squeeze each other with the people there when looking at the stalls.

Food section

The first stall we saw was selling stinky tofu. The stall has been placed very far away from the other stalls due to the smell of stinky tofu, like unmaintained sewerage. Despite the stinky tofu stall's smell, there was still a long line of people waiting to purchase stinky tofu. I have not tried stinky tofu before, I just bought it for my first try. As for @butwo, he stands far away from this stall as he cannot stand the smell of the stinky tofu stall.

A kid pitched his nose at the smelly stall

Stinky tofu stall

I love desserts like those shown below at the stall. It would be great if I could get it all, but we need to manage our budget so we can buy other foods. Most of the stalls in the night market do not accept cashless payments for goods. I just bought one of many desserts from this stall.

My favorite dessert stall

Another food purchase in less than ten steps after entering the food section of the night market. The price of RM16.00 (USD 3.8) for a standard portion of grilled octopus is expensive to me, but I just bought it because @butwo kept talking beside me saying I would regret not buying it since I like octopus dishes.

Grilled octopus

Since we had set ourselves a budget of around RM50.00 (USD 11.8) to buy goods in the food sections, we had to control our urge not to buy more food even though it looked attractive to us. Additionally, my Mum had prepared dinner at home that we still needed to eat.

Chinese pastries. The brown and round shape pastry we called it as Nian Gao

Lo Han Guo and Calamansi juice

Most people think of Chinese New Year night market stalls that are operated exclusively by Chinese entrepreneurs. There is an exception here. The night market also has a few stalls operated by Muslim entrepreneurs.

One of the food stalls that operated by Muslim entrepreneur

Smoky grilled satay

Luckily my Mum is not with us, otherwise she would buy these red plants.

Flower stall or stall selling plant that my Mum likes to visit

Toys stall. Majority of the rabbit dolls for sale are suitable for the current Rabbit year of Chinese New Year.

That's green thing not vegetable to eat. It's for bathing use

Pamelo, one of the famous fruit as Chinese New Year's decoration at home

One of the stalls' lady promoters stopped us. She promoted new mobile apps designed by our local people in Sabah. Additionally, she stated we would receive a free gift with the condition of installing the apps for free on the spot on our phone.

After I installed the apps, the lady promoter instructed me to pick a random red packet hanging in a display board. I didn't receive the grand free gifts from the red packet, but I did receive a pen, key chain and pin tag from the red packet I selected.

Free gifts stall or counter for the apps

The free gifts I received

I want to buy this but too many people waiting in front of this stall

We were too early for the night market, if not, I would have been able to get the best background view picture of this huge fake moon at night on the ground.

Me and Moon

Processed noodles and foods suitable for steamboat meal

Food trucks are also available at the night market. We recognised all these food truck brands and were able to get them whenever we craved their food. So, we did not buy anything from the food trucks.

Luk Luk. You select the food, the lady fry or boil for you after payment

Sugarcane juice

Fried chicken and related snacks

Our local legendary old ice cream truck

Our local beverage selling in cheap price only for special day

Festive rug or carpet

Chocolate tower

Next, we bought these colorful beverages. We paid RM10.00 (USD 2.4) for two bottles of beverages. We selected honeydew milk tea and champagne milk tea for our purchase. We also finished it in the car before returning home in order to avoid my family members asking why not buy it for them as well.

Colorful beverages

Chinese cookies and preserved sour fruits

Cendol drink

Cola freeze keep on moving by the machine to maintain it chilliness

Mozzarella corn. Would like to buy it but have to wait due to many orders from other customers. See you next time if we fated to meet this stall again

Mozzarella corn

The famous uncle's Penang Char Kuey Teow stall in Kota Kinabalu

Doraemon favorite food, Dorayaki selling here too

Grilled pork, lamb and dumpling. Looks yummy

Many types of cold drinks and it's only cost RM3.00 (USD 0.7) each

Soya drinks, soya desserts and related products

It's past 6.15pm, and the food section is already crowded with people. We also started with clash of shoulder with them.

The scene of clash of shoulder

Have to use our body flexibility to avoid clash our shoulder with the people

Kek lapis. Pastry originated from Sarawak and can currently be found anywhere in Kota Kinabalu with an agent.

It's almost the end of my night market trip. Then, I saw my Mum's favorite food, which is Som Tam from a Thai food stall. I just bought one box of it for my Mum.

Thai food stall

The process of making Som Tam

Kebab

I saw my Sister favorite stall selling cherry lamb at the end of our night market trip. However, we had overspent our budget. Therefore, we just closed one eye when passing this stall.

My Sister favorite stall

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AT HOME

We first try out the most undesired food first which is smelly stinky tofu. The men in the house (@butwo, my Dad and Brother) don't want to try on it at all due to the smell. My Mum, Sister and I ate it

As a result, my Sister gave up after eating one piece of stinky tofu. While my Mum probably ate 3 or 4 pieces of it. As for the rest, I have to finish it. The taste was really unique, just like the sewer smell. I won't buy it again in the future.

Once I finished eating the stinky tofu, I cleansed my mouth with some other delicious food I bought from the night market.

Stinky tofu

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That's all. Thanks for reading my post 🤗.