Must-try food & drink at the Ramadan Night Markets

Attracting over 1.5 million people in 2024, Lakemba’s Ramadan Night Markets are an enchanting culinary journey. Running from dusk until 3am from Thursday to Sunday during Ramadan, eat and drink your way through this annual event with our top picks below.

Destination NSW

Destination NSW

Mar 2024 -
2
min read
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Roti & satay

Island Dreams Café has been serving chicken satay since 1996, based on a family recipe that has been passed down for generations. Cooked over charcoal, pair the skewers and satay sauce with a roti canai.  

Meat skewers at Ramadan Night Markets, Lakemba

Meat skewers at Ramadan Night Markets, Lakemba

Syrian ice-cream

For another sweet treat, head to Bakdash Ice Cream who create delicious creamy Syrian ice cream, served with crushed pistachios.  

Syrian ice-cream at Ramadan Night Markets, Lakemba

Syrian ice-cream at Ramadan Night Markets, Lakemba

Murtabak  

You will find many stalls selling murtabak, a fried flatbread filled with minced meat or vegetables, egg and onion. Desi Paikari Bazar is a great place to try it, and they also have a sweet option filled with banana and chocolate.

Murtabak on the grill at Ramadan Night Markets, Lakemba

Murtabak at Ramadan Night Markets, Lakemba - Credit: Taste Tours

Knafeh

Knafeh is a Middle Eastern dessert made with a spun pastry called kataifi, layered with a cheese filling, soaked in a sweet syrup and topped with pistachios. Head to Yummy Yummy Knafeh to try it – best eaten while hot and the cheese is stretchy. 

Cooks preparing knafeh at Yummy Yummy Knafeh's stall at Ramadan Night Markets, Lakemba

Yummy Yummy Knafeh stall at Ramadan Night Markets, Lakemba

Camel burger

One of the best-loved offerings of the Ramadan Night Markets, the camel burger by Broadster Chicken was a founding dish of the event. The juicy burgers are topped with a secret sauce, lettuce, tomato and cheese, and the chicken burgers are also a popular choice.

Camel burger on the grill at Broadster Chicken, Lakemba - Credit: Taste Tours

Broadster Chicken, Lakemba - Credit: Taste Tours

Chicken curry wraps

Another popular choice is Shahi Dastarkhwan, serving up Indian dishes like biryani and tikka kebabs. Don’t miss the chicken curry wraps – soft light bread filled with one of four curries; Hariyali chicken, coconut chicken, majestic chicken and Chicken 65. 

Chicken curry wraps being made at Ramadan Night Markets, Lakemba

Chicken curry at Ramadan Night Markets, Lakemba

Kashmiri chai & Turkish coffee 

Accompany your food with some of the tasty beverages on offer, like Kashmiri chai. This is a sweet, pink-coloured milky tea, garnished with chopped almonds and pistachios. Try it at Nawabz Restaurant or Ali's Dine Inn. Or sip on Turkish coffee, served thick in a copper pot.  

Turkish coffee at Ramadan Night Markets, Lakemba

Turkish coffee at Ramadan Night Markets, Lakemba

Ice gola 

End your Lakemba visit with an ice gola. This popular Indian dessert is simple, sweet and refreshing – crushed ice laced with different flavour syrup served on a stick.

Ice gola being made at Ramadan Night Markets, Lakemba

Ice gola being made at Ramadan Night Markets, Lakemba

Gulab jamun

Prone to brain freezes? Try gulab jamun instead, a classic Indian dessert. Milky dough is rolled into balls, fried and soaked in a sweet syrup. Deccan Flavours is the place to try these, served in a cup with vanilla ice-cream. 

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