The smoke hits you first. A thick wall of charcoal haze drifts across the walkway from the grilling section, carrying the smell of marinated food blistering over open flame.
It is five in the afternoon at Pasar Pelbagai Barangan Gadong, the market is barely an hour into its evening run, and the seating area is already filling up with families balancing plastic trays loaded with rice and neon-coloured drinks.
Read also: 6 Best Things to Do in Brunei Darussalam You Should Not Miss
Brunei is not a country that most travellers associate with street food. The oil-rich sultanate is better known for its mosques, its water villages, and its quiet, orderly streets. But Gadong Night Market is the exception to that reputation. It is loud, smoky, crowded, and chaotic in the best possible way.
It is also one of the most affordable places to eat in a country where restaurant prices can be surprisingly steep.
History of Gadong Night Market
Pasar Pelbagai Barangan Gadong, known to most visitors simply as Gadong Night Market, is Brunei’s largest and busiest evening food market. It is located in the Gadong commercial district of Bandar Seri Begawan, close to the Jame’ Asr Hassanil Bolkiah Mosque and a short walk from The Mall.
Book Half Day City & Water Village Tour in Brunei
The market has operated in various forms since the late 1970s, originally as a collection of makeshift tents and stalls. In late 2016, the Sultan of Brunei ordered the construction of a permanent open-air complex on the same site. The new building was completed in February 2017.
The complex covers roughly 5,980 square metres and accommodates up to 150 food stalls, split into three sections: a smoky corner dedicated to grilling, a segment for cooked local dishes, and a third area for fresh and preserved fruits and vegetables.
Each stall is fitted with a built-in storage cabinet, kitchen hood, wash basin, and power supply. Public seating is available around the complex.
12 Must-Try Food at Gadong Night Market
Nasi Campur (Mixed Rice)
Nasi campur is the market’s most substantial meal. A plate of warm white rice is served with your choice of chicken, beef, fish, or vegetables cooked in various local styles. Point and choose from the trays at any of the rice stalls. The sambal variants are where the flavour lives: try the dry rendang, the wet rendang, and the rich coconut-based curries.
A full plate with two or three sides costs between BND 1.50 and BND 3.
Nasi Ayam (Chicken Rice)
Fragrant oil-infused rice served with roasted or steamed chicken, sliced cucumber, tomato, chilli paste, soy sauce, and a bowl of clear chicken broth.
Nasi ayam is a Bruneian staple and one of the most commonly ordered dishes at the market. For a variation, look for nasi tomato, rice cooked with aromatic tomato puree and served with a sweet, spicy chicken gravy alongside pickled cucumber, onion, and carrot.
Ayam Penyet
Fried chicken that has been deliberately smashed and flattened, giving it a wider surface area of crispy skin. It is served with rice, fresh lettuce, a mild curry, and sambal.
Nasi lemak is usually available at the same stalls, with coconut milk rice wrapped in banana leaf alongside fried groundnuts, anchovies, cucumber, and a punchy sambal.
Ikan Bakar (Grilled Fish)
Whole fish or fish fillets skewered and grilled over open charcoal, seasoned with salt, pepper, and turmeric.
The grilled fish is best eaten with white rice and sambal kicap (chopped chillies soaked in soy sauce) or air asam, a tamarind dipping sauce with shredded onion, chopped chillies, and diced tomato. You can also request a sweet and spicy sambal drizzled over the top.
Tongkeng (Grilled Chicken Tails)
This is the market’s signature street snack. Chicken tails marinated and grilled over charcoal, brushed repeatedly with a thick barbecue sauce as they cook.
The result is smoky, sticky, and fatty in the way that only a well-charred piece of poultry fat can be. They are sold by the stick and cost around BND 1 each. Follow the smoke; the tongkeng stalls are easy to find.
Satay
Skewered, marinated meat grilled over charcoal and served with peanut sauce. The Gadong version uses chicken and beef predominantly, and the sticks are sold in bundles. The peanut sauce is sweeter and less spicy than the Malaysian or Thai versions. Satay is one of the most popular items at the market and sells out quickly on busy evenings.
Roti John
Brunei’s version of a flattened, open-faced omelette sandwich. Minced meat is mixed with egg and spread onto a halved baguette, then fried until the bread is crispy and the egg is set.
It is finished with chilli sauce and mayonnaise. Cheap, filling, and messy in the best way.
Local Sambal
Multiple stalls sell jars and bags of homemade sambal in varying heat levels. Sambal biasa is the standard version. Sambal pedas brings more heat. Sambal pusu includes anchovies, while sambal tahai incorporates a local smoked salted fish called tahai.
These make excellent souvenirs if your luggage can handle the weight.
Kuih Melaya Babu Cantik
A peanut pancake that Brunei has adopted from Malaysia, where it is known as apam balik. A flour, sugar, and egg batter is spread on a heated round pan, then layered with sugar, crushed peanuts, and chunks of sweet creamed corn while the underside crisps up.
Once golden, it is folded in half and cut into slices. Some vendors also offer fillings of chocolate chips, peanut butter, biscuit crumbs, and melted cheese.
Traditional Kuih and Fritters
The kuih section of the market is extensive. Rice flour cakes made with sweet potato, pandan, tapioca, pumpkin, and yam are sold from trays. Roti jala, rolled net-like yellow pancakes served with either a sweet durian sauce or mild chicken curry, is particularly popular.
Deep-fried fritters include pisang goreng (banana fritters), sweet potato fritters, spring rolls, cucur udang (prawn fritters), and curry puffs. Look also for tepung pasung, a sweet rice flour pudding in a handmade leaf casing, and lepat, a steamed sweet pudding wrapped in banana leaf.
Air Balang
Colourful flavoured cordial drinks served from large plastic containers called balang. The most popular flavours are lime, ambra (kedondong), various sour preserved fruits, grape, sweetened syrup, and fresh young coconut.
They are served ice-cold in disposable cups and cost around BND 1. On a hot evening in the smoke of the grilling section, these are essential.
Cendol and Local Drinks
Beyond the cordials, the market serves a range of local drinks with toppings such as grass jelly, nata de coco, red beans, sago, boba, and corn.
Air bandung, a pink drink made from red syrup and evaporated milk, is a crowd favourite and can be upgraded with cincau (black jelly). Cendol, a bowl of shaved ice in coconut milk with palm sugar syrup, green jelly strips, and red beans, is the market’s best dessert option.
Seasonal Fruits at Gadong Night Market
The fruit section at the back of the market is worth browsing, particularly during durian season. Durians are sold as durian longgok (in tied piles) or durian timbang (by weight per kilo).
Look also for mangosteen, rambutan, duku langsat (a smooth, thin-skinned fruit with segmented sweet flesh), and pulasan, which resembles rambutan but has blunt thorns instead of hair on its skin. The fruit vendors are knowledgeable and happy to explain what is in season.
How to Get to Gadong Night Market
Gadong Night Market is located at Simpang 37, roughly 8 kilometres from Brunei International Airport (about 10 minutes by car). If you are staying at a hotel in the Gadong area, the market is likely within walking distance. The Radisson Hotel Brunei offers a free shuttle to and from the market.
By public bus
Take a bus to Tamu Gadong, which is a two-minute walk from the market. Alternatively, head to Jalan Pasar Baharu, a four-minute walk away. Bus number 20 from the central bus station in Bandar Seri Begawan goes directly to Gadong.
By taxi or Dart
Taxis are available until around 9pm, with fares ranging from BND 10 to BND 20 depending on distance. Dart is Brunei’s ride-hailing app (similar to Grab) and is the most convenient transport option.
- Address: Pasar Pelbagai Barangan Gadong, Simpang 37, Jalan Pasar Gadong, Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
- Opening hours: 4pm to 11pm daily
- Price range: BND 1 to BND 3 per item on average
Tips for Visitors
- Bring cash: Most vendors do not accept cards or e-wallets. Small denominations in Brunei dollars are useful.
- Arrive early: The market opens at 4pm. The peak dinner rush hits between 6pm and 7pm, when seating fills up and popular stalls begin to sell out. Arriving before 5.30pm gives you the widest selection and the shortest queues.
Frequently Asked Questions on Gadong Night Market
What time does Gadong Night Market open?
The market opens at 4pm and runs until 11pm daily, though some stalls begin packing up after 10pm.
How much money do I need at Gadong Night Market?
Most items cost between BND 1 and BND 3. A full meal with a drink and dessert typically comes to under BND 10 per person.
Is Gadong Night Market halal?
Yes. Brunei is an Islamic country and all food sold at the market is halal.
Is Gadong Night Market worth visiting?
Yes, particularly if you want to eat affordably and experience local Bruneian food culture. It is not comparable in scale to the night markets of Bangkok or Taipei, but the food is authentic, the prices are low, and the atmosphere is lively.
Can I get vegetarian food at Gadong Night Market?
Options are limited but available. The nasi campur stalls offer vegetable dishes, and the kuih and fritter sections are largely vegetarian. Dedicated vegetarian stalls are rare.
This guide is based on a personal visit to Gadong Night Market, with all prices, dishes, and details verified at the time of writing.
Love stories like this? Subscribe to the Rolling Grace newsletter for thoughtful travel notes, hidden dining gems, and slow discoveries from across Asia.
Leave a Reply