Those were the days when pasar malam (an Indonesian and Malay word that literally means “night market”) were a common sight in Singapore.
Ever since Covid-19, the lively sight is put on hold and some pasar malam stall vendors have started moving into brick-and-mortar shops.
These include The Original Vadai (at Amoy, Golden ile & Joo Chiat), Teochew Meat Puff at Woodlands, and O.M.G – the latest addition to Haji Lane.
There had been an increasing number of new cafes and restaurants around the Bugis area lately, including The Hainan Story (Hotel Boss), Fahrenheit Coffee (Beach Road, Momolato (Haji Lane), Brotherbird Coffeehouse (Bali Lane) and Mother Dough Bakery (Jalan Kledek).
Known for their golden sweet potato balls since 2016 with their iconic bright yellow banner, O.M.G first started in 2016 at various night markets.
Now, their store front is as significant as their stall, but painted in bright red instead.
Being a young, hipster street-style vibe to Haji Lane, O.M.G has a container theme in their interior, painted in the iconic Supreme-style using red and white colours.
Metal crates that serve as seats are painted in the same colours, with their logo printed across the surfaces.
Bringing back their signature sweet potato balls, 2 different colours are available: Yellow and Charcoal (+$1) with 3 different fillings, Original ($5), Cheese ($6.50) and Peanut with milk ($6).
You can also choose to have a mix of both yellow and charcoal sweet potato balls starting from $6.
I can understand what is the hype about their sweet potato balls, not as starchy as I thought.
Crispy and crunchy on the outside, freshly prepared ala minute and best consumed hot, the skin is so thin and light on the palate.
The inside of the sweet potato balls is hollow and airy without being too oily, making it a perfect refreshing treat.
For those craving for some pasar malam street snacks, some of the favourites can be found here, namely Pasar Malam Burger aka Ramly Burger ($6 – $9), Roti John ($7) and Cheese Nana ($7).
All their bottled drinks comes in cute little bottle with a mini Santa hat on the top, with layers of jelly that somehow resembles Machi Machi along Arab street nearby,
Once again, night market favourites Thai Milk Tea ($4) and Thai Green Tea ($4) can be found here.
Other interesting drinks include Strawberry Milk with Jelly ($5), Thai Tea with Jelly ($5), Thai Green Tea with Jelly ($5) and Orange/ Grape/ Strawberry Sparkling ($5).
I preferred the Strawberry Milk with Jelly ($5) that comes with sliced strawberry for the extra textural bite with a sweetened strawberry milk.
The Thai Green Tea with Jelly ($5) on the other hand felt a bit more subtle, with flavours mainly coming from the jelly layer at the bottom.
Without knowing when pasar malam will resume their operation amidst the pandemic, O.M.G is a great alternative spot to get your night market cravings fixed.
O.M.G
57 Haji Lane, Singapore 189250
Opening Hours: 10am – 10pm (Mon – Sun)
Other Related Entries
The Hainan Story (Hotel Boss)
Fahrenheit Coffee (Beach Road
Momolato (Haji Lane)
Brotherbird Coffeehouse (Bali Lane)
Mother Dough Bakery (Jalan Kledek)
* Written by Nicholas Tan @stormscape who loves all things [NEW]. DFD paid for food reviewed unless otherwise stated.
