The Hari Raya Bazaar in Geylang Serai is going hip, young and international this year.
On offer are snacks from all over the world, such as fluffy mini Dutch pancakes or poffertjes, Indian street fare such as pani puri (hollow shells filled with potatoes and topped with spice water and sauce) and double-fried Russet potatoes modelled after crispy frites found on the streets of Amsterdam.
Not convinced? There is still spicy Korean yogurt and rainbow bagels inspired by those from New York.
Photogenic, exotic or just plain weird, these new-generation snacks are sold by 10 or so creative young business owners who wanted to go beyond the usual fare of Ramly burgers, kebabs and goreng pisang.
Take Ms Miza Nazili, 22, who runs Iceburnz, a food and drinks stall across two units. A new product here is Croatian Nutella balls ($4.50 a cup), an idea inspired by her trip to the European country a month ago.
The balls are based on fritules or mini Croatian doughnuts, minus the booze and raisins. Her version uses banana paste instead, similar to the Malay snack jemput jemput (fried banana ball), and the balls are topped with Nutella. She sells up to 300 cups a night and the product is especially popular with teens.
Another item setting social media on fire is the rainbow bagel ($8) by Word., a cafe in Upper Thomson that has set up two stalls at the bazaar.
The dough comprises multi-coloured layers twisted together and takes six times longer to prepare compared with a regular bagel, says cafe co-founder Shereen Anwar, 32. Looking like a piece of Play-Doh art, the neon-coloured bread is so popular that each customer is limited to buying two bagels. Up to 400 bagels are sold daily.
Stall owners are taking advantage of the crowds that descend on the fair during the fasting month of Ramadan. Muslims, as well as Singaporeans of other faiths, head to the fair after sundown to indulge in a common passion: food.
Geylang Serai's fair is the mother of all Hari Raya fairs, with about 800 stalls this year. It runs till July 5, the day before Hari Raya Puasa.
This year, it has shrunk about 20 per cent in size due to construction taking place at the area next to Paya Lebar MRT station and the Singapore Post Centre. It is now concentrated in three areas around Tanjong Katong Complex and along Geylang Road between One KM Mall and Geylang Serai Market. Renting a booth costs between $10,000 and $15,000, stall holders say.
Despite its reduced size, it is still the biggest Hari Raya bazaar in town. Others are held in Tampines, Woodlands, Eunos and Kampong Glam and have 36 to 100 stalls each.
Sharing a booth in Geylang Serai are Dutch entrepreneur Barbara Riedijk, 32, and Singaporean Shivani Gupta, 28, who want to create greater awareness of their products.
Ms Riedijk owns food pop-up The Dutch Pancake Store, selling mini treats (from $2.50 for five pieces) while Ms Gupta runs Chaat Ok Please!, selling classic Indian snacks such as pani puri ($6).
Ms Gupta's dream is to open a restaurant selling progressive Indian cuisine. Her booth is a way to test the waters. "A lot of locals here don't know about Indian street food," she says. "Here, I can educate them about the various dishes."
For Ms Riedijk, the booth builds on her travelling pancake business that started late last year. This is her third bazaar. She says: "It's funny to hear people say I'm the first ang moh to sell at the bazaar. This is a good place to reach out to more customers."
The most bizarre item at the fair is probably the spicy Korean yogurt ($5), a combination of froyo and a spicy sauce reminiscent of the marinade used in Korean cuisine. It is the original creation of J.J. Ng, 36, of 365 Foodologist. She says the yogurt is a healthier option in a place dominated by sugary and fried food.
After seeing the fancy fare on social media, auditor Ng Hui Kin, 24, visited the bazaar last Saturday and tried several items, including the spicy Korean yogurt and rainbow bagel. She says: "I was attracted to the wider options. It's not just rows of stalls selling Ramly burgers and kebabs any more."
Eight must-tries at Geylang Serai bazaar
1 Spicy Korean yogurt by 365 Foodologist
What: This funky new creation comprises vanilla-flavoured frozen yogurt and a light caramel- coloured spicy sauce topping ($5, above). The sweet yet spicy sauce is reminiscent of the marinade used in the popular Korean meat dish, bulgogi. The coolness from the yogurt cuts through the heat and, for added texture, two other toppings such as dried fruits, nuts or mini marshmallows can be added.
Where: Stall 101, along Block 12 Haig Road
Open: 2 to 11pm (weekday), 2 to 1am (weekend)
Info: www.facebook.com/365Foodologist
2 Double-fried Russets by Katoshka