Best 6 Morning Markets in Klang Valley

Markets are a familiar sight in our city. They are messy, lively, choatic, dirty, just darn full of atmosphere. And you know what? We wouldn’t have it any other way.

We love the sight of the rainbow colours of fresh fruits and vegetables lining up the stalls. Combine that with the heady smells of spices, delicious aromas of roasted meats and edible delights drifting through our senses as one enters some of these markets, it’s really an experience not to be missed. Walking along through loud calls of “Mari! Mari! Ikan Segar”, “Hello, leng lui!” (we so wish!), and “Lelong! Lelong!”, it’s a great way to start a new day.

We are actually very blessed to have multiple choices of fresh produce at our markets. Not everyone has that luxury and we are definitely thankful for this privilege. And in being lovers of good food, we decided to put together a list celebrating our pasar pagi culture.

Our best 6 Morning Markets In Klang Valley:

1. Chow Kit 

Address: Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, 50100 Kuala Lumpur.

Opening hours: 6am till 5pm daily

Credit: Time Out

This is one of the largest wet markets in KL. It has anything and everything one would want to make a great home cooked meal. Butchered meats, live fish flapping about in pails, loads of fruits, vegetables and spices are all available at this market.

To top that off, they also have a vast selection of street food to tempt you as you do the morning shop. Munching along the way as you shop is not a bad idea. In fact, it’s downright fantastic! It’s perhaps not great for the hips, but heck, we only live once. We vote for the laksa, so tah pau some for later if eating on the go is not your cup of tea.

This market also closes much later compared to their other counterparts. So for those who are late risers, this is a good market to check out.

2. Pudu Market

Address: Jalan Pasar Baharu, Pudu, 55100 Kuala Lumpur.

Opening hours: 6am till 2pm daily.

Credit: Flickr

Pudu Market has been a staple in these parts for more than 50 years. A bustling market full of glorious finds. It is one of the most comprehensive markets in the city with a great mix of meat, fresh fruits and vegetables, clothing, household items and accessories, prayer items, plastic bags, etc. The list is endless. A name it, we have it kind of attitude is what we found as a common theme when browsing through shops and stalls here. There is nothing lacking in the choices available at this market.

They also have great street food such as putu mayam, chicken rice, kuih and even pastries. And at night, the same vicinity turns into a hawker area. By the way, the wantan mee available there is a.ma.zing.

3. Imbi Market

Address: 8 Jalan Melati, Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur

Opening hours: 7am till late afternoon

Credit: Time Out

This market has even been mentioned in Lonely Planet, which described it as most frantic. That is very true. You can find almost anything in this market, which is also notably, one of the larger markets in our city. You can get all sorts of fruits, vegetables, fish and meat (including a pig’s penis if you’re into that sort of thing).

It is also one of the top places for KLites to visit for breakfast. We find this a double bonus as we can eat after the shopping. The food choices are bountiful. From Ginger Wine Noodles to Hainanese Assam Laksa, Ah Fook Chee Cheong Fun, Curry Laksa, Pan Mee, the infamous Sister’s Crispy Popiah, Nasi Lemak and more. Wash that down with Ah Weng Kor’s Hainanese tea and for a sweet ending, there is Apom Balik and scrumptious Egg Tarts. One can definitely say they’ve gone to street food heaven upon savouring all these delights!

A word of warning – food stalls are closed on Mondays and be prepared to wait for the food if you find a long queue when you get there, particularly on weekends and public holidays. We assure you though, the food is well worth the wait.

4. Pasar Borong Kuala Lumpur

Address: Pusat Bandar Utara, Selayang, Batu Caves, 68100 Selangor.

Opening hours: 3am till 9am

Credit: words manifest

The hustle and bustle of this place at an ungodly hour in the morning, 3am, is truly a sight to behold. Workers swiftly move goods and produce from trucks with deft speed. When we got there at 4am, the market was already packed and in a hive of activity. We thought we had seen some fast work action in markets before. But the lightning speed of the stall owners and workers on the scaling, cleaning, gutting and filleting of fish, we dare say that they can beat any Michelin chef in knife skills. You ain’t seen nothing yet till you check out the seafood section at this market.

A lot of the stalls here are family businesses, some have been around for 50 years. This place is not for the faint hearted though. It is full of gore (with all that butchering going on, you don’t need  a horror film for guts & blood. You can get it here!), full of loud shouts, it’s messily dirty and it smells. But hey, that’s the beauty of this place. Be there early because come 9am, it’s closed. Remember, the early bird catches the worm, or rather in this case, fresh fish instead.

5. Pasar Borong Selangor

Address: Jalan Putra Permai, Seri Kembangan, 43000 Selangor.

Opening hours: from 4am

Credit: jebateja/blogspot

This huge market is like its cousin, Pasar Borong Selayang in many ways. A place that isn’t pretty to look at but we never judge a book by its cover. The selection of produce is huge , similar in offerings like what is offered at Selayang.

It specialises in low-priced seafood and produce coming directly from fishermen and farmers. As they open up at 4am, it is advisable to get there as early as possible to get the freshest catch and produce available because if you get there late, you’ll be left with nothing. So, not a market for the late risers but it’s a great market with affordable prices.

6. Pasar Tani Mega Seksyen 17

Address: Jalan 17/1A, Seksyen 17, 46400 Petaling Jaya.

Opening hours: Opens every Thursday only from 7am till 11am

Credit: Time Out

This is a little unusual for a morning market as it only opens once a week on Thursdays instead of having daily opening hours, like majority of morning markets here. This market is located on the same road that houses the Tuesday night’s Pasar Malam.

This market also plays home to vendors who sell all manner of things such as spices, fish, clothes, herb plants, Malay food and even traditional medicine. Not a huge market but it does its job well, providing great quality produce to folks who live around the area.