Meet Lakemba’s Ramadan Night Market stallholders

Lakemba’s Haldon St has transformed into a cultural hub of south-Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine. Meet the stallholders behind the iconic dishes.

Owner of Nawabz stall, Zaffer Mohammad (pictured left) at the Ramadan Night Markets. Picture: Kirsten Jelinek.

Fairy lights have been strung across the bustling Haldon St at Lakemba as the Ramadan Night Markets have opened to an expected crowd of more than one million people.

More than 70 stalls and southwest Sydney businesses are selling a mix of south-Asian and Middle Eastern cuisines from camel burgers to knafeh.

The surrounding roads are closed for the next 30 days from dusk until 3am – with weekends expecting more than 30,000 visitors.

The event is organised by Canterbury-Bankstown Council, in partnership with Multicultural NSW, to celebrate Ramadan – the ninth month in the Islamic calendar when Muslims fast from sunrise to sunset.

Canterbury-Bankstown mayor Khal Asfour said Ramadan was an important event on the Islamic calendar and Ramadan Nights had become a meeting place for the Muslim community to break their fast with family and friends.

“The benefit of Ramadan Nights Lakemba on the Canterbury-Bankstown economy is incredible, with last year’s event generating approximately $33m for the local economy and we are expecting similar numbers this year,” he said.

Meet some of the stall holders who bring the markets to life.

Tarak Alawad (left) and a friend working their knafeh stall at Ramadan Night Markets. Picture: Kirsten Jelinek

Tarek Alawad – Knafeh stall

After migrating from Syria at the end of 2015 with his parents and two siblings, Tarak Alawad and his father started their knafeh stall in Wollongong.

Mr Alawad’s family prepared for two months to open their stall at the Ramadan markets and sell more than 30 trays of knafeh – spun pastry with cheese and topped with pistachios – per day.

“The markets remind me of my country, it’s multicultural and it’s a symbol,” he said. “Everyone feels equal because you can speak any language you want, you can dance you can shout.”

Owner of Island Dreams Cafe Alimah Bilda at Ramadan Night Markets. Picture: Kirsten Jelinek

Alimah Bilda – Island Dreams Cafe

While the Island Dream Cafe isn’t Haldon St, shop owner of 27 years Alimah Bilda said visitors should still try their famous chicken satay skewers.

Ms Bilda and her husband started with one barbecue in 2009 and now sell up to 8000 skewers per month.

“We make everything from scratch and it takes 24 hours to marinate the 20kg of chicken with our special spice so it’s a long process,” she said. “I want everyone to know we don’t use peanut butter for our peanut sauce, everything we made ourselves.”

Abdul Obeid (pictured left) and Yassr Yatim (pictured right) are the proud owners of the camel burger stall at Ramadan Night Markets. Picture: Kirsten Jelinek

Abdul Obeid and Yassr Yatim – Camel burgers

Owners Abdul Obeid and Yassr Yatim pride themselves on being the first stall on Haldon St 17 years ago, selling their popular camel meat burgers.

“We were the first so this is our legacy so we take the night markets very personally,” Mr Obeid said. “The markets bring people together from all different nationalities and it’s broken down stereotypes on Islam.”

Mr Obeid sources the camel meat from the Northern Territory and goes through about 34 boxes worth 10kg of camel per night.

Owner of the murtabak chicken stall Rahamat Ullah (pictured left) at the Ramadan Night Markets. Picture: Kirsten Jelinek.

Rahamat Ullah – Murtabak chicken stall

If you’re looking for a filling meal, owner of the murtabak chicken stall Rahamat Ullah said you’ve come to the right place.

The dish of pan-friend flatbread traditionally stuffed with minced meat or chicken has been a mainstay at the markets for the last 10 years.

Mr Ullah said he spent 12 hours preparing for his stall, which also sells shik kebab, burgers and a choice of masala and kashmiri tea.

But their bestseller is chicken murtabak, where Mr Ullah said they sold more than 300 pieces per night. “These markets are special, we are all together,” he said.

Owner of Nawabz stall, Zaffer Mohammad (pictured left) at the Ramadan Night Markets. Picture: Kirsten Jelinek.

Zaffer Mohammad – Nawabz restaurant

The owner of Nawabz restaurant stall Zaffer Mohammad said the markets were “absolutely five stars” for businesses and the community to come together.

“It’s amazing that groups come and they love to chat and we get to serve our food to council and state government people,” he said. “The month is special because Ramadan is the holy month and our festivities here (at the market) start from night into the morning.”

The bestseller is the smooth kashmiri tea – a pink milk tea dusted with pistachios brewed with green tea leaves and baking soda. The reaction with the baking soda gives the drink it’s iconic colour.

Adel Ayad selling Egypt’s national dish, koshary at the Ramadan Night Markets. Picture: Kirsten Jelinek.

Adel Ayad – Chef

While his stall is unnamed, chef Adel Ayad sells Egypt’s national dish, koshary.

The dish boasts a mix of pasta, rice, and brown lentils, topped with a zesty tomato sauce, garlic vinegar and a sprinkle of chickpeas and crispy fried onions.

Mr Ayad said the markets were “getting busier every year.”

“It’s a celebration so it’s good to see different people from different cultures come together in one place.”

Owner of El-Manara Lebanese restaurant, Amir Sayah. Picture: Kirsten Jelinek.

Amir Sayah – El-Manara owner

Amir Sayah has worked at El-Manara Lebanese Restaurant since 1988 when his uncle opened the store.

Across the years, Mr Sayah said people from across Australia and overseas had come to visit the markets.

“We have customers coming from Greece, Thailand and they stay at a local hotel for a week and come taste our food,” he said. “It’s a special time because after night time people relax, eat something sweet and we’re only getting bigger crowds.”