I headed to London over the weekend for a fabulous weekend away with some of my Malaysian friends as we wanted to visit the Malaysian Carnival in Brickendonbury Estate, Hertford.
It has been almost three years since any of us have visited our family and friends in Malaysia, mainly due to the COVID lockdown, hence it we were all missing home and really excited to experience Malaysian food and culture.
The Malaysian Carnival has always been a yearly affair, (except for the last three years) hosted by Tun Abdul Razak Research Centre (TARRC). The event was held in conjunction with Malaysian National Day, which falls on 31st August and it is a way to get Malaysians near and far to mark the anniversary of Malaysia’s independence.
The festival usually attracts a crowd of about 2000….I can’t tell you how many attended the event this year but there were hundreds and hundreds of people all around us. We got there early, coming from King’s Cross where we took the underground to Stevenage then changed for the train to Finsbury Park.
Our journey took around 45 minutes, but we were chatting so much that we did not notice the time. Soon as we arrived at Finsbury Park Train Station, we booked a taxi to TARRC. We did spot some Malaysians on the train and knew instantly that they were also headed to the carnival, just like us.
The carnival was relatively busy but not crowded when we arrived, the weather was beautifully sunny, so we just set up a picnic mat on the ground and went hunting for our favourite Malaysian food. Our first stop was to find the ever famous Malaysian Teh Tarik (Malaysian Tea) and our favourite foods.
There were plenty of vendors selling all sorts of delicious Malaysian food from grilled Satay, Nasi Lemak, Roti Canai, sweet delicacies such as Cendol and rice dishes. We managed to buy our favourite food and sat down as we watched various activities organised by the Malaysian Community and the High Commission of Malaysia for the day.
You could easily spend a whole day there as there is just plenty to do. We arrived at the Carnival around 11 am and only left around 6pm, after the last main lucky draw numbers were called.
There were lots of activities organised there for the young and old included Tug of War, games for adults and kids to keep everyone entertained. We were also blessed with fabulous sunny weather which was a plus point as all the events were held outdoors.
There was also a live band performing various Malay and English numbers to keep us entertained. Some of the songs, especially Sudirman and Anuar Zain’s songs brought back wonderful memories of yesteryears. The raffle numbers were also announced by the emcee on stage (although we could hardly hear this) and we had a fun fashion show by Kebaya Nyonya London.
This was indeed a family-friendly event as there were all sorts of activities to keep little ones entertained from bouncy castles to games and even face painting. With all sorts of cake, cookie and food stalls, it is also a great way to get children to taste the different Malaysian food whilst enjoying the song and dance.
Would I head there again?
I am a huge foodie, so I had a wonderful day with my friends just trying out all the food which we missed back home. Some of the flavours was hit and miss, so choose the stall carefully as the food can be pricey roughly around £4 for a packet of nasi lemak, £5 for cendol or £7.50 for a mixed rice meal.  That being said, I had the most delicious ‘nasi lemak bungkus’ and it brought back memories of my childhood, the ‘roti canai’ from Roti King was also delicious!
Towards the afternoon, there was no orderly que system so we ended up queuing for a long time to purchase the food we wanted. The satay stall was a hit, so much so that the people in front were ordering in bulk up to 50 sticks a person hence the que hardly moved. Despite that, we had a fabulous day feeling like we were in ‘Boleh Land’ and back in Malaysia.
There were lots of vendors selling all sorts of items but we were a little disappointed that we did not see any stalls selling ‘ikan bilis’ or ‘dried chillies’ or ‘dried prawns’ nevertheless there was a Babas’ stall selling curry powder and other vendors selling Malaysian snacks to that made up for it.
Now the million dollar question….would I head back there again next year? Yes definitely! Especially since it is a great way to meet other Malaysians, speak malay and enjoy a fabulous day reminiscing about my childhood and home country.
So a huge thank you to the organisers, vendors and everyone involved in making the event a memorable one!
Where was the Malaysian Carnival held?
The event was held in the Brickendonbury Estate which is a unit of Tun Abdul Razak Research Centre in East Hertfordshire.
Brickendonbury
Hertford
SG13 8NL
How can I get get to the event?
Driving – Use Brickendon Lane (to avoid arriving via Mangrove Road)
Train – Use Intercity or West Anglian and Great Northern Railway (If you are travelling from the North change at Stevenage for Hertford North).
If you are coming from London, the train starts at Moorgate (weekdays), Kings Cross (weekends) for Hertford North. Finsbury Park is on both routes and is therefore reliable joining point and provides an interchange between the Underground and Main line. Alternative service runs from Liverpool St for Hertford East. Once you arrive at the station, head to the taxi stand or call for an Uber as it only takes 7-8 minutes to get to the destination.
Tips/Points to take note of
- Entrance is Free
- Bring both credit card and cash with you as there is no cash machine there and some vendors only accept cash
- Parking is available on site, there was a charge of £2 per car for all day parking
- Buy lots of raffle tickets as there were loads of good prizes, we each won something to take back. The grand prize was a return MAS flight ticket to Malaysia for two
- This is an outdoor event, so remember to bring sunhats, sun cream and a picnic mat if the weather is nice or an umbrella if the weather is bad.
- There are portable toilets available on site
- Bring a huge bag with you as there are plenty of items on sale so great way to stock up on your supplies
About Tun Abdul Razak Research Centre
The Tun Abdul Razak Research Centre, originally known as the British Rubber Producers’ Research Association, carries out research into rubber and is funded by the Malaysian government.
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13 comments
That looks like an amazing carnival. I’ve always loved attending festivals like this that highlight cultural.
I agree, something so special and magical about festivals such as this
That is sooooo cool!!! I love going to these cultural carnivals but never been to a Malaysian one…The food looks delicious…
Thank you, so much food there, song and dancing too
Oh man that looks like a lot of fun and all that food!!! How delicious 😀 I wish I could have been there to explore the tastes and culture.
You would have loved it if you are a huge foodie
Oh how cool I didn’t know there was a community there. I loved seeing all the food and bright colours took me back to my SE Asia days!
How wonderful that you have shared that, I guess everyone came from different places to gather
That looks so fun and cool! The community looks so fun! Everybody must have a great time!
Yes we did thank you, and the weather was fantastic there too
Looks like a lot of fun. The food looks so delicious I’d love to try it. Thanks for sharing!
You are welcome, lots to do there and the food was delicious indeed
Sounds like a lot of fun! I love trying out different foods and would love to check this out. Seems like a nice place to go with the whole family.