8 interesting local finds we shopped while on our RM1K Sunny Side Up Market buying spree

Self-described as a “fun-filled” curated community market, Sunny Side Up Market occupies Slate at The Row, an event venue in Chow Kit. 

Recently, on August 6 and 7, the market hosted its annual Merdeka edition with over 30 merchants offering their wares over the weekend. 

Interested to see what finds we’d come across, the Vulcan Post team had to make a visit (and ended up shopping at almost every stall, with Sarah spending a whopping total of RM1,041 on her own dime, an experience you can read about here).

In this separate article, we’re focusing on a list of the names that caught our attention with their unique products (in no particular order).

1. Spread Cheers

Offering a range of artisanal jams and spreads was Spread Cheers, a brand that Vulcan Post has featured before. 

While jam and spreads might not sound like anything special, you’ll soon realise that the tongue-in-cheek name actually references one of the brand’s main offerings—alcohol-infused jams. 

Its founder, Richard Soo, was inspired by his trip to Tasmania, where he discovered how alcohol could enhance the flavours in jams. 

Being in the event management industry, the pandemic would end up spurring his interest in alcohol-infused jams, resulting in the launch of Spread Cheers. 

Other than alcoholic versions of fruit jams, Richard also goes a step further by adding bacon bits into his jams. 

Spread Cheers’ bacon jams include flavours such as Drunken Bacon Jam with Irish Stout, a spicy version of that, and Drunken Bacon Jam with Whisky-soaked Cranberries. 

We ended up purchasing the Drunken Bacon Jam and Crushed Pineapple in Whisky infused Marmalade.

2. Verse Stroopwafel 

Combined with Spread Cheers’ booth at Sunny Side Up Market, Verse Stroopwafel is a brand that, unsurprisingly, sells stroopwafels, a Dutch waffle cookie. 

Made from two layers of dough and held together by a sweet caramel filling, the wafel is traditionally eaten by placing it on top of a hot cup of coffee. 

Verse Stroopwafel was founded in March 2019 by Yugin, a Dutch citizen who has been living in Malaysia since 2008. 

According to a post on the brand’s Instagram page, Yugin returned to the Netherlands in 2017 and enrolled himself in a professional authentic stroopwafels baking course. 

As such, Yugin’s stroopwafels can be considered authentic, but he said on Instagram that he added a bit of his own “personal touch” to the authentic recipe he learnt. 

Other than the classic caramel, Yugin also offers chocolate and mocha flavoured stroopwafels, as well as one called “Speculaas”, which is a certain kind of Dutch spice mix.

Though the chocolate and mocha stroopwafels were enticing, we went with the classic caramel, and honestly, we have no regrets.

3. TopiTin 

Selling an assortment of vibrant bucket hats, TopiTin is a business run by Ila and Fatin, a mother-daughter duo. The daughter, Fatin (whose name inspired the latter part of Topitin), handles marketing and sales, while the hats are handmade by her mother, Ila. 

Established during the first MCO, TopiTin is certainly a family business, with many of Ila’s children being present at this Sunny Side Up Market.

Apparently, the brand’s very first hat was also made out of Fatin’s grandfather’s batik fabric, as written in a Poptron article.

Speaking of which, one of TopiTin’s objectives is to keep the batik tradition alive through its hats, according to the brand’s website. 

Other than batik designs, though, TopiTin also offers a variety of other patterns, from quirky cat prints to simple checkers. They even have hats made out of corduroy and denim.

What’s more, the hats are reversible, so really, TopiTin is selling two hats in one. 

4. D’artisan Cheese

Behind this local artisanal cheese brand is a husband and wife duo consisting of Dexter Lim and Natalie Chiang. D’artisan Cheese’s products are made by Dexter himself using raw, unpasteurised milk sourced from a boutique dairy farm. 

Before venturing into cheesemaking, Dexter had been in property investment, but even then he had a love for cheeses. 

At the time, though, the only recipients of the cheese he made were himself and his family. As a father, he had noticed that the cheese being sold elsewhere was filled with various preservatives, which he didn’t think was safe for his kids. 

Thus, Dexter rolled up his sleeves and began using natural starter cultures to produce his own cheese. 

Now, D’artisan Cheese produces all sorts of cheese from hard cheeses (take Parmamia and Kerabu, for example) to blue cheeses (Cam Blue and Caerphilly Blue). There are even gluten-free vegan cheeses available. 

From their stall, we bought the semi-soft Fleur Rose, which is mild, creamy-tasting, and ends with a floral note.

5. Farisya Bakes AKA The Cake Therapist 

Farisya of Farisya Bakes started her baking career with cheesecakes in jars, but she is best known today for her choux pastries, i.e. cream puffs. According to an article by Teh Talk, Farisya uses real vanilla bean pods in the cream filling. 

Other than that, though, Farisya Bakes also offers banoffee pies and cookie bars, amongst other baked goods. 

You might be wondering why she has dubbed herself The Cake Therapist. It actually isn’t because she thinks her pastries are so good that they’re a form of therapy for the soul, but more because of her background in psychology. 

Honestly though, eating her handmade desserts made for a pretty cathartic experience too, especially after 1.5 hours of non-stop walking and shopping.

6. Curobuddy 

Designed for furparents, Curobuddy is a pet skincare brand that aims to keep pets’ itches and infections at bay. Only two months old, the weekend at Sunny Side Up Market was the brand’s first time at a bazaar. 

Standing out thanks to their shiny and solid metallic packaging, Curobuddy’s product range includes antibacterial sprays, pet deodorisers, and even a regenerative care spray. According to its website, the products are vet-approved. 

To top it off, the homegrown brand claims to keep things natural, utilising ingredients such as mangosteen. Curobuddy mentioned on its website that it uses mangosteen as the fruit contains xanthones, which have anti-inflammatory properties. 

7. Kuen Stephanie 

Distinctly recognisable through her art style, Kuen Stephanie and her eponymous brand sells her art and prints that depict Malaysian culture and heritage. 

Her characters lack facial features, except for a curved line for a nose. However, this doesn’t make the art feel impersonal at all, instead, it’s more of an invitation for you to picture yourself within the imagery. 

Kuen Stephanie’s pieces are records of daily life in rural Malaysia and the multicultural nature of our country. 

For example, each frame carries a very familiar and even nostalgic scene, from visiting someone’s Raya open house, to eating a freshly opened durian right at the stall.

8. Cozycave

From speckled ceramic plates to tinted glass cups, Cozycave rejects the idea of boring tableware and crockery. 

On top of cups, plates, and bowls, the brand also carries flatware, reusable straws, and even vases coming in a variety of curated designs. 

Launched in October 2021, Cozycave is less than a year old, but it already has a pretty big catalogue that leaves customers spoilt for choice. But no matter what you choose, you’ll end up with wares fit for a cafe. 

Sarah’s pretty serious about her crockery, wanting them to be both functional and gorgeous, so the fact that she bought four bowls in total right off the bat (with plans to buy more another time) says a lot for their quality.

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Though we’d seen quite a few of the brands online (and even featured some of them before) prior to Sunny Side Up Market, a lot of interesting small local businesses were still put onto our radar.

While the brands we mentioned might not be permanent fixtures at the market, any of these brands that might have caught your eye can still be found online through their social media accounts, which we’ve linked throughout the piece. 

Featured Image Credit: Vulcan Post