48 Hours of Melaka Food, the not so Touristy Guide

August 31, 2011

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I spent my last weekend in Melaka searching high and low for good food that I did not manage to try in my last trip. Honestly, when I read back the trip I had almost three years ago I find it very touristy feel. So this time my aim is to those I missed and those not-so-famous places that are equally good, if not better. This will be an executive summary of my 3 days 2 nights trip, short but concise – focused mainly on Melaka food and some side activities, hopefully it will be helpful if you are visiting Melaka soon.
By the way, due to the Hari Raya and National Day holidays there are long queues in almost all the famous makan places like Chung Wah Chicken Rice, Capitol Satay Celup, Jalan Bunga Raya Fried Oyster just to name a few and waiting time could exceed 1 hour easily. Tourist influx has definitely surged and Melaka feels different too after on-going developments over the years.

If you didn’t know, I spent a year completing my pre-U courses in MMU Melaka. That time there was a nice duck mee around Bukit Beruang‘s food court, which I only knew after SL told me. Three years ago we were not able to locate the restaurant because apparently they have shifted. This time, we found it. Taste wise it exceeded my expectations by leaps and bounds, the closest thing I could think of that taste almost the same is Mamee’s instant duck noodle. Imagine that but with authentic duck flavour and meat instead, very recommended. Price: RM4

Currently the duck mee can be found at Chia Yean Coffee Shop near the Medan Selera Bukit Beruang, GPS Coordinates: N2 14.779 E102 16.489

Next, Aunty Koh’s cendol at Bukit Rambai. It was a long drive past the beach and paddy fields but man was it worth it. Unlike other cendol in Melaka that relies heavily on sweet Gula Melaka for the distintive taste, Aunty Koh emphasizes on coconut milk instead. What you will get here is the milkiest cendol with the purest coconut milk taste. This, in my book is the BEST cendol ever. Besides cendol Aunty Koh also sells Tai Bak, some sort of tong sui that taste like tong yuen but comes in long shredded slices instead. RM3.50 for a big bowl of cendol.

Aunty Koh cendol is open during weekends only from 12pm till finish. Come early to avoid disappointments and expect a lot of self-service here. GPS Coordinates: N2 14.804 E102 11.516

On the way back to town from Bukit Rambai you will surely go pass Pantai Klebang and here you should try Klebang Original Coconut Shake. A normal cup costs only RM1.50 but for an extra 50 cents you get the special version with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. Not bad but the blended ice is not fine enough resulting in some annoying bits here and there.

Open daily except during Hari Raya Aidilfitri, GPS Coordinates: N2 12.920 E102 12.365

After waiting for a long, long time finally we got to try the famous Mille Crepes from Nadeje Patisserie. Yeah, looks fancy and delicious alright but honestly? This cake is overrated and merely a hype to me.

Nadeje has two branches, the latest one as shown above is located at Plaza Mahkota (GPS Coordinates: N2 11.409 E102 15.014) while the original can be found at Taman Melaka Raya (GPS Coordinates: N2 11.368 E102 14.800) If possible do visit the original branch for better authenticity plus fewer customers.

I guess Stadthuys (Dutch Square) and all the already well-known attractions no longer appeal to a frequent visitor like me. So this time we decided to visit the newly opened Under Water World/Coral Wonderland at Dataran Pahlawan. If you like photography you will spend a few hours here easily. Entrance fee: RM30 for adult but there was a RM5 discount when we went, most likely due to their soft opening.

Honestly I did not have high expectations from the Coral Wonderland since I have been to much bigger ones at Langkawi, Singapore and KL but it was kind of interesting after all. Despite not having those large fishes like sharks, they do feature some beautiful small fishes like this one, a Green Mandarin Fish.

Purple Fire Goby.

Hermit Crab.

This must look familiar to the average Malaccan. I used to think the cockle stalls in the back alley of Jalan Bunga Raya is too dirty to even qualify as a proper eating place. But after this eye-opening experience I have changed my mind.

Besides the bloody cockles you will find snails, clams and cuttlefish here as well. They don’t look too appetizing but they are indeed quite addictive after dipping into the special sauce. The dipping sauce is mixed carefully by the uncle shown earlier by mixing chilli, crushed peanuts, lime juice and some sweet sauces hence contains all the necessary flavors: sweet, spicy and sour.

Eating here is not for those who are less adventurous. The stalls as you can see are really smacked right next to the drains in a small alley and motorcycles constantly zoom past your back while you are seated.

Cuttle fish put on display by one of the stalls. To look for this place, simply locate Madam King’s departmental store and seek out the alley next to it. GPS Coordinates: N2 11.990 E102 15.110

Strolling along the Melaka River, it does have some Venice feel to it.

Then we tried our first ever Beef Bak Kut Teh at Taman Perkota. Lois Bak Kut Teh used to operate along Jalan Penghulu Abas but have shifted to the new and current location. Despite not tasting like the herbal Bak Kut Teh and somewhat uninspiring at first, the hot peppery grows on you quicky and faster with every taste.

Lois Bak Kut Teh, open daily from 10.30am to 2pm then 6pm to 10pm. GPS Coordinates: N2 13.592 E102 15.819. Recommended stuff: beef tongue and beef balls, the latter is just delicious.

The next day, we were disappointed that the nasi lemak at Lereh area was not open most likely due to Hari Raya being near. We proceeded to Toast n Toast for breakfast instead. The variety of toasts here is good with some never being seen before like this Banana Toast. The toasts are nice and crispy, tastes authentic like those served back in kopitiam back in the old days. But what I really recommend is the Nyonya Sambal Egg toast, it was really good.

Toast n Toast has multipled branches in Melaka but here’s one at Taman Melaka Raya, GPS Coordinates: N2 14.419 E102 15.602

Followed by Hing Loong‘s famous Taiwan Beef and Pork Noodles at Gajah Berang. They are one of the oldest restaurant in town serving some rare noodles like this – Pork Ribs Noodle, which is essentially konlou koay teow with pork chop that tastes like ‘Pai Kuat Wong’. Not bad at all and worth a try, RM4.20 a bowl.

Hing Loong Restoran Taiwan Mee, GPS Coordinates: N2 12.574 E102 14.558

Melaka has numerous Pork Satay or restaurants and your visit will not be complete without trying one. I like Ming Pork Sate (GPS Coordinates: N2 11.370 E102 14.794) the most because their satay sauce has stronger pineapple taste. The portion is small indeed @ RM0.70 each, barely a mouthful but I am more than happy to overlook that because they are tasty.

Sun May Hiong at Taman Kota Laksamana is busier, complete with photos of visiting celebrities hanging on their walls. The price is cheaper compared to Ming Sate @ RM0.60 each but the satay sauce is not as great. It is just too watery and tastes too sourish for my liking.

One good thing about Sun May Hiong is that you get your satay faster because there are two people barbecueing at any time. Open daily from 10am to 7pm but best to reach before 6 as they tend to finish earlier. GPS Coordinates: N2 11.523 E102 14.655

Since I missed the Char Siew rice at Jalan Bunga Raya, the alternative and next best (or more like the BEST) will be Chuen How Restaurant‘s Char Siew aka Batu Berendam Char Siew. This is more like a chap fan restaurant but I tell you, their fatty Char Siew will put many roast pork restaurants’ to shame. The Char Siew slices are thin and tender with a crunchy bite, a masterful rendition. This came as a surprise to us and it is very highly recommended to try.

Chuen How starts selling around 5.30pm and queuing is unavoidable. GPS Coordinates: N2 14.319 E102 15.452.

Then we drove to Tengkera for Putu Piring. A family sells this traditional delicacy in a house cum shop by the road. Each is only 90 cents, good for a quick snack.

Tengkera Putu Piring’s business hours is 6.30pm to 10.30pm daily except Sunday when they are closed, GPS Coordinates: N2 12.076 E102 14.326

Looking at the time it was around 6.30pm, which is time for us to start heading to Jalan Bunga Raya (yet again) for the famous fried oysters. Honestly, this @ RM6 kinda sucked for me especially if I compare it with those we have in Penang. The raw oysters looked huge but overcooked to small chewy pieces and all you can taste is starch and egg. If you are a Penangite, my advice is to skip this. If you are here with friends and don’t feel like having fried oysters then you ~~can try the Wan Tan Mee next door that is said to be quite good~~ Don’t try, it sucks.

And not to mention the queue starts even before the stall opens. People who take away from here do not buy in single portions so expect a LONG waiting time. Fried Oysters at Boon Leong food court, business hours from 7:30pm daily. GPS Coordinates: N2 11.889 E102 15.077

My original plan was to get to Semabok and try the legendary Burger of Death – Burger Maut. But since it was near Hari Raya like many other Malay eateries it was closed as well. So it’s not like I don’t want to try the halal food in Melaka, the timing was wrong unfortunately. We had nothing better to do so we decided to take a stroll at Jonker Walk.

One of the better things I tried at Jonker Walk is the Onde Onde, made fresh upon order and each small packet is only RM1 with three pieces inside. Warm onde onde does taste different and they certainly do not stinge on the gula melaka.

Quite nice actually so do keep an eye out for this stall.

A visit to Melaka is not complete without trying the local Wantan Mee too. It is different from the central and northern versions where they omit dark soya sauce but mix chilli sauce in the noodles. I was not really fond of this style’s Wan Tan Mee in the past maybe because I have been eating the wrong ones. The stall at Dung Fong Food Court serves good and Wantan Mee and the taste is spot on albeit a bit oily.

This Wantan Mee opens for dinner and supper only, located at Dung Fong Food Court, GPS Coordinates: N2 11.694 E102 15.251

Holiday season is a bad time to visit Capitol Satay Celup.. just look at the queue, it has been the same since 5pm!

But I could understand why their business is so good. Although the number of tables is limited here the service is still quite good and friendly. The bosses are quite down to earth as well even though they are successful.

And of course the food is good as well, the satay sauce has a distinctive sweet taste that is so much better than the peers and more importantly, the seafood is fresh.

The secret is the extra condiments added into the pot of satay sauce before the meal begins. It is a mixture of crushed peanuts, sugar and gula melaka. Capitol opens daily from 5pm onwards and each stick is priced at a flat 80 cents. Highly recommended despite the long wait, a must eat in Melaka. Capitol Satay Restaurant, GPS Coordinates: N2 11.710 E102 15.137

On the last day, we went to Ah Chew Coffee Shop opposite Eng Seng Market for breakfast. The Melaka Laksa (different from Nyonya Laksa) here is one of the oldest in Melaka and the authenticity is still being maintained. Compared to Nyonya Laksa, it is spicier and not so milky in taste. RM3.50 a bowl and comes with very fresh cockles and small prawns.

The Chicken Rice Ball at the same coffee shop is not bad too.

Ah Chew Coffee Shop is a favorite among the local elderly, GPS Coordinates: N2 11.716 E102 15.169. The Laksa finishes quite early so do come before 10am to avoid any disappointment. The laksa and chicken rice were the last thing we had before we went back to KL. Among the many Melaka food we tried in less than 48 hours I would rate the cendol, Char Siew rice, back lane cockles and satay celup the nicest while the Mille Crepe and fried oyster are a sad waste of time.