Melaka

Melaka can surprise first-time visitors with just how good the local food scene is, with its vibrant blend of cultural heritage influencing its delicious cuisine.  Here are some of our favourites…

• For coffee aficionados, when in Melaka, try the local gula melaka coffee.  It’s coffee sweetened with coconut palm sugar, and an iced gula melaka coffee is a very refreshing way to beat the heat in the tropics.  Every coffee shop seems to have their own version, one of our favourites is The Daily Fix Cafe, located in a heritage building on Jonker Street.  Try their salted gula melaka coffee, along with one of their amazing pastries or their tasty Pandan Pancakes.  Note that the cafe gets very busy, especially on weekends when visitors from Kuala Lumpur descend on Melaka, so be prepared for a wait for a table.
• If you are in Melaka on the weekend, then the Jonker Street Night Market is worth a look.  Street-food and souvenir stalls line this main street in the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage area of Melaka, and it comes alive with crowds once the sun sets.  Sample local delights, such as chicken rice balls, cendol (a sweet dessert made from shaved ice, coconut milk, pandan-flavoured green rice flour jelly, and palm sugar syrup), and pineapple tarts, just to name a few.  The markets are currently open from Friday to Sunday, from 6pm onwards.
• If you have walked to the end of Jonker Street, the Jaya Mata Malaysia Knife Gallery is worth a visit.  They host cooking classes, specialising in traditional Nyonya desserts (available from Tuesdays to Sundays in the afternoon – reservations recommended).  On the top floor is the museum, where you can discover the history of knives and swords in Malaysian culture.  On the ground floor is their shop, where you can purchase a wide range of artisan crafted knives for any purpose – even a durian knife, if you are a fan of South East Asia’s infamous (and very smelly) fruit!
• Melaka is full of gorgeous, old heritage buildings in the Old Town, and more and more of these beautiful buildings are being converted to hip and trendy restaurants serving the finest Nyonya cuisine.  If you are looking for a special lunch or dinner, then we can recommend the following:  Wild Coriander (at 40, Jalan Kampung Pantai, near the river), Campong O’oloo (at 17, Jalan Kampung Hulu, a couple of blocks walk from Jonker Street), and our favourite, Peranakan Mansion (at 108, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, set in a beautifully restored heritage mansion).  All are very popular, so you may need to make a reservation, especially on weekends.  We recommend trying their Pie Tee entrees (also known as Top Hats -a popular pastry snack in Malaysian cuisine that’s made of a thin, crispy shell filled with a variety of ingredients).  Each restaurant has their own take on it, and all of them are scrumptious!
• If you are on the hunt for a traditional Malaysian breakfast, then look no further than Baba Kaya restaurant (at 13A, Jln. Bunga Raya, beside the river and a short stroll from Jonker Street).  The restaurant offers both traditional Nyonya cuisine as well as some Western breakfast options, and is a great spot to sit and people watch over a coffee or ice-cold lassie.  We can recommend their Signature Nyonya Curry Laksa!
• Need a break from all that tasty Malaysian cuisine?  Craving a simple pizza ?  Then visit Aurelia Cafe – Pizza Melaka (at 17, 19 & 21, Jalan Laksamana, about 150 metres along the riverfront from the Dutch Square).  This restaurant serves up authentic Neapolitan pizza, and is widely regarded as the best pizza restaurant in Melaka – if you close your eyes and inhale, you could swear you were in Naples!
• Finally, if you need an afternoon pit-stop after visiting all the amazing sights of Melaka in the tropical heat, there is no better place to pull up a chair and people-watch than the riverfront bars along the Melaka river.  Cross the Tan Kim Seng Bridge towards Jonker Street, then turn right along the river walk.  Watch all the other visitors to Melaka taking in the sights from the river boats that cruise past, as you relax in the shade with an ice-cold Tiger beer in hand.