The Best of Melaka - Part 1

*Part 2 can be located here*

Hi ya peeps! First of all, a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Been extremely busy trying to finishing of my piling workloads so that I could enjoy my holidays without needing to do it from home! So how did your Christmas holiday past? I had mine with a revisit to Melaka, my favorite state in Malaysia. Reason being, there's a whole lot of culture and variety of people to be observed, and not to mention, great FOOD! Wanted to post this earlier, but decided to hold it a little longer as the travel would refresh my perception - I always return back to the few must go eateries, really recommended. Anyway, the revisit really brought me to explore a few really recommended eateries, and will gradually add it in Part 2. Meanwhile, Part 1 will cover and compile some really famous and old eateries that must be visited!

Imagine that you had just arrived at Melaka under the hot glaring sun. With already enough sweat produced, why not hop over to Kedai Kopi Chung Wah for some kick ass Melaka styled chicken rice? Be prepared though, as this chicken rice stall has limited seating space and it apparently has the longest queue of chicken rice lover as compared to others.

What makes Melaka styled Chicken rice so special is the rice itself, as it's rolled up into a ball shape. I personally like this stall for the rice's texture, being soft and really fragrant. The downside to Melaka style, well, was it's served cold as the rice balls are pre-prepared.

The chicken here is extremely smooth, via timing perfection and dip into icy cold water. Though the chicken seems to be chopped ala 'cincai' way, but never, ever judge a book by it's cover. The sauces beneath is extremely addictive to be dip with the rice balls too!

The chili sauce which are contained in jars are really good too, fully packed with garlic aroma.

The faithful 'Chicken Rice' uncle who never fails to endlessly chops chicken almost everyday.

Be ready though to queue up a long line. The best time to visit would be around 11am on weekends to take advantage of lesser people. A per pax portion would cost around RM 6- 7, so figure out depending on the amount of people; while a plate of chicken rice ball costs RM 1.50.

Kedai Kopi Chung Wah
Address : 18, Jalan Hang Jebat, Melaka - Opposite of San Shu Gong which is the starting of Jonker Street; directly opposite the bridge from the Red Houses
Phone :
Website :
Price : RM 8 ++

After some satisfying Chicken Rice, why not head for some good ol' Melaka Cendol. There are two Cendol stalls, which well I'm not sure if it's famous, but truly accepted by me.

The first one would be right opposite of Chung Wah, which is San Shu Gong. Sam Shu Gong mainly sells some distinctive Melaka product, but a section of it also sells some great cendol. The shop is also fully air conditioned, which is a bonus, hehe.

I prefered the Durian flavoured cendol, with durian puree in it.

Sam Shu Gong's cendol also has some Gula Melaka dodol in it, which is also sold at their sales section. Not really my type of Gula Melaka though.

Sam Shu Gong is good if you prefer some 'different' type of cendol, plus the air-condition of course lol.

Sam Shu Gong
Address : 33 Lorong Hang Jebat, Melaka - opposite of Kedai Kopi Chung Wah
Phone : 06-282 8381
Website:
Price : RM 4++

Further down Jonker Street, there's Jonker 88, which is famous for it's cendol. Like always, do prepare for some long queue at times. The good thing about the cendol here is that it's ladened with huge amount of Gula Melaka, true old Melaka style!

This is especially good with the Gula Melaka (RM2.50) freezing up from the ice, combining it.

Whole pot of melted Gula Melaka.. yums!

If I were to choose, I'd prefer the cendol at Jonker88, just by the Gula Melaka choice itself.

Jonker88
Address : 88, Jalan Hang Jebat (Jonker Street), Malacca
Phone :
Website : Jonker88
Price : RM 3++

After some exploring and walking at Jonker Street, let's head for some tea time snack shall we? It's all about food! I would recommend Sun May Hiong for satay, which is actually a stone away from Jonker Street - though I usually drive there. What's special about here is that pork (!) is used for it's satay. Extremely rare to be found in Malaysia.

The pork satay here is really good, with 50%-50% ratio of lean and fatty meat. Literally melts in the mouth, and to me anything has pork tastes good! Hidden in the picture also are some pork intestine satay, which is pretty good. The chicken satay however tasted normal to me. Each stick costs RM0.60 .

The satay sauce here is less sweeter as compared to our Malay friends version.

Uncle barbecuing endlessly, but still willingly pose for a snap =) . By the way, the method of serving here is pretty odd too. Once arrived, a plate of satay will be placed. You only take the amount of what you want and no worries about the leftovers. The amount calculation is only based on the amount of sticks of satay consumed.

Sun May Hiong Satay House
Address : 50/50A, Jalan Kota Laksamana 1/1, Taman Kota Laksamana, 75200 Melaka
Phone : 06-2817281
Website :
Price : RM 0.60 ++

Right, satisfied with tea time snacks? Time for DINNER! What's better way to enjoy Melaka than to have the famous Satay Celup. Currently mushrooming with various satay celup restaurants, my favorite still has to go to Capitol Satay, as per print in their name card - ONLY ONE ORIGINAL,

As usual, expect to queue up. Good food do comes with a price, and with this, it really test one's patience and time for great food. My tips would be to go there around 4.50pm, as it opens around 5pm. Do not be shocked to even need to wait even arriving on 5pm, as people would actually wait and rushed in once opened.

Sitting on the open fridge ala supermarket are the ingredients which you can pick from; ranging from cockles to lean pork meat and fishballs. Similarly, you can take any quantity, but only the consumed sticks of food will be counted. However, do try to be considerate and only take what you can consume!

The soup based is what makes it special here. It tastes like satay gravy, with added secret ingredients which is undisclosed. There are rumors stating that they recycle their gravy, in which unfinished gravy will be topped up for their next customer. Well, rumors confirmed, they do practice that, but it still is so good! Moreover, I think it's rather ok as I do not directly dip my chopstick or utensils into the pot, acceptable!

My favourite 'liu' would be the prawns - fresh, cockles, lean pork meat, cheese sausage - really interesting taste with the satay gravy, yao char kuay and the fu zhuks. Each stick costs RM0.80 . The ingredients in plate however are priced differently, and differs according to the plate color.

Now, this is the reason why I'm remaining as Capitol's loyal fan! After an amount of time / certain number of sticks, the workers would dish out some BONUS ingredients as a reward. My fav? The LARGE prawns! Best of the best? It still costs only RM0.80 per stick for the bonus items! A huge big kick ass prawn like in pic costs around RM 8 + even in the market!
Large prawn: "Yo, bro!"

The other bonus items - ranging from octopus slices, clams and abalones! RM0.80 each! Too bad though, no/less refills on the bonuses..lol.

Secretly snapped the secret ingredients - spices being stirred into the gravy base occasionally by the workers. Extremely recommended!

Capitol Satay
Address : 41, Lorong Bukit Cina, 75100 Melaka
Phone : 06-283 5508 / 012-229 5505
Website : Capitol Satay
Price : RM0.80 ++

Supper time! Bloated yet? Let's have something light instead. Ever dined beside a drain? It's really good, in a special way. There's a hidden back lane located next to Madam King's shopping complex, which houses 2 stalls selling good old boiled cockles and other stuffs. I tried both of them, and I preferred the first stall, Tong Bee.

What makes this place so special is the seats and table settings. The mini benches and placing are ala the 70's Hong Kong drama, nostalgic enough! The low tables are also customized to fit a small hole to throw your cockles / clams shell into.

Cockles/ Clams/ Snails (RM1.50) are perfectly boiled and just cooked to keep the meat nice and smooth. The sauce is what makes it so addictive, with crushed peanuts, 'Har Gou' / prawn paste and lime in it

The rojak is also really good, and I especially like the fried tofu skin and fish cake. Ranging from RM 4 - RM 10 depending on quantity.

Do check out the uncle who expertly dish out the sauces. He is the owner and founder, and his unique identity is the batik he wears without fail everyday, lol.
Tong Bee Stall
Address : Off Jalan Bunga Raya, Melaka (backlane right of Madam King complex)
Phone : 012 - 6011621 / 012 - 3607123 / 017 - 6014011
Website :
Price : RM 1.50 ++

Ready to call it a night? Not until you tried some of Melaka's fried oyster/ Oh Chien that is a hit with the locals at Medan Makan Bunga Raya! It's also strategically located a walk away nearby Tong Bee. It's my favorite, but I can see that not all my friends or family really likes it. It really depends on one's taste, either like it, or hate it due to it's texture.

The uncle and aunty pair who fries and packs non stop till closing time. Orders came in non stop each time I visited, and most of them are locals, impressive!

Fried oysters (RM6 - the last time I checked) packed back and still tasting good! I felt the egg was really good and aromatic as they are using duck egg. Definitely different from what we have here in KL. This is the part where it takes some acquired taste to like, as the flour texture is quite different. It somehow tasted more like fried radish cake, with thicker consistency. I LOVED it !

The oysters are a little small after frying, but I guess that's the variety of oyster that is being used.

Expect to wait and queue up, numerous locals never failed to come and pack a few packets home. By the way, the oh chien stalls only opens approaching at night after other stalls are closed.

Medan Makan Bunga Raya - Oh Chien
Address : Medan Makanan Bunga Raya, Jalan Bunga Raya, Melaka
Phone :
Website :
Price : RM 6

Phew, this must be the lengthiest post I have ever posted ! You may now proceed to get back to your hotel/ house/ motel , anywhere and get a good night sleep to recharge for tomorrow's gastronomic exploration! Will continue other good food recommendation in Part 2. Till then, Happy Eating and a Gastronomic Happy New Year !

I really love Melaka for it's preserved 'stuck in the middle of modernization and old era' settings..

Food Foundry, SS17, Petaling Jaya

Hidden well within flat areas, Food Foundry is surprisingly comfy and quiet enough as it's actually situated below a flat residential area. I had actually already heard about the raves of this place for it's famous Mille crêpe, which was exceptionally good and hard to be found in KL. We opted for this place to celebrate one of my friend, Kong Chian's birthday for it's comfy environment.

I arrived the earliest, and ordered a cup of Cappucino (RM5.50) while waiting for them to arrive. The coffee was good, being foamy and creamy enough.

Food Foundry Chicken Chop (RM16), sitting on top a bed of mash and comes with veges on the side.

Aglio Olio with Prawns (RM18). I had a bite of it and I felt it's a bit dry. But from what I heard from my friend, the prawn was fresh, which I think could make up for it.

My Pan-Fried Dory with Cream Sauce (RM15). Initially, I thought the dory would come with loads of sauce as per what I had usually, and I smartly ordered a basket of bread for RM2. Was really disappointed when it arrived as I couldn't mop up excessive sauces with the bread at the end. Taste wise, it was really just ok, I had better ones.


Carbonara (RM17). Didn't get to sample this, but it looks good visually, flooded with cream and cheese. No complains from my friend, so it should be ok!

Our overall bill came up to RM88.50. Pretty reasonable for a night out of casual dinner.

My opinion, Food Foundry is really good for what it's famous for, their deserts. I would stick to just deserts should I return, as I felt their food items are really just so-so. It's not that it's bad, it's just that I had tasted better ones within that price range. Still, their Mille Crepes are really good and worth the journey, but do try to come early for the deserts as I heard the consistency of freshness really drops on more quiet days.

Some guy whore personal shots of the day.

The emo birthday boy and his partner.

Kelvin. He insisted for a shot like this.

Sam Win Hou. So...

Mr. Boss. Why so serious?

Food Foundry

Address: BG-8, Happy Mansion, Jalan 17/13, 46400, Petaling Jaya, Selangor
Phone: 03-7955 3885
Website: Food Foundry
Price: RM15++

Lui Cha King, Kepong Baru

Despite being very Hakka-ish at home, Hakka Lui Cha just wasn't my choice of food due to it's really 'green, healthy-ish' factor. Or maybe I could put it this way, the Lui Chas I tasted before doesn't really appeal me. The girlfriend, on the way to her dental sessions at Kepong, found this very good authentic Hakka place. Like usual, I wasn't really attracted to the Lui Cha at first and went on to order other stuffs. But a spoonful of it totally changed my perspective; I finished more than half the bowl of it and was hooked on to it ever!

Hakka Lui Cha (RM5.50 for small portion). The main point that distinguishes the lui cha here and elsewhere is the really freshly made and good side dishes. I felt the combination of the chewy beans, crunch mix of peanuts and chopped veges created a very interesting texture; combined with the piping hot rice. Brown rice can also be opted for an add of RM1.

The accompanied mint soup was milder than what I have tasted elsewhere, but still I don't really liked the taste of it.
We tried the Hakka Yong Tao Fu (RM1 per piece) and felt it was rather good as it's served piping hot per order and remained very crunchy. The fish filling was very springy and complements the hot crunchy yong tao fus.

Hakka Noodles (RM5.50 for small portion). Very home made feel presentation and taste. Was a tad bit dissapointed as it's a bit dry when served. Taste wise, it's really acceptable and quite a change from the usual kopitiam styled hakka noodles I had.

Would really travel all the way back here, just for the Lui Cha alone, honestly from an ex non lui cha eater!

Lui Cha King Restaurant

Address: No.15, Jalan Ambong, Kepong Baru, 52100, Kuala Lumpur

Phone: 012 2708484/ 012 2502720

Website:

Price: RM 5.50 ++

Ole Ole Bali, Solaris Mount Kiara, Mount Kiara

I guess Ole Ole Bali doesn't need much introduction, pretty famous for their great Balinese food and affordable considering the quality and environment of it. Ole Ole Bali remains as one of my top favourite visited restaurants, mostly for it's simple fresh dishes yet feels somewhat similiar to our Malaysian palate with spices and sambal incorporated into. I frequented (loved) the outlet at Solaris Mount Kiara the most for it's quiet and cozy environment, and the outdoor side of it is especially romantic! =)

Candles on table are always welcomed.

Rustic and cozy interior decoration.

My must have drink for every visit, the Lemongrass Mojito(RM11). A lil pricy for a glass of drink, but it's really worth it for that refreshing, zitty and sourish concoction! It's like crossing over ice cold soda with very strong Ice Limao and gulping it down in Bali!

For starters, we ordered the Soto Ayam(RM11) to be shared. Comes with a slice of toasted garlic bread. I would rate the soto as average, though it has quite generous amount of chicken and vege cubes thrown in. I had better ones. I liked the pieces of rice cakes though, tastes like soup soaked ketupats!

Seafood Platter(RM32). The girlfriend's favorite, comes with prawns, squids and dory fishes with side dishes of thick cut fries, salad, brown sauce and a slice of watermelon. We had this a few time, and the strength of the barbecued platter is the freshness. Test the bouncy prawn to believe. The brown sauce was the bomb too which pretty complements everything from the seafood to the fries.

Nasi Kambing Bumbu(RM26). Pretty big portion, and 2 small eaters or women could share or will be struggling to finish everything. The really fragnant rice comes with a side of lamb, sauted vege, crackers, tempe and the very own Balinese version of sambal which is more thinly sourish and spicier. The lamb was pretty good, but I felt the sauce was a bit over powered with spices.

Like always, I couldn't stand the temptation to have some real burger patty. I had the Ole Ole Burger (RM21), which I then added Cheese(RM2) on it. There are other options that can be add like mushrooms and eggs for RM2. The beef patty, which is cooked medium rare is really juicy, really good barbecue chef I would say. The burger bun is one of the best I've ever had, being fluffy and has this sprinkle of flour(I guess?) on top.

Overall, we had a very satisfying meal complemented with good environments and company. To be noted: Ole Ole Bali has a few branch, located in Sunway Pyramid, Puchong and Subang Empire Mall (website link tells exact address). However, I would say Mount Kiara's branch wins hands down just because of the environment itself, and not to forget, some quiet and really cozy dining experience obtained. Their other specialities like Nasi Campur, Ole Ole Trio, Sate Lilit and barbecued items are also very much recommended.

Our total bill for the 4 of us came around RM131.45 . I wouldn't say it's cheap, but fair enough for a weekly splurge on exchange for some relaxing experience.



Ole Ole Bali, Solaris Mt. Kiara
Address : Lot 15 & 16, Ground Floor, Block J, Soho KL, Solaris Mont Kiara, 50480, Kuala Lumpur
Phone : 03-6204 9688
Website: Ole Ole Bali
Price: RM 25++