Day 64: Melaka

Melaka, an important port city in the old Colonial days, changed hands a few times among the Portuguese, the Dutch, the British before the declaration of independence 51 years ago. Some of the buildings still have the European design as well as the infusion from the new comers such as the Chinese and the Indian. It is no wonder Melaka was inscribed as an UNESCO heritage city as of July 2008.

Our favorite walk was from Equatorial hotel to A'Famosa to Jonker street (Chinatown). The route was paved with historical buildings and museums. In addition, there was no vehicle traffic allowed on this route. The St. Francis church offered an excellent view of the port and downtown area. Much of the land we saw along the port was reclaimed from the sea.

Kim met with us in Melaka for the weekend. She took us to a few local joints to sample even more Malaysian delicacies. First on the list was the chicken rice at the beginning of Jonker street. This restaurant was the first original place serving chicken rice. That is why there was a never-ending queue for a table. The rice was served in golf ball size – five balls per plate. The chicken was juicy and tender. Go there during the day because it's closed after lunch service.

Second on the list was a dessert place in the back of Chinatown (can't recall the name). Due to the late hours, most dishes were sold out. So we settled for cendol and tofu rojak. The cendol was great – sweet, but not too sweet, with red beans and green jelly. The tofu rojak, on the other hand, was a bit too adventurous for us. It's deep-fried tofu with pineapple dices served with sweet, dark sauce and chili sauce. It was Kim's first time tasting tofu rojak as well, and she shared our sentiments.


Third on the list was Capitol Satay. My oh my, that place was very memorable. It works like a Chinese hot pot (or steam boat). Instead of clear broth or tom yam, you have satay sauce. Yup, one big pot of boiling satay sauce. All the items were on skewers. Dip the skewers in the satay sauce for a few minutes and voila. It was creamy, peanut buttery and coconuty. BTW, satay is not just limited to pork, chicken and beef. At Capitol, there were squid, prawns, quail eggs, tofu, vegetables and fish balls – all on skewers and ready to be dipped into the satay sauce.

This trip to Melaka further opened up my eyes on Malaysian cuisine. There were more dishes at Chinatown not mentioned in this blog entry. If you are a food lover, Melaka is a good place to chill for the weekend. Last but not the least, if you are a durian lover, try the durian donut at Big Apple next to Equatorial hotel. There is nothing like stuffing the king of fruits inside a donut. I tried half and the whole car stank like durian.