Malacca - ThE 2nd outing

Malacca, with its slow and relax atmosphere is a magnet for a group of us and to top it off, "Good Food" is found in nooks and crevices. We have found a few gems on this trip and are all worth trying... To start off, while the more famous "Peranakan Restaurant" is highly touted for serving good peranakan food, we beg to differ and dined at this little restaurant we missed during our last visit.

Restoran Nancy's Kitchen, 15 Jalan Hang Lekir, located in a small lane just off Jalan Hang Jebat, this little place pale in comparison in terms of size but makes up for the good food. We had the following:

• Ayam Buah Keluak, the generous topping of buah keluak is a delight accompanied by the pieces of chicken cooked in a nice mild sauce. This dish taste like a home-cooked version, very real and genuine. No mock ups!




• Hee Piow Soup, also called Fish maw soup is like what I've tasted while I was growing up. The fish maw does not smell of stale oil and the meatball has good taste and texture. The addition of cabbage brings a little sweetness to the soup. A dish worth trying.




• Sambal Sayur Keledek known as Sweet Potato leaves fried in sambal paste with a little gravy. The generous serving of the leaves cook till just right, you can feel the crunch when biting into the stems goes very well with the steam rice.



• Fried fish fillet with Sambal, the used of Dory fish fillet is cleverly seasoned then deep-fried with a thin layer of crumbs. After which, its topped with a generous amount of sambal chili tumis and garnish with coriander leaf. This dish is surprisingly light even though its deep-fried and the oil used is clean.





• Fried Brinjal, a simple yet appetizing dish! The brinjal is not over-cooked and the sambal chili gravy that accompanies it is subtle and not overpowering though the over-sprinkling of fried shallots is not appreciated.






• Sek Bak or braised pork belly with spices is nicely done. The five spice and star anise in soya sauce brings the meat to another level. The dish is also accompanied with servings of braised tofu and eggs topped with coriander leaf.


• The meal is completed with a good cup of "Honey & Lime" or a home brewed "Sour Plum with Honey" drink. All in all, a good meal for the price!

Popiah, this stall located just outside the Mary King department store, Jalan Bunga Raya, is a local's favourite. A delicate thin piece of rice flour is smeared with sweet sauce and chilli then filled to the brim with a generous amount of very well stewed coarsely chopped turnips, omelette, tofu and the most sinful, fried lard to add flavour and crunch. Try and see the difference though you will not crave for more...

Durian, the king of fruit is something we can't simply ignore! You will find stalls selling these thornies and here you get good quality ones coupled with very reasonable prices. Durian eaters out there, have a go at these fellas... Wooo hooo....!

Dinner at a seafood restaurant in Malacca is never daunting, prices are reasonable and quality is of high standard. We had ours at Restaurant Lu Yeh Yen, 154A Jalan Bunga Raya, just round the corner if you are staying at Hotel Renaissance. The menu is pretty decent and some of the dishes sampled are:

• Salt-baked Crab, this dish comes across as unappetizing and not well presented. Pieces of chopped up crabs were scattered on a big plate. Take a bite and you will find that all is forgotten. The crab is infused with the taste of salt and coupled with the sweet tasting meat of the crab, it's something to swoon over... Never judge a book by its cover
  
  
• Fried Mee Suah, while we were all busy enjoying our crabs, we all but forgotten about the photos of this dish. Nonetheless, this vermicelli dish comes with a generous topping of prawns, sweet pork, and vegetables. The vermicelli is fried "Al Dente" and its not too soggy.



• Steam Prawns, this is a dish we were all caught by surprise as we expected steam prawns with shells on but to our surprise, it was nicely de-shelled and steam in a sea of eggs with ginger slices, chopped spring onions and a good load of chinese wine. Well, no complaints as its another nice change...


• Sweet & Sour Pork Ribs or "Pai Kwok Wong" as ordered in the Cantonese language. Again, the stomach got the better of us and photo was the last thing on our mind. Tells you how good a dish this was... In short, Try it, you will like it!!!


• We also had two servings of vegetables fried with garlic which we like albeit it was slightly on the oily side. That's why the chrysanthemum tea is here for... A good meal that's worth the buck.

Wondering along Jalan Tan Cheng Lock, we stopped at The Coconut House for supper. On the menu was a delectable range of pizzas, pastas, main dishes and desserts. Our "Four Seasons" pizza arrived baked in a wood-fired oven, fully loaded with generous toppings of asparagus, pancetta, mushrooms, olives and though the bull mozarella was not available, we had a load of other cheeses. The crust was thin and crisp with the pancetta giving the saltiness and balance.
We made space for 2 desserts, the Panna Cotta with Raspberry sauce and Hazelnut Pudding with Chocolate Sauce". The panna cotta reign supreme compared to the Hazelnut pudding which was a tad dry and tasted more like a muffin. Still, this is a place to try when you're in this little town.

Apart from the famous nyonya chendol, Malacca has another version which is styled in the local version. This stall located directly opposite the clock tower near The Stadhuys serves this in a small bowl filled with red bean, coconut milk, gula melaka and chendol topped with a generous amount of shaved ice. Though not as rich as the peranakan version, its very refreshing on a hot day. Have a go...