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It was expensive at MYR 40 per person but I love a view from above and couldn’t resist going in a revolving viewing tower for the first time, at Menara Taming Sari in Malacca. As you can see, it is … Continue reading
Malacca food can be a real treat, with many cuisines available and reasonable prices. We ate some delicious food during our trip. Some of it was street food, for example at Jonker Street Night Market, and we had some tasty pork satay at a roadside stall. Here are a few places worth remembering.
Satay celup, or “dipping satay” is a Malacca speciality
1. Riverine Coffeehouse
This always seemed to be open while we were in Malacca (other places were randomly closed on some evenings). They serve up scrumptious Nyonya Cuisine, the traditional food of the Peranakan Baba Nyonya culture. We had a large pot of Ayam Masak O’, a chicken stew, with rice. One large portion was plenty for the two of us to share.
Price: We spent total MYR 28.50 including soft drinks.
Address: No 108, Lorong Hang Jebat,75200 Malacca
2. Big Bowl The City of Ice
We stumbled across this place by accident while walking back to our hotel, and it provided welcome relief from the hot weather. More than a hundred flavours of shaved ice and snow ice dishes are served at this café. The menu (shown below) offers a plethora of choices and left us wanting to come back to sample more of these sweet delights.
Address: No 23 Lorong Bukit China, Kawasan Bandar 24, 75100 Melaka
3. Famosa Chicken Rice Ball
This is the most well known of the chicken rice ball restaurants. I hadn’t been particularly excited about trying Malacca’s signature dish as friends had told me it was just like chicken rice but in balls. So I was pleasantly surprised. The rice balls tasted different to rice cooked normally, slightly saltier, with more flavour, and the chicken was delicious.
Price: Half a roasted chicken and twenty rice balls, with two orange juices, set us back MYR 29.60.
4. Calanthe Art Café
We came upon this colourful restaurant while looking for somewhere to have lunch. As well as serving up tasty main courses, they specialise in Malaysia 13 States’ Coffees. We ate yummy chicken curries and tried some coffee. Each state is represented by a different type of coffee and there are many choices of how to drink it.
Address: No 11 Jalan Hang Kasturi, 75200 Melaka
Malacca has many religious buildings, including some of the oldest ones in Malaysia. Due to being Islamicized, then colonised by Christians, and having a large Chinese community, there is a good mixture of churches, temples and mosques.
Here are five that we found interesting:
1) Mesjid Kampung Hulu
The oldest functioning mosque in Malaysia, Mesjid Kampung Hulu was commissioned by the Dutch (who were keen to appease those who wished to practise Islam) in 1728. It has predominantly Javanese architecture, and we were surprised by how small it actually looks.
2) Kampung Kling Mosque
This mosque features a high tower, which was apparently inspired by the design of Hindu temples.
3) Christ Church
Part of the Stadhuys complex in the centre of the old town (a good focal point, and bus 17 from Melaka Sentral will drop you off here), this church features grave stones from 1800. While we were there a Chinese-language service was taking place, so we couldn’t walk around inside.
4) St Paul’s Church
This much older church sits on a hilltop over the town. Now in ruins, with no roof, it features graves from the 1600s, and spectacular views out to sea. The former tomb of St Francis Xavier is here (his body was moved to Goa, India).
Some unusual tourism – photo with a gravestone, anyone?
5) Cheng Hoon Teng Temple
This is Malaysia’s oldest traditional Chinese temple (dating from 1646). Its striking black and gold carved wood was totally different to the décor of other temples I have seen, which tend to be more colourful.
