Cat’s 40th Birthday!

Tengkera Hotel

56 Jalan Tengkera

Kampung Empat

75200 Melaka

Coordinates: 2.198619, 102.242566

In case you didn’t know we always put up here at Tengkera Hotel each time we come to Melaka. But for an occasion when we were swayed by the offer of a cheap room on an online booking site Tengkera Hotel is our default (budget) hotel.

After finding out that today was Cat’s birthday Suukee (the proprietor), Amy (day innkeeper) and Uncle Teo (night innkeeper) ran around frantically trying to arrange for a birthday party. Our best efforts to dissuade them from troubling themselves were to no avail.

We gave in but on condition that they were only allowed to get Cat a cake; I will foot the bill for everything else.

the most convenient thing on such short notice

pork satay (what else?) for Cat's birthday

the pineapple-laced pork satay

simple  and practical yet inviting

Being in close proximity I decided to spring for a hundred sticks of Pork Satay from Xiang Ji while Suukee hunted down a delightful raspberry cream cake.

thanks Suukee

elegant cake

What started out as day celebrating Cat’s birthday by ourselves soon turned into a right proper party, thanks to the kind and generous people at Tengkera Hotel.

making a wish

having her cake and eating it

Be it as it may Cat still miss our son during the celebrations, however the gaiety and merriness provided by Suukee, Amy and Uncle Teo more than made up for it. Bless their souls!

thank you Uncle Teo!

 

thank you Amy!

thank you Suukee!

(the Original) Baba Low

486 Jalan Siantan Sek 2

Off Jalan Tengkera

75200 Melaka

Coordinates: 2.204684, 102.231670

We’ve read about the branch of this restaurant online before and noted its rave reviews. Located in an upscale area of Kuala Lumpur (Bangsar) we did not manage to pay it a visit. Perhaps the fact that it was situated in an ‘expensive’ neighbourhood was in itself a deterrence, mentally ?

So for lunch I thought I'd give the birthday gal a taste of authentic Nyonya cuisine.

This is where Baba Low started out all those years ago at this small unassuming roadside stall. In fact its premises in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur got its name (Baba Low 486) from the lot number that this stall is located on. Situated under a large mango tree the open-air environment with old-school stools and tables lent to its cosy ambiance.

where it all began

smartly dressed 'Captain'

serving the best of local cuisine

old school

plain and simple

in the shade of large trees, coziness personified

The birthday gal ordered a bowl of their signature ¹Curry Laksa (Malacca Nyonya Laksa) and ²Pai Tee; troubled by the progression of my waistline I opted for a humble packet of Fried Rice Vermicelli while the both of us each had a bowl of ³Cendol.

¹a soup-like curry of sauted spice paste (pulse shallots, turmeric, galangal, lemongrass, dried chillies, candlenuts, and shrimp paste) boiled in coconut milk, tofu puffs, and salt served with sambal (finely grind fresh red chillies, dried chillies, and shrimp paste)

²a thin and crispy pastry tart shell kuih filled with a spicy, sweet mixture of thinly sliced vegetables and prawns

³shaved ice served droplets of worm-like green rice flour jelly, red bean, coconut milk and palm sugar syrup

nyonya laksa

pai tee

fried rice vermicelli

cendol

let's eat!

Maybe it was because we were in an open air environment keeping cool under the shade of large overhanging trees but the food tasted amazing. And since the entire cost of the meal will not break the bank we will not hesitate to declare Baba Low to be serving the everyday food for the everyday person.

Odeon Western Food

Jalan Melaka Raya 10

Taman Melaka Raya

75000 Melaka

Coordinates: 2.186058, 102.256779

It’s the last day of the year, our last day in Melaka and it was Cat’s birthday as well. Despite yesterday’s exertions Cat was up bright and early and was in the mood for some local ‘Western’ or ‘Continental’ breakfast.

With nothing planned and with remembering the excellent breakfast we had a few months ago we headed to Odeon Western Food.

hidden gem

easy to miss

clean and efficient

cosy

If you remember this restaurant limits its breakfast set to either Set A which consisted of two eggs, a sausage and two buttered toast; or Set B which consisted of two eggs, a slice of ham sausage and two buttered toast.

Cat had the Set A while I had the Set B.

B

A

beverages

digging in 

This poster made us chuckle:

In not too many words, it alluded to (or praised?) the government of the day's penchant for bribery.

Again we’d like to remind you to rely on your GPS device (or Waze, the mobile app) since this coffee shop is kind of hidden from plain sight.

Medan Selera Huang Du

777 Jalan Munshi Abdullah

Kampung Bukit China

75100 Malacca

Coordinates: 2.199449, 102.253348

It was our penultimate night in Melaka, and after a stroll along Jonker Walk we ended up at a very familiar food court. Perhaps it was the night before New Year’s Eve and maybe most Malaccans from other states had come back to their hometown to celebrate, because the crowd here was unusually large.

along Jalan Munshi Abdullah

large and airy

busier than normal

we love the bluish hue here

As always, we ordered twenty sticks of Pork Satay and I indulged in a large bottle of Tiger beer.

a firm favourite

tender, meaty and juicy

we've become fans

to (erm) wash it all down

Large and airy, Medan Selera Huang Du is fast becoming our default food court in Melaka. Don’t get us wrong, there are plenty of food stalls here selling a variety of dishes but we somehow gravitate towards the Pork Satay every time we come here. Maybe it’s because it’s something we can’t find readily available in Kuala Lumpur.

Huang Chang Chicken Rice Restaurant

BB 376 Jalan BB 1

Taman Damai

Batu Berendam

75350 Melaka

Coordinates: 2.239256, 102.257933

A while back we sampled the Chicken Rice Ball at Famosa located within the vicinity of the Jonker Walk area. Knowing that it was a tourist trap we went there eyes wide open expecting a disappointing experience. And we were right. We vowed that it would be the last time we’d ever visit Famosa Chicken Rice Ball, and promised ourselves to look for a cheaper and better alternative.

This time around after some extensive research online we found this restaurant that was highly recommended. To be honest when we came to Wilson Chicken Rice some time ago (which is situated nearby) we actually meant to come here. Despite coming early the large crowd and long queues that had formed around the restaurant deterred us that thing.

we come again

a favourite among the locals

still pretty busy at 2pm

This time we opted for a different strategy: come after lunch. And it paid off! We managed to get a table after a short wait and ordered the house specialty.

please pay heed to the signs

a step by step guide on how to order

she wasn't amused

chinese tea, what else?

the real mccoy

local flavour

time to dig in!

As someone remarked online: “Why go for the overrated ones in jonker, where you can come here for the most original and affordable chicken rice balls in Melaka!”

We couldn’t agree more, and made a mental note to come here again if ever we craved Melaka Chicken Rice Ball. In case you’re wondering, this restaurant definitely falls within the category of the everyday food for the everyday man.

As an added bonus, Cat found this elderly vendor selling her favourite ¹Melaka Rojak.

¹a distinctive mixed salad, its name in Malay meaning “mixture” that has acquired iconic status. This dish is usually made of julienned cucumber, pineapple chunks, yam bean or jicama, fried tofu halves, fine ground roasted peanuts and sesame seeds. It is usually bathed with heaps of sauce, including chillies, shrimp paste, tamarind juice and thick soy sauce.

All in all it was a very enjoyable afternoon for the both of us.