Chinese New Year Eve
In the Hokkien dialect, Chinese New Year Eve was known as Sa Cap Meh, which literally meant the thirtieth night. It marked the final and most meaningful moment of the Lunar New Year celebrations and was also known as Chinese Valentine’s Day.
Last year, we celebrated Sa Cap Meh in Melaka. This year, we chose to stay closer to home.
Dinner Plans in the City
After checking into Pacific Express Hotel Central Market, we planned to walk over to Precious Old China for our Sa Cap Meh dinner. Even though we had visited Central Market many times over the years, we had never noticed this small restaurant until we found it on Tripadvisor.
Their website described the place as offering a cosy dining experience surrounded by Malaysian antiques and vintage colonial furniture. That alone already convinced us to try it.
A Quiet Start
We made a reservation for 7:00pm and bought a RM100 set menu voucher for two to three people through the FunNow app. At the appointed hour, we walked from the hotel to Central Market next door.
When we entered the restaurant, no one greeted us at first. Everyone seemed busy, so we waited patiently before being shown to our table. It felt a little awkward, but once seated, we relaxed and took our time.
A Nyonya Feast
After carefully looking through the menu, we ordered:
- Devil Curry Chicken
- Ikan Api Api
- Belacan Four King Beans
- Plain Omelette
- Butterfly Pea Rice
- A pot of Jasmine Chinese Tea
Our Nyonya dinner came to RM135.50 (≈ USD28/EUR26), including service charge and tax. Since we had already paid RM100.00 for the voucher earlier, we only needed to top up RM35.50 (≈ USD8/EUR7).
The food was comforting, familiar, and deeply satisfying—exactly the kind of meal we wanted on such a meaningful night.
Ending the Evening Gently
After dinner, we walked back to the hotel and changed into more comfortable clothes. The festivities were not over yet.
Stay tuned for our next video as we took a night stroll to the River of Life and beyond, closing out Sa Cap Meh in the calm glow of the city.
(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)
📍 Location:
Pacific Express Hotel Central Market
Precious Old China Central Market
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