It had been a while since I last traveled. Working life is definitely different from uni life. The past one year was full of ups and downs but I survived and managed to secure my practice licence after 9 months of hard works! Hence, I finally could take a break from endless assignments and presentations!
It was my third week into work after end of my training program. My colleagues and I decided to organize a short getaway during the long weekend of Good Friday. Not sure if it was a good idea because we was held up by the heavy traffic at customs and the journey to Malacca took us nearly 9 hours, disastrous! Imagine the usual number of hours to reach Malacca from SIngapore is only 4 hours!!! Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable trip and we had lots of fun!
Accommodation
We stayed at Ringo Foyer's Hostel. Firstly, it's located near Jonker Street and the other attractions, which can be translated to convenience, especially for travellers who do not own a car. Secondly, cleanliness was our main concern as well and this guesthouse did not disappoint us. Personally I found the room and toilets were rather clean and acceptable, although not comparable to hotels for sure. The other reason we went for this guesthouse was the price. We spent 2 nights there and it only costed us a total of RM280 or 93 SGD for a four-bed family room. The room was not very spacious and the two double decker beds creaked a lot. But for the price we paid, I still think it was reasonable. It would be a good place to make friends with people from various countries as well if you are into socializing. To note, the hostel does not provide toiletries and bathroom slippers, do bring your own!
Transport
We took Superior Coach ($70 for round trip). To be honest, I wasn't very satisfied because there was delay for both rides and the seat was not very spacious. For the price we paid, I think we deserved something better. However, since the trip was unexpectedly planned, most bus tickets were sold when we tried to make our booking. My friend who is staying in Malacca recommends taking Starmart or 777 instead!
Our initial plan was to rent a car in Malacca but guess what? I left my driving licence at home and I couldn't drive at all without it. Okay, our plan B was ...... walking and cabbing if necessary. To our surprise, we actually managed to cover most of the famous attractions and eateries by foot, with the only exception of Keblang coconut milkshake, which is located far away from city centre. If you guys wanna take cab, my suggestion is to use Uber or Grabcar, instead of flagging down a random taxi. It is much cheaper to use these apps as the taxi drivers here do not use meter but anyhow offer a price, which is highly overpriced most of the times.
Itinerary
Day 1
- Depart from Singapore to Malacca
- Check-in to Ringo Foyer's Guesthouse and short rest
- Dinner at Jonker Night Market
- Stroll along Malacca River
Day 2
- Breakfast at Chung Wah Restaurant
- Murals, Christ Church, St. Paul Church
- Dataran Pahlawan and Mahkota Parade
- Late lunch at Nadeja
- Cab back and rest at guesthouse
- Satay celup as dinner and naan as supper
Day 3
- Wanted to try the breakfast at Daily Fix Cafe but failed (because we overslept and the queue was insane)
- Souvenirs hunt at Jonker Street
- Bye to Malacca
Food
Here is a brief summary of what we had tasted during the trip. Love all these!
*We weren't manage to go 6 and 7 this time because of the transportation issue. Should totally go and try these food if you have a car! I took the photos during my last visit in Malacca.
1. Jonker Street
Jonker 88
This place was so packed with food lovers! The orders for noodles and cendol are taken separately, hence don't join the wrong queue! Most Singaporeans would prefer Baba laksa because its flavour was more similar to what they are familiarized with. A typical Malaysian like me will probably go for the sour fishy taste of asam laksa.
Taste Better Durian Puffs
One bite durian puffs from Taste Better (4 for RM10). Stuff the whole thing in your mouth if you don't want disaster to happen! The puff will "explode" in your mouth. The durian filling is so rich and fragrant.
Chung Wah Restaurant
Opening Hours: 8.30am to 3pm (til 4pm on Sat and Sun)
* Don't be deceived by the opening hours, the shop will close if the chickens are sold out, thus it is advisable to come early before 1pm to avoid disappointment.
There are multiple famous restaurants selling chicken rice balls in Malacca. The top 3 restaurants are Chung Wah or 中华茶室, Hoe Kee or 和记 and Famosa or 古城. Basically I wouldn't consider Famosa as my option because I had tried it personally and definitely not up to standard as compared to the other two. I had visited Chung Wah multiple times and their rice balls are the best as they are moist and flavourful.
It is always crowded and be expected to queue for at least half an hour under the sun. Basically the order is taken based on the number of people, for example, whole chicken for 4 of us. Haha, good thing about it, you do not have to think about what to order or the portion to order because they will decide for you. By default 5 rice balls will be served per person.
Mamee Cafe
Wanted to try Daily Fix Cafe so much but the queue was insane everytime we entered the shop. Hence, we gave up in the end and visited Mamee Cafe in the end. I would say the food was decent.
Only 10 mins walk from St Paul Church. I would advise you to take the side entrance opposite to UMNO museum. We were here to revive our childhood memories. Who doesn't like root beer float? The nacho was good as well, especially the bolognese sauce.
It was my third week into work after end of my training program. My colleagues and I decided to organize a short getaway during the long weekend of Good Friday. Not sure if it was a good idea because we was held up by the heavy traffic at customs and the journey to Malacca took us nearly 9 hours, disastrous! Imagine the usual number of hours to reach Malacca from SIngapore is only 4 hours!!! Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable trip and we had lots of fun!
Accommodation
We stayed at Ringo Foyer's Hostel. Firstly, it's located near Jonker Street and the other attractions, which can be translated to convenience, especially for travellers who do not own a car. Secondly, cleanliness was our main concern as well and this guesthouse did not disappoint us. Personally I found the room and toilets were rather clean and acceptable, although not comparable to hotels for sure. The other reason we went for this guesthouse was the price. We spent 2 nights there and it only costed us a total of RM280 or 93 SGD for a four-bed family room. The room was not very spacious and the two double decker beds creaked a lot. But for the price we paid, I still think it was reasonable. It would be a good place to make friends with people from various countries as well if you are into socializing. To note, the hostel does not provide toiletries and bathroom slippers, do bring your own!
Transport
We took Superior Coach ($70 for round trip). To be honest, I wasn't very satisfied because there was delay for both rides and the seat was not very spacious. For the price we paid, I think we deserved something better. However, since the trip was unexpectedly planned, most bus tickets were sold when we tried to make our booking. My friend who is staying in Malacca recommends taking Starmart or 777 instead!
Our initial plan was to rent a car in Malacca but guess what? I left my driving licence at home and I couldn't drive at all without it. Okay, our plan B was ...... walking and cabbing if necessary. To our surprise, we actually managed to cover most of the famous attractions and eateries by foot, with the only exception of Keblang coconut milkshake, which is located far away from city centre. If you guys wanna take cab, my suggestion is to use Uber or Grabcar, instead of flagging down a random taxi. It is much cheaper to use these apps as the taxi drivers here do not use meter but anyhow offer a price, which is highly overpriced most of the times.
Itinerary
Day 1
- Depart from Singapore to Malacca
- Check-in to Ringo Foyer's Guesthouse and short rest
- Dinner at Jonker Night Market
- Stroll along Malacca River
Day 2
- Breakfast at Chung Wah Restaurant
- Murals, Christ Church, St. Paul Church
- Dataran Pahlawan and Mahkota Parade
- Late lunch at Nadeja
- Cab back and rest at guesthouse
- Satay celup as dinner and naan as supper
Day 3
- Wanted to try the breakfast at Daily Fix Cafe but failed (because we overslept and the queue was insane)
- Souvenirs hunt at Jonker Street
- Bye to Malacca
Food
Here is a brief summary of what we had tasted during the trip. Love all these!
*We weren't manage to go 6 and 7 this time because of the transportation issue. Should totally go and try these food if you have a car! I took the photos during my last visit in Malacca.
1. Jonker Street
Jonker 88
This place was so packed with food lovers! The orders for noodles and cendol are taken separately, hence don't join the wrong queue! Most Singaporeans would prefer Baba laksa because its flavour was more similar to what they are familiarized with. A typical Malaysian like me will probably go for the sour fishy taste of asam laksa.
Asam Laksa (front) and Baba Nyonya Laksa (RM10.50 each).
Chendol (RM6.50)
Random street food at Jonker night market (only available from Fri to Sun)
Mango Float (RM6.90). So yummy that my friend bought two in less than 3 hours. It was rich and full of flavours, definitely a must-try for mango lovers =)
Okay, as the name suggests, it's actually sausage/crab sticks wrapped in egg. The cooking process was pretty interesting! I like the black pepper seasoning in it.
Grilled sotong! Didn't buy but looking yummy even in photos.
One of my favourite - coconut jelly! So refreshing at such as humid night! Highly recommend this.
Traditional Nyonya Pai Tee. Popiah "liao" in a crispy cup, topped with sweet and spicy sauce.
Freshly made ondeh-ondeh, a traditional dessert with aromatic gula melaka fillings. Not the best one I had but craving satisfied.
Too cute to put into my mouth!
"Siew Mai" of various flavours. Worth a try!
One bite durian puffs from Taste Better (4 for RM10). Stuff the whole thing in your mouth if you don't want disaster to happen! The puff will "explode" in your mouth. The durian filling is so rich and fragrant.
Opening Hours: 8.30am to 3pm (til 4pm on Sat and Sun)
* Don't be deceived by the opening hours, the shop will close if the chickens are sold out, thus it is advisable to come early before 1pm to avoid disappointment.
There are multiple famous restaurants selling chicken rice balls in Malacca. The top 3 restaurants are Chung Wah or 中华茶室, Hoe Kee or 和记 and Famosa or 古城. Basically I wouldn't consider Famosa as my option because I had tried it personally and definitely not up to standard as compared to the other two. I had visited Chung Wah multiple times and their rice balls are the best as they are moist and flavourful.
It is always crowded and be expected to queue for at least half an hour under the sun. Basically the order is taken based on the number of people, for example, whole chicken for 4 of us. Haha, good thing about it, you do not have to think about what to order or the portion to order because they will decide for you. By default 5 rice balls will be served per person.
Wanted to try Daily Fix Cafe so much but the queue was insane everytime we entered the shop. Hence, we gave up in the end and visited Mamee Cafe in the end. I would say the food was decent.
Chicken rice balls. Of course it's not comparable to Chung Wah's.
Mee goreng.
My friend needed her daily caffeine dose and we randomly entered this coffee shop. Small but nicely decorated. They have some interesting drinks in their menu. One of them is gula melaka coffee. My friend found the taste rather weird but as an avid lover of gula melaka, I thought it was fine. Seem like it really depends on personal preference. However, all of us agreed that vanilla latte was awesome!
2. A&W
Address: Dataran Pahlawan. G-073A / G-075 / Upper Ground Floor.Only 10 mins walk from St Paul Church. I would advise you to take the side entrance opposite to UMNO museum. We were here to revive our childhood memories. Who doesn't like root beer float? The nacho was good as well, especially the bolognese sauce.
3. Nadeja Cafe
Address: Mahkota Parade, 75000, 28, Jalan Merdeka, Taman Costa Mahkota, 75000 Melaka, Malaysia.
Opening Hours: 11am to 10pm
Exit Dataran Pahlwan from Padini Concept Store (or any exit along the row), cross the road and walk past the carpark. Nadeja Cafe is just right in front of you. A must-visit in Malacca! Imagine paying 10 bucks for a piece of crepe cake in Lady M (the most famous mille crepe cake shop in Singapore), you can get 2 and a half pieces here while the quality is comparable or even better!
Apart from the crepe cakes, the cafe serves main courses as well. Nonetheless, as compared to their high quality desserts, the food served is only ordinary. Thus, my advice is to have a proper meal somewhere else (maybe at A&W first) and come here for afternoon tea.
(Clockwise from top left) Original, Royal Milk Tea, Tiramisu and Mango Yogurt.
Seafood carbonara.
Spaghetti Bolognese.
4. Ban Lee Siang Satay Celup
Address: 53-C, Jalan Ong Kim Wee, 75300 Melaka, Malaysia.
Opening Hours: 4.30pm to 12.30am (Closed on Mon and Wed)
Originated in Malacca, it's basically a kind of steamboat with satay sauce (made from peanuts) as the soup base. For Malaysians, it will be another version of our "碌碌" that is commonly seen in night market. You get to choose your own food and most ingredients are cooked and put on the stick. The choices include tofu, crabsticks, veggies, scallops etc. Some people may find it unhygienic as the satay broth is being recycled for subsequent patrons. Avoid this if you find it unacceptable!
Another renowned place for satay celup is Capitol. Personally I couldn't tell which one is better than the other. We chose Ban Lee Siang simply because it is within walking distance from our hostel, oh well... I think it was an unique dining experience for me and my friends. Place the sticks into the broth, wait for the food to be cooked and enjoy!
5. Pak Putra Tandoori & Naan Restaurant
Address: 58, Jalan Kota Laksamana 2/3 & Jalan Kota Laksamana 2/4, Taman Kota Laksamana, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia.
Opening Hours: 5.30pm to 1am (til 12am on Sun and closed on Mon)
Come early to try their signature tandoori and butter chicken! We reached at about 11pm and the butter chicken was already sold out! They made the naan in the traditional way, as seen in the photo below. Sorry that we didn't take nice photos of our naan and gravy because our hands were too busy serving ourselves. Only one word to describe the food here - yummy!
6. Baba Charlie Nyonya Cakes
Address: 72, Lorong Tengkera Pantai 2c, Kampung Tengkera Pantai Dua, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia.
Opening Hours: 10.30am to 3pm (Closed on Thurs)
Craving for some mouth-watering traditional nyonya cakes? This is the place for you. All the kuih are freshly made on the day itself. We were quite full so we only bought a few to try. They were delicious!
7. Keblang Coconut Milkshake
Address: Klebang, 5, Melaka, Malaysia
Opening Hours: 11am to 6.30pm (Fri: 2pm to 6.30pm)
This place is about 20 mins drive away from town area, but definitely worth the travel time. The milkshake is refreshing, not too sweet and able to quench your thirst on a hot humid day! They also serve other food such as traditional malay kuih, nasi lemak, mee siam etc.
Coconut drink with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream on top.
That's all for the part 1 of my Malacca trip! =)
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