18th of February 2006 (Saturday) wasn’t an ordinary day for me. As planned, a few of my friends currently staying in Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Jaya, and Subang came to visit the historical city Melaka. No doubt, I appointed myself as the host cum tour guide.
There were 6 of them – Shalyn (Kota Kinabalu of Sabah), Khoo (Alor Setar of Kedah), Phick Lian (Perak), Paul (Raub of Pahang), Travis (Port Dickson of Negeri Sembilan), and Amy (Kelana Jaya of Selangor). Out of the 6, Shalyn is the one who has never visited Melaka before. In other words, this is her very first visit to Melaka for the journey of passionate food and heritage colors.
The Journey Begins
Before this, I wish for a sunny day in Melaka on the 18th Feb, as it has been raining horribly in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor for a week. Yes, the moment I woke up from my bed in the morning, the sun shines coming through the window tell me that it would most probably be a fine sunny day, and could be a very hot day in fact. Melaka used to be known as a hot place during sunny day.
My friends departed from Kelana Jaya at 7.15AM in 2 cars. Through the North South Expressway, they have reached the Ayer Keroh toll at 8.45AM. Right after being notified, my girlfriend and I went to meet up with the group at Jaya Jusco shopping center.
Once met up, I was introduced to a new friend, Amy. She was brought to join this trip by Shalyn, her ex-coursemate in college.
Guess what’s the first spot I brought them to? Hehe.. it was my house haha.
Brunch - Hainanese Chicken Rice Ball
Before further proceed with the reading, you may also wish to have a look at the map of Melaka Chinatown, to have a better picture of how you can travel in Melaka. Check out the post titled Map@Melaka - Chinatown.
At 9.55AM, we have reached the old Chinatown of Melaka. In order to ease the pain of finding a legitimate parking slot each time we visit a place, I have suggested parking our cars in Kota Laksamana at a flat rate of RM 2.00. Since the places that we will be visiting are closely located within walking distance, traveling around by feet would not only save the hustle of getting a parking slot in scarcity, but the expensive petrol as well. However, we have no choice but to bear with the hot sun.
Well, it was time to fill our stomach with a brunch. One of the famous and favorable local delicacies in Melaka is undeniably the Hainanese chicken rice ball. So, strolling through the old houses located by the side of narrow road, passing by Heeren House and Harper’s Café, we have reached a chicken rice shop situated by Melaka River and opposite the OCBC Bank. This premise is small and diagonally facing the street-end of Jonker Street.
Needless for much description, the above picture tells the dishes. The chicken rice ball is one of the unique traits in Melaka. For your information, you could never find roasted chicken in traditional Hainanese chicken rice.
There are a number of chicken rice shops in Melaka, mostly tagging with the name of chicken rice balls. Just to give you some tips, the tasteful Hainanese chicken rice in Melaka is only found in ordinary kopitiams, which doesn’t look classy at all. If you happened to step into any of the air-conditioned classy chicken rice shops, be prepared to have your passion for food being disappointed, and it might be a little bit more expensive too.
Feeling full and satisfied, we left the chicken rice shop at 10.30AM, and head on to the core heritage site of Melaka – Bandar Hilir.
The Remains of Portuguese, Dutch, and British
Crossing Melaka River, passing by the Stadthuys built during Dutch occupation, walking at the walkway in front of the row of museums, and we finally reached the Porta de Santiago, one of the four main gates of the A Famosa fortress, built by the Portuguese in 1512.
If Alfonso de Albuquerque is still here today (if and only if) to witness the A Famosa Fortress, I am sure he will be disappointed with what’s left now. Once a majestic and magnificent fortress protecting Portuguese position in Melaka, but all we have today is only a relatively small gateway. All other parts were damaged during the attacks. Luckily the antiquities authority is very well playing its full efforts and dedicated role to safe guard and conserve the priceless heritage architecture.
If you were here a few years back, what greeting you in front of the Porta de Santiago in a green field called Padang Pahlawan (Warriors’ Ground). However, this field is now missing from sight, and replaced with an under-construction project called Dataran Pahlawan.
The Porta de Santiago is located at the foot of St. Paul’s Hill. Walking up a well-constructed stairway to reach the peak of St. Paul’s Hill, we were greeted with ruins surrounded by thick bricks and big shady trees. This is the St. Paul’s Church, originally built by a Portuguese, Duarte Coelho in 1521, in gratitude to Our Lady of Grace (Joao de Barros of the 16th century) for a miraculous escape from an attack on his ship by a fleet in the South China Sea. It was later handed to the Society of Jesus in 1548.
St. Francis Xavier, the pioneering Catholic missionary of Southeast Asia, was laid to rest at open grave (now covered by wire mesh) of the church for a period of eight and a half months after his death in China.
Today, visitors can see a statue of St. Francis Xavier steadily positioned in front of St. Paul’s Church, with a missing arm. It was built in 1952 to commemorate the passing of the saint.
Within the St. Paul’s Church, a number of monumental tombstones are found, to bear silent testimony to the final resting place of several Dutch and Portuguese nationals.
The summit of St. Paul’s Hill is blessed with a breathtaking scene. Though it was a hot sunny day during our visit, but the big shady trees at the surrounding environment and the comfortably windy breeze has made it a perfect spot to take a nap. Too bad we don’t have sufficient free time to spend a nap there haha.
At the St. Paul’s Hill, there were people selling paintings, as well as playing musical instruments to entertain the visitors. If you like their performance, you may praise them with some voluntary dedication in monetary form as well.
The heritage area is very well maintained. Grasses at the slops are neatly covering the ground like a mat, walkways are well constructed to give you a safe stroll, and the whole area is generally clean.
By following the guided path of the stairway, we went down the hill and proceeded to The Stadthuys constructed between 1641 and 1660, which was once the centre of the Dutch administration in Melaka.
A number of well-decorated trishaws are lining up at the Dutch Square to serve you a ride. These trishaws are well-equipped with radio and even CD player to accompany your journey with your home-grown music.
One of the significant landmarks found at the Dutch Square, is Malacca Clock Tower. No, this tower wasn’t built at the same time as The Stadthuys. In fact, it was constructed 200 years later, in 1886. Some might be wondering if the clock is still working. Yes, definitely, it is still working well. Looking at the time shown in this picture, you know what time this picture was captured.
Just in front of The Stadthuys and beside the Malacca Clock Tower, there is a green color fountain made of English marble – Queen Victoria’s Fountain. Within the red-painted Dutch architecture, this British fountain is eye-catching. The Queen Victoria’s Fountain was built in 1904 by the British to commemorate Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee.
This magnificent fountain is always one of the core focused photography spots. Not only is the architecture worth some pictures, but the surrounding landscaping as well. A number of tourists were grouping around the fountain to capture a memorable picture from the right angle.
Besides, we also saw a few men offering photo-taking sessions with exotic pets like big python and iguana at the price of RM 5.
Next, we head on another nearby Dutch architecture, the Christ Church, which began construction in 1741 and completed in 1753. The Christ Church is recognized as the oldest functioning Protestant church in Malaysia. Thanks to its well-maintained solid structure, this church is still functioning today to offer worship services. The church is open daily from 9.00AM to 5.00PM.
Believe it or not, each of the huge roof beams in the nave was carved from a single tree trunk and constructed without joints!
On the 13 Feb 2003, the Christ Church has just celebrated its 250th anniversary.
In a short walking distance, we strolled to the new walkway constructed by the riverbank of Melaka River. The conservation and recovery works done by Melaka state administration on the Melaka River is a success. Comparing today’s Melaka River to that seen in past 2 years and earlier, you might be shocked of the vast changes. It is now cleaner than ever, and the walkway is well-constructed to serve you a convenient stroll. The scene is especially astonishing at night; when all the lighting facilities are lighten up.
All the heritage buildings mentioned above are described with its construction date. But for Melaka River, of course, no one could tell when it was there haha. A fact for sure, Melaka River has shown its presence before the emergence of Melaka Malay Sultanate. The history of Melaka will never be complemented without Melaka River. It was playing such an important role that, all the wars of foreign colonization in Melaka are involving the capture of strategic Melaka River.
We were greeted by a mud skipper which was enjoying its sun bathing at the shallow riverbank. To some local residents living by the riverbank, mud skippers used to be part of their table-top-dishes as well.
Hey! Who says that windmill is only found in Netherlands. Melaka has a miniature windmill too *winks*
We walked to the jetty of Melaka River Cruise programme, which is located near to the office of Melaka Tourist Information Centre. There’s a big sign board written with slogan of “Save Your Feet, See Old Malacca by River Boat”. We were there at 12.10PM, but the second last boat ride of the day at 12.00 noon has just left not long ago. Another final trip scheduled for the day is 1.00PM. Since the 40-minute boat ride doesn’t fit in our schedule well, thus we have decided to forego the cruising activity.
Lunch – Baba Nyonya Laksa and Cendol
Soon, it was time for lunch. At the moment, most of us were feeling tired of traveling around under the hot sun. Thirst has also made us feel like getting a bowl of cold Cendol.
Baba Nyonya cuisine is one of the unique attractions in Melaka. If you were in Melaka without indulging yourself with any Baba Nyonya food, you have something missing in your trip.
Walking back to the place we parked our car earlier, we headed to a nearby Baba Nyonya restaurant serving dishes inside an old house. This restaurant is called Donald’s and Lily’s, located at Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock (neighboring to Jalan Hang Jebat/Jonker Street). At the Kota Laksamana car park, looking diagonally towards the Melaka River, and you will spot a house selling Cendol at the back. There, walking up the staircase, and you will come into a house, the place where Donald’s and Lily’s Restaurant is serving its secret recipes.
The first thing I asked when the lady boss came to take order: “still have Laksa?”
“Yes, we do”, replied the lady.
Great! They still have Laksa. So, 8 of us each ordered a bowl of Laksa and Cendol. In addition, we also has a plate of “tau kua” (slices of bean curd, cucumber, and pineapple, topped with rojak sauce)
As shown in the picture, we had a satisfying lunch of irresistible Laksa and Cendol!
The Baba Nyonya Laksa sold here is different from that featured in Northern Peninsula Malaysia such as Penang and Kedah. The genuine Laksa available in Malaysia, is cooked purely with various spices, without curry power. On the other hand, the Laksa in Northern Peninsula Malaysia are called Asam Laksa, which tastes a little bit sour. The core ingredients used for Asam Laksa is also differing from Melaka recipe.
The Laksa that we had at Donald’s and Lily’s place is simply salivating. Even the si-ham is also extremely fresh and juicy. Travis said “Ei, this is the best si-ham I ever ate!”
The Cendol served was prepared with balanced mixture of santan (coconut milk) and Gula Melaka (local brown sugar) syrup. When the shaved ice is melted in the mouth, you will simply find it a heavenly great dessert that couldn’t be found in star-rated restaurants and hotels.
Thanks to Shalyn’s treat, we had a free lunch hehe.
The Donald’s and Lily’s place is not just merely serving its secret recipes. The house is also well-decorated with a number of unique decorative items, which make the environment homey.
Heading to Melaka Old Chinatown
Before lunch, we have gone through a visit to historical site, and witnessed the priceless remains of foreign colonization.
After lunch, we headed to Jonker Street (Jalan Hang Jebat), which is part of the old Chinatown of Melaka. Even though Jonker Street is playing its interesting role as Jonker Walk on every Friday evenings, Saturday evenings and Sunday evenings; but visiting Jonker Street in the day time will give you another differing perspective.
Also known as the antique street, Jonker Street is featuring artifacts from different periods of colonial rule – Portuguese, Dutch, and British. Examples of items commonly found in Jonker Street are antique furniture, Chinese porcelain, brassware, cast iron beds, lamps, coins and money notes.
Besides, the shops at Jonker Street are also selling various types of unique arts and crafts, which often serve as a perfect complement to the interior design of your house. If you are shopping for some special souvenirs which don’t cost much, Jonker Street is again your definite answer.
Visiting Jonker Street under the hot sun allows you to appreciate the old building architectures shown by business premises and Chinese dialect associations.
If antiques and crafts are not your cup of tea, it doesn’t mean that Jonker Street is not for you. You can find a number of local delicacies at Jonker Street too. And yes, once again, we ate Cendol!
We went into a shop known as Jonker Dessert, diagonally opposite the Geographer Café, which is famous of its Cendol as well. This shop is special. It’s not only selling food, but showcasing a number of valuable artifacts as well. It’s like walking into a museum which serves food haha.
The Cendol served here tastes differently from the one we took for lunch at Donand’s and Lily’s place. It doesn’t have santan, but has a core Gula Melaka topping. When it was just served, the bowl of Cendol looks like ice cream haha. To Gula Melaka lovers, you are free to top the Cendol with unlimited amount of Gula Melaka.
Look! It’s tongue-licking good!
As I mentioned, it was hot in Melaka during our outing. Thus, it’s never enough to indulge ourselves with the cold Cendol.
Walking to the end of Jonker Street, took a right-turning, and we reached the oldest temple in Malaysia – Cheng Hoon Teng Temple. It was founded in 1645 by Kapitan China Lee Wei King.
Cheng Hoon Teng Temple is not just an ordinary temple found elsewhere. Its historical values, complemented with the excellent architectural conservation and restoration, has got it into an UNESCO award.
The architecture of the temple is reflective of that of the Southern province of China. The elaborate decorations that grace the exterior and interior of the temple were so tastefully done that an atmosphere of serenity encompasses the visitors.
The magnificent gilded furniture, idols, carved beams, lacquer work and figures of deities are sure to surprise the visitors. Practically each and every corner of the temple is featured with eye-catching artworks.
Watercity Resort
It was almost 3.00PM. The Cheng Hoon Teng Temple marked the last spot we visited in the Old Chinatown. On the way back to Kota Laksamana car park, we stopped at a shop to buy the local pineapple tarts.
Since it was still early, I have decided to bring them to a relatively new resort in Melaka established with a special design concept – Watercity Resort. It is designed with condos situated right in the middle of man-made island. You may find out its location from the Ayer Keroh map.
There is also a pirate ship serving as dining restaurant.
The man-made beach side is designed to allow fishing and kayaking activities at designated areas.
Time to Rest
After visiting the Watercity Resort, everyone was getting tired and no mood for further visit. A rest was needed. At the same time, Khoo was about to leave Melaka and head back to Kuala Lumpur for another activity at night. Phick Lian who came with Khoo, was reluctantly foregoing her favorite Satay Celup as well, and left Melaka at 4.30PM.
Leading Khoo to Ayer Keroh, the rest of us went back to my house to “recharge” ourselves. At the moment, 100 Plus isotonic drink was needed the most.
We had some interesting conversations – Shalyn and Amy were sharing their wonderful experiences in their previous vacation at Kota Kinabalu of Sabah. It makes me feel like flying to Kota Kinabalu the next day haha.
The Passion for Food
Finally, our most waited moment arrived. It’s time for our dinner, the journey to our passion for food. I’ve told them that we will be having Satay Celup for our dinner. But, Shalyn and Amy have never tried Satay Celup before, and they couldn’t figure out exactly how Satay Celup is like. This has made our night even more mysterious and interesting.
Well, similar to the Hainanese chicken rice, there are also a number of Satay Celup shops in Melaka, but my all time ultimate favorite is the Capitol Satay Celup, which claims to be operated by the 3rd generation. The Capitol Satay is located at Lorong Bukit Cina, within a few minutes of driving distance from the heritage site. Depending on individual’s preferences, some might prefer elsewhere, such as the Ban Lee Hiang Hiang at Jalan Ong Kim Wee.
We reached the Capitol Satay Celup at 7.30PM, and there were people lining up waiting for seats!
What is Satay Celup? For your information, the types of food used for Satay Celup are just some ordinary ones that could easily be found elsewhere, such as Taiwanese sausages, chicken slices, prawns, clamps, pork balls, shrimps, liver, pig ears, fish balls, si-ham, quail eggs, and etc. But, there is a distinctive element that makes Satay Celup so irresistible – satay sauce. Instead of dipping the sticks of food into ordinary soup, here you dip it into the thick boiling satay sauce blended with peanuts. How great the Satay Celup is satisfying your appetite, is very much depending on the hot satay sauce.
To the foreign visitors or first-time-customer, some might find it uncomfortable with doubt on its hygiene, as the pot is never changed after each serving.
Before going to Capitol Satay Celup, Travis told me that he doesn’t really enjoy it much. I asked “which shop you went to last time?” and he replied “not this one”.
So, I gave him assurance, “You must have gone to the wrong place. Try it here and I’m sure you won’t regret, you will ask for more”
Amy added “You must eat with open heart, and then only you will feel it nice”
Sounds like sales pitch yeah? Haha
Well, after some chit chatting, the satay sauce is finally boiling. At full anticipation, we put in the sticks of dishes that we have grabbed, and waited for them to be cooked. Once cooked, the amazing smells just irresistibly making my stomach feels hungry and hungrier. Just can’t wait to have them in my mouth.
One of the main factors giving me satisfaction at Capitol Satay Celup is the service. The sauce is frequently topped with peanuts, which make the sauce taste good even after a few rounds of cooking. In addition, the variety of food is satisfyingly of wide range.
The food that we enjoy the most at Satay Celup is the prawns. Not the big prawns, but the small ones. The prawns were fresh, and its natural juicy sweetness goes very well to complement to spices. Incredibly tempting!
Finally, with the highest degree of satisfaction, we proceed with clearing the bill. Six of us have eaten a total of 137 sticks, and the meal costs RM 79.70. Each stick only cost 50 cents, which is relatively cheap and very much affordable.
The Evening Jonker Walk
Feeling full, we have decided to take a walk at Jonker Street. Yes, we were there in the day time. But, during weekends and Fridays, Jonker Street will be closed from traffic between 6.00PM to 12.00 midnight, and there will be a large number of stalls lining up along the narrow street to offer great bargains. Food, beverages, bags, mahjong sets, crystal, souvenirs, cloths, crafts, beaded shoes, books, collectibles, and the list goes on.
The atmosphere is good, but there are simply too many people in the narrow street, and it’s quite crowded to have a comfortable and easy walk. That’s why I say Jonker Street is putting on different cloths during day time and evening.
Most of the hawkers and sellers here are able to communicate in English, Chinese, Hokkien dialect, and of course Malaysia national language Bahasa Malayu.
If you are coming to Jonker Street with a hungry stomach, don’t worry, there are a wide variety of local delicacies to fill your tummy.
Tired, but Enjoying
It was 10.30PM, time for them to leave Melaka in a car driven by Travis. All of us were very tired and feeling sticky on the skins as we have not taken our bath for more than 12 hours. Some of us, including me, have got the face a little burnt as well. Despite the tiring soul, it’s great having a bunch of friends enjoying the day in a short vacation. At times, we really need to recharge ourselves in the weekends of working life.
February 23rd, 2006
