Top 10 Food to Eat in Melaka

I received many emails from readers asking me to recommend food places to eat in Melaka, also known as Malacca. While I can stomach 40 types of food in a day – with some help of course, most people can’t. So here’s my summarized list of Top 10 Food to Eat in Melaka. I feel these dishes represent Melaka as a whole as you have Chinese, Malay, Nyonya (a combination of Chinese and Malay culture) and dessert. This gives you an overall taste of the best Melaka has to offer.

Baba Low

Nyonya Laksa

This humble stall specializes in Peranakan food and is located in the backyard of a colonial-style bungalow. Try the Nyonya laksa, popiah and pai tee. The laksa is pungent, rich and well flavoured from the spices and chillies. Pai Tee (also known as top hats) is a crunchy flour cup filled with julienned vegetables, omelette and fried shallots. Very nice with chilli sauce.

The popiah is one of the better ones in Melaka, where the egg wrap is generously filled with ingredients, sweet sauce and piquant chilli sauce. Good stuff! For my full blog post on Baba Low, click here.

Baba Low
486 Jalan Tengkera
Malacca 75200
Malaysia
Tel: 06 283 1762
GPS Coordinates: N02 12.286 E102 13.902

Duck Noodles

Dry Duck Noodles

Soon Yen along Jalan Tengkera is known for the Malacca-style Duck Noodles and you have a choice of soup or dry noodles. The latter is tossed in thick gravy and topped with shredded duck meat. This comes with small bowl of soup. The soup version is also decent – it really depends on whether you’re a soup or dry noodles person.

Soup Duck Noodles

I also love the Melaka-style loh bak. A large plate cost RM10 and comes laden with tasty fishballs and fish fritters. This is best dipped in the sweet sauce and chilli sauce provided. More on this duck noodles and loh bak here.

Kedai Kopi & Makanan Soon Yen
Kg 9, Jalan Tengkera,
Malacca
GPS Coordinates: N 2 12.272 E 102 13.721

Pak Putra Naan

Naan in the tandoor

Pak Putra is known for its naan and tandoori chicken, and this place is perpetually crowded. If you go during peak period, expect to wait at least 45 minutes for your food. Or worse, you might not get any tandoori chicken. So go before 8pm.

Tandoori Chicken

The naan boasts a smoky flavour from the tandoor with slightly charred edges. Very tasty, especially when eaten with the tender, flavourful chicken. Read my blog post on Pak Putra here.

Pak Putra Tandoori & Naan
Jalan Laksamana 4,
75200, Melaka.
Tel: 012-601 5876
Opens: Tuesday to Sunday (6pm-2am)
GPS Coordinates: N 2 11.697 E 102 14.625

Noodle Soup

Meehoon Soup

This is a very popular breakfast place among the locals and it serves a pretty mean bowl of kuay teow soup. You get a choice of mee, mihun or kuay teow. I generally like kuay teow, but for maximum satisfaction, go for the vermicelli and ask for “kar liu”.

Crunchy Prawn Fritters

The fried prawn fritters give the noodles oomph and crunch, while the soup is tasty from the stock (and potentially MSG). Read my blog post here.

Noodle Soup Stall
Jalan Tenkera
(opposite BAM and Wesley Church)
GPS Coordinates: N 2 12.148 E 102 14.162

Baba Charlie Lee

Kuih Bongkong

Baba Charlie Lee makes one of the best Nyonya Kuih in Melaka. Onde onde, kuih lapis, kuih seri muka, you name it, all the Nyonya treats are here. One of my favourite things to eat at Baba Charlie Lee is the Kuih Bongkong. It has a smooth and silky texture – almost like the texture of a bean curd – and is eaten with Gula Melaka.

Onde Onde

The onde onde is warm and the Gula Melaka filling oozes into your mouth. When you’re here, ignore the diet and indulge in all the sweet delights available. There’s nothing like a good kuih with fresh ingredients. Read my blog post on Baba Charlie Lee here.

Baba Charlie Lee
72, Jalan Tengkera Pantai 2,
75200 Melaka.
06-284 7209, 019 666 2907 (Baba Charlie Lee)
Close on Thursdays
GPS Coordinates: N 2 12.179 E 102 13.886

Xiang Ji Pork Satay

This is my other half’s regular spot for pork satay in Melaka. Xiang Ji is located off Jonker Street, just a short walk from Jonker Street. The landmark for this satay place is SRJK Pay Teck. Find the school and Xiang Ji is just across the road. I envy those who go to that school.

The satay has just the right balance of meat and fat, and the combination of well-marinated pork chunks and pork fat melts in the mouth. Pineapples are added into the peanut sauce here, resulting in a sweeter and tangier gravy. Read my blog post on Xiang Ji Pork Satay here.

Kedai Satay Xiang Ji
50, Jln Portugis
Melaka
Tel: 019- 667 8868
GPS: N 2 12.169 E 102 14.653

Sin Yin Hoe

Oh Chien

I’ve only been here once and the oh chien here is one of the best I’ve eaten in Melaka. The oysters are mid-sized and plump, and folded into the crisp yet fluffy egg omelette. I also like the oyster noodles and soft shell crab here. Both are expertly cooked and the noodles boast a good dose of wok hei. Good stuff!

Hopefully timing will be on my side during my next visit as they are never open when I happen to be around the corner. Blog post on Sin Yin Hoe here.

Sin Yin Hoe Coffee Shop
135 Lorong Hang Jebat
Business hours: 4pm onwards until midnight
(closed on Tuesdays)
GPS Coordinates: N 2 11.787 E 102 15.004

Cendol Bukit Rambai

Aunty Koh

Cendol Bukit Rambai isn’t easy to find, especially if you’re not a local. Here’s the GPS Coordinate (N02 14.795 E102 11.512), which I hope will help you find the stall easily. Manned single-handedly by Aunty Koh, this is the best cendol I’ve had in Melaka.

Cendol Bukit Rambai

The green strips of starch noodle are infused with pandan leaves extract and the Gula Melaka is thick and fragrant. Each spoonful leaves behind a lingering sweetness and a creamy aftertaste from the fresh coconut milk. Even the Singaporeans flock her stall and greedily buy all the cendol. Come after 1pm and you would have lost your cendol to them.

My post on Cendol Bukit Rambai here.

Cendol Bukit Rambai
Jalan Batang Tiga,
Kampung Bukit Rambai,
75250 Melaka
GPS Coordinates: N02 14.795 E102 11.512
*The stall is located just before S.R.J.K Bukit Rambai

Ban Lee Xiang

Satay Celup

Satay Celup is another popular thing to eat in Melaka. While Capitol Satay is the popular spot, I was told it is catered to tourists and more locals eat at Ban Lee Xiang. I’ll take my father in-law’s word for it.

The peanut gravy is thick and aromatic with a sweetish flavour. Customers can pick the skewered items they want from the fridge display and dip away. It is easy to get carried away here. I once at 30 sticks of satay for pre-dinner snack. Blog post on Ban Lee Xiang here.

Ban Lee Siang
45E, Jalan Ong Kim Wee,
Melaka
06-284 1935
GPS Coordinates: N 2 12.151 E 102 14.628

Klebang Coconut Shake

Special Coconut Shake

Coconut shake is the best thing created to combat the sweltering heat in Melaka. The stall – Klebang Coconut Shake is constantly packed with customers and is divided into three parts – blending station, coconut opening section and dining section.

The coconut flesh is blended together with coconut water and some ice cubes, and the special version came with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top. The end result is a most refreshing, tropical concoction with a sweet and creamy aftertaste from the ice cream. Read my blog post here.

Klebang Original Coconut Shake
Along Jalan Klebang Besar (next to Caltex Petrol Station)
Opens: 12.30pm-6.30pm daily (Friday: 2pm-6.30pm)
GPS Coordinates: N 2 12.984E 102 12.292

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You can read about my Malacca Eating Spree (where I tried 40 dishes in 28 hours) here.