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My first encounter of asam pedas was when rif’s parents invited me over to lunch when we were still dating. Prior to that, I assumed asam pedas and asam fish curry were the same. That lunch was an introduction and education to a variety of Melaka Nyonya food – and I have to say, both my mother in-law and rif’s former nanny makes good asam pedas.

Needless to say, I never bothered ordering asam pedas outside. A few people recommended the asam pedas from Hajjah Mona near Jonker Street so I decided to give it a go. Since I was on the way to Jonker Street anyway.

We skipped the white rice and ordered just the ikan pari asam pedas (RM4.50) and ikan tenggiri asam pedas (RM4.50). For a restaurant so popular, I found the asam pedas very average. It was spicy and sour, but lacking rempah and an overall roundness in flavour.

Between the ikan pari and tenggiri, I preferred the latter. For some reason, the tenggiri tasted better and absorbed the flavour of the gravy better. If you need more gravy (kuah), you can request for a top-up.

Out of curiosity and to satisfy a craving, I ordered a tom yam ayam (RM5) to try. Not a good choice as it was tasteless and hardly spicy or sour. Don’t bother with this.

While I’m not a fan of Hajjah Mona, you can still give this a try if you want to try asam pedas from Melaka.

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Ambiance: 5/10
Price: 6/10
Food: 5.5/10 (halal)
Verdict: Not my favourite, but it’s a place to try asam pedas if you’re curious.

Hajjah Mona Asam Pedas
No.6, Jalan Laksamana,
Taman Kota Laksamana,
75200 Melaka.
Tel: 012–601 3672/3676
Business hours: 5pm – 5am daily.
GPS Coordinates: N 2 11.626 E 102 14.753