Sometimes, the best local food can be had, not in lavish restaurants, but rather in old-style coffee shops. When in Melaka town, I will definitely make it a point to have at least one meal at one of my favourite coffee shops. It is located at the junction of Jalan Bunga Raya and Renaissance Hotel.
This coffee shop is usually crowded but its patrons normally do not linger around too long - they are what we term the 'eat-and-go' crowd. So it would pay to just wait a while until a table is available which normally shouldn't take too long.
What I find most irresistible are its wanton noodle, char kway teow and deep-fried spring rolls. I have been asked to rate them according to preference but have found this difficult to do. Not because it is a chore but more so because it is quite impossible to rate 3 dishes that are all equally good.
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| Char siew wonton noodle |
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| Dumpling soup |
Would I be exaggerating if I said everything about the wanton noodle is just perfect? To me, the texture of the noodle is of utmost importance. It should not be too rubbery and chewy, neither must it be too soft and soggy. While most stall-holders in Singapore would cook the noodles first in boiling hot water then immediately dip it in cold water to prevent over-cooking, this particular stall-holder is so skilled and adept that she allows the noodles to be cooked long enough in hot water and immediately transfers it to the plate to be mixed with various sauces including light soya sauce, chili, lard and sesame oil - and it is ready to be served at the right texture. The wanton and prawn dumplings are also very good.
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| Deep-fried spring roll and yam roll |
I have this special connection with deep-fried spring rolls and it is the one item that I will never miss when having dim sum. Each bite brings back cherished memories of dim sum meals with the family at restaurants in Singapore that no longer exist such as Mayflower, Peking Garden, Singapore Conference Hall, Tropicana, Chevron etc.
The ones at this Melaka coffee shop are so shiok, you actually get to taste the sweetness of the turnips and enjoy the crisp of the pohpiah skin. And the best part of it is that it leaves none of the bad after-taste of rancid oil.
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| Char kway teow |
Most char kway teow in Melaka are dark (plenty of sweet sauce) but not this particular stall. They will offer you the sweet sauce separately. I prefer mine hot with plenty of chili sauce. The egg is slightly over-cooked (or burnt to put it bluntly), the bean sprouts on the other hand are undercooked and crispy, and the kway teow is cooked just right with enough lard to give it the smoothness. There are also bits of green chye sim, squid and of course fresh cockles (but we opted to leave this out).
Time and again, I have told myself that I would try the chicken rice when I next visit ... well, perhaps the next visit. Even without the chicken rice, every visit to this coffee shop has been a most satisfying one for me.
Coffee Shop
Jalan Bunga Raya (corner of Renaissance Melaka Hotel)
Melaka
Ambiance: 7.5/10 (if you like reminiscence)
Service: 7.5/10 (all the stall-holders are friendly including the coffee-shop owner)
Food: 8/10
Pricing: $
Service: 7.5/10 (all the stall-holders are friendly including the coffee-shop owner)
Food: 8/10
Pricing: $
Recommended dishes: Wanton noodle, char kway teow, fried spring roll
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