Calanthe Art Cafe @ Jalan Hang Kasturi, Melaka

     

A very nice signboard above the cashier counter

     
During one of our trips to Melaka with a few friends, we stopped by this very nicely decorated cafe to chill till our next meal time. The guys being coffee lovers needed some caffeine after having a very filling lunch with cendol right after. Calanthe Art Cafe source their coffee beans from all over the country and offer customers a wide range of coffee.

      

Coffee from all 13 states of Malaysia available here

        

The inside of the shop is decorated with a wide variety of curios, art pieces & quirky quotes

   
One can spend hours sipping coffee while snapping pictures of the many interesting curios and art pieces at the cafe.

     

The Menu

        

Coffee from all 13 States

            

Ice blended coffee from the 13 states is also available

        

A peachy drink with jelly

As I'm not a coffee lover, I had a peach flavoured drink with jelly which was quite refreshing after half a day of food hunting around Jonker Street.

Johor iced coffee

   
A friend of ours, JT had the Johor iced coffee. The coffee is blended using Liberica beans and has a rich aroma and taste.

     

Melaka ice blended coffee

   
JS had the Melaka Ice Blended Coffee which is bitter sweet. The drink comes with a bit of whipped cream and sweet coffee flavoured jelly similar to those you get at certain bubble tea shops. 

        

The cute cat calendar by the cashier

    

While making payment at the counter, this cute cat calendar caught my eye. 

   

    

PawPoints: 3 Paws
Pawket: Dough
        
Calanthe Art Cafe

11, Jalan Hang Kasturi
Melaka 75250

Hainanese Chicken Rice Balls @ Kedai Kopi Chung Wah, Melaka

I was debating between eating at Chung Wah Hainanese Chicken Rice and Hoe Kee Chicken Rice but during our last visit, we had the latter so this time we decided to go with Chung Wah as the waiting line is usually extremely long and we thought it indicated better food =P

Relatively short line on a working day

Although the shop entrance where the queue is is quite large, for some unknown reason the owner decided to barricade more than half of the entrance with miscellaneous boxes, chairs and stuff. There was only a small space about a person's width for entering and exiting the shop and with the queue starting immediately at the shop entrance, it was really a hassle to make way for exiting guests and more often than not, everyone was just left feeling squashed. They probably blocked half of the entrance to control the crowd but I wonder if they thought about their customers' convenience. Not a very good first impression indeed > . >

Interior

The interior of the shop is quite small comparatively even though it spans two shop lots and coupled with the inefficiency of the staff, hence you see the long queue outside. When it came to our turn, no one told us where to go so we waited around for a bit (we had expected the staff to show us to a table like in Hoe Kee) and suddenly the people behind us started walking towards the empty tables! So we rushed off to nab an empty table...

The staff did not take the order from customers who arrived first (God knows what their logic is) and were extremely unorganised, grouchy and forgetful hmmpf. There was no menu and they did not ask what we wanted, just asked how many persons we had in our group and slouched off.

Chef incessantly chopping chicken

Homemade chilli sauce

Their homemade chilli sauce is quite unique with an unusual colour of creamy orange and red, and it definitely packs a punch.

Chicken rice balls

It seems that the standard order would be 5 rice balls per person but you can ask for extra. The rice balls are smaller than Hoe Kee's but are more moist and hence holds its shape much better. It is also more flavourful (you can taste chicken stock) and did not break apart when I cut it in half so it remained essentially a rice ball and not chicken rice, if you know what I mean.

Steamed chicken

This is the standard portion for 2 pax (not sure if you can order extra as no one seemed to do so - they just ate whatever was given by the staff). The steamed chicken is extremely smooth and firm and has more bite to it (the kind which presumably had lots of exercise when it was still clucking around). However I was not impressed with the three measly pieces of cucumber > . >

There was no soup even on weekdays and the shop did not seem too hygienic to me. No doubt the chicken rice is sufficiently good but I have since concluded that the long line outside the shop is not because of its fame but rather because the staff are inadequate and slow. One visit is more than enough for me and the next time I return to Melaka, I will definitely head to Hoe Kee.

PawPoints: 3 Paws
Pawket: Dough


Kedai Kopi Chung Wah

18 Jalan Hang Jebat
Melaka

Nancy's Kitchen @ Jalan Hang Lekir, Melaka

We could not decide which famous Nyonya restaurant to patron but our native Malaccan friend mentioned that all the yummy Nyonya restaurants are located further away from the town; the ones in the city centre are too commercialised. But as we did not wish to drive out of town, we just went to the first Nyonya restaurant that caught our eye which was Nancy's Kitchen at Jonker Walk.
      

Signboard

     

Shop front

   
From the exterior, you can probably expect what the interior will look like. The shop was quite small and a little cramped. We were seated on the upper floor and the floorboards were extremely creaky. There was this kid at the next table who kept running around the small seating room. The floorboards were shuddering with his thundering stomps but his parents didn't say anything - I kept thinking the floorboards might give way anytime, sending us all tumbling down >.< The stair steps were also narrow and steep - if you have large bones, I suggest it's best to sit on the lower floor =.=
      

Fromt of menu

 
The front cover of their menu looks really nice with a demure nyonya browsing through a book. I'm sure the proprietress herself was trying to replicate that image but...I. would. have. to. say. she. failed. =.=

      

Chicken Candlenut (RM 10)

 
The chicken and thick curry gravy was really good and went very well with rice. The chicken was moist and tender and had absorbed all the wonderful flavours and spices of the curry.
 
We asked for 1 candlenut to try as we did not know how it tasted like and it's lucky we did as it was one big nut. The candlenut was quite salty and tasted something like the canned fried dace in black bean sauce. It took some getting used to but the flavour isn't too bad. Just take a little at a time - the black nut you see near the top of the picture could feed 5 of us.
   

Fried Egg Cincalok (RM 6)

   
The fried egg with shrimp paste was quite salty and flavourful which can only mean one thing - it goes extremely well with rice! =D After a few mouthfuls, the saltiness got quite addictive and I just kept going back to the dish for more. Poor friend who wanted this as I think I ended up eating most of his share...sorry >.<
   

Brinjal with Chilli (RM 8)

   
The brinjals were grilled very well and it totally absorbed the flavours of the chilli paste and bits of chicken...my favourite dish of the lot =D
 

Nyonya Laksa (RM 6)

   
The Nyonya Laksa was filled to the brim with goodies. Its thick coconut-infused curry gravy was very fragrant but its taste was a little subdued (but then again I'm no nyonya laksa expert <shrug>). Still, our friends polished off the bowl so it must be good.
   

Pork Fried with Beancurd Skin (RM 6)

 
This dish was very crispy and its well marinated meat went very well with the chilli sauce dip which is not pictured.
   

Steamed Spicy Fish Paste (RM 10)

 
The otak-otak was extremely smooth with a strong coconut milk taste - very good.
 
Nancy's Kitchen also serves popiah with lard which is prepared outside the shop near the entrance. I was tempted to order it but decided not to after I saw the numerous flies buzzing around the staff and popiah she was making =.= That's a warning there.
 
But in conclusion, Nancy's Kitchen serves awesome (someone's) mum's cooking! Do make a trip there when you're in town even though it may be too commercialised =)
 

 
PawPoints: 4 Paws
Pawket: Onion
    

Nancy's Kitchen
7 Jalan Hang Lekir
Off Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock
Melaka
Tel: 06 283 6099

Popiah with Lard @ Jalan Laksamana 1, Melaka

I just found out that one of the famous Malaccan delicacies is popiah sprinkled with lard so naturally as with anything consisting of lard, I had to try it. We were supposed to go to the famous one at the night market at Jonker Walk but we spotted this mobile stall near Casa del Rio where we parked our car and Pariahcetamol wanted to get an early breakfast. It was a good thing we did as we were too stuffed at night to try the one at Jonker =(

     

Friendly couple

 
When asked, they claimed to be a relative of the famous popiah seller at Jonker but who knows eh?

     

Popiah with lard (RM 2.20)

 
Basically, it's just normal popiah with a generous sprinkling of lard which in the opinion of a fried-lard enthusiast, totally enhanced the taste of the otherwise normal popiah. The ingredients were fresh and the deep-fried lard cubes were crunchy. We eventually bought another roll to share as it was quite addictive.

   

 
PawPoints: 3 Paws
Pawket: Dough
    
Popiah with lard mobile stall

Intersection of Jln Laksamana 1 and Jln Laksamana 5 (opposite Casa Del Rio Hotel)
Melaka

Pork Satay @ Kedai Satay Xiang Ji, Melaka

Pork satay was top on my list of food to try in Melaka and we headed to Xiang Ji without looking at the map. As it turned out, the shop was quite far from Jonker Walk and we did quite a bit of walking to reach there. Plus point was that it opened up our appetite for more yummy food =D

      

Shop front

 
There were a few recommendations for pork satay on the internet and I thought we should try out Xiang Ji. However, the shop did not look like the famous one I saw on TV.

     

Non-stop grilling

     

Condiments

      

Pork satay (RM 0.70 per stick)

   
The pork satay was quite good with lean meat and nicely seared bits where the fats were. We initially ordered 3 sticks per person as we were feeling quite stuffed but in the end, we couldn't resist topping up.
   
The peanut dip for pork satay is slightly different from the usual ones and here, it is mixed with a dash of chilli oil and pineapple shreds to lend it a sweet flavour. It went very well with the satay but it was quite tough to scoop up the sauce in the little bowl.
   
Not too sure if it's really the case but our friend thought the bamboo sticks looked recycled. Oh well, if you look past the hygiene factor which is usually a little dubious in coffee shops, the pork satay was quite good I must say. Next time though, I'll probably try out the other pork satay shops to see if their offerings are any different.
 
 
PawPoints: 4 Paws
Pawket: Dough
     
Kedai Satay Xiang Ji
50 Jalan Portugis
Melaka
Tel: 019 667 8868

Chicken Rice Balls @ Hoe Kee Chicken Rice, Melaka

What's the first thing you should do once you touch down at Melaka? Eat chicken rice balls, of course! Truthfully, chicken rice balls are just a novelty as you'll likely smash the rice ball and eat it like normal chicken rice...I've not seen anyone pop the entire rice ball into his/her mouth...yet.
   
Anyway it was a battle between Hoe Kee and Chung Wah, two of the chicken rice ball powerhouse in Melaka. I decided to go with Hoe Kee as blog reviews revealed that they were very efficient with consistent quality whereas Chung Wah's service was a little slower, hence the never-ending long queue at its door. True enough, when we reached Melaka one rainy morning, there was already a long line of hungry people outside Chung Wah.

    

Try not to miss the shop!

      

Hoe Kee's offerings

      

Family members hard at work

      

Set menu

      

Menu

      

Love the chilli-ginger dip

       

Cabbage for 3 person (RM 3)

   
We decided to order lightly sauteed cabbage to counter the abundance of chicken and fats that we were going to take in. Taste-wise, it was good enough but I thought the portion a little too small.

      

Chicken rice balls

     
The chicken rice balls were the size of a small orange and very compact. The rice had a lot more moisture compared to the usual plate of rice to ensure that the ball did not crumble. I think I prefer the fluffier rice that is not moulded into a ball but the chicken rice balls are so good with the chilli and ginger dip.

     

RM 2 rice portion

      

Steamed chicken (RM 22)

     
The plate of steamed chicken came with chicken liver and gizzards as well as cucumbers. The accompanying sesame oil and light soy sauce base enhanced the taste of the silky smooth chicken pieces. Not a fan of chicken innards so no comment. The julienned cucumbers were fresh and crunchy and I wish there were more.
     
Service was very fast, efficient and systematic and even when there was a queue, the line moved relatively quickly. I really wanted to try their black bean or lotus root soup but unfortunately, they do not serve soup on Sundays and public holidays which I think is not very reasonable...after all, what's chicken rice without the accompanying soup? They also have assam fish but as we've got a long day of eating ahead of us, I had to forgo that. Will definitely try it the next time I'm in Melaka.
   
   
PawPoints: 4 Paws
Pawket: Dough
   
Hoe Kee Chicken Rice

4-8, Jalan Hang Jebat
Melaka
Tel: 06 283 4751
Daily

Sirocco Restaurant @ Holiday Inn, Melaka

I had the opportunity to stay at Holiday Inn in Melaka when I was there for business which also marks the first time I rode the "water rollercoaster" >.< If you think you can find Holiday Inn by following the Pusat Bandar signs, you'd better think twice. Best to bring a GPS as it is actually by the shore.
   
My overall view of Holiday Inn and its amenities was quite good with nice rooms, comfy beds and an infinity pool which overlooks the ocean (although there is construction going on near the shore). The buffet breakfast was average only but the hotel does house a decent Italian restaurant.

      

Lovely name

       

Interior

   
The restaurant boasts an open kitchen and wood-fired pizza oven so take note if you don't want to smell like pasta...
        

Complimentary loaf

   
The complimentary bread is huge! Just compare its size with the saucer or fork at the upper right corner of the photo. The first day I was there, I only had a slice whereas the 2nd day I was there, I had 4 slices but in my defense, I ate it with the Seafood Stew below and used it to mop up the gravy. It seems  freshly baked but most probably it is warmed in the oven. The crust can be chewy at certain places but overall it was crispy and crusty. Wonder what they do with all the leftovers =P

     

Not sure if it's the norm for a high olive oil to balsamic vinegar ratio? My preference is for lots of vinegar, otherwise wouldn't it be like soaking bread in oil?

   

Ghamberini (RM 32)

   
I was craving for pasta so the first day there, I had the Ghamberini which is king prawn (note that there's only one, uno, ichi single prawn =.=) and spaghetti tossed in chilli flakes and arugula. The first bite of the pasta was quite hard but it softened up as you make your way through the dish. Very flavourful, a tad too salty but I enjoyed it very much. The portion looked small on the huge plate but by the end, it turned out quite filling. I must say though that at this price, I expected at least TWO king prawns instead of a measly, lonely prawn =(

   

Seafood Stew (RM 25)

   
Seeing how cheap the Seafood Stew is (spag bol and meatless pasta are priced the same), I immediately ordered it on the 2nd day. There were double prawns, scallops, mussels, calamari and fish, all cooked in a rich tomato stew. The seafood tasted fresh and yummy and the gravy was thick and good with lots of tomato-ey goodness. The crispy, well-buttered garlic crouton was really, really good - everytime I bit into it, it snaps off with a resounding crunch even after being swished around the tomato stew.
   
Anyway good stuff and decent price for a hotel restaurant. Do drop by if you're sick of all the local delicacies and just want to chill at the hotel =)
       
   
PawPoints: 4 Paws
Pawket: Olive
      
Sirocco Restaurant
Holiday Inn Melaka
Jalan Syed Abdul Aziz
Melaka
Tel: 06 285 8169
Sun - Thur: 6pm - 11pm
Fri - Sat: 6pm - 12am