A Brief Introduction of Malacca

To Malacca

  

A brief introduction on the historic city of Malacca





The Historical City of Malacca (Melaka) is located in the state of Malacca (Melaka) which is the second smallest state after Perlis in Malaysia. The state of Melaka covers an area of 1,650-sq. km. or 1.3 percent of the whole area of Malaysia. The state is divided into 3 district that is Central (314 sq. km), Alor Gajah (660 sq. km.), and Jasin (676 sq.km.).

Malacca State is situated two-thirds down the West coast, 148 km. south of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia and 245 km north of Singapore and commanding a central position on the Straits of Malacca. Malacca City which is strategically located between the two capital is linked with excellent roads and highways, Malacca has no train station and the nearest one is located in Tampin, Negeri Sembilan. It has an airport located at Batu Berendam about 8 km away.

Malacca's population of slightly more than half a million people (602,867 in 2000)is a fascinating polyglot of Malays, Chinese, Indians, Portuguese descendants, Straits-born Chinese, and Eurasians, in various ways characteristic of Malaysia's population as a whole. The capital, Malacca, was for a brief period in the 13th to 14th century one of the greatest trading cities in the world, and it is today a city of remarkable historical and cultural interest.

The City Of Malacca has twin city status with five cities, they are Lisbon, Portugal (16 January 1984), Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (15 April 1989), Hoorn, Netherlands (8 November 1989), Valparaiso, The Republic of Chile (23 June 1991), and Nanjing, China (2001).

The Melaka flag





The red, white, yellow and blue are the colours of the flag of the Federation of Malaysia and show that Melaka is a member State of the Federation of Malaysia. The star and crescent represents Islam, the religion of the State and of the nation. Top left hand quarter royal blue with yellow crescent moon and yellow five-pointed star. Top right hand quarter in red and the lower half in white.

In this blog, I will introduce some of the interesting places, famous food and special events in Melaka.

Melaka Crocodile Farm

" One of the largest crocodile farms in the country, it has more than 100 species of crocodiles including albinos and hunch-backed species."



Ayer Keroh Crocodile Farm has more than 200 species of crocodile, which are reared in a natural environment. Some of the species include albinos and hunchbacks.

   

Every Saturday there are exciting performances by the trained keepers and their crocodiles. There is also a section of the farm set aside for honeybee rearing. Although the bees do not harm people, do be careful when passing through the area. The crocodile farm is the largest in the country and is a not-to-be missed destination!

Since its launch in 1987, the 3.2ha park has seen many visitors and tourists walk through its doors admiring these creatures. There are the Humpback, African Dwarf, Siamese, Tailless, and more. Other reptiles are also on show here.

Other attractions available at the farm also include a ghost house and fairground rides.

Opening Hours: Monday – Sunday 09:00 – 19:00
Location: Pusat Pelancongan Ayer Keroh
Address: Pusat Pelancongan Ayer Keroh, Melaka
Tel: +606 232 2349
Price Range: Adult RM10 (Crocodile Park & Water Recreation), RM5 (Crocodile Park only); Children RM 6 (Crocodile Park & Water Recreation), RM3 (Crocodile Park)

feeding crocodile in Melaka Crocodile Farm

Tan Kim Hock Product Centre in Melaka

If you’re looking for unique, yet inexpensive souvenirs from Malacca, head to Tan Kim Hock Product Centre in Jalan Laksamana Cheng Ho. Located five minutes from the city centre, the product centre is also known as ‘red place’ by the locals, thanks to its massive scarlet building. With over 100 local food products under its roof, this is an immensely popular place for locals and tourists to shop for high-quality bites and goodies.

                

Visitors might feel a little overwhelmed when stepping in – rows and rows of goods line the warehouse-like property, with boxes stacked as high as the ceiling! Rare, only-in-Malacca food products such as handmade coconut candy, gula Melaka (pure coconut sugar), medicated nutmeg balm and cincalok (fermented small shrimps or krill) are just some of the products sold at the centre, and if you’re curious (or unsure) about how these products taste like, samplers in plastic containers are available for guests. Dodol (sweet toffee-like confection) is one of their most popular products, and it comes in two flavours – durian and coconut – so if you still have no idea on where to start even after sampling, this is a good idea as your first purchase.

  

The food products available in Tan Kim Hock Product Centre are made with raw materials harvested on the company’s estates and processed in their factories, so authenticity is guaranteed. Tan Kim Hock also specializes in spices such as sambal ikan bilis and chilli prawn floss, and while maybe these products are ideally used in Asian cooking, they are still versatile food items that would be a great addition to the kitchen collection of any experimental and adventurous cook.

 
durian cendol
 
dodol durian
 

Address : Tan Kim Hock Product Centre (Main), 85, 87 & 89 Jalan Bendahara, 75100 Malacca

Nyonya Food in Melaka

Apart from the local Malaysian fare, one can find delicacies that are only prepared in Malacca. The Peranakan or Baba Nyonya food till date was only confined to the kitchens of the locals. However it has recently been commercialised and many restaurants preparing these delicacies can be found in Malacca now. The Peranakan Malacca dishes are slightly different from those of Penang Peranakan. Malacca also has a string of restaurants serving Portuguese - Eurasian food. Sea food served with curries is also very popular here. 

Restoran Ole Sayang

Restoran Ole Sayang in Melaka Ray is one of the oldest Peranakan restaurants using some of the most original spices and ingredients.

It's located at the busiest street of Taman Melaka Raya, Jalan Mederka. The business hours : Lunch 11:30am-2:30pm, Dinner 6:00pm-9:30pm. Closed on Wednesday.

The first impression was nice decoration of the restaurant. The Seet's family photos are on the wall, the rattan chairs everywhere even the baby chair was unique! The furnitures that you won't easily spotted elsewhere.

There are many Nyonya special recipe such as Pongtay Chicken, Sambal Brinjals (Eggplant), Chilli prawn, assam fish ‘Jenak’, Otak-otak, chendol  and others.

The foods are delicious and the prices were reasonable (below MYR40.00 for the above dishes). Furthermore the staffs are friendly and helpful, sure you will have a good dinner in this restaurant!

 

                                                      

                                              chendol                                  assam fish ‘Jenak’

 

         

                                      kangkong belacan                               rendang ayam

        

                                        otak-otak                                           sambal brinjal

        

                                         ikan bilis petai                                         chilli prawn

Jonker Street in Melaka

Located at Jalan Hang Jebat, this street is also known as Jonker Walk. At an easily accessible location, some people might perceive it as nothing more than a straight and narrow street.

 

 However, once you stepped into the entrance of the street, you will be amazed by what you see in each and every distinct shop. Along the street, you can find shops selling unique antique, wood-crave statues, interior and household products, fashionable clothes, colourful accessories and various souvenirs.
The main souvenir that you will be easily attracted to is probably the colourful clogs.

Made by wood and painted with striking flowery pattern, the clogs are available in various colours such as red, yellow, purple and blue. You can even find those clogs in different sizes for both adult and children! These modern type of clogs are “invented” from clogs that old nanny wore in the olden days, which was just a simple one with red rubber strip and no colourful painting. Today, these clogs are just another hit item here!

Jonker Street is also the best place to source some unique souvenirs without having to burn a hole in your pocket. Different shops along the street sell souvenirs like key chain, beautiful wind chimes made by sea shell and photo frame. If you are looking for something even more extraordinary, wood carving will be a good choice. Wood-craved statues of different type of animals are also available in Jonker Street.

 

For those who are looking for “personalized” souvenirs, go for seal engraving. It is where you can engrave names or initials of Chinese character on a small stones and use it as a personal stamp. Apart from the ordinary stone, you can also opt for something fancier – stones with motives like tiger, dragon or others. This service is available in front of a souvenir shop named Banyan Garden Café. Prices for seal engraving are varied depending on characters you would like to engrave and stones you prefer.

Besides selling souvenirs, shops in Jonker Street also sell pretty apparels. Most of the boutiques are renovated in an amazing way, featuring natural theme by utilizing earth tone colour for wall, table and even hanger. Even though most of the boutiques are in a relatively small size if compared to retail outlet in cities, they provide comprehensive apparel ranging from blouse, dress, T-shirt, pants to matching bags, accessories and hat!

Tired of walking along the street and checking every attractive shop? At Jonker Street, there are numerous café and restaurant that sell local delicacies. The most renowned among tourist will be Geographer Café located at the middle of the street. Painted in yellow with striking green window pane, the café is another landmark in the street.

  

You can also feast your palate with local delicacies such as Chicken rice ball, curry noodles, assam fish and dessert like cendol. Choose from a wide range of restaurants that sell local delicacies along the street. There are also stalls that sell mouth-watering snacks such as pineapple tarts, dodol (sticky sweet delicacies) and crunchy barbeque sun-dried squid.

  

For those who are visiting Jonker Street on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, you will be able experience the same place in different ways. During these 3 days, there will be a night market starting from 6.00 pm to 12.00 am where there will be additional stalls along the pedestrian street. No matter day or night, Jonker Street is not merely a narrow street with shops. It is a discovery into the cultures of Melaka.

   

Klebang Coconut Shake In Malacca

The Original Coconut Shake in Melaka, Malaysia is certainly a drink that you must try… apparently!

People come from all over the world to go to a particular stall on the side of the road next to a petrol station in Melaka to partake in a ritual of tasting a coconut shake. There are numerous write ups about how awesome the original coconut shakes are. As the story goes, this stall was the first place in Melaka (possibly the world!) to make these coconut shakes, so you should never ever have another coconut shake anywhere else… at least in Melaka anyhow.

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.

There are two main types of Coconut shake : 

• the original coconut shake which consists of fresh coconut flesh and its juice
• the coconut shake came with a scoop of ice cream on top

 That’s it! Wahhh soooo special!

The original coconut shake costs RM2.00 and the coconut shake special costs RM 2.50. You can find this famous coconut shake along Jalan Klebang Besar (beside Caltex).

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

special coconut shake
 

Coconut Shake Klebang

Hainan Chicken Rice Ball at Chop Chung Wah

 

 

Melaka is a well known historic city in Malaysia which was inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage City on 7 July 2008. Melaka is well-known for its Nyonya cuisine and chicken rice-ball. So if you do visit to Melaka, you can’t miss the Hainanese Chicken Rice Balls at Chung Wah Coffee Shop. The core business of this open air coffee shop is chicken rice and the customers were coming non-stop. 

 

 

Chop Chung Wah owns a simple and clean facade with only one entrance into the coffee shop. The signboard is placed high that you may not notice when you are too near. If you are walking from Dutch Square where the red buildings like Christ Church or Stadthuys are situated, keep look up on the right hand side of a white color building. Chung Wah is exactly on the right corner after crossing over Melaka River by Tan Kim Seng Bridge. 

 

The rice-balls which about the size of golf balls are taken with boiled chicken flavoured with sauce and sesame oil. The rice itself is best taken with pounded chilli-sauce. Using traditional Hainanese chicken rice recipe, these delicious rich-balls are served with the tender and juicy chicken meat from Bukit Mertajam, which is well-known for its free-range chicken. The chicken meat is as tender as the "kampung chicken" normally found free-roaming in villages.

Here is the location of the shop :

Address:
Chop Chung Wah Coffee Shop
Right corner after crossing Tan Kim Seng Bridge from Dutch Square
Lorong Hang Jebat, Melaka, Malaysia

Tips: Go as early as 11 am on weekend to avoid long queues.

 

Hainanese Chicken Rice Balls