Malacca is one of Malaysia’s coolest cities to visit. This charming UNESCO World Heritage city, located at two hours drive from Kuala Lumpur City is rich in history, culture, colonial buildings, ancient landmarks, family-friendly attractions, and yummy local cuisine.
Best part of travelling is always food, especially in Melaka, you can experience not only authentically heritage local food and also modernise cafe food that worth all trying after all!
Let’s begin foo hunting list, included signature dishes of the restaurant, address with just a click to lead on direction, halal friendly food and local street food which you need to do is to ready your stomach and enjoy!
Food List in Melaka
Kedai Kopi Chung Wah
Melaka trip isn’t complete without eating chicken rice ball. Is a ‘national’ food in Melaka, even younger kid adoring! Is not only fun to eat but Hainanese rice ball is filled with chicken aroma taste that no one can resist. Kedai Kopi Chung Wah is a humble coffee shop that has been serving yummy chicken rice balls for years – it almost always long queue, make sure you come early to avoid big crowd. Once you’re seated, dig into soft rice balls, put on some secret recipe chicken sauce, dip steamed chicken with chili sauce that special made by owner, and pair refreshing cups of sour plum juice – perfect for Melaka’s weather!
Address : 20, Lorong Hang Jebat, 75200 Melaka (map coordinator).
Ee Ji Ban Chicken Rice Ball – Halal
Second popular spot of chicken rice ball that you can have in Melaka. Looking for one that is certified halal yet good in taste that surely Ee Ji Ban to your food list! Rice ball is tender and chicken is springy to your taste, eat while it serving soon to your table. Aside from the famous chicken rice, they also serve other Nyonya dishes like sambal petai, cincalok omelette, asam pedas and more.
Address : 275, Jalan Melaka Raya 3, Taman Melaka Raya, 75000 Melaka (map coordinator).
Cendol Kampung Hulu – Halal
Urgently needed a cold dessert after sightseeing? Cendol Kampung Hulu is a local stall known to serve the best cendol in town. Located by the banks of the river, you may have your refreshing cendol in an alfresco setting while catching beautiful scenery the same time. Add topping on your cendol to make it more stands out in taste (up to your liking) with coconut ice cream, mango cubes, dragon fruit, longan, or even durian. Enjoy texture shaved ice, just like having silky Bingsu ice bowl by the river!
Address : 26, Jalan Kampung Hulu, Kampung Hulu, 75200 Melaka (map coordinator).
Cendol Jam Besar (Clock Tower) – Halal
Located across the Dutch Square by the Melaka River, Cendol Jam Besar is a favourite not only visitors but also local. After walking and sightseeing around the area on a sunny afternoon, a bowl of the cendol from this street vendor will be you you need! Not only are they good in price and a cold icy bowl, you can also revel in the view while enjoying your dessert. Simple yet delicious comfort dessert bowl that’s also recall your childhood time. What’s more would you ask for, cendol after sweaty activity 🙂
Address : Hdn.Menara.Jam Besar, Banda Hilir, 75000 Melaka (map coordinator).
Jonker 88 – Halal
A vintage restaurant located at the busy Jalan Hang Jebat, opening for years (I have been eating for 20years) this kopitiam is a mix of modern and old school taste. You can experienced vintage decorations around while eating, like old radio, tv and cupboards yet they still maintaining heritage shop design from our grandparents time. Jonker 88 has the best selling laksa and cendol in town. The perfect pair for each other, you can start you a bowl of their famous Nyonya Laksa and then cool down with a bowl of cendol. There’s even a whole list of cendol variety to choose from, even you can do customisation up to your liking! Enjoy every sip of the ‘gula Melaka’ (brown sugar) .
Tip : Dip fried beancurd into laksa soup for 5 seconds before quickly ‘glurp’ into your stomach, yum!
Address : 88, Jalan Hang Jebat, 75200 Melaka (map coordinator).
Klebang Original Coconut Shake – Halal
Another popular dessert in Melaka is coconut shake. Many foodies are willing to drive hours (from KL, JB or even Singapore) to Klebang in Melaka just to have coconut shake and it’s easy to spot the reason. Fresh young coconut (flesh and water) blended up with milk and topped with a scoop of vanilla ice-cream, it’s the perfect antidote for a hot, sunny day! To ease your craving fast and quick, owner offers drive thru service where you can sit inside your car while placing order and wait for your order to serve to your car. Queue is long but it’s moving fast too, so not to worry.
Tip : Top up your coconut shake with vanilla ice cream, another level of delicious you could find. You can also enjoy local kuihs like keropok lekor and curry puffs as well as packet nasi lemak, packet fried bee hoon, and ayam goreng in sharing portion that served well for tea time.
Address : Lot 130, Solok Kampung Bahagia, 75200 Klebang Besar, Malacca (map coordinator).
Nyonya Delights Homestyle Cooked Food
If you enjoyed homecook and simple food, Nyonya Delights Homestyle Cooked Food is a place you couldn’t missed. Restaurant owner, to cook local dishes to make sure you feel like eating at home. Nyonya Delights cooking starts and (still) continue as a home-based operation with only about 10 tables and just a few friendly staff. No fancy decoration and yet with reasonable price charged. Make sure you are ordering best signature food from restaurant – Nyonya laksa, mee siam, Nyonya rice dumplings, and chicken rendang a try.
Tip : Restaurant is closed by 2pm, make sure you come early for lovely authentic nyonya food.
Address : 2199-C, KM8, Jalan Batang Tiga, Barat, 76400 Tanjung Kling (map coordinator).
Seri Nyonya Restaurant – Halal
One of the very few halal-certified Peranakan restaurants in Melaka, Seri Nyonya Restaurant in Hotel Equatorial has been serving its guests for many years back. Enjoy a delicious fare of home-cooked meals like Hee Peow Soup, Ayam Pongteh and Nyonya Chap Chye in a 5-star hotel setting with tradition taste that only left few in town. Keeping the dishes authentic, you’ll certainly be treated to a wholesome meal at the restaurant.
Address : Banda Hilir, 75000 Malacca (map coordinator).
The Daily Fix Cafe – Halal
The Daily Fix is one of Melaka’s most pioneer concept cafe, well known for its famous and delicious pandan pancakes! This humble charming little cafe has a homey environment and is located in a double-storey vintage shophouse constructed in the 1800s. Popular food that you should order is fluffy pandan pancakes with gula melaka, they also serve a good variety of cakes, pasta, coffee, teas, and more. A cosy place to eat and hang out with family and friend, one of best spot you can have in Melaka’s Jonker Street.
Tip : Portion is generous, recommend to do food sharing to have more rooms for food on menu! Don’t missed out durian pancake, if durian is your thing.
Address : 55, Jalan Hang Jebat, 75200 Melaka (map coordinator).
The Baboon House
Another best cafe you can locate in Jonker Street. Retreat into The Baboon House, a delicate and peaceful cafe restaurant situated in a renovated Peranakan shophouse, where they cook up some of the best burgers that we’ve ever tried, with their signature homemade chicken, beef, or pork patties. Filled with greenery ambience and antiques furnitures, this unique cafe is also complete with spaces perfect for family and friend gathering. A place whether you’re seeking a peaceful retreat or a culinary adventure!
Address : No. 89, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, Taman Kota Laksamana (map coordinator).
Baba Charlie Nyonya Cake
A must eat food in Melaka is definitely taste of authentic Nyonya kuih! We strongly recommend the best place to go is Baba Charlie Nyonya Cake, a family-run business that has been in operation since 1988. Extensive choices offers of kuih-muih, from colourful kuih lapis to yummy Nyonya kuih chang, savoury rempah udang, addictive onde-onde (must try – shredded coconut cooked with local gula melaka), and more. There also a cafe area where you can enjoy hearty dishes such as rendang ayam, nasi lemak, Nyonya curry laksa, popiah, and more.
Address : 631, Jalan Siantan 1/5, Taman Siantan Seksyen 1, 75200 Melaka (map coordinator).
The Stolen Cup
Another best cafe restaurant you could locate in Jonker Street. It has vertical coloured wooden planks as its wall that give the cafe its rustic look. The Stolen Cup is the perfect space to stay for food and coffee while to have a good rest after sightseeing vintage side of Jonker Street. The cafe serves up a great range of beverages, pastries (their salted egg yolk croissant is pretty good!), desserts, and mains – but the specialty on the list is definitely the Signature Gula Melaka drinks.
Tip : You may try their signature sourdough croissant and cinnamon buns, perfect combo with coffee as breakfast.
Address : 12, Jalan Hang Jebat, 75200 Melaka (map coordinator).
KOCIK Heritage Nyonya Restaurant- Halal
Melaka is known for its Nyonya food influenced by the Peranakan culture from its past. Friendly staff while restaurant based in actual original paranakan house, beautifully decorated whilst retaining it’s heritage character. At Kocik Kitchen, you’ll be served an array of halal alternatives to the traditional dishes like chicken ponteh, Nyonya asam fish, lemak nanas prawn, sambal petai prawn and many more delicious dishes.
Address : 100, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, 75200 Melaka (map coordinator).
Nancy’s Kitchen
For traditional food hunter, Nancy’s Kitchen is a popular restaurant that serves authentic Peranakan food. You can try their popular appetiser – pai tee is called “Top Hats” due to the crispy cups looking like inverted Englishmen’s top hats. While few must order dishes including non-spicy fried egg cincalok (fermented shrimps), spicy chicken candlenut, steamed fish paste (otak-otak), water spinach, and chicken in tamarind. Pair with white fragrant rice, like how local eats!
Address : No 13, Jalan KL 3/8, Taman Kota Laksamana, 75200 Melaka (map coordinator).
Capitol Satay
Satay celup, or sate celup, is uniquely Malacca and is only available here. Satay celup is mixture of aromatic satay sauce and minced peanuts to cook and dip with dishes like vegetables, seafood, varieties of fish balls that placed a fridge like skewers for you to choose around. After getting a table, go to the fridges to get the food (on skewers) and cook them in the pot of satay sauce before eating. After the meal, the staff will count the number of skewers and call for the bill.
Tip : Capitol Satay always has long queues. The wait can be up to 2 hours on weekends if you go there late.
Address : 30, Jalan KPKS 3, Kompleks Perniagaan Kota Syahbandar, Kota Syahbandar (map coordinator).
Longkang Siham along Jalan Bunga Raya
For adventurous eater, we would like to recommend you to try “Longkang Siham”. Longkang Siham means “shellfishes by the drain”. Stall is selling foods like cockles, shellfishes and sotong kangkung (water spinach with cuttlefish). General cooking methods are boiling and grilling. Dipping sauces is the key, to pair with cockles as bringing you to another level of delicacy! Portion is small and varieties of seafood to pick around with reasonable price offered.
Tip : Note that cockles are usually lightly-boiled and served quite raw. If it is too bloody for you, ask for it to be fully cooked.
Address : Jln. Bunga Raya, Kampung Jawa, 75100 Melaka (map coordinator).
Mee Goreng Hassan Tengkera – Halal
Looking for simple and comfort food? Hassan’s Mee Goreng at Jalan Tengkera is a living proof. Their Mee Bodoh (Stupid Noodles) are made with a few ingredients of yellow noodles, bean sprouts and their homemade specialty sambal. You must also get a side of their special sambal sunny side up paired with cucumber, like how locals eat! Noodle is springy, sambal sauce is just on point with portion is generous to serve as simple breakfast!
Tip : Food is selling out fast, make sure you could come as early as possible. Chili egg is not spicy but more to taste slight sour and salty.
Address : 390, Jalan Tengkera, 75200 Melaka (map coordinator).
Sin Hiap Hin Bar
Sin Hiap Hin is an old-fashioned local bar that’s been around for a century. Bar is run by a friendly old lady and is furnished with a vintage wooden bar, wooden stools, plastic chairs, and shelves filled with glasses of liquor. Soak up the rustic ambience while you sip on your choice of drink, whether it’s rice wine, Indian whisky, or a beer. Chat with bar owner, she loves to recommend special liquor up to your liking to you!
Tip : Not like most bars, Sin Hiap Hin closes its doors by 5.30pm before it gets dark. At good side, you can have your liquor from 9.30am onwards 🙂
Address : 5, Kampung Jawa, 75200 Melaka (map coordinator).
There are too many unique and fun attractions in Melaka we would like to share with you, will be updating post from time to time. Stay tune!