What do you mix cucumber, lettuce, pineapple, onion and mint garnishing and hot spicy soup? Explosion! That’s it. Mind you, the thick soup is a special ingredient and it gives the whole thing a ‘fishy taste’ that you can’t get anywhere else. Soft rice noodle is then added to bring out the special taste. It is a bit on the hot side, though. This dish is available at most hotels, but if you ask the locals, they might lead you to some eating stalls that have this item as their specialty.
Assam Curry Fish head
Big salt water fish head cooked in special curry gravy garnished with shallots, garlic, and lemon grass and other flowers and herbs. Add to it some asam (local sour plum) and simmered slowly in an earthen pot. Well, what you get is hot and tasty fish that you would want more. It is definitely hot! Normally available at Indian Muslim restaurants that you can easily find around town. Look for the ‘fish head’ signature on shop signboards to locate this dish, or ask the locals.
Hainanese Chicken Rice Ball
Hainanese Chicken Rice ball Steamed plain chicken pieces served with special ‘rice balls’. Ah, when people come to Malacca, they must not leave without tasting this dish. The rice ball is soft, aromatic, and not available any where else. This dish is not hot, but a special garlic-chilli source is available for those who cannot live without chilli. A Malaccan specialty, this Chinese Hainanese concoction is not even available in native Hainan Island in China!. There are only a few shops dishing out this specialty. Two of them are right in the middle of town, located near the OCBC bank. It is also available at shopping complexes like Mahkota Parade.
Satay Celup
Satay celup is raw meat (some are precooked) threaded on a slim wooden stick, then dunked into a pot of boiling water and dipped into a special nutty source (mainly satay peanut) for flavor. You can get it at most food courts or they sometimes come from mobile hawkers on trishaw carts. Young people just love to dip in the satay sticks.
Curry Debal (Portuguese slang for devil’s curry)
Curry Debal or 'Devil's Curry is a fiery ____________________________70_
hot dish that is unique to the Kristang culture (Descendants of Portuguese colonists who settled in Malacca). It is indeed very spicy as the name implies. The secret to the curry's delicious taste is a blend of candlenuts, galangal and vinegar. Curry Debal is often served during special occasions among the Portuguese community in Malacca but most hotels also have it from their kitchens.
Chendol
This dish is also a dessert and is made from greenish colored thick short pea noodles served in brown coconut based gravy. It has shaved ice added to give you that ‘cooling’ effect, especially useful in this hot tropical climate. Originated from southern India, this sweet concoction is a must try. It is available in most eating outlets and coffee houses of hotels.
Coconut House Studio
Here is a place for you to rest your tired feet if you have been strolling along town. It is situated at 128, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock and you can seep a cool glass of beer accompanied by wooden fired pizza in their courtyard with a two century old well. There is also a grown palm tree to boot!
Address: 128, Jln Tun Tan Cheng Lock Tel:606 282 9328Some other delicacies
* Baba and Nonya specialties. * Malay ikan baker
* Indian Banana leave rice * Chinese oyster omelette * Chinese soft shelled crabs * Chinese Popiahs