This is the last of my Malacca food trail and before I end, I’ve to say I enjoyed Malacca immensely. The people are friendly and the place feels like it’s a throwback into the simple 80s. I’d totally migrate here.
CLOCKTOWER CENDOL
If you go to Malacca, you can’t miss this. We tried a few chendols in Malacca and this is the best. Across the street from Christ Church, the #1 tourist attraction, it’s a small kiosk with many locals. The cendol is different from Singapore; it is simpler, with only three ingredients, green jelly, corn and red beans. It is less sweet, with less or no gula melaka (palm sugar syrup). Strange, coming to Melaka but no gula melaka. There is also less crushed ice, so the dessert is chilled, not cold. It’s like taking a time machine, going back to the simple past, but the flavors are also more fragrant. We had the plain one, just cendol, and another one with ice cream. The ice cream melts just nicely into the cendol so it isn’t overly sweet. I’d advise you to try one plain and one all-in, with other ingredients such as peanuts. The portions are smaller than Singapore’s–that’s why the Melakans aren’t obese–so it’s good for a mid-day snack or aftermeal dessert. Prices from 1.50 to 4 ringgit.
JONKER STREET
This is the pasar malam Chinatown. Many people, and food. Starts from 6 to about midnight. Very fun but didn’t give you a feeling of constriction. We ate much food here including the fried carrot cake, muah chee, ice cream in the form of an egg, red bean cake (popular in Hong Kong), abacus seeds and fried kway tiao (see below). I’d say they are fun munchies but Singapore’s food is better.
Fried kway tiao: intersection of jalan tukang besi and Jonker St. Very crunchy with lots of beansprouts but this is the salty kind, as opposed to the sweet kind in Singapore. It takes some getting used to. I think Malacca food doesn’t use much MSG so it’s hard to gauge the standards. But it was a fun experience eating at a roadside stall.
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