Melaka

With Melaka's rich multicultural history comes a variety of different foods so "local" cuisine here may mean any of Malay, Chinese, Nyonya (Chinese ingredients with Malay spices), Indian, or Portuguese dishes. A string of Malay food stalls are set up opposite the Equatorial Hotel. They serve cafeteriastyle meals - you get a plate of white rice and choose what you want from trays of cooked fish, curries and vegetables. The earlier in the day it is, the more variety there'll be. For optimum choice and value head to one of the city's food centres - clusters of hawker stands and tables in a partly open-air setting. Tourist favourite Newton Food Centre is located near the waterfront and is one of the few places to reliably get a meal after 22:00, and some stalls stay open until midnight. There are a few food centres on Jalan Parmeswara (including another one named Newton) past the Kancil Guesthouse. Dishes like mee goreng (fried noodles) start at 3 ringgit, roti chanai from 1 ringgit and chicken satay from 0.50 ringgit per stick. A local spin on satay and a favourite among Melakans for a social meal with friends is satay celup. Like Korean BBQ or Chinese steamboat, it's a do-it-yourself meal: You select skewers of seafood, meat and vegetables and then cook them in a boiling pot of spicy peanut sauce at your table. Satay celup is a signature Melakan dish with a handful of restaurants in town specialising in it, but the most famous is Capital Satay. They open for dinner at 17:00 when there's usually a queue of hungry people already waiting. As tourism flourishes in Meleka, many of the heritage buildings in the Jonker Street area are being turned into restaurants and cafes. You can sample traditional Nyonya cuisine in a traditional Nyonya shophouse at the impeccably restored Restoran Peranakan (dishes 6 to 25 ringgit). Cafe 1511 has a similar Nyonya-centric menu at lower prices (meals from 5 ringgit), Western breakfast sets (from 3 ringgit), plus cheap internet access. On the same street is the Coconut House Studio, renowned for wood-fired pizzas, homemade tiramisu and being one of Melaka's few late-opening restaurants. For a healthy snack try a delicious fruit smoothie and a sandwich or salad at the hip Limau-Limau Cafe. If you like the decor you can take it home with you as most of the local art decorating the walls is for sale. On Jonker Street itself is Famosa Chicken Rice Balls, specialising in Chinese food and its uniquely Melakan namesake dish: rice balls served with steamed chicken and chilli sauce. Except for the roundness, it's identical to the chicken rice you'll find in Singapore or elsewhere in Malaysia. The Geographer Cafe is more for drinking than eating, but there's also a full menu of healthy (no red meat, no MSG) Western and Asian dishes. Vegetarians will appreciate the variety of meat-free salads, soups, pastas and curries (meals from 10 ringgit, accepts credit cards). As you stroll through the Chinatown area keep an eye out for bakeries selling pineapple tarts - a Nyonya specialty. Another local must-try dessert is a bowl of chendol, a colourful concoction of shaved iced, coconut milk, green noodles, and fruit (this may mean beans and corn). It looks strange but is

the perfect syrupy sweet pick-me-up in the middle of a hot, sticky afternoon. The most convenient place to try it is Clocktower Cendol across from Stadthuys, and it'll only set you back 2 ringgit. They also sell bottled drinks and fresh coconut. Cheap eats are abundant in the Melaka Raya guesthouse area with plenty of kopitiams (Chinese coffee shops serving light meals) and kedai makanan (Malay food shops). One of the strangest is Restaurant Sek Yow Foo, with its banner advertising "Elvis Presley peanut butter and banana sandwiches" (1.80 ringgit). This canteen-style eatery serves everything Malay curries, Chinese porridge, dim sum, Western breakfast sets, roti pratha - they claim to have over 100 dishes and it's all dirt-cheap (1.20 to 6 ringgit, breakfast set of eggs, toast, coffee, sausage and hashbrowns 5 ringgit). If you're craving Indian food, Restaurant D'Tandoori House is said to be the best in Melaka - the soft naan bread is the perfect accompaniment to the spicy tandoori chicken. They're open for lunch and dinner, but close for a break in the late afternoon. An alternative to Starbucks in the mall, Old Taste Coffee has free WiFi, all sorts of sweet caffeinated beverages (hot or iced), and a very Malay menu (nasi lemak, laksa, kaya toast) for a fraction of mall prices. Both Mahkota Parade and Dataran Pahlawan malls are brimming with restaurants and the usual fast food joints. In addition to the glorious air-conditioning, chain restaurants in Malaysia offer pretty good value. For something more interesting than McDonalds, try Seoul Garden for Korean BBQ or Nando's for spicy South African roasted chicken - both in Mahkota Parade. Self-caterers can stock up at the massive new Carrefour hypermart, which offers everything from preserved fruit snacks to sushi, or the Malay-owned Giant Supermarket. Drinking With the exception of Friday nights on Jonker Street, Melaka has a quiet, low-key atmosphere. The best spot to meet up with other travellers for a drink is probably at your guesthouse. If yours isn't rockin', the Discovery Cafe and Guesthouse is the surest thing. Plus there's also pool, darts, occasional live music and the self-proclaimed cheapest beer in town. Melaka's nightlife centres around Jonker Street with a handful of cafes that double as lounges once the sun sets. In a corner shophouse, The Geographer Cafe is the classiest of the lot and attracts a mature crowd with soft jazz, cocktails and high-quality cuisine. If you're scared off by the prices, try the D'Art Cafe a little further down the street for a similar vibe but backpacker-friendly prices. Restaurant Sek Yow Fook: 352 Jalan Melaka Raya 4. T: (06) 2840 452. Open 8:00 to 21:00. Restoran Peranakan: 107 Jalan Tun Tan Chang Lock. T: (06) 284 5001. Open lunch and dinner Limau-Limau Cafe: No.49, Jalan Hang Jebat. T: (012) 698 4917. Coconut House Studio: 128 Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock. Open 11:00 to 24:00. Closed Wednesdays Discovery Cafe: No. 3 Jalan Bunga Raya. T: (06) 292 5606. Geographer Cafe: 83 Jonker Street. T: (06) 281 6613. http://www.geographer.com.my Restaurant D'Tandoori House: (06) 282 9262

Famosa Chicken Rice Ball: #28-30 Jalan Hang Kasturi. T: (06) 286 0121 http://www.chickenriceball.com