Jonker Street – w w w . x e .s . c x

Melaka – 30.10.2010

The first thing that came into my mind when I arrived Melaka was DJ Anatta’s gig back in 2006. She had a gig at Pure Club hence a few of us accompanied her there.

There we encountered some helicopter boys.

Anyway, my trip this time was to accompany A, who had to go there for work. We ate and ate and ate throughout the trip.

We started off with chicken rice balls, roasted chicken, barbecued pork and hot and spicy cabbage at Famosa Chicken Rice Balls. I wanted small portions for each dish but the waiter gave us too much -___- Our plan to leave some space for other food was interrupted.

We didn’t go to Restoran Chung Wah for chicken rice balls because I like the dark sauce provided by Famosa.

Anyway, the queue at Chung Wah was crazy!

I wonder what is so good about this place. I came here once and I find it so-so.

We decided to take a break from food and visited the Cheng Ho Museum. Entry was RM10 per person.

The museum provides a guided tour both in English and Chinese. The tour lasted around and hour.

If you didn’t know who is Cheng Ho, Cheng Ho is a famous Chinese official who had traveled all around the world in the 1400s. Author of the book “1421 – The Year China discovered America“, Gavin Menzies, claimed that Cheng Ho found America before Christopher Columbus.

Notwithstanding that Cheng Ho was a eunuch, some of his descendants can be traced until today. Apparently, most of them live in Thailand and their pictures are shown in the museum.

Models of Cheng Ho’s 208 ships that sailed through the world

Our tour guide also gave us a brief explanation on how forced castration was done on eunuch in China. According to him, a boy’s penis together with his balls will be carved out and covered for 3 days. If he is able to pass water on the 3rd day, he will be able to survive. uuuhh..

Plenty of porcelain in this museum. Many of them donated or loaned by locals.

Overall, I think the artifacts and presentation of this place is rather mediocre. I don’t understand why Malaysia museums like to use mannequins. I don’t remember seeing any in the British Museum in London or Mets in NYC. Some local politician got contract to provide mannequins is it?

After our museum tour, we walked to Jonker 88 for our favourite cendol.

However, the queue was bloody long and we decided to forget Jonker 88. As we were about to enter the shop next to Jonker 88, our friend Frederick waved at us.

He was in front of the line and he offered to buy us cendol! Woohooo.

He even gave us a bowl of curry laksa cause he over ordered. -_____- I was soooooooooo fulll!

Before my trip to Melaka, my colleague recommended me to try the Mille Crepe in Nadeje Cafe. Apparently, it is better than Food Foundry hence I was determined to try it before I head back to KL.

Before setting to Nadeje Cafe…we bought a packet of fresh onde-onde 😀

To be continued..

Tioman Island: Melaka: Hotel Puri

Due to the return of Aussie boys Umeng and sLoonG, my high school friends and I made a road trip down to Pulau Tioman. It was supposed to be a farewell trip for Jin Han but he was tied up with something else. Jin Han and his family will be migrating to Australia.

We stopped by Melaka for a night before heading to Pulau Tioman. We stayed at Hotel Puri at Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock (behind Jonker’s Street).

Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock was formerly known as Heeren Street which was also known as the Millionaire’s Row. Many many years ago, Peranakan millionaires used to live along this street. Many of the millionaires’ houses are still around, some turned into shops and some vacant and abandoned. Our hotel is one of the many houses that have converted into a commercial lot. But just right opposite Hotel Puri lays the Chee Family Ancestral Home which I believe is still privately owned. It is so grand that it stands out from the others.

Chee Ancestral Home

Hotel Puri used to a mansion of a local Chinese tycoon. It was built in 1822 and it was said to house a zoo with a tiger and few deer!

Another interesting bit of this house is a hall which houses a number of swiftlet bird nests. I wonder if the bird nests are edible.

Bird Nests and CCTV

Just next to the ‘bird nest’ room lays a small museum with some history of house and even about Malaysia.

Our room was reasonably tidy and spacious. sLoonG, WK and I had to share the bed. Poor WK was assaulted by sLoonG and I whole night long.
Parking is provided by Hotel Puri. It’s located few blocks away from the hotel.

The drawback about this hotel is their breakfast. It comes in buffet style with a mixture of local and western cuisine. Their hash browns and sausages were almost tasteless. But with Jonker Street just behind, food shouldn’t be a problem.

Melaka Makan Trip – Part II

Continuation from Melaka Makan Trip

Hajjah Mona Asam Pedas @ Kota Laksamana

We took a break before heading to Taman Kota Laksamana for Asam Pedas Ikan Pari (stingray). Hajjah Mona is within walking distance from Jonker Street. This place was introduced to me by some clubbers I met in Melaka.

Their speciality would be their Asam Pedas Ikan Pari. Just order Ikan Pari and they know what you meant. Within minutes, they will serve you a plate of plain rice and a bowl of asam pedas ikan pari with sauce filled to the brink.

The stingray’s meat is tender and the sauce is sourish and a little bit spicy. It makes me salivate whenever I think about it!

Putu Piring @ Jalan Tengkera

Long queue!

Barely 10 minutes after Assam Pedas, Cris brought us to one place that sells Putu Piring at night. Putu Piring is made of steamed rice flour filled with gula melaka (palm sugar).

What made this place special is the stall itself. The stall is actually in front of the owner’s house. The entrance to their house is wide open.

Since it’s a housing area, parking might be a little bit troublesome. Cris parked his car in front of a house and had two Indian men ‘molesting’ his car. Mmm Suzuki Swiftt…you’re soo hooott..

Cris said this looks like nipples. Many many nipples.

Each piece costs 70cent but I would recommend that one should not eat more than two pieces as you’ll get sick of it after the 1 ½ piece.

10 pieces of Putu Piring packed with newspaper!

Mmmm

Jonker’s Walk, Melaka @ Melaka

Last week, before DJ Anatta’s set @ Pure Club, we went to Jonker’s Walk for dinner.

At night, Jonker’s Walk is filled with stalls selling food, clothes and many other rubbish. We had to brave through a sea of people to get to the other end.

We were greeted by the sight of a crowd surrounding an uncle. The uncle was performing some sort of martial arts and also promoting his herb. Apparently he’s some sort of Malaysia Book of Records holder. Record holder for breaking the most coconuts with his bare hands …I’m serious!

He had this Caucasian to hold a coconut which he intends to break with his bare hands.

Uncle: Now you hold the coconut. Like this..
Dude: OKOK.
Uncle: you then throw the coconut to me! (uncle walks away)
Dude: ok..
Uncle: Don’t throw it to my face, you hold it like that.. ok?
Dude: ok..
Suddenly,
Uncle: Ladies and Gentlemen, this is my product, very good for sores etc etc
Dude: (Hold coconut while listening and ready to throw)
Uncle: (goes back to the white dude) ok don’t throw it to my face!
Dude: okay..
Then..

Uncle: Ladies and Gentlemen, with my product you can blablablaa!!
The uncle kept on talking and talking and promoting his product until we got bored and left. The poor Caucasian was left standing there with a coconut with his hand. Bet he hates Malaysia now.

Fortune Teller.

Chicken Rice Balls! w00t!

You can sing karaoke in the open here.

You can even perform on stage!