Melaka food expedition

Pack your bags and spend a weekend in Melaka sightseeing and feasting as HungryGoWhere guides you on what to eat for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and everything in between.

Melaka comes close to being one of the top holiday destinations in Malaysia for locals and tourists alike. A picturesque Unesco World Heritage Site famed for its many local eats, what's not to love?

In between all the shopping and taking in of the sights, we're sure you need to fuel up to holiday even harder. With all the major meals (and more) covered, here's the start of a gluttonous weekend in Melaka.

Breakfast – Local delights at Saturday Ice Cafe

The noodles may be a little softer than what we're used to, but as a whole, it works. – Pic courtesy of Hungry Go Where, October 29, 2014.Once you arrive, head straight to Saturday Ice Café where Melakans themselves frequent for good old-fashioned kopitiam fare. With a few stalls to choose from, we recommend their wantan mee (RM3.50). A little bit wetter than their KL counterpart, the thin, straight noodles were coated generously in the slightly watery but very tasty soy sauce gravy.

One other local favourites to try would be their nasi lemak (RM1.50) which comes with kangkung, Melaka-style. The grainy rice was accompanied by a sweet-ish sambal that packed a whole lot of heat.

The stall also sells a mean curry puff (RM0.80 apiece), with a thin and flaky pastry that gave way to a delicious savoury potato curry filling.

Their char kway teow comes highly recommended but the stall only opens after 11.30am. Run by an uncle wearing goggles (affectionately called Uncle Goggles), we missed the stall by an hour but the next time we're in Melaka, we'll be there.

Lunch – Hing Loong Taiwan Mee

The rich broth was also tangy, cut through by a sprinkling of fresh spring onions and coriander. – Pic courtesy of Hungry Go Where, October 29, 2014.Maybe you've had some time to digest that delicious breakfast and before you know it, it's time for lunch at Hing Loong for Taiwanese noodles.

What you want to have here is their pai kuat mee (pork chop noodle, RM4.60 for small). With slippery soft noodles reminiscent of pan mee, the bowl of noodles came topped with slices of tender and juicy pork chop with a crispy skin. With a piquant sauce, we slurped up our noodles so fast we were left licking the bowl clean.

The beef noodles (RM5) were a real gem of a discovery in that same shop. Drowned in a thick and spicy soup bursting with beefy flavours, we absolutely loved this dish which came with a generous amount of beef slices that melted in our mouths.

Tea – Popiah Lwee and East & West Rendezvous cendol on Jonker Street

The incredibly tasty rice dumplings with the blue pea flowers that colour them a beautiful blue. – Pic courtesy of Hungry Go Where, October 29, 2014.If you find yourself a little peckish while walking along Jonker Street, have Melaka-style popiah (RM2.80) at Poh Piah Lwee, just a little off from the main street.

The thick rolls were bursting with bean sprouts and sweet turnip, infused with porcine flavour from a sprinkling of crunchy pork lard used. They also serve nyonya laksa and nyonya zhang (glutinous rice dumpling) too. The dumplings were one of the best we've ever tasted!

As you stroll Jonker Street taking in the sights, it's easy to find yourself thirsty and tired from the heat. Take a break and slurp up some cendol at East & West Rendezvous Café, along the same row as Melaka's famed chicken rice ball shop, Kedai Kopi Chung Wah.

The cendol is an absolute must-have with every visit to Melaka, there's just no better way to beat the heat. – Pic courtesy of Hungry Go Where, October 29, 2014.Their cendol (RM3.50) was made with finely shaved ice that melted at the touch of a spoon, topped generously with gula Melaka giving each bite an unmistakable earthy flavour.

We thought we couldn't have it any better until we had their durian cendol (RM4.50). Topped with a generous dollop of durian paste, it infused the cendol with its signature pungent taste and aroma. Durian lovers that we are, it was a crowd favourite.

Dinner – J' Splash 5 Portuguese seafood

Fresh onions and cucumbers plus a squeeze of lime cuts through the spiciness of the baked fish. – Pic courtesy of Hungry Go Where, October 29, 2014.A visit to the Portuguese Settlement should be on everyone's to-do list with every trip to Melaka for hot and spicy Portuguese-style seafood. Enjoy a breezy dinner by the waters at their food court in the Portuguese Square.

We suggest J' Splash 5 for their excellent baked fish (RM33), a Portuguese specialty. A sizeable tilapia, the tender white flesh peeled off easily and went perfectly with the thick and tongue-numbingly spicy sambal sauce that it was covered in.

If you're reeling from all the spiciness, wipe that sweat off your brow and give your tongue a break with Joe's Only One Mango Juice at the far end of the food court. Aside from mango, they also have umbra (RM2.50), thick and refreshingly sour.

Supper – McQuek's satay celup

The most important component of any satay celup would have to be the peanut sauce and McQuek's got it down pat. – Pic courtesy of Hungry Go Where, October 29, 2014.We all know Capitol and Ban Lee Siang as the big names of satay celup in Melaka. Now, you can add McQuek's to the list and head on over for supper to cap off a fulfilling day of eating and holidaying. Similar to lok lok but with a pot of thick peanut sauce instead of boiling water, there are a variety of items to choose from.

Our go-to item is the fu chok (bean curd skin). Its crispy texture coupled with the creamy, sweet peanut sauce was a winning combo. Their kangkung roll was another favourite, with fresh flavours and a nice crunch.

To stave off the heat, go for an ice-cold wheatgrass drink (RM1.80). Slightly sweetened to balance out the bitterness of wheatgrass, it was a refreshing way to end the meal and a full day of eating. – October 29, 2014.

* If good food is your passion, then HungryGoWhere is your perennial kaki makan. Get access to one of the most comprehensive online Malaysian food guides available, and bring us along everywhere you go by downloading our mobile application, available on iOS and Android.