What to Do and Eat in Melaka

My trip to beautiful Melaka in Dec 2021 has made me proud that this city belongs to Malaysia. Melaka has many places that are full of character, history, culture and heritage. What makes it a world-class attraction is that the city's features are all tastefully enhanced and responsibily preserved, reflecting the uniqueness of Malaysia. While international borders are still keeping foreign tourists at bay, it is the best time for Malaysians to enjoy local tourism. 

Many corners of Melaka are indeed charming and make admirable backdrops in Ig posts! Food in Melaka is also worth travelling for. This time, I explored alternatives to Capitol satay celup, Chung Wah chicken rice ball and Siham longkang at Bunga Raya street and they did not disappoint. Although they are not as iconic as the mentioned eateries, they have queues in their own right.

In the vicinity of Jonker Street

A Famosa

You can find these near Jonker too

The beautiful red Chirst Church

Klebang Sand Dunes 

For a moment, I thought I was in the Australian outback. The air, the sand and plants were not the usual ones. It was hard to convince myself that I was still in Malaysia. This accidental attraction was initially piles of sand intended for construction. Having a little more vegetation and courser sand than the desert I have been in Abu Dhabi, this place succeeds in transporting you out of Malaysia without you having to move an inch out of country. The fun that the sand brings is like no other. Slide and slip a little when you run up and down the hills of sand. And of course, take stunning photographs backdropped by the majestic sky and endless stretches of sand. From the "Pasir cantik" sign, walk for 20-30 minutes to reach the dunes. That could translate to roughly 1.5 km.

Love the dessert experience when walking 1.5-2km towards the sand dunes. The wind was gusty and nothing like normal seabreeze. The land was fast and never ending. At a point, I had jitters because the place feels so foreign to me and I have completely forgotten that I was in Malaysia.

Tembikai Jam Besar 

Just opposite the famous red Christ Church Melaka, there will be a stall by the river with piles of small watermelons. Order one. There is no match to the cool and sweetness of the watermelon. RM8 for small, RM10 for big. I had it everyday when I was there and still craving for it when I am back in KL.

Enjoy a melon while waving to the passengers in the cruise at the river

Melaka River and Trishaws

I have to say that Melaka Tourism is doing a good job in enhancing Melaka's beauty especially the illumination along the river. Along the river are charming cafes and bars where you can sit and imbibe a drink and the environment. At night too, the trishaws enchant with their LED decorations. Young men are seen proudly taking up the pedalling trade.

Melaka River in the day

Along the alleys near Melaka River

Melaka River by night feels like the Yarra River in Melbourne

It's always comforting to have an evening stroll by the river

Very lively and colourful parade of trishaws

Have a drink by the bank of the river while absorbing all the vibes

Satay Celup at Ban Lee Siang 

Be torn between Ban Lee Siangs with red and blue awning as the family feud runs rife amongst its customers. Both BLS restaurants serve delicious satay celup under the same name but they are different businesses. The one with the blue awning is a disunion of the youngest brother and his wife from the original family business of 30 years. Gossip apart, they are one of the recommended satay celups other than Capitol. The queue tells. RM30 for fresh pot of sauce (usually they recycle the sauce errkkk!!)

Ban Lee Siang in blue awning is by the younger brother and Ban Lee Siang in red awning is by the rest of the family. Both blue and red awnings have their own queue

Fresh pot of sauce is now available due to Covid. Before this, the boiling pot is not changed even when the customer of the table changes. Fresh pot is RM30 while the 'recycled' pot is free

Portugese Village

Give yourself a swathe of warmth during Christmas at the Portugese Village. The decorations lift up the atmosphere and the residence are not shy to display family togetherness. Go for a round or two for some inspiration for your home deco too!

So pretty right?

How nice if everyone in KL also has this spirit of decorating home

The seafood square in Portugese Village is said to be affordable and fresh. Have to try this in my next trip

Kheng Juan Hin 

I didn't think much of Kheng Juan Hin coffee shop as I was just searching for a place for breakfast after visiting the Klebang Sand Dunes. I was pleasantly surprised by how delicious their basic coffee, toast and eggs were! You will find patrons of all races coming for their breakfast. I found out they had kopi butter when I was about to leave the coffeeshop, leaving one strong reason to return.

Perfectly timed half boiled eggs here are so popular that 

Toasted with charcoal the old fashion way

Medan Ikan Bakar Muara Sungai Duyung 

This seafood centre made it into my bookmark list. Fresh, affordable and delicious! For 2 pple, 500g of sotong, 600g of si ham and a small pari was satisfying. Choose from cooking methods like fried sambal, steam, tomyam, salted egg. Cooking service will be charged per gram.

 

Siham rebus

Sotong goreng tepung

Pari bakar

Sun May Hiong Satay House 

Enjoys bits of pork, liver, intestines and chicken at RM1 per stick at Sun May Hiong. At first taste, the peanut sauce is a little too sweet for my liking but the sweetness made sense and when I found out that it is made of pineapple. I enjoyed the fructose even more. Knowing your food makes a difference indeed.

The sauce is made of pineapple

Huang Chang Chicken Rice Restaurant 

Speaking of chicken rice ball, nearly everybody will think of the one at Jonker Walk. For a change, try Huang Chang Chicken Rice. Remember to take more chili. I learnt that behind the long queue.

Huang Chang Chicken Rice Restaurant also has a queue

If you look at Google review, there will be some who approves and some who don't
Well, there is a queue for a reason. To me, the portion is a little small, the chicken and rice is aromatic and I enjoy soaking the rice in its chillie sauce.

Remember to take more chilli sauce

Flavettes NutriSkincare Range- H-Drate, Glow and Glamz

Duopharma Biotech Berhad has officially launched its new Flavettes NutriSkincare range today, further expanding its consumer healthcare portfolio into the health and beauty segment through the established Flavettes brand. In 2021, Flavettes – the No. 1 Adult Vitamin C brand in Malaysia and a market leader in the effervescent Vitamin C segment, targeted the steadily-growing beauty segment with the introduction of Flavettes NutriSkincare variants – building on the popularity of its effervescent Vitamin C products.

Using the tagline “Be Seri-Seri Inside Out" the new Flavettes NutriSkincare range is positioned as a complete skincare offering, with effective products in the easily absorbed effervescent format, emphasising the importance of the right nutrition in holistic beauty routines. Beauty enthusiasts will recognise the ingredients in our new Flavettes NutriSkincare range in many renowned beauty products that help protect the skin, combat free radicals, repair damaged skin cells and maintain hydration of cells – for firm, fair, radiant and youthful-looking skin. For Duopharma Biotech, we are using our expertise in pharmaceutical manufacturing of effective nutritional supplements to offer a holistic skincare and beauty approach from the inside out – making it an integral part of a good skincare regimen. The new Flavettes NutriSkincare range – developed with full scientific rigour like our other pharmaceutical grade products, offers an innovative triple action formulation to improve overall skin health from the cellular level,” Leonard Ariff Abdul Shatar, Group Managing Director, Duopharma Biotech Berhad commented.

The effervescent suppliments are so delicious that you can't tell them apart from mocktails

Flavettes Glow and Glamz in orange flavour

Flavettes H-Drate in sakura apple flavour

“In fulfilling our vision of “Providing Smarter Solutions for a Healthier Life” and our mission of being
the “Leading Healthcare Group Providing Quality and Innovative Solutions”, Duopharma Biotech has
continuously explored new areas and offerings in healthcare as an industry leader and champion of
halal pharmaceuticals. Through the new Flavettes NutriSkincare range, we are taking another bold
step in the evolution and expansion of our Consumer Healthcare segment, moving into the real
beauty segment to meet the growing demand. Tapping on the market leadership of our Flavettes
Effervescent range, we are using our knowledge of popular nutritional supplement formats to deliver
the nutrients that are required for healthy, beautiful skin,” he added.

In the launch attended by singer Wany Hasrita, the Ambassador for Flavettes, the guests – including
Watsons Elite Members who had won invitations to the event, were treated to an exciting line-up of
entertainment and activities. These included performances by Wany Hasrita as well as the Top 3
Finalists of Lagu Cinta Kita and Lydia – the winner of Shila Amzah’s Masterclass. Other activities
included a Q&A segment with skincare expert Dr Anshaw Lee, voting for the Lagu Cinta Kita
Favourite Glamz Couple and a session of the H-Drate Filter challenge.

To celebrate the launch of the new Flavettes NutriSkincare range, a series of exciting promotions and
sponsorships have been carried out, including sponsoring the TV3 Akasia drama Mr Bibik and TV3
duet singing competition reality show Lagu Cinta Kita – for Flavettes Effervescent Glamz, as well as
sponsorship of 8tv singing competition reality show Shila Amzah Masterclass for Flavettes
Effervescent H-Drate.


In addition, a series of five videos with Dr Anshaw Lee will be featured on the Flavettes Malaysia Instagram account, while consumers can win RM10 Watsons promo codes for
Flavettes Effervescent H-Drate by playing the H-Drate Filter challenge via a new filter downloadable
from the Flavettes Malaysia Instagram account.

Check out Flavettes at www.instagram.com/flavettes and www.facebook.com/FlavettesMalaysia

PaySlowSlow Offers A New Way to Shop Via Buy-Now-Pay-Later

Pay Slow Slow lives up to his name to literally allow Malaysians to pay slow slow. Users of the app can utilise PaySlowSlow to shop online and physically in shops to split their purchases into four interest-free equal payments at over 500 merchant partners, both physical retail stores and online merchants.

The ASEAN Fintech Group launches its first Buy Now-Pay-Later platform, PaySlowSlow.com (PSS), in Malaysia, giving Malaysian shoppers and businesses an opportunity for growth and greater control for a better shopping experience. The app is intended to allow users to u

With merchants ranging from 5-star conference resorts such as Bangi Resort Hotel to Ai home- a
SMART personal and home technology retailer among others, users can purchase products or experiences with a worry-free instalment plan, making it a better way to pay.

PaySlowSlow’s 0% interest buy-now-pay-later platform allows for greater inclusion for non-credit cards users as they can now select between credit and debit cards as a payment method. The debit card
option allows the user to manage their money better to avoid high-interest rates on credit cards.

PaySlowslow aims to ease consumer financial burdens whilst still allowing them to purchase what they
want. At the same time, it helps to provide access to credit to the underbanked and unbanked in
Malaysia, who make up 55%* of the population with limited access to purchase goods and services
with instalment payment.

Merchants on the PaySlowSlow platform enjoy a risk-free experience with an upfront payment of the
sale, no sign-up fees and registration costs. A transaction fee is collected upon successful sales via our
platform. In addition, marketing support is extended to all merchants through curated marketing
campaigns aimed at driving traffic & improving sales conversion to their business. 

To sign up , visit https://payslowslow.com/my/for-business/

SIGN UP REBATE

From November 2021 till 31st December 2021, Beauty & Travel category merchants** who sign up for
PaySlowSlow.com will receive a bonus rebate of RM2,000to offset transactions fees within the first
three months of onboarding. For more information, visit wwwpayslowslow.com/signup to register
your interest.

**Applicable to the first 50 merchants under the Beauty & Travel category

PAYSLOWSLOWSHOP

Complementing offline marketing efforts, PaySlowSlow.com offers merchants an additional avenue via
the “PaySlowSlowShop”(https://payslowslowshop.com/) its online e-commerce store, which will
feature monthly exclusive deals and money-saving promotions curated for the PaySlowSlow shopper.
Users who select online checkout at the PaySlowSlowShop can take advantage of the extra discounts
only available on the store.

“We see the trend of Buy-Now-Pay-Later (BNPL) services picking up momentum in Malaysia, and this
is an opportune time for us to launch PaySlowSlow.com in Malaysia. In line with the AFG vision to build a multi-vertical fintech value chain, PaySlowSlow is an example of how we build a synergistic value for consumers and SMEs that use the services of the AFG Group of companies. By cross-partnering our payment gateway, BetterPay, with BNPL business PaySlowSlow, we value-add to our customers.” says Kin Wai Lau, Executive Director, ASEAN Fintech Group

 *Source:https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2021/10/04/2307695/28124/en/Malaysia-Buy-Now-Pay-Later-Market-Report-2021-02028.html

Farm to Plate x Plantonic Menu

The Farm to Plate X Plantonic Menu is more of a chance for vegetables to take revenge of their underestimated qualities compared to meat. The 9 course plant-based menu will at one point make you wonder if meat was ever present to produce those scrumptious flavours. Farm to Plate not only intent to impress with their culinary skills with plants but also cultivate love for plants with a complimentary bottle of Plantonic plant tonic with each cover for your greens at home. The celebration of the power of plants will last for 2 weeks starting from 22nd November 2021.

Farm to Plate x Plantonic 9 course menu

Farm to Plate is an exclusive restaurant where chefs pore over every grain prepared for guests and rejects anything mediocre. Discerning tongues can be ensured that only the freshest and most quality ingredients from the farm will land on the plate. Owner Chis Chew explains that plenty of culinary techniques and skillsare used in the kitchen to extract the best flavours. 

At the end of my experience, I left with my lips still smacking and a belly satiated just right.

Each cover will receive a bottle of Plantonic 4-in-1 plant fertilizing tonic

Plantonic is the world's first 4-in-1 plant fertilizing tonic, a concoction that is designed to be a non-toxic fertilizer, soil revitalizer and also a natural pest repellent while preventing fungal infections and boosting plant immunity. A worthwhile bottle that cannot go wrong be it when fixing or nurturing your beloved greens. 

True to its tagline "Treating Nature with Nature", Plantonic uses only plant-based ingredients namely shilajit, seaweed, ginseng root, fruit peel, seed extract and tea leaves sans chemicals.

Farm to Plate x Plantonic Menu will be available only for 2 weeks:

22-25th Nov 2021 and 29th Nov-2 Dec 2021

Available only via pre-order (1 day notice) and limited to 30 covers per week.

Pre-orders and bookings for the Farm to Plate x Plantonic Menu can be made by contacting Farm to Plate at 018-2682333

Impeccable service at Farm to Plate 

Warm and aesthetically pleasing interior

Chilled Tofu with Roasted Sesame and Ginger Shoyu

The course draws its curtains with a soothing cube of silky toufu sitting in a pool of housemade sesame sauce as its entree. The cooling bland block is flavoured with sesame sauce which I reckon has a hint of fermented beancurd when together in the mouth, gently awakening the tastebuds.

Truffles with Shiitake Dumpling and Crisp Leek

Wrapped by one of the niftiest fingers in dim sum kitchen, the translucent dumpling contains a mix of shiitake mushroom and leek. Although not a favourite of many, Farm to Plate processes the leek to a likeable taste with a pleasant texture. Matched with pumpkin sauce, this dish provides a clean taste that lets you reap the flavour of truffles better.

Skills of the chef

Making the skin of dumpling at the right thickness

Winter Vegetables and Spinach with Light Soy Broth

Seasonal vegetables are usually featured because they have used the season to their advantage to grow to their best and therefore, bringing the best qualities to the plate. Sourced from Japan, this sweet combination of pumpkin, snow pea and spinach is bound by light soy broth and a sprinkle of sesame which gives it a pleasant finishing.

Yuba Tofu wrapped Julienne Vegetables with Japanese Taro and Hawthorn Berry

After three saucy dishes, the fourth changes the course with a crispy number which brings fun to the palette. Made of Japanese Taro, the pumpkin shaped sphere bears a delightful clot of pumpkin puree with a hint of sweetness from hawthorn berry which leaves you yearning for more. 

Creamy pumpkin filling

Tamagoyaki Egg Omelette with Daikon Oroshi

Good culinary skills can heighten the worth of the humble egg to another level and you will witness it with this dish at Farm to Plate. The omelette is moist to the core with savoury liquid wetting your lips as you bite into the roll. With a small pile of daikon at the top, the egg is articulated even more.

Spanish Cauliflower with Lotus Root and Seasonal Vegetables

Get a lot of crunch from this dish of Spanish cauliflower, asparagus and sweet lily bulb. Fried lotus root daintily adds an interesting texture while the slight heat of pimenton pleasantly warms the mouth. 

Farfalle Edamame with Fresh Basi Pesto and Pine Nuts

Anchor down the meal with some al dente pasta with the unctuousness of pesto sauce with occasional specks of edamame and pine nuts. The saltiness from the chese also peeks cleverly through the mount of pasta making it simply lip-smaking.

Roasted Black Sesame Ball

The roasted black sesame ball appears to be 'da bomb' among the guests. With savoury and sweet black sesame lava waiting to ooze out as the crispy crust is bitten, guests will be left speechless for this delectable dessert.

Yuzu Konyaku Jelly

Definitely refreshing, konyaku jelly with fragrant yuzu juice lives up to the expectation as a palette cleanser. The red pomelo provides bursts of fruity sensation with each scoop of springy jelly which wraps up the meal beautifully.

Plate to Farm owner Chirs Chew who also owns a restaurant Le Sense at Damansara Kim enjoys explaining the techniques and how food is curated

Farm to Plate x Plantonic Menu will be available only for 2 weeks:

22-25th Nov 2021 and 29th Nov-2 Dec 2021

Available only via pre-order (1 day notice) and limited to 30 covers per week.

Pre-orders and bookings for the Farm to Plate x Plantonic Menu can be made by contacting Farm to Plate at 018-2682333

Farm to Plate

4, Jalan SS 20/10 Damansara Kim, 

Petaling Jaya, 47400 Petaling Jaya, 

Selangor Darul Ehsan

018-2682333