You Char Kway

I like to think that pushcart hawkers give a place its character and charm. Especially so when the intended customers are the locals. I really enjoyed observing this hawker stall selling you char kway preparing its products. So I sought permission to take a few photos and then supported the little business in my own little way. The food was brilliant by the way. :)

Chendol Melaka

Once you've tried the chendol in Melaka, you wouldn't want to touch other versions. Chendol Melaka sets itself apart with the generous use of gula melaka which is that fragrant brown coconut sugar as well as the thick, undiluted coconut milk. Both ingredients are almost always diluted to the point of mediocrity elsewhere.

Especially for this stall in Jonker Walk, the gula melaka has the consistency of honey. It slowly runs down the little mountain of coconut milk drenched ice as its viscosity resists being absorbed. Best of all, it sticks to the spoon so that its fragrance can be savoured as it is licked off. The result is a little bowl of awesomeness that will leave you knowing you never want to go for chendol knockoffs.

Hainanese Chicken Rice Balls at Chop Chung Wah

The herd mentality is works pretty well in finding good food anywhere, in Asian countries at least. While in Melaka, I spotted an unassuming kopi-tiam that was filled with customers and had people queuing out in the open.

The herd mentality naturally suggests that there is something good there. So I went in for look...

The full house of customers can't be wrong, so I sat down to order what everybody else ordered...

Ok, so I wasn't exactly alone to have ordered 2 chickens. Anyway, I am here to talk about how different and good this chicken rice is from the Singaporean version.

Starting off with the chicken, the texture of the meat was a different firm, juicy and had that natural sweetness only found in free range chickens. There was significantly less fat under the skin too. The sauce drizzled all over the meat gave a nice fragrance of sesame oil to it.

The ping-pong ball-sized rice balls were heavenly. At first bite, it was literally a burst of flavors. There was an extra oomph that was distinctly from the chicken fat that went into the making of the rice. Plus, it was such a joy to eat them, I wish didn't have to limit myself from having one too many.

Overall, this is probably one of the best chicken rice ever.

On a side note, there is another chicken rice balls restaurant chain (with 2 branches) by the name of A'Famosa Chicken Rice Balls (or something like that) that's more atas. Heard they aren't as fantastic as expected according to some who have tried. So don't go for substitutes, go for Chung Wah!

Reflections on the River

These were sort of accidental shots as I forgot to set my white balance back to sunlight.
But the stillness of the water that allowed for the clear reflections was great enough to share.
The colors from the white balance provided an additional spectrum of emotions, I guess.

A Lantern Shop

It was nearing Mid-Autumn Festival, and I was quite impressed and pleasantly surprised by this shop in Melaka that specializes in festive toys and decoration.

Lanterns

The more traditional ones

Here are some special mentions of lanterns in the shape of popular cartoon characters.

Hello Kitty, Doraemon, Winnie the Pooh

Winnie the Pooh, Doraemon, Hello Kitty

CJ7, Garfield and someone related to Hello Kitty

Spongebob Squarepants and Ultraman

Po the Kung Fu Panda swears the lanterns are cheap.

Spiderman on Spiderman

Yes, it was a WTF?! moment.

Limau Limau Cafe

Came across this place while roaming the streets towards Jonker Walk in Melaka and took a quick break. It seemed really laidback, especially since I was probably the first customer of the day.

The Shop Front

The staff went about with the daily chores while I checked out the place, which consisted of two levels. I really liked the upper floor, balcony and all.

My favorite bit was probably who well ventilated and how much natural light was allowed in. Cool and warm at the same time.

The second floor

I proceeded back to the bar counter and pondered over their menu, which consisted mainly of drinks concocted with fruits, ice and yoghurt.

colorful clothes pegs at the bar counter

I finally ordered a dragonfruit lychee smoothie which went down really quickly thanks to dehydration from the sweltering heat outside.

With my thirst satisfied, I bid the place goodbye and continued on my roamings in Melaka.