[Melaka] PAMPAS Sky Dining @ The Shore

Rating: 4 out of 5
Price range: RM30-RM100
Halal/Non-halal   (Pork-free, serves alcohol)
Ambience: Fine dining, indoor and al fresco
Style of cooking: Western
Recommended order: Steak
Business hour: Tue - Sun; 4pm till 12am
Address: 41st Floor, Tower 1, The Shore
Phone number: 017-7072731

PAMPAS Sky Dining is operated by the PAMPAS Group of Restaurants. You might be familiar with their sister restaurants - PAMPAS Grill & Bar, PAMPAS Reserve, PAMPAS Burger and 51 Restaurant & Bar. PAMPAS Sky Dining brings a new height of dining experience at The Shore Tower 1. Its reputation as the highest sky restaurant promises amazing city view and Straits of Melaka. We recommend you to book your table around 7pm to catch the sunset while sipping a glass of margarita and wait for the transition from day to night.

The Norwegian Salmon Fillet are pan fried with herbs to bring out its taste and served along side with mustard sauce and spinach.

The Barramundi Fish Fillet is lightly fried with lemon butter herb until crispy on the skin, served on a bed of grilled vegetables.

The Grilled Rack of Lamb was not up to expectation. Although its famous for their steak, the medium lamb came out to be well done. The lamb served with grilled potato, rocket salad and salsa sauce.


Overall, the food is good but not fantastic. The grilled lamb rack can be improved. It has fantastic view if you are looking to celebrate a special occasion. The beer available on tap are Heineken, Paulaner, Tiger and Kilkenny.


Visiting tips:

1. Reservation is highly recommended during the weekends.
2. Ladies' Night every Wednesday 8pm onwards.
3. To be able to get a table at the birdcage, you have to spend above RM500 in a single receipt.
4. On hot days, the al fresco area can be sweaty and uncomfortable. 

[Melaka] Ban Lee Siang Satay Celup (Yellow Signboard)

Rating: 5 out of 5
Price: RM0.90 per stick
Ambience: Open restaurant
Style of cooking: Malaysian
Address: 45-E, Jalan Ong Kim Wee, Melaka
Business hour: Mon-Thu 5:00pm-12:00am; Fri-Sun 4:00pm-12:00am

When passing along Jalan Ong Kim Wee, you can't help but notice two satay celup shop with the same name sat next to each other. Ban Lee Siang is originally one shop and the current operators are siblings. Due to some family disputes, the owners parted their ways but still carry on with their business using the family business name.


The difference of tastes is not noticeable considering the recipe originated from the same source. During off peak hours, the staff of both shops will be fighting for customers. It is up to you whether you want to pick the left or the right.


Satay celup is a steamboat cuisine with satay sauce instead of the normal broth. The spicy satay sauce is poured into a pot in the middle of the table. The concept is a self-service buffet style, where you can pick and choose the dishes stuck on satay stick.

There is one unspoken rule about the recycled broth. Each time the customer leave, they will close the pot with a lid and continue to serve the next customer with the same broth. The broth will be topped up when needed. If you concern about hygiene, this may not be a good place to dine.


The price is set at RM0.90 per stick. It might look cheap, but it takes about 20 sticks to feed an adult sufficiently. This is one of the best satay celup restaurant in Melaka. A must-try for visitors. 

[Melaka] Portuguese Settlement Seafood Stall No. 7

Rating: 4 out of 5
Price range: Approximately RM20 per dish; Some dishes based on market rate
Ambience: Hawker
Style of cooking: Fusion (Portuguese-Asian cooking)
Recommended order: Crabs
Address: Portuguese Square, Jalan Daranjo, Melaka


Portuguese Settlement is a food court where different food stalls are operating in the square. There are approximately 10 stalls to choose from and majority of them serve seafood. The food is probably the only attraction in Portuguese Settlement. The famous stall in the square is stall No. 1 Sea Terrace and stall No. 10 JJ Corner. Since the queue were long at both stalls, we opt for stall No. 7. Most of the stalls have the same menu. The only difference is the cook's skills.

One of their specialty is the crabs and the above photo is the famous chili crab. The spiciness is different from most Asian cooking where it is intense and really hot. The taste is sweet-spicy, which is a fusion of Portuguese and Asian taste. The crabs are meaty and fresh. Be reminded that the price adjusted according to market price.

Do not under estimate the ordinary looking fried calamari. The batter is mixed with some spices and the squid remains crunchy and chewy after awhile.

Although the Portuguese grilled fish is their best seller, it doesn't give much impression. Although cooked in generous amount of spicy sauce, the fish is not as spicy as it looks. Nonetheless, the fish was fresh.

Taste wise, the buttered creamy scallop was good. The sauce was rich and creamy. However, the size of the scallop was disappointing.


Overall, the price of the four dishes was RM150+ including 4 rice. If you decide to visit the Portuguese Settlement, below are some of our advice:

1. Only dinner is served.
2. To avoid crowd, visit during workdays. It is always full house on the weekend.
3. Parking is available in the square for a fee of RM2. To save the parking fee, you can park outside the square. 
4. When approached by waitress/waiter, avoid all sorts of commitment. They are attached to a certain stall. Once you commit to them, you left with no choice to choose the stall you want. They start to bait customers the moment you step out of your car. The common way to brush them off is to say you already had your dinner, or your friend is already inside. 
5. The tables are fixed to the stall and they are very territorial on that. Make sure you seat at the right table of the stall you want to order from. 
6. Check the dishes price before you order. If it is stated 'market price' ask the waiter how much it cost per dish before you order. There may be slight difference of price when the bill arrives due to the weighing, don't be shock.