[Melaka] Da San Yuan Restaurant 大三元

Rating: 5 out of 5
Price range: (Depending on orders and market price)
Non-halal
Recommended orders: Crabs & Coconut soup
Ambience: Hawker
Address: Jalan Temenggong, Melaka
Business hour: Opens for dinner only


Da San Yuan is a classic hawker restaurant. It doesn't have a specific address, instead it is located in between two shophouses building in an open area. This humble place is well-known for its seafood. In terms of cooking standard, it is on par with most premium Chinese restaurants.

The Coconut Soup is a good entry dish to start with. Imagine a typical Chinese chicken herbal soup with a hint of coconut taste in it. The blend of taste is really fragrant and unexpectedly good.

Sweet & Sour Crab

Salted Egg Crab

Milk & Salted Egg Crab

Sweet & Sour Crab

Dry curry crab

As for the crab, they have a dozen of cooking methods - salt baked, cereal, salted egg, sweet & sour, blackpepper, kam heong, curry and chilli amongst the usual orders. The crabs are sold based on its weight and you can choose from the size small, medium, large or extra large. The price of the crabs are stuck to the wall, so make sure you are aware of the current crab pricing.

Although crab is the main dish here, it is also a usual Chinese "tai chao" restaurant where you can order typical dinner dishes. So far everything that we've ordered meets our expectation. It is a great place for family dinner or simple celebration. 

Sweet & Sour Pork

Kung Po Chicken

The bill came up to RM249 for 3 pieces of extra large crab, coconut soup, sweet & sour pork and rice for 4. As you can see, the price is reasonable and valuable. The only downside of the place is the hygiene as it is located in the middle of nowhere. At times you can smell drainage depending on the area that you sit. This is not a place for OCD people, but a great place for those who really know how to enjoy their food. 

[Melaka] Doi Chaang Coffee by TNT Brothers

Rating: 3 out of 5
Price range: RM8 to RM15
Halal/Non-halal
Ambience: Cafe
Address: 576, Jalan Merdeka, Taman Melaka Raya  
Phone number: 016-635 4948
URL: https://www.facebook.com/DoiChaangMelaka/


Coffee enthusiast may be acquainted with the name Doi Chaang. As one of the famous coffee establishment in Thailand, Doi Chaang is no stranger in the cafe industry. The cafe uses single estate Arabica coffee beans sourced directly from Chiang Rai, Thailand.


With the reputation it has, it is no doubt that Doi Chaang's coffee are highly recommended. We love their signature coffee, latte and flat white. It has a very strong aroma and after taste. You can even smell the coffee from the front door!

The cafe has a very nice environment to chill and relaxing while accompanied with great coffee. However, the downside of it is their opening times. They don't have a standard operation hour. We've been there a few times and find that they are closed on different days - even on Sunday! This left us with frustration as we can't predict when they're open or not. I do hope they improve on that. Parking is also limited around the area of Melaka Raya.


Food menu is limited. When we were they, we were told that they don't serve food on that day.


With the good coffee and great ambience (minus food) we recommend this place for business date or assignment hangout venue.

[Melaka] Portuguese Settlement Seafood Stall No.1 Terraces Restaurant

Rating: 3.5 out of 5
Price range: Approximately RM20 per dish; Some dishes are based on market rate
Ambience: Hawker
Style of cooking: Fusion (Portuguese-Asian cooking)
Recommended order: Portuguese Baked Fish
Address: Portuguese Square, Jalan Daranjo, Melaka

Typically on the weekend, this stall is packed with customers and a long queue is waiting for their seat. The long wait may give an impression that the food is extremely good. We ordered similar dishes to the one we tried at Stall No. 7, and find that there's no difference in terms of the menu and taste.

Being the most famous stall at Portuguese Settlement, we were pretty disappointed. The Portuguese baked fish was also disappointed due to the strong fishy smell. The ingredients are seasonal but the waitress didn't update us on the availability. After queueing for so long, we found out that they were running out of crab after we get our table.


Since the menu and taste are pretty similar with other stalls, we do recommend you to skip the queue and try other stalls. Overall, the food are good, but not extremely impressive. It could be better as we remember this stall used to be the best. 

[Melaka] The Huskitory Dog Cafe

• Rating: 5 out of 5

• Price range: RM20-RM30 (Minimum purchase 1 drink & 1 snack per pax)

• Ambience: Pet cafe

• Address: 27, JALAN TAMAN ASEAN, TAMAN ASEAN, Malacca City, Malaysia

•  Phone number: 06-334 2602

•  Website: https://www.facebook.com/huskitory

• Opening hours: 12:30pm - 10:30pm (Closed on Monday)

The Huskitory is one of the most visited pet cafes in Melaka. This is indeed a happy place for family and friends (and also for our furry friends). Pet owners are allowed to bring their own dogs for playdate as well. A few house rules to observe:

The Huskitory isn't just a pet cafe. It is also a pet shop where you can search for your ideal pet before purchasing them. It is a shop that sells all things related to dogs such as foods, shampoo, accessories, cages, etc. And soon, it will be a pet hotel!

During late afternoon, the Huskies will be released outdoor for play time. Visitors will be given a bag of food to feed the dogs. This is probably highlight of the cafe.

It is usually fully booked during the weekend. Reservation is highly recommended. There are a few house rules to observe if you are bringing pets and also children.


As for the food, the taste is average and not much option. The minimum order is a drink and a snack/cake per pax. which cost around RM20.

Overall the place is safe and clean. The dogs are accustomed to having crowd so it is safe to bring your kids as well. The dogs are very playful and active. It is a great place to spend your afternoon during the weekend.