[Melaka] Kah Kah Loke Restaurant Melaka

• Rating: 4 out of 5
• Price range: RM7 - RM20
• Ambiance: Restaurant
• Address: No.8, Jalan KLJ 4, Kota Laksamana
• Business hour: Daily
• Non-halal

The famous fried pork in JB has arrived in Melaka. The Kah Kah Loke Restaurant open its 8th branch at Kota Laksamana recently serving the same dishes as their main branch. The dishes are cooked in Hakka style that is salty as compared to other Chinese cooking styles.

The signature dish is their bitter gourd soup. The soup is cooked in pork based broth together with pig's intestine, pig's liver and pork belly. It has a strong bitter gourd after tastes that can be a hit or miss for different people. For those who can tolerate bitter gourd, this soup is highly recommended as the ingredients are extremely generous and soup is hearty satisfying.

Another one of their famous dish is the Kah Kah Loke Deep Friend Pork. The pork are coated in thin batter and fried until golden brown. The skin is crispy on the outside and the meat is tender on the inside. This dish won't disappoint.

Lastly, is the Beancurd with Minced Meat. This is also one of the highly recommended dish here. The tofu is steamed until cooked and spread with generous amount of minced meat gravy.

The occasional favorite, Thai Chicken is a dish suitable for kids. The sweet and sour taste is very appetizing.

The Kah Kah Loke Restaurant is located at the new Kota Laksamana shophouses (nearby Hotel 707). It is hard to miss since the restaurant takes up two shop houses. Reservation is not needed. However, it gets crowded on weekend dinner. 

[Melaka] Porto Historia Flea Market

Night market is a great place to hangout in Melaka. Previously Machap Baru Walk was the happening night market away from the city. Currently we have another night market nearer to the city. The Porto Historia Flea Market is currently the favourite hangout place in Melaka on weekend nights.

The Porto Historia night market operates every Friday to Sunday from 7pm til late. It is located at Kota Laksamana, more specifically at Limbongan opposite McDonald's.

Parking is easily available. There are a lot of stalls operating already from the range of foods to clothing. The stalls are also divided to a separate categories for the ease of the shoppers. The food section is located in front to keep the smell and smoke away from others.

Do visit the Porto Historia Flea Market if you have the time. We foresee that this place would be the next happening place other than the usual Jonker Street. The crowd is also noticeably younger and there are more locals here. 

[Melaka] 486 Baba Low

• Rating: 2 out of 5
• Price range: RM2-RM10
• Ambience: Hawker
• Address: Jalan Siantan Sek 2, Tengkera
• Business hour: 7:30AM - 3:00PM, closed on Friday
• Non-halal

Hidden in a residential area lies a humble hawker stall that serves authentic nyonya food. Furnished with plastic chairs, wooden tables and tree shades, this place has no proper building. It is more of a shed that looks more like a workshop than a restaurant. 

The recommended order here are nyonya laksa, mee siam and cendol, the typical dishes you have to eat when in Melaka. The nyonya laksa is rich in coconut milk and prepared with homemade chili paste. It has a strong kaffir leaf fragrance. They are also give a generous amount of ingredients in the nyonya laksa. Although this nyonya laksa is decent enough for non-Malaccan, I would say this is not the best nyonya laksa in Melaka.

For appetizers, the popiah and pai tee are among the best sellers. Honestly, the popiah skin is too thick but they did not stinge on the ingredients. The popiah is suitable for vegetarians. The pai tee is somewhat like a popiah. Although many would claim that this dish comes from Singapore, but we believe it is originated from Melaka. The pastry crust is very crunchy and tastes freshly made. The ingredients are similar to the popiah ingredients but it comes with shredded eggs as well. Best served with the condiments of homemade chilli sauce. 

For desserts, you can't go wrong with the cendol. This is a popular order at Baba Low, sometimes they may run out of coconut milk. In that case, skip this. When we ordered, they did not have any coconut milk left, but substitute with milk. The taste is unforgivingly bad. Fusion isn't a good concept for cendol. 

Overall, this place is a great place for you to savour all the famous Malaccan nyonya delicacies at a very cheap price. A meal cost less than RM10 per person. On the other hand, it isn't the best place for the dishes. There are better nyonya laksa, better popiah (Melaka Raya), better cendol (Jonker 88). If you don't want to spend your time visiting the different places for the best dishes, this place is good enough for you. Take note that the al fresco dining style may be too hot or not comfortable to dine in during rainy season.