One thing that should not missed when visiting Melaka is a visit to the Portuguese Settlement, even if it is to just catch the sunset. The sunset boasts one of the most beautiful views in Melaka...
It's not difficult to get here. It's about 15 minutes by car from Melaka Town itself. For people who are driving, here's a map to show its location:
If you have GPS, key in Jalan Darango. I use Sygic and it's quite accurate at sending me to the location. I think there shouldn't be a problem for Tom Tom users as well.
You can easily come here by Taxi, and it shouldn't cost you too much though. It's located at a crowded and touristy area, so you need not be too concerned about safety. It's a nice and quaint settlement.
For drivers, there's a car park right around Jalan Darango, at a cost of MYR1.00 per entry.
Guess which is my car? You've seen it in another previous post. ;) And the licence plate is a giveaway...
The car park is spacious and has lots of visitors from all parts of Malaysia.
This is the Square itself:
It's already getting crowded around 7 pm. Right as you step into the square, you will be approached by touts already. The whole row of restaurants sell the same stuff so touts are necessary. It's kind of like the row of seafood restaurants along East Coast Singapore.
I know some of you would be turned off by touts, but they are quite mild actually. You can just brush them away kindly by saying a nice 'No', or telling them you are still deciding. They are quite friendly and will leave you alone. Some even tried by saying at the end, 'Don't forget to choose Stall X when you come back!' They are considered mild when compared to the pesky insurance agents phone calls.
We came here to see the sunset, so we decided to take a walk along the boardwalk first.
Many people are strolling by the sea, enjoying the breeze and admiring the stunning sunset.
It was absolutely charming. If we had come here earlier, we could have taken nicer pictures. Anyway, the time came soon enough to settle on a stall, most of the stalls were popular, so we decided to settle down on the last stall by the corner, Stall 7 : J & J Seafood. We approached the lady and told her we wanted to order from her. She beamed with joy and set up a table for us quickly.
After glancing through the menu, we ordered Baked Otah, Baked Fish, Fried Brinjal, and Fried Clams (Laa-Laa). She recommended the mango juice for drinks. The mango juice actually came from another stall. She shouted 'Dua!' to the stall.
Later I realised this was a famous mango juice stall in the Settlement. I was expecting it to be mango-gy in taste, but it was actually sourish like plum, something like unripe mango, yet sourish and sweet. It's worth a try, you will love it. And it's popular too!
When the food came, I was too excited and forgot to take pictures (Sorry!) Luckily my brother managed to take a pic, so here it is:
The otah was nothing special, but the sauce was really good.. not too spicy but creamy, salty and tempting enough to make you want to take another spoonful into your mouth. It's the fish-paste style of otah, so don't expect pieces of fish inside like the Muar style.
The same curry gravy was used to bake the fish, so it was equally shiok. However, the fish was really fresh and tender - very very tender. The meat literally stripped away from bones, so it was very easy to eat. The chef opened and spread out the fish before baking it in foil, so the bones are left at the bottom, meat at the top. I couldn't make out what the fish is, but my brother suspected it was mackerel. If that was the case, then it was prepared very well, because mackerel is usually very stinky. It must have been so fresh there was no smell. The texture was a bit like mackerel though, but I doubt it. You can see from the pics above that the portion was really big!
The Fried Clams was really spicy, and tasty. The chilli was shiok, as expected. It was fresh as well, so worth a try. I'm not a fan of clans, but my brother is, and he loved it.
Finally, the Fried Brinjal is a must-try. I'm not too sure how it's prepared but the chef dabbed some chilli-like paste on top of the brinjal pieces and roasted it. So, it's kindof crispy on the outside yet soft, fragrant, warm and 'creamy' inside. It's not your usual brinjal, where usually it's fried until soft and soggy. The brinjal pieces were firm enough to stand on its own, spicy enough to be flavourful, yet the inside was soft and tasty. Everybody who has tried it recommends it, so you should try it too!
Total cost of the food wasn't expensive - about MYR70 in total, the portions are big.
J & J Seafood @ Portuguese Settlement, verdict:
The Portuguese Settlement is a nice, quaint and charming place near the sea. The sunset is really beautiful, and if you come in time, it's a photographer's paradise. It's also a safe haven away from the bustling town, with good parking facilities and easy access by taxi.
The seafood here is also good. I'm not particularly just recommending J & J; I'm sure the other seafood stalls has great seafood too, without much difference in taste The food is really well prepared but everything's spicy, so be aware if you can't take spicy stuff. The Baked Fish and Fried Brinjal is a must-try. Whilst you are enjoying the food, you are accompanied by the sea breeze... life is good.
We visited during Christmas season, so the villagers in the Settlement came around to carol, and I felt obliged to give some money. A group of children even did Gangnam style for the diners - so cute! The people around the Settlement was also setting off fireworks and rockets, so it was a dazzling display of lights and sounds. You could buy fireworks from the stalls around the Square and set them off yourself too.
A big YAY to the Portuguese Settlement visit for seafood and ambience!
It's not difficult to get here. It's about 15 minutes by car from Melaka Town itself. For people who are driving, here's a map to show its location:
If you have GPS, key in Jalan Darango. I use Sygic and it's quite accurate at sending me to the location. I think there shouldn't be a problem for Tom Tom users as well.
You can easily come here by Taxi, and it shouldn't cost you too much though. It's located at a crowded and touristy area, so you need not be too concerned about safety. It's a nice and quaint settlement.
For drivers, there's a car park right around Jalan Darango, at a cost of MYR1.00 per entry.
Guess which is my car? You've seen it in another previous post. ;) And the licence plate is a giveaway...
The car park is spacious and has lots of visitors from all parts of Malaysia.
This is the Square itself:
It's already getting crowded around 7 pm. Right as you step into the square, you will be approached by touts already. The whole row of restaurants sell the same stuff so touts are necessary. It's kind of like the row of seafood restaurants along East Coast Singapore.
I know some of you would be turned off by touts, but they are quite mild actually. You can just brush them away kindly by saying a nice 'No', or telling them you are still deciding. They are quite friendly and will leave you alone. Some even tried by saying at the end, 'Don't forget to choose Stall X when you come back!' They are considered mild when compared to the pesky insurance agents phone calls.
We came here to see the sunset, so we decided to take a walk along the boardwalk first.
Many people are strolling by the sea, enjoying the breeze and admiring the stunning sunset.
It was absolutely charming. If we had come here earlier, we could have taken nicer pictures. Anyway, the time came soon enough to settle on a stall, most of the stalls were popular, so we decided to settle down on the last stall by the corner, Stall 7 : J & J Seafood. We approached the lady and told her we wanted to order from her. She beamed with joy and set up a table for us quickly.
After glancing through the menu, we ordered Baked Otah, Baked Fish, Fried Brinjal, and Fried Clams (Laa-Laa). She recommended the mango juice for drinks. The mango juice actually came from another stall. She shouted 'Dua!' to the stall.
Later I realised this was a famous mango juice stall in the Settlement. I was expecting it to be mango-gy in taste, but it was actually sourish like plum, something like unripe mango, yet sourish and sweet. It's worth a try, you will love it. And it's popular too!
When the food came, I was too excited and forgot to take pictures (Sorry!) Luckily my brother managed to take a pic, so here it is:
The otah was nothing special, but the sauce was really good.. not too spicy but creamy, salty and tempting enough to make you want to take another spoonful into your mouth. It's the fish-paste style of otah, so don't expect pieces of fish inside like the Muar style.
The same curry gravy was used to bake the fish, so it was equally shiok. However, the fish was really fresh and tender - very very tender. The meat literally stripped away from bones, so it was very easy to eat. The chef opened and spread out the fish before baking it in foil, so the bones are left at the bottom, meat at the top. I couldn't make out what the fish is, but my brother suspected it was mackerel. If that was the case, then it was prepared very well, because mackerel is usually very stinky. It must have been so fresh there was no smell. The texture was a bit like mackerel though, but I doubt it. You can see from the pics above that the portion was really big!
The Fried Clams was really spicy, and tasty. The chilli was shiok, as expected. It was fresh as well, so worth a try. I'm not a fan of clans, but my brother is, and he loved it.
Finally, the Fried Brinjal is a must-try. I'm not too sure how it's prepared but the chef dabbed some chilli-like paste on top of the brinjal pieces and roasted it. So, it's kindof crispy on the outside yet soft, fragrant, warm and 'creamy' inside. It's not your usual brinjal, where usually it's fried until soft and soggy. The brinjal pieces were firm enough to stand on its own, spicy enough to be flavourful, yet the inside was soft and tasty. Everybody who has tried it recommends it, so you should try it too!
Total cost of the food wasn't expensive - about MYR70 in total, the portions are big.
J & J Seafood @ Portuguese Settlement, verdict:
The Portuguese Settlement is a nice, quaint and charming place near the sea. The sunset is really beautiful, and if you come in time, it's a photographer's paradise. It's also a safe haven away from the bustling town, with good parking facilities and easy access by taxi.
The seafood here is also good. I'm not particularly just recommending J & J; I'm sure the other seafood stalls has great seafood too, without much difference in taste The food is really well prepared but everything's spicy, so be aware if you can't take spicy stuff. The Baked Fish and Fried Brinjal is a must-try. Whilst you are enjoying the food, you are accompanied by the sea breeze... life is good.
We visited during Christmas season, so the villagers in the Settlement came around to carol, and I felt obliged to give some money. A group of children even did Gangnam style for the diners - so cute! The people around the Settlement was also setting off fireworks and rockets, so it was a dazzling display of lights and sounds. You could buy fireworks from the stalls around the Square and set them off yourself too.
A big YAY to the Portuguese Settlement visit for seafood and ambience!
hi, do you know if the xmas lights and decor at the portuguese settlement will be on until the year end? may i know when did you visit the settlement? thanks!
ReplyDeleteH dear that was a year ago... I can't remember. But I would think they keep the lights on for a while...maybe until new year. Why don't u ask ur hotel? Or the place you would be staying? I think they would know more.
ReplyDelete