This foodie road trip was planned a few months back. Who was to know that a stubborn and horrible haze would dampen our anticipation? However, after crossing the second link and entering Malacca, we were surprised to find that the haze readings were better than Singapore’s. The haze was not that thick. The schools were closed, but people were out in force on Friday night. We were pleasantly surprised. However, in Desaru, the haze closed the waterpark at Hard Rock Hotel on Sunday. On the whole, we were thankful our vacation to celebrate the November babies’ birthdays was not wrecked.

There are many interesting cafes in Johor and Malacca. Some serve local delights, and others serve interesting bakes, from sourdough to brioche. I enjoyed most of them, but in particular a worn-out traditional coffeeshop around Jonker Street. I did not mind the shabby furniture. Keep the prices affordable, the rents stable, the hawkers happy, and the food served with joy. Too many old coffeeshops in Singapore have been bought over, renovated and fitted with bright lights and new furniture, but rents and food prices increased.

We had breakfast there instead of in the lovely Peranakan-style hotel we stayed in. I loved the smooth black coffee, kopi-o siew tai, the perfectly soft-boiled Malaysian eggs, and their garlic toast mini-baguette. Then there was their famous wanton noodle!

Adeline is a gourmet who loves and understands high-quality good. She is the foodie whom the rest of us relied on to bring us to the right places to enjoy good food. One such restaurant was Nancy’s Kitchen. We ordered many dishes, and we were not disappointed. We were hungry as we had skipped lunch and walked about fifteen minutes to find the restaurant.

Another restaurant that she recommended served great seafood at Desaru, a coastal beach resort area. It was unforgettable. We were treated to lobsters galore, cooked in two different sauces; black pepper crab; and other seafood. Although I had to control how much seafood I ate because of my propensity to gout, I simply had to eat a whole lobster and a crab pincer. Thankfully, the shiok did not become an ouch the next day.

I loved the boutique hotel we stayed in Malacca city. It is about a two-minute walk from Jonker Street. It’s Liu Men Hotel, owned by the entrepreneur who founded the Mamee instant noodles company. The décor was Peranakan-style, and it felt so homely, and everything was well maintained. The service staff were polite, helpful and well-trained.

In terms of places, Jonker Road was surprisingly delightful to explore. Thankfully, we were there on Friday and Saturday evenings, when a few main roads were closed, and the night bazaars opened. The streets came alive with smells, noise, colours, lights and crowds.

The last time I was in Malacca was during the Love Singapore Prayer Summits. I had not gone to those summits for a long, long time. No wonder the changes I saw were surprisingly pleasant to me. Malacca has become an interesting place to have a short break. Personally, I wouldn’t mind visiting this city again. It is only a three-hour drive away.

I recall asking Pastor Thomas, “How come you keep going to Malacca year after year? Don’t you get tired of it?” Now I understand.

Here is a video that gives you a visual idea of our foodie road trip.