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Motormouth From Ipoh

Monday, January 12, 2009

Seafood @ Portuguese Settlement, Melaka

Here's something on Melaka .... again. Continuation from tea break at Nadeje, and popiah with lard & Chee Cheong Fun at Newton, we took a break from all the stuffing. Later in the evening, we proceeded to dinner at Portuguese Settlement over at Ujong Pasir, a short distance from town.


The revamped Portuguese Settlement seafood stalls over at Ujong Pasir, Melaka

Few years ago, the place looked different, with the stalls all arranged in another manner. Naturally, to get the best view while dining, everyone would patronize the furthest stall, right by the sea, hence affecting the other stalls' business. And of course, Choosing-A-Restaurant 101 : Pick the stall with the MOST customers still rang true.

But this time around, the whole stretch of stalls have relocated to the newly-built court, facing the sea, with paved walkway, and al fresco dining area as well as lighted ones. No prize for guessing which is the preferred choice.

We picked stall number 4 (there are 10!), with the name "88 Sea Front Restaurant" as it was the most crowded that evening

Some have commented that the Malay seafood and 'ikan bakar' (grilled fish) over at Umbai area (way further than this) are better. Even my aunt (who visits Melaka about a gazillion times per year - she's a tour guide, btw) recommended the 'ikan bakar' over at Umbai. But there's always another visit, right?

Steamed Lala (clams) with Garlic and Chilli Padi, Kangkung (water convolvulus) stir-fried with Belacan (fermented shrimp paste?) and Batter-fried Squids
Parking's a breeze, as a spacious area is allocated. But RM1 per entry. Peanuts, right? Once alighting from your vehicle, brace yourself with the ahem, "Promotion & Publicity" activities thanks to the stiff competition among the stalls there. FYI, every stall sells the SAME stuff, basically Portugues Grilled Fish, and typical seafood dishes. Talk about originality.
I decided not to order the grilled fish this time around, as previous experience revealed the bland, tasteless, and lacklustre Ikan Bakar was not something up my alley. Fortunately my dining companions agreed to this autocratic choice.
The wait was relentless. The sheer number of tourists eating there, plus the slower than ideal cooking pace, prolonged our torture to a good 45 mins. Yup, either sip your coconut juice or beer, fiddle your thumbs, or take a nap.
But the wait was worthy, as the seafood was fresh, succulent, and CHEAP! The meal costed each of us about RM15+ only, plus rice and drinks. Affordable, considering this being a tourists' haunt, after all.
Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year .... Portuguese style?
The 2008 National-level Christmas Open House was held here, with the PM gracing the event. The decorations around the place were fascinating, with colourful lights on display, in every house, and hovering above the roads. A feeling of warmth, spirit of neighbourhood and festivity was definitely in the air, with residents from every household sitting in their porch chatting, relaxing, and children playing with firecrackers.
(P/S : Kinda got me thinking .... How long has it been since I talked to MY neighbour? Hmm ... )
Location : Stall No 4 (88 Sea Front Restaurant) @ Portuguese Settlement, Ujong Pasir, 75050 Melaka. Got MAP! Lazy to read map? OK, the area's easy to go. From Dataran Pahlawan Megamall on Jalan Merdeka, use Jalan Parameswara towards Ujong Pasir. The signboards in Melaka are good, btw. When you're on Jalan Ujong Pasir, look for a sign on your right, indicating Portuguese Settlement. Not too obvious though. There's a coffee shop named Ming Huat on your left, directly opposite the entrance to the Portuguese settlement.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

You opted for Stall no.1? Anyway, during my visit, stall no. 5 was more crowded, yea, the food is good and I love the Christmas decoration of the neighbourhood there!

Rebecca Saw said...

blogging on a monday morning?? ;p

wahh so fast got comment alrei ah!

Precious Pea said...

I went to one called Fresh Oysters Corner, also a crowded stall, wonder if it's the same.

Anonymous said...

did u try the famous pisang goreng?

HairyBerry said...

ohhh, another part of melaka i've yet to visit! and ya lor, i oso cant remember the last time i talk to the neighbour. hmmm, nvm, cny coming. sure hafta greet them one..hehehe

Ciki said...

it looks sooooo much prettier now!

-j- said...

i just love this place!!! maybe i should just move there!! haha ...

Anonymous said...

Err.. I think there are nearer options for seafood inside Melaka town itself :P

Selba said...

After looking more pictures of Melaka... I guess it's an absolutely a must visit :D

Little Inbox said...

Quite a simple seafood dinner, huh?

minchow said...

Oooh I'm surprised it was a mere RM15 per pax! Totally expecting this to be ripoff central?!

PureGlutton said...

Portuguese Settlement is one place I have not visited in Melaka... I usually go for the other yummy foods around town. Maybe its time i try this in my next visit!

J2Kfm said...

SimpleGirl : it's stall number 4 i think. Stall no 5 is the one with the MOST publicity. hehe ... kept on pulling ppl.

thenomadGourmand : yeah ... unlike most jobs, our Mondays do not revolve around more workload,

Precious pea : hmm, all the stalls looked the same lah ... haha. cant actually differentiate them, aside from the crowd.

kampungboycitygal : which one!?!! I didnt know lah. aiya, should've searched for that. near to Port Settlement?

Nic : so can get angpau ah? alamak. like that also can? *_*

Cumi n Ciki : yeah ... guess the tourists brought some fame n fortune?

Duckie : hahaha, and join the Portuguese? :) nice idea.

jason : yes ah? y din u say so? but its different feeling eating by the seaside, and in town lah.

Selba : yeah, it's a UNESCO World Heritage site. and Penang as well.

Little Inbox : yeah, we were prepared for supper. it's our ... 5th or 6th meal of the day anyway.

550ml jar of faith : yeah, it's cheap. believe it, or not. :)

PureGlutton : yeah, sometimes the food in town can be... repetitive. but i've yet to find a good Nyonya restaurant. anyone?

Unknown said...

Dont ever visit the stall No.1 at the Portugese Settelment Seafood Village. Waited for 1 1/2hr and the staff said the food still not ready, hv to wait for another 1/2hr..can you imagine? Also their service sucks, especially the portugese Woman cashier..who banked the table and told us it's their rule "first come first serve basis"..when we asked her why customers who came later gotten theier food sooner than us...no sham for poor and lousy service and yet big mouth..food there is just normal..dont go there for the sake of the fancy name of "portugese"....

Generic Viagra said...

Thanks for the recommendation. I would love to go there and eat that kind of food.