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Published: July 11th 2015
Let me preface this entry by reiterating how much we love living in Kuala Lumpur. Truly, we do. Jeremy and I both dreamed of one day living (if only temporarily) in some beautiful high-rise in an exotic foreign city. And, well...here we are. Twenty-three floors above a big bustling metropolis, with a view of the world's tallest twin structures right outside our wall-of-glass bedroom window. Seriously, it's awesome.
And yet...
There's been a little something missing, too. Malaysia is pushing forward so hard these days, striving to attain official status as a developed first-world nation by the year 2020. And nowhere stronger do you feel that push than here in the capital city. There's so much new development! New train stations, new mega-malls, new cars on new highways. They're not
quite there yet, but they're definitely getting close. And in many ways, that's a good thing. It seems to be what most of the locals want. And for foreigners like us who are living here, it means plenty of modern conveniences and imported goodies to keep us happy. (For instance, the other day at the supermarket I found gluten-free red velvet cake mix. We don't even have that back
home!)
But while all of that growth and the "westernization" of a place like this has its benefits, it also has its drawbacks. It's great that we're able to find things like gluten-free baking mix, but here in KL we're having have a hard time finding the "old" Asia. The Asia we fell in love with on our backpacking trip five years ago. The Asia that beckoned us to drop our terrific life in Colorado and hot-foot it over here to enjoy that wonderfully different, exotic lifestyle every day. We know it's still here, buried somewhere beneath all the KFC's and McDonald's. We just have to know where to look for it.
Luckily for us...we do!!
Yesterday morning we hopped in our trusty little Viva and drove two hours south, to the artsy, vibrant, and still definitively "old Asian" town of Malacca ("Melaka" to the locals). To our delight, Malacca was just as colorful, artsy, and quirky as we remembered. Imagine the energy and artistic flair of a town like Key West, but with Asian influence instead of Caribbean. Throw in some funky coffee shops, art galleries, and street cafes, and you'll start to get the picture.
It was also the place where I discovered and fell in love with Nyonya food - a style that combines Chinese and Malay ingredients, yet tastes unlike either because of the unique blend of spices and seasonings borrowed from Indonesian, Dutch, and even Portuguese styles of cooking! It is, hands-down, some of the best food I've ever tasted.
How did so many different cultures come to influence this relatively small city? The answer is: location, location, location! By ship, Malacca is almost exactly halfway between India and China. During the heyday of the spice trade, cargo ships would pass through the narrow waterway between Malaysia and the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Malacca is perched right in the middle of this waterway; hence we know it today as the "Strait of Malacca." Because of its strategic position, everyone wanted control of Malacca, and over the centuries, just about everyone had it! In the 14th century, a Hindu prince from Indonesia made it his favored port. The Chinese claimed it in 1405, then the Portuguese in 1511, the Dutch in 1641, the British in 1795, and even the Japanese (briefly) during World War II. At its peak, over 2,000 ships were
docked off its coast, and a total of EIGHTY-FOUR languages were spoken here. So, as you can imagine, they have all left their marks on the little port town in terms of cuisine, art, and architecture. There are ancient forts, Muslim mosques, Chinese temples, Catholic churches, and even a Dutch windmill, all standing right next to each other. The Malacca River runs right through the heart of town, where many establishments have remained virtually untouched by time.
One such "establishment" is Jonker Walk, also known as the Chinatown portion of the city. During the Dutch colonial era, this street was home to the servants' quarters, and today it is the perfect place to explore to get a taste of traditional Asian life. Narrow streets branch out in a dizzying labyrinth, surrounding you with sagging, crumbling old buildings that are almost more beautiful (and definitely have more character) than the modern art you find along the river. Strange smells assault your nose at every corner, and you can't help but peek inside the dimly-lit cafes and wonder what delicious concoction they're creating.
On Friday and Saturday evenings, you don't have to wonder, because all of those weird-and-wonderful foods and
beverages come outside to you. A long-standing tradition in Malacca, the Jonker Walk Night Market is like having a carnival on your street every single weekend. Around 6pm, the road gets blocked off to motor traffic so the local merchants can set up their tables, stalls, and tents. Yes, there are lots of booths selling junky touristy trinkets. Yes, there are a million people shouting over each other in a dozen different languages. Yes, there are plenty of questionable massage parlors where you can get a relaxing foot rub or other "additional" services. And yes, you're even forced to endure the ever-pungent, unmistakable scent of durian fruit.
But you know what's so great about it? It's Asia. The
real Asia. It's cheap and it's gritty and it's chaotic and confusing and smelly and a little overwhelming and...well, it's just plain AWESOME. It's what we remember from our visit five years ago - walking along crowded streets, trying to guess what the mystery foods were, daring each other to see who would eat the strangest thing first, and riding the high of the endless energy and non-stop, often nonsensical movement that surrounds you. That's what we've been missing since we've
been in KL, and we were so happy to find it still alive and well in Malacca!
So, it's 6pm and twilight is falling on Jonker Street. What's the first thing you do? EAT. (Incidentally, it's also the last thing you do. And every thing in between, come to think of it.) Grilled or fried meat on a stick? You've died and gone to meat-on-a-stick heaven. Sweet or savory pastries? Step right up. Fresh pressed sugar cane juice? Yes, please! Mango lassi? I'll take two! And then it hits you...you round the corner and find yourself in the seafood district of the market (so the smell quite literally HITS you). I gazed in awe at endless rows of clams, oysters, mussels, prawns, stingrays...
Whoa, whoa, whoa. Hold up a second. Did you say...STINGRAYS?
Yes, yes I did. In this week's edition of Bizarre Foods, Jeremy and I ordered a plate of Portuguese-style stingray (because apparently there's more than one way to cook a stingray...?). Did part of me feel guilty for eating what's considered to be a cute and cuddly little sea creature? Yeah, maybe. But it's a menu item I've never seen before and, well, that
means we had to try it.
So we take our seats in tiny little plastic footstools at a fold-out table in the middle of the street (I'm telling you, you can't buy this experience!). Lo and behold, a few minutes later our plate of grilled stingray arrives, topped with fresh okra and onion and a fiery red sambal sauce. To our surprise, it's meaty and tender, and it shreds apart like ropa vieja or pork carnitas. And the taste? Incredibly mild and sweet, like a boiled sea scallop. It was GOOD, and I'm not just saying that. I would absolutely order it again if I ever saw it on a menu.
But perhaps the kicker for this trip to Malacca - at least in the food department - was my breakfast this morning before we headed for home. We ducked into Limau-Limau Cafe (across from a picturesque white mosque) and bellied up to the bar (since we didn't eat enough at the market last night). The first item on the menu jumped out with such ferocity that I had no choice but to try it! More stingray? No. Breakfast consisted of freshly sliced mango and grilled chicken breast,
Chicken and Mango Heaven
Still thinking about this sandwich...blended together in a creamy sauce with black pepper and rosemary, and slathered on a freshly toasted ciabatta roll. Sounds really strange, right? And yet, there are no words to express how insanely delicious this sandwich was. I would drive two hours back to Malacca just to eat this sandwich. I'm already
thinking of driving two hours back to eat this sandwich again...
So that, my dear friends, is an introduction to Malaysian Night Markets 101. Similar markets exist all over Southeast Asia, and while they all have their own unique personality, they're all places where you're guaranteed to make some fantastic memories. And as far as Malacca goes, I can't think of a single negative thing to say about the place. I love, love, LOVE it. If things work out for us and we're able to stay in Malaysia for a while, I would move down there in a heartbeat.
But for now, we're back in the city, refreshed and recharged and ready for whatever's next! I've got 50 photos of the city and the night market in this blog, so don't forget to scroll down and view the additional pages!!
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liz stern
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Living Vicariously
Am loving following your blog...........you guys must have cast-iron stomachs! This is probably the closest I will ever get to KL so keep the cards and letters coming!