Street food in Malacca is especially tempting, ideal for snacking while sightseeing. Even restaurants, whether in stylish settings or casual spots, are affordable and often comparable to street food (CAMBODIAN FOOD GUIDE).
From snacks to full meals, Malacca’s food scene covers all ethnicities - Malay halal food, Chinese, and Indian dishes. The city is especially famous for Chetty food, Nyonya food, and fusion Malacca cuisine. Dishes are often an amalgamation of these traditions, reflecting the city’s culinary heritage.
Whether from the streets, restaurants, or pubs that serve food, there are top dishes that must be tried in Malacca. Jonker Walk is the heart of this food paradise, where street food and restaurants are clustered together, offering a full range of Malacca’s food. Still, heading to other parts of Malacca brings more choices (WHAT TO SEE & EAT IN PERAK).
Also known as Baba or Peranakan cuisine, Malacca Nyonya food blends Chinese and Malay cooking. It developed from Chinese immigrants who settled in Malacca and married local Malays.
The food uses spices and local herbs such as lemongrass, galangal, and fresh turmeric. It also includes fresh or dried chillies, coconut milk, soy sauce, tamarind juice, and shrimp paste (belacan). Flavours highlight spiciness, sourness, saltiness, sweetness, and bitterness. The tastes are bold and instantly awaken the palate.
Traditional preparation includes pounding ingredients in a mortar and pestle. Dishes may be steamed, stewed, grilled, fried, or cooked in a claypot. These techniques shape Malacca Nyonya food.
Thick, aromatic, and built on a spice-rich coconut milk broth, Malacca Nyonya Curry Laksa stands out for its depth and vibrant hue. The curry base is poured generously over yellow noodles, rice noodles, or flat rice noodles, with tofu puffs or flat tofu sheets added for texture.
Garnishes differ by eatery. Mint leaves, Vietnamese coriander, torch ginger bud, julienned cucumber, pineapple, and red onions are the common toppings. Nyonya curry laksa arrives piping hot - bold, punchy, and full of life. Paired with a spicy chilli dip and calamansi lime for that final squeeze.
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3 Picks
Jonker 88
Aunty Nance Laksa 1961
Bess Kopitiam
The heart of Malacca Nyonya Asam Pedas lies in its chilli–spice paste, ground to either a smooth or coarse texture and cooked until fragrant. Depending on the recipe, the stew can appear fiery red or slightly yellowish when fresh turmeric is used. Sourness comes from dried tamarind pieces (asam keping), giving the dish its sharp, lively edge.
Commonly made with fish such as mackerel, pomfret, or stingray, though squid, prawn, and chicken versions also exist. The consistency sits between thick and brothy, with the fish cooked until tender.
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3 Picks
Restoran
Anak Nyonya
Restoran
Aunty Lee’s
Nancy’s
Kitchen
A Malaysian classic, loved for its bold yet simple flavours. Even the Malacca Nyonya sambal belacan combines red chillies (sometimes with bird’s eye chillies), roasted shrimp paste, calamansi lime juice, and a touch of salt. What sets it apart is the Malacca shrimp paste, a key ingredient also used in other Nyonya dishes.
Sambal belacan is served across eateries and street stalls, eaten with rice, noodles, fried dishes, amongst others. Its fiery and vibrant taste is distinctive, without overwhelming sourness or saltiness. Prepacked Malacca Nyonya Sambal Belacan are available and can be taken away from Nyonya restaurants.
While Chinese chicken rice is available throughout Malaysia, the Malacca version is a must-try. This famous dish draws crowds, and most chicken rice eateries are packed with customers.
The
rice, lightly yellow from cooking in chicken stock or chicken fat, gains its
fragrance from ginger and garlic. Grainy yet tender, a well-known variation is
rice shaped into balls, steamed after being cooked with the aromatics.
Chicken choices include poached or roasted, always tender and juicy. Chilli sauce, ginger paste, and soy sauce are typically provided on the table for customers to use freely. These chicken rice eateries also serve other simple dishes, like roasted pork, bean sprouts in soy sauce, and vegetables.
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3 Picks
Heng Hainanese Chicken Rice Balls
Tiong Hwa Hainan Chicken Rice
Restaurant Wilson Chicken Rice
For authentic Portuguese flavours, head to Portuguese Settlement. While there are some Portuguese-influenced options around Jonker Walk, the settlement offers the true Kristang food heritage. Late evenings are ideal, especially at sunset, with views facing the sea. The dining areas are basic and no-frills, but the seafood choices across different stalls are plentiful.
Drinks are sold by roaming traders. Take what you like and pay while waiting for your seafood dishes. The fresh catch comes from the nearby coast at Ujong Pasir / Portuguese Village, overlooking the Straits of Malacca. Classics worth trying include grilled fish, spicy prawns, and other seafood, prepared with herbs, spices, coconut milk, lime juice, and chillies, with options ranging from mild to spicy.
Dish quality and taste vary between stalls, and prices are generally comparable to city dining. As with all food, flavours are subjective and depend on individual preferences.
Malacca Chendol & Ais Kacang
A local favourite in Malacca, chendol and ais kacang (also known as ABC) are popular shaved-ice desserts. Both are made with shaved ice, coconut milk, and darker, thicker, fragrant gula Melaka (palm sugar). Common toppings include green pandan chendol jelly and cooked red beans, while other variants may include sweet corn or grass jelly.
Durian chendol is a standout dessert in Malacca. Fresh durian is added to chendol, creating a smooth and creamy texture with coconut milk and palm sugar. Also known as chendol durian, it remains a preferred choice among local dessert options.
Ais kacang, while sharing similar ingredients, features a wider mix of toppings. Alongside shaved ice, coconut milk, palm sugar, chendol jelly, red beans, sweet corn, and grass jelly, it may also include attap chee (palm seeds) and rose syrup. Durian is also an option at selected stalls. At some eateries, palm sugar syrup is placed on the table, allowing sweetness to be adjusted to preference.
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3 Picks: Malacca Chendol
Jonker
88
Bibik
House
Cendol
Kampung Hulu
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3 Picks: Malacca Ais Kacang
Jonker
88
Peranakan
Place
Restoran
Baba Ang
Made
in small bite-sized pieces, these tarts are sold at eateries, specialised
bakeries, and snack shops across Malacca. At certain outlets, pineapple tarts
are prepared fresh in open spaces, allowing customers to see, smell, and sample
them before buying. Street stalls also sell Nyonya pineapple tarts, packed
neatly in canisters and priced by quantity.
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3 Picks
Bee
Bee Pineapple Tart House
Madam
Goh Pineapple Tart
LW
Nyonya Pineapple Tarts House
Malacca pineapples are known for their natural sweetness and subtle tang, contributing to the distinct flavour of Malacca pineapple tarts. These small pineapples have firm, dense flesh, are juicy without being watery, and carry an intense aroma.
They are eaten fresh, used for freshly pressed pineapple juice without added sugar, and sold at local markets and stalls. Their flavour and texture make them well suited for cooking into jam and are one of the reasons Malacca pineapple-based desserts stand out.
Buah Melaka, also known as ondeh-ondeh, are small, bouncy rice flour balls flavoured with pandan juice, filled with gula Melaka (palm sugar). The balls are cooked in boiling water until they float, then rolled immediately in freshly grated coconut. When bitten into, the melted palm sugar oozes out, giving a sweet, aromatic centre.
Sold at street stalls in Malacca, Buah Melaka are affordable and usually sold in small portions. The name Buah Melaka itself is closely associated with Malacca, reflecting the dessert’s strong local identity.
