Tantalising south

Melaka, the second smallest state has an intriguing population of Malays or melayu, Chinese, Indians, Straits-born Chinese (Peranakan), Straits-born Indians called Chitty, Portuguese descendants and Eurasians who have given rise to hybrid cuisines like Nyonya Cuisine. Nyonya cuisine incorporates Chinese ingredients like pork and Chinese vegetables with Malay spices and herbs like galangal, turmeric, ginger, aromatic leaves, candlenuts, the smelly buah keluak, shallots, shrimp paste and chilies. Popular nyonya dishes are otak otak (fish meat, mashed, spiced, wrapped in banana leaves and grilled) itek tim (duck with salted vegetables) and assam curry fish (sourish curried fish). Desserts are sweet and sticky made from ingredients like sweet potato, glutinous rice, palm sugar and coconut milk. For lesser-known cuisine head towards the Portuguese Settlement situated 3km from Melaka city. The Festa de San Pedro brings out festive dishes such as the Portuguese-influenced Devil Fish Curry.

Johor contribution to the culinary scene is its wealth of produces such as pineapple, coconut, coffee, tea, cocoa and pineapple. Popular dishes from Johor are lontong (spiced soup with rice cakes), serunding (meat floss) and laksa Johor (yellow noodles in spicy coconut base). Johor is also the only state surrounded by waters; hence one can find a number of seafood restaurants, upscale ones as well as the humble fishermen’s Medan Ikan Bakar. At the extreme southwestern tip of Southern Johor lies Tanjung Piai, a large wetland area. A few kilometres away lies the fishing village of Kukup, well known for seafood dishes. A zoned area for duty free eating (duty-free abalone, shark’s fin, bird’s nest, ginseng and other imported luxury items) is the Komplex Bebas Cukai Johor Bahru at Stulanq Laut, just 2 km from the Johor Bahru-Singapore Causeway. The zone offers also shopping and entertainment.