Why Café Malacca is the top spot for Malaysians and Singaporeans in Hong Kong
- With a menu packed to bursting with authentic items – think satay, Singaporean laksa, curries and desserts like pandan cake and kuih dadar – Café Malacca is a favourite haunt among lovers of spice
FARE Malaysian and Singaporean hawker-style dishes.
AMBIENCE The spacious dining room has lots of natural lighting from windows across one side of the room, and there are open kitchens and prep counters on the other side.
COST Starters are between HK$88 and HK$128; mains average HK$130.
WHO TO BRING Friends and family who can handle a little spice.
TURN-ONS Café Malacca is where Malaysians and Singaporeans in Hong Kong go for authentic hometown cuisine. The extensive menu is packed with dishes you will not get anywhere else in our city. We always start with the grilled juicy and tender chicken, beef and mutton satay in traditional Malaysian marinade, served with peanut sauce and rice cakes.
We also never miss the pie tee (four pieces), a Nyonya snack that is a tangy mouthful of crispy pastry filled with stewed yam beans and carrots, topped with prawns and coriander, with chilli sauce giving it a kick. Not to be skipped is the beef rendang – the deliciously rich yet tender beef is simmered in coconut with a mix of aromatic spices.
We also love the Singapore laksa served with rice noodles in a rich coconut milk-based soup, topped with prawns, fish cakes, bean curd puffs, half a boiled egg and a sprinkle of laksa leaves. For those who prefer their spice with sour notes of the Penang asam laksa, that version is also served with rice vermicelli in a tangy yet spicy fish-based soup, garnished with fresh pineapple, cucumber, mint leaves, lettuce, onions, ginger flower and shrimp paste. There is a wide selection of delicious curries, and we particularly liked the dal and the fish curry with roti. You can also order ahead for an off-menu pepper crab dish that is popular with regulars. Save room for dessert, especially the durian cake – in season – and the kuih dadar – a rolled pandan-flavoured crêpe filled with grated coconut and palm sugar.
TURN-OFFS Some curries could be a tad spicier, although they are flavoursome. For customers who ask, Café Malacca can spice them up more.
DRINKS There are lots of Malaysian choices on offer, such as kopi, pulled milk tea from Penang, and ginger milk tea. Iced drinks include Milo, Milo with ice cream, and calamansi and fresh young coconut, to name just a few.
Café Malacca
Level 2, Hotel JEN Hong Kong by Shangri-La, 508 Queen’s Road West, Shek Tong Tsui, 2213 6613
