Flag of Malaysia
We had chosen a hotel, Jonkers, on Jonkers Street, right in the centre of the old area, within walking distance of both the Peranakan Museum, in an old house, and the Salud bar-restaurant, which my husband had enthusiastically recalled from a previous trip. We left our car in the free car park behind our hotel. . We loved our bedrooms and the location which enabled us to walk to the restaurant and not worry about parking. The hotel had no dining room so no temptation to stick to one place all the time. We had to walk off a few calories on our way to and from Salud restaurant.
Why Eat Spanish Food in Malaysia?
It might seem odd to eat at a Spanish restaurant in Melaka and not go for something local which is usually our first choice in a foreign country or even regionally in our own. However, we had had local food already, with flies everywhere, at a motorway stop Machap on the drive up to Melaka from Singapore, so we had done our duty trying local food at least once that day.
Sugar Snack
Melaka's streets are lined with kiosks offering savoury snacks, many containing shellfish (to which I am allergic) and bites of sweets made from rock hard sugar.
Since one of our visitors wanted non-spicy food, we were happy to have a proper place where we could discuss the menu with somebody who spoke English and a European language.
The glamorous, slim manager is Maria Marcos, chatty when she is not busy. She advised us what to order.
Salud restaurant in Melaka, Malaysia. Maria Marcus and husband. Notice the meat, jamon with e acute on the o to show you pronounce it the whole word, pronounced hum-on. Photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.
Dinner at Salud
Salud means cheers in Spanish, what you say when you raise your glass. The restaurant's tagline is small bites, big flavours. Salud is a Tapas bar and restaurant.
Tapas, I seem to remember, were originally slices of bread or meat or cheese placed on top of your drink to keep off the flies. When you finished your drink, you ate the food. (Which had flies on it? ! At least the insects had flown off and not drowned in the drink.)
Our dishes at Salud were all great.
Maria arrives to check all is well.
We had mini fish like sardines. I think they were sweet anchovies
Our main courses included pig cheek. But there were no 'main courses'. Everything was tapas, Small plates but enough for four of us to each try a piece.
I loved the potato omelette. Spanish omelette. But omelette with cubes of potato mixed up. More like a sandwich with a slice of potato through the middle and the egg firm on the outside like bread with soft and tasty in the middle.
For dessert: A cheese plate. with quince paste, rolled in membrillo.
Tips on Booking and Seating
Bar Or Tables?
We booked here six weeks in advance as soon as we planned out trip to Melaka. The date was Britain's Boxing day, Dec 26th,
If you don't book the restaurant you risk ending up sitting on bar stools, eating your dinner at the bar. That would be fine for one or two of you. But we were a party of four and all wanted to be part of the conversation around a table.
Which Chairs?
The tables have two sorts of seating. We were on what looked like metal backed chairs, rather narrow. Other tables had a combination of banquettes against the wall and wooden chairs. However, once we had started eating, we forgot about the style of chairs.
Wonderful Wine
I particularly liked the Spanish light white wine in the white bottle. Vinas de Anna. A black and white sketch of Anna wearing a headscarf is on the bottle.
The wine is Blanc de blancs meaning white wine from white grapes.
Toilets' Mottoes
The toilets have a motto on the mirror. Different mottoes in the gents and ladies.
Dinner at Bulldog
145 Jalan Bendahara
Stay at
Jonkerboutiquehotel.com
no restaurant
Breakfast at
The Backlane Coffee
This restaurant took only cash not credit cards. The breakfast juices were tasty, tangy and refreshing.
The tea cup had a cover to keep the drink hot.
Useful Websites
Spanish Wine
www.annadecodorniu.com
Hotel
Jonkerboutiquehotel.com
Singapore Airlines
singaporeair.com
https://www.malaysia.travel/en/sg
About the Author
Angela Lansbury is a travel writer and photographer author and speaker. See other posts for photos of the Swan lake Sculpture at the Botanical gardens. Please share links to your favourite pictures.
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