Last weekend, we went with our friends on our annual whirlwind 1-night pilgrimage to Melaka to eat and catch up.  Pity I was ill throughout the trip and was unable to fully appreciate the gastronomic delights which I had planned and made reservations for!  As it was just over the weekend, we usually have enough time, and space in the tummy, to fit in two good meals – dinner on the day we arrive and lunch the following day – without feeling the ill effects of gluttony.  We really should make it a longer trip the next time we drive up to Melaka so that it would be less hectic and having more opportunities to eat…

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The last time we visited Melaka, we wanted to eat at Teo Soon Loong Chan, a famous Teochew restaurant but weren’t able to get a table just by walking in as they are almost always fully booked.

For this trip, I made it a point to make a reservation for a table AND order one roast hog a week in advance.  Whenever I make reservations, I prefer to take the first seating, where possible.  We arrived 15 mins early for our 6pm reservation and hung around outside the restaurant where our Teochew-speaking friends had an opportunity to chat with the chef – one of two sons of the old man who started the restaurant.  I cannot speak Teochew but I can understand the dialect.  Strange.  I have no idea where I picked it up ‘cos no-one in my family speaks Teochew regularly.

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Teo Soon Loong Chan is a small restaurant located in a back alley very near Jonkers Walk.  Red lanterns, red tablecloths, plastic chairs, mosaic tiled floor.  Perfectly old-world, 1970s look that one can hardly find in Singapore today.  The place is so tiny that there is only space for 8 tables and the kitchen had to be situated right outside, at the front, of the restaurant.  We sat down and the Teochew Ah-hia amongst us ordered our dinner.

The food was E-X-C-E-L-L-E-N-T.  Every dish was lovely, fresh and flavourful.  The style of cooking was comforting, as though I was eating home-cooked food.  I would say that this is hands-down, one of  the best Teochew food that I have eaten.

Succulent, unctuous, artery-clogging roast pig.  Cooked over a pit in the home of the owners.

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Oyster noodles, with plump and juicy oysters.  Orh-mee that is org-asmically good!

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Braised duck with beancurd.  *sigh*  This is probably the husband’s favourite dish.  How do they make the sauce so light and tasty?

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Stir-fried sweet potato leaves.  We usually eat this with cooked with sambai chili, but this garlic-version was just as tasty.

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It would be a travesty to enter a Teochew restaurant without ordering their steamed pomfret.  As expected, the fish was super fresh, tasty and came with a spicy ginger broth.  Some of my friends felt that the broth could have been perked up with more sour plums but I loved the ginger-flavored broth – it gave the traditional dish a slightly different twist.  I love ginger anyway!

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Melt-in-your-mouth bittergourd braised with pork ribs in a tau cheo sauce.  It was SO GOOD.  Heck, I could have eaten the entire plate of bittergourd by myself.

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Orh-nee with pumpkin and gingko nuts.  By the time the orh-nee was served, I was feeling unwell again.  I didn’t eat my portion of the orh-nee as I felt that would greatly increase the likelihood of me throwing up my fantastic dinner.  It was a huge PITY ‘cos I love orh-nee, especially when it comes with pumpkin.  I couldn’t resist a small bite and honestly, it took me alot of self-restraint not to wolf down my portion.  The texture of the orh-nee was so smooth and creamy, with a light fragrance of the fried pork lard used to make the puree.  

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Being one of the first customers certainly has its perks – personal attention by the old man himself.  He hovered at our table, making sure that we ate up every morsel!

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We will definitely be back again.  Blogging about the food is making me drool.

Address:
55 Jalan Hang Kasturi, Melaka 75200, Malaysia
+6062822353

Update on 17 December 2015: A friend of mine is in Melaka this weekend and he tells me that the restaurant has moved to new premises at No. 42 & 44, Jalan KPKS 1, Ko,pleas Perniagaan Kota Syahbandar, Melaka 75200, Malaysia.  

Telephone No.: +60 62880209

Melaka: Teo Soon Loong Chan Teochew Restaurant
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One thought on “Melaka: Teo Soon Loong Chan Teochew Restaurant

  • Aug 20, 2013 at 5:35 pm
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    Omg, everything looks so delicious – especially the oyster noodles!

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