It is not easy to find restaurants serving authentic Kristang (Malaccan-Portuguese) cuisine in Kuala Lumpur. Started three years ago as a labour of love between a mother and her daughter,
Simply Mel's has been blazing the local restaurant scene with authentic Kristang recipes passed down for generations.
Located in Bangsar South, the restaurant exudes a cosy and homey ambiance, complete with a sofa corner with magazines, recipe books, and family photos. Melba Nunis, the charming head chef and co-owner, takes time off from her busy kitchen duties to greet her customers and explain some of the dishes.
The restaurant is brightly lit, with a rustic and cosy ambiance
An inviting corner with a wide selection of reading material for adults and toys for kids - definitely a family-friendly restaurant
The menu is an extensive showcase of popular Eurasian dishes; with plenty of choices for both adults and children, spicy and non-spicy. The first dish to arrive was the belacan fried chicken (RM12.90 for three pieces). Crispy and tasty, although a tad too oily, the belacan flavour was rather muted, so this would be a kid-friendly choice.
The belacan is dialled down, making it more palatable for the kids
Another dish enjoyed by the kids was the shredded ikan tenggiri coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried (RM11.90).
Finger food galore! Think of them as fish nuggets
We also ordered the lemongrass chicken curry with kaffir lime leaves (RM14.90) - an appetising rendition of tender chicken pieces in a semi-dry curry.
Plenty of gravy to go with the chicken
The beef curry seccu (RM18.90) also lived up to its description on the menu - tender, melt-in-the-mouth beef and potatoes in a thick curry.
Beef lovers would rejoice at this dish!
The mee suah soup with poached egg (RM9.90) proved to be a totally comforting dish. The broth is hearty, the mee suah silky smooth, and the poached egg was cooked to perfection.
Sometimes the simple things are really the best!
Another item from the menu which we ordered was the asam prawns (RM21.90). The tamarind sauce was very appetising, but the prawns were not exceptionally fresh and were quite small.
There's room for improvement for the asam prawns
We were rather taken aback when the Malacca laksa (RM16.90) was served, as the portion was simply humongous - a huge bowl of rice vermicelli in thick, rich, spicy gravy, with plenty of goodies such as fish cakes, omelette slivers, tofu puffs, shredded chicken, and bean sprouts.
This could easily pass off as a double serving
Condiments play an important part in Kristang cuisine. There are several tempting condiment choices in the menu - cincalok, sambal chilli, and this - sambal salted kurau (RM3). We could taste the freshness of the kurau. Combine this spicy, sourish, and salty concoction with a bowl of rice and it will be simply too delicious for words.
No wonder they say one can eat bowls of steamed rice with just condiments - this is one awesome sambal!
We were also served some complimentary sugee cake. I am not a big fan of sugee cake, but Melba's homemade version is light, fluffy and with just the right level of sweetness.
At Simply Mel's, you don't have to wait for festive occasions to enjoy a slice of sugee cake - and it's free!
They also serve The Last Polka ice cream, and we just couldn’t resist the Rum and Raisin and Strawberry Cheesecake flavours (each at RM9.20 per scoop). These were excellent - smooth, creamy and strong-flavoured.
Ice cream is always a good ending to cap a great meal
Overall, Simply Mel's delicious Kristang dishes truly lived up to its Portuguese-Malaccan heritage. This restaurant makes you feel right at home, with plenty of selections to suit the young and old. Simply Mel's also caters for private functions for 50 pax or above. Weekday lunch times are packed, best to call ahead for reservation, while dinner times are generally more relaxed and less crowded.
Recommended items: beef curry seccu, lemongrass chicken curry, Malacca laksa, mee suah