Review: Restoran Nyonya Makko, Melaka

Malaysians love their food. Perhaps nowhere more-so than Melaka, where eating out is elevated to a lifestyle. Of course it’s not bulletproof. There is no shortage of average or below average eateries if you don’t know where you are going. But, visitors are nearly always impressed by how easy it is to find good, and sometimes great, food. Standards are high in this town.

You can’t think of Melaka without thinking of Nyonya cuisine, with its unique blend of Chinese, Malay and other influences. You’ll find plenty in the historic buildings around the city centre.

We thought we would try of Melaka’s longest established Nyonya restaurants, Restoran Nyonya Makko. It’s been consistently popular over the years for its home-cooking style.

I should temper this by saying that Singaporeans enjoy their Nyonya flavours with a punch, where Malaysians like a milder and more subtle balance. We also like some fire in our dishes, where Malaysians often like a sweetness.

We tried the four-sided beans, babi pongteh, petai sotong, fermented shrimp omelette, deep-fried whole fish, buah keluak and fresh otah.

We didn’t dislike any of the dishes, but we weren’t excited by any of them either. It’s good home-style cooking, but it’s not going to blow your socks off.

Service was efficient and the food came fast.

Restoran Nyonya Makko
23, Jalan Merdeka, Taman Melaka Raya, 75000 Melaka.
Tel:+606-284 0737
Operating Hours: 11.30am – 2.45pm, 6.00pm – 9.30
Thursday to Tuesday, closed on Wednesday