Saturday 8 December 2012

Malacca Day 3c - Muara Sungai Duyong

Free and Easy Malacca - Day 3 Itinerary

1) Brunch at Chung Wah Chicken rice ball
2) Jonker 88
3) Stroll at Jonker Street
4) Shopping and Sightseeing
5) Dessert at Nadeje
6) Seafood at Muara Sungai Duyong


Seafood @ Muara Dungai Duyong
Since this was our second visit to Malacca, we wanted to try something different.  A local friend recommend us to try Ikan Bakar (grilled fish) operated by locals along rivers.  Its a pity that she can't join us for dinner, so we look up some food guide and decided on Medan Ikan Bakar, Muara Sungai Duyong.

There wasn't much direction to this rather ulu seafood stall.  Its outside of the Melaka town, towards the direction of Muar, Johor. Our travelling time inclusive of detour and slowing down looking out for signboards was around 20-25 minutes.  Detailed directions below.

But trust me, its worth all the effort. And I am already looking forward to visit the restaurant again!
Medan Ikan Bakar

Its a simple seafood "restaurant" along the Melaka river, operated by the local Malays. So food is Halah. We arrived early for dinner before we head back to home to Singapore.  The "alfresco" dining area was tranquil with kampong ambience and occasional sea breeze. Nice village setting that we will all like to linger a little while longer.

A number of the fishing boats came back during sunset, bringing back fresh seafood for restaurants before docking at the jetty cum fishing village along Melaka river.

Medan Ikan Bakar at Melaka River

There are a lot of seafood available in the restaurant, some were freshly caught, some were actually purchased elsewhere and still with their plastic packaging on.

Fresh Fish on crushed ice
The seafood were on displayed for customers to pick and choose what they want. They were topped with ice to keep them fresh. As it is a restaurant along a river, not all of their "seafood" are from the sea, quite a number are river fish and products.
Fresh Seafood on display

Reference their menu for the pricing, which is in Malay.  Some translation - Jenak -> Snapper, Siakap => Seabass, Sepahat => bamboo clams.



Menu

The friendly boss was quite patience with our limited Malay and we managed to get through our ordering with his recommendations and prior homework done.
Friendly Seafood Restaurant Boss
Pick the seafood you want and the boss will weight the seafood in front of you. Then decide how you want to cook your seafood - bakar (grilled), Goreng 3 rasa (3 taste), goreng kunyit (fried Tuneric), goreng halia etc.  Refer to the cooking style menu below.
Food Ordering and Preparation

Don't be surprise that the most famous food in this seafood restaurant was not their seafood but their heavenly Nasi Lemak!
Each pack of nasi lemak was only rice and chilli and nothing else. The rice was infused with fragrant coconut milk, each mouthful of the rice with chilli was heavenly - sweetness of the rice, spicy and slight saltiness of the chilli, coupled with coconut fragrance, simply yummy!

Nasi Lemak
Rating: 4.75/5
The nasi lemak was suppose to go with the seafood. But it was so nice that we finished almost half a pack before the seafood were served.
Dining by the river
The food are progressively served. The food is so nice that we finished them in no time.  Thus we decided to go for another round of ordering.
Bamboo Clams (sepahat), RM 12 
Rating: 4/5
 Crispy fried calamari (fried squid). They divided the dish into 2 plates for easy sharing.
Calamaries, RM 30
Rating: 4.25/5
Glad that the Malay restaurant also serve lightly fried vegetables and not those curry or overly spicy and soggy vegetables common in nasi padang.
Vegetables with mushrooms or onion, RM9 each
The fried tuneric prawns was super! We loved the taste so much that we go for another round and even order fried tumeric fish as well. It will be perfect is the shell is more crispy.
Note that the prawn is divided into 2 plates as well.
Fried Tumeric Prawn, RM 68
Rating: 4.5/5
And of course, not forgetting the fish.  You can get them to divide the fish into half and cook in different flavours. Below are the different cooking style we tried.  We ordered sea bass and snapper which cost RM53 and RM51.

3 taste turned out to be quite nice. Can't remember what were the 3 taste - chilli, tomato and ...?
3 Taste (Goreng 3 Rasa)
Rating: 4.25/5 
 Nice charred fragrance, but would have prefer the sambal chilli that we usually had for BBQ fish.
Bakar Bercili (Grilled Chilli)
Rating: 4/5
Sweet and sour was a disappointment when compared to the rest.  Should have reserve sweet and sour for Chinese restaurant instead of at Ikan Bakar.
Sweet & Sour
Rating: 3.75
The fried tumeric fish was the best seafood we had at Ikan bakar. Its crispy with the tumeric brining out the freshness of the fish. Memorable taste.  I will order one whole fish for fried tumeric the next time we are here. Or ... maybe 2 whole fish of fried tumeric :)

Fried Tumeric (Goreng Kunyit)
Rating: 4.6/5
All these fresh flavourful food at a cost of RM 238, which works out to be S$100. Not as cheap as the one our local friend recommend but definitely still very worthwhile and value for money.  Nice, cheap alfresco dining along Melaka river.

I will definitely be back to this restaurant the next time we are in Melaka, achievable only with our dearest skillful car captain and navigator :)

Bill


Muara Sungai Duyung (Medan Ikan Bakar)
KM 4-5, Jalan Padang Temu,
Permatang Pasir, Melaka
GPS Coordinates: N2.174500, E102.289167
Tel: 019-248 9525, 012-636 2339 (Pak Azmi)
Business Hours: 5pm - 12am (no rest day)



Directions to Muara Dungai Duyong, Medan Ikan Bakar from Melaka town

Medan Ikan Bakar : GPS (N2.174500, E102.289167)
Right Turn along Jalan Padang Temu : GPS (N2.183667, E102.290333)

You will pass by Restoran Aunty Lee along Jalan Ujong Pasir and then continue to Jalan Padang Temu.  Right turn at the placemark on the map and you will see the jetty for the fisherman boats. travel along the road all the way to the end and to the muddy road and you will find the restaurant.


Starting from Jalan Merdeka (Fenix Inn) to Medan Ikan Bakar
Total: 6.2 km - about 11 mins (from Google maps)
1. Head west on Jalan Merdeka
2. Keep right at the fork
3. Turn right onto Jalan Parameswara
4. Continue onto Jalan Bukit Senjuang
5. Slight right onto Lorong Bukit Senjuang
6. Keep left at the fork
7. Turn left onto Jalan Ujong Pasir (where Restoran Aunty Lee is)

8. Continue onto Jalan Padang Temu
9. Turn right (note that the signboard is taken from the opposite side of the road)
    GPS (N2.183667, E102.290333)


10. You will see the Malay fishing village and jetty for fisherman boats along Melaka River on your right.
      GPS (N2.182667, E102.290333)

11. Continue along the road all the way to the end.  There will be a small stretch of muddy road before you reach Medan Ikan Bakar!



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1 comment:

  1. This number does not belong to medan ikan bakar 019-248 9525... Pls remove from this posting.

    However, 012-636 2339 this number is accurate and valid.

    ReplyDelete