Baba Melaka – Affordable Peranakan Dishes in a Coffeeshop

This coffeeshop at Blk 130 Jurong Gateway Road is very busy recently. The famous Soi 19 Wanton Mee has opened their new branch there, and there is another interesting stall Baba Melaka within the same coffeeshop, serving Peranakan dishes. I don’t really know of hawkers that serve peranakan dishes (except for Popo & Nana in Maxwell market). I guess probably because it’s really laborious to cook Peranakan dishes.

Here at Baba Melaka, prices are kept low. So, don’t set too high expectation when you are having Nonya Assam Laksa because you are only paying for $3.50. The soup is very watery and it consists of the thick noodles with ingredients like onion and cucumber slices, mint and topped with a mellow prawn paste. Honestly, I have had better ones in Singapore and won’t mind paying a higher price to get a better quality one.

On the other hand, their Ayam Buah Keluak with steamed rice ($5.50) is pretty impressive. The gravy is robust with a slight earthy tanginess to it. The meat is very tender and the fragrant sambal belachan was spicy with a kick. Have a mouthful of steamed rice to go with the crunchy achar, chicken and chilli sauce, it feels like a party in the mouth. They also have other rice dishes like Beef Rendang Nasi Lemak ($5.90), Ayam Rendang Nasi Lemak ($4.90) and Ayam Goreng Nasi Lemak ($4.90).

Ending the meal with their Baba Chendol with roughly shaved ice and thin gula melaka. There are big kidney beans but the chendol strips were not very generous. But cannot complain lah, only $2!

They also sell some peranakan kuehs at the corner. I thought having a peranakan stall in a coffeeshop is a rather refreshing idea but you have got to lower your expectations a little. Go for the rice dishes, it won’t disappoint. Unfortunately I have not met the owner of the shop during my 2 visits there. The employees at the stall work pretty slowly and they are not too friendly.