Our Baba Charlie adventure – Melaka I

Our knowledgeable driver brought us to this obscure little house, which boasts some famous Melaka kueh that apparently sells out sometimes by noon! So we hastened there in the morning, and were rewarded with plenty of stock.

I particularly enjoyed the short stroll to the bungalow, full of rustic charm.  I suppose only city dwellers will find it rustic. Locals probably view it as yet another run-down, neglected stretch.

Patchwork of weather-worn zinc slabs reinforcing a wall.  A nicely “distressed wall” to the scrapbooker’s eye. 🙂

Arrival at the famously obscure Baba Charlie’s!  Nothing more than a humble square nameplate to mark their shop.

A hall seems to have been converted to a display area for their many kuehs… most wrapped in traditional pandan or banana leaves, the wrapping an art in itself, though more importantly infusing the delicacies with subtle fragrances.

Typical wall of a Peranakan home – history lines the walls. I managed to catch a modern day Nonya in this photo too! Her garb and hairstyle was a nice juxtaposition I felt!

All things homemade – including cincalok! We had cincalok omelettes galore, so this was a good place to stock up for re-creations.

Kueh kueh and more kueh.

The large frontyard had been converted into a massive open air kitchen. Multi-generational too!

Perched near some (more) kueh
Overall, this was one of the more interesting stops on our trip, a first for the extended family even though cumulatively, we’ve probably been to Melaka more than 10 times.
Going to Malaysia always reminds us of how Singapore was, how Singapore could have remained, which evokes mixed feelings, some of which are probably a luxury that folks of my generation can afford to feel, e.g. that of wistfulness. Most of the older generation probably have a greater sense of relief and thankfulness, ironically……

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2 Comments

  1. I’m glad you enjoy Malaysia, those not-so-urbanized places and activities. I should do up a post to show you Zoo Melaka, a zoo that is really bring you back to old time.

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