[NON-HALAL]
If you happen to be in Melaka and are keen on trying something unique to the locals, make a pit stop at Bunga Raya Wan Tan Mee.
Wantan mee usually comes with a dark sauce – but at this humble stall located in a kopitiam, it’s served with some sort of clear gravy plus some chilli sauce.
The shop opens at 7pm and serves dinner until about 10pm. This writer arrived at 7.02pm – and yet, a healthy crowd was already seated within, with several people waiting to “ta pau”.
The main cook at the stall is an old man who appears to have done this his entire life: each move he makes looks purposeful and precise. Just watching him at work will likely fill you with a great sense of anticipation for the food.
So, how was it? Well, firstly, a head’s up – the wantan mee might take close to 40 minutes to arrive, as was the case with this writer, who was told this is the normal wait time.
Once served, the dish was pale, with a few slices of obligatory char siew and minced pork, plus some boiled wantan served in a small bowl of soup. It looked… OK.
Alas, the wantan mee was just as it looked: bland in both taste and texture. It wasn’t necessarily bad, but it wasn’t good, either – although apparently, it’s a taste you need to have grown up with.
At RM8 for a large serving and RM6.50 for a small, it’s also not entirely cheap – but given the cost of ingredients these days, perhaps this is fair. If only there had been more flavour for the price.
That said, it’s not in good form to write a wholly negative review, especially of a small business that has been running for a long time and is cherished among local diners.
So, the bottom line is: if you wish to experience what a Melakan might have grown up with, this is a place you should check out.
Bunga Raya Wan Tan Mee (NON-HALAL)
56, Jalan Bunga Raya,
Kampung Jawa, 75100 Melaka
Read the original article here, and read more articles by KY Speaks on FMT Lifestyle here.
Trying to influence your cravings since 2005, Kar Yeong was Guest Judge on Versus 1001 Rasa Baba’s 2018, R.AGE Food Fight Judge 2015 and NTV7 Foodie Blogger 2014. To read more about Kar Yeong’s food journeys, visit his blog at KYspeaks.com.