GASTRONOMY

Baba Low’s

A Delicious Taste of Melaka

by Escapy Travel | Photos by Philemon Foo

The menu and green board; the only clue that this place is Baba Low.

Malaysia is a dangerous country for anyone who enjoys food. You can drive into almost any town, turn down a road that appears to lead nowhere, stop beside a building that looks like it stores lawnmowers, and there is a very good chance someone inside is cooking something spectacular.

Melaka is particularly guilty of this. It is a city stuffed with history, culture, and food, and if there is one cuisine that seems to have been permanently welded into Melaka’s identity, it is Nyonya cuisine, the food of the Peranakan community.

The problem is that there are so many Nyonya restaurants that choosing one can feel like being handed a magic map with far too many destinations. I have eaten at several over the years, but on one of my trips to Melaka, I decided to try somewhere I had heard about but had never actually eaten at.

Baba Low’s?

I had seen the name in Kuala Lumpur. I had read about it. But somehow, despite my years of eating my way around Malaysia, I had never actually sat down and had a meal there. That was about to change. Although, at first, I wasn’t entirely sure I had found it.

For first timers, this is one question you may ask… Where on Earth is this place? I used Google Maps. This is normally a good idea unless you are trying to find Baba Low’s here in Melaka. The directions led me down the road, and eventually brought me to what appeared to be a shed. Not a charming little restaurant with hanging lanterns and tasteful Peranakan decorations. A shed. There was no giant sign screaming, “Baba Low’s.”

There wasn’t even much indication that this was a respectable restaurant. There was, however, some tables. And a few people sitting and eating. This was my only clue. For a moment, I wondered whether Baba Low’s had moved and Google Maps had decided to send me on a small culinary treasure hunt. But I was hungry. And hunger has a remarkable ability to turn uncertainty into optimism.

More tables when you walk in. Nothing fancy, but do not be fooled by its appearance.

The Little Hats of Happiness

The first thing to arrive was the pie tee, also known as top hats. They look exactly like little edible hats, which is wonderful because food is considerably more interesting when it appears to have been designed for a very small wizard.

The crispy pastry shells were filled with cooked strips of turnip and cucumber. I had ordered two plates. Then I ate them. Then I ordered another. Each plate came with five. You do the math.

The turnip was sweet and juicy, the cucumber added freshness and the crisp pastry provided the necessary crunch. It was a very good start. In fact, it was the sort of start that makes you suddenly reconsider your earlier judgement about the shed. Perhaps the shed knew what it was doing.

Very delicious pie tee.

Then Came the Nyonya laksa

It looked wonderfully old school. And I have a weakness for food that looks as though it has been making the same people happy for decades. There is something about an old-fashioned bowl of noodles that can transport you straight back to childhood.

Of course, appearances can be deceptive. Some old-school food tastes like nostalgia. Other old-school food tastes like something that should have been left in the old school. Thankfully, this was firmly in the first category.

The laksa had a thick, rich gravy packed with flavour without being overwhelmingly spicy. That was particularly welcome to me because I enjoy chilli considerably more when it isn’t attempting to assassinate me.

Nyonya laksa; fragrant, bursting with flavours, and delicious.

The bowl came with fishballs, fried tofu, cucumber strips and other simple ingredients. But there was one ingredient that made me particularly happy… Cockles. I love cockles in laksa. And when I found them sitting in the bowl, I knew we were getting along very nicely indeed.

The flavour reminded me of the Nyonya laksa I enjoyed when I was younger. That is one of the great powers of food. You can spend years travelling, eating in restaurants, and trying new things, yet a single mouthful can suddenly drag you backwards through time.

For a few minutes, you’re not sitting in a shed in Melaka. Then you’re somewhere else, younger, and in simpler times. And then you realise you’ve been staring into your bowl like an idiot.

The Popiah With a Difference

Then came the popiah. Many people recommend the popiah here, so naturally I had to investigate. This wasn’t quite the popiah I am used to seeing. The wrapper was different, looking more like a very thin pancake than the familiar pale popiah skin. And the popiah itself was larger than the usual ones I have eaten.

Inside was a generous filling of juicy turnip and cucumber, along with green beans, sambal and other ingredients. It was tasty. Very tasty, actually. But I wouldn’t describe it as some sort of life-changing, thunderbolt from the sky culinary experience. It was simply good popiah. And sometimes that is all you need.

Not every dish has to change your understanding of the universe. Sometimes you just want something delicious wrapped in something thin so you can eat it without needing a complicated emotional support system afterwards.

Popiah; Melaka style.

Cendol, Because Melaka Demands It

Then came dessert… Cendol. If there is one thing I have learned from visiting Melaka, it is that cendol is not optional. You can have cendol elsewhere in Malaysia, of course. But in Melaka, having cendol feels almost like a civic responsibility.

The Baba Low’s version was very good. The shaved ice was soft and pleasant, the sweetness wasn’t excessive and there was a lovely fragrance to it. I enjoyed it.

There was, however, one thing that stopped me from giving it full marks. The Santan or coconut milk. To my taste, it seemed to have the characteristics of packet coconut milk rather than the richness and freshness I associate with freshly squeezed coconut milk.

That is a small criticism, but when you’ve eaten enough Malaysian food, your taste buds become rather annoyingly opinionated. Still, the cendol disappeared. Which is normally a reasonably reliable indication that I liked it.

Delicious bowl of Cendol.

Never Judge a Restaurant by Its Shed

And so my visit to Baba Low’s came to an end. It began with me wondering whether Google Maps had sent me to the wrong place. It ended with me wondering why I had waited so long to eat there.

Baba Low’s doesn’t try to seduce you with an impressive entrance. There is no grand theatrical arrival. No enormous sign. No building that makes you think you’re about to experience a meal of biblical proportions. Instead, there is a shed. A little green board. Some tables that are rather simple. And food, very good food.

The pie tee was the star for me, the Nyonya laksa brought back memories, the popiah was tasty, and the cendol provided the necessary sweet ending to a very satisfying meal.

Sometimes, travel teaches you that appearances are everything. At other times, it teaches you precisely the opposite. Baba Low’s belongs firmly in the second category.

So if you find yourself wandering around Melaka, hungry and slightly confused because Google Maps has deposited you beside what appears to be a shed, don’t panic. You may have found Baba Low’s. Just walk in, sit down, order some food, and enjoy your meal. Because sometimes, the best culinary adventures begin in places that look as though you shouldn’t be there at all.

When you visit Melaka next, do give Baba Low’s a try. The place may not look welcoming but the food is certainly good.