There’s more to the popular night market in Melaka City than just dodol, handbags and T-shirts. Ewe Paik Leong recommends some interesting things to do here
1 Selfie with Mr Goldfinger
In the theme song of the James Bond movie, Goldfinger, Shirley Bassey sings: “He loves only gold…only gold.” Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening, Jonker Street’s Mr Goldfinger — as he is affectionately referred to by other traders — sits still at a spot for long periods of time and is often mistaken for a glittering golden statue. Yes, he loves gold! You can take a selfie or wefie with him and drop a tip into a jar, the amount of which is at your discretion.
2 Savour a coconut ball
While Mr Goldfinger hardly moves, Mr Coconut is a man of action! With swift, deft moves of his special knife, he slices away the young coconut husk. What remains is a ball of coconut flesh containing the juice. You’ll have to puncture the ball to drink the juice. As a splash of it sloshes about in your mouth, a clear, sparky metallic-like taste dances an invigorating ronggeng with your taste buds. A slight crunch from the flesh adds to the goodness.
3 Ride a brightly-lit trishaw
A ride in the evening in a colourful decorated trishaw with flashing LED lights offers a different experience from one during the day. Feel the cool wind caress your face and listen to Gangnam-style music or soothing Dondang Sayang melodies (depending on which trishaw you choose) from built-in speakers as you take in the night sights of the historic quarter. The route that runs almost parallel to the Melaka River cruise is recommended. The trishaws are stationed at the northern end of Jonker Street.
4 Nibble on Taiwan-style fruit candy
These Taiwan-style fruit candy are skewers of various fruits dipped in chocolate. The contrast in tastes between the chocolate and fruits (sweet-sour, sweet-lemony or sweet-acerbic) and concomitant contrast in textures (pliable-soft, mushy or firm) sends thrilling electric-like jolts to your teeth and taste buds with every bite. One stick costs only RM4.
5 Swap your slippers for clogs
Tired of wearing Japanese slippers? Try clogs instead. Handcrafted from wood and painted red to attract good luck and positive chi, they are excellent for traipsing around in the wet market or an evening stroll in the park. Your children will also love those with cartoon characters. Prices for a pair start from RM18, depending on size. For foreign tourists, these are must-buy Melaka souvenirs as they are not found elsewhere in the world.
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6 Exhale the Dragon’s Breath
Pop a few pieces of these Dragon’s Breath into your mouth and exhale through your nostrils. You will expel clouds of vapour like a dragon! Fear not as these vapours are cool, not hot like cigarette smoke. What you’re having in your mouth are pieces of nitrogen-coated ice-cream. As they melt, they enrobe your taste buds with fruity flavours, sending a cold tingle down your spine. A silky mouth-coating sensation doubles the thrill! RM10 per cup.
7 Have your fortune read
What have the stars got in store for you next year? There are two fortune tellers here who will divine your future for a small fee. One reads your palm and analyses your date of birth. The other will ask you to pick several cards from a pack which he will them arrange in a configuration before reading them. Interestingly, the latter also sells kayu raja, which purportedly confers good luck on the owner.
8 Savour raindrop cake
It wobbles! It hails from Japan! It’s a raindrop cake! Spoon a sliver into your mouth and it melts on your tongue, releasing a mudslide of sweet-tangy flavours and a caramel-like explosion. Also known as mizu shingen mochi, this dessert is served on a folded paper boat with passion fruit syrup and brown sugar. Priced at RM10.
9 Swap your wrist watch for a pocket watch
Be the archetypical English gentleman of yesteryear by wearing a pocket watch. Or make a Victorian-era fashion statement by carrying one in your handbag. There are two stalls selling pocket watches with a wide range of relief designs, such as flowers, animals, arabesques and also the astrological signs. Price? Only RM20 each! Three for RM50! They also make excellent gifts.
10 Suck on kok-kok candy
Children call him the kok-kok man because he extracts small pieces from a circular slab of candy using a small chisel and mallet, making metallic sounds of knocking in the process. The rock-hard slab tastes savoury-sweet and delivers hits of nutty flavours. The making of kok-kok candy is a dying trade in Melaka.
Pictures by Ewe Paik Leong
