Peter Santana. Melaka, Travel guru

"The secret ingredient found in traditional Indian curry house's in Penang is used undergarments."

Peter is a well travelled Melaka local who can be found lurking around the express bus terminal or residing at Sunny's guesthouse. If you come across Peter and you've got anywhere from 5 mins to 5 hrs spare, he's up for a chat. Peter is a wealth of info on Malay history. He is a retired chef from K.L. and the following B.B.Q Fish recipe is his own.

PETE'S BANANA LEAF WRAPPED FISH

INGREDIENTS:

Paste: 1 cup shallots , 10 de-seeded, soaked dry red chillis, 4 lemongrass stalks, 3 candlenuts grated, 1/2 knob fresh turmeric, salt and sugar to taste. Blitz all ingredients, adding salt and sugar to taste, to form a paste. Makes enough to generously coat 2 large fish.

METHOD:

The most common type of fish you can use would be a snapper. About 450 gms is ideal. Score fish on both sides. Saute about 3-4 tbls of paste in veg oil until aromatic. Rub over fish and wrap in foil, then banana leaf. Bake in oven at 180oc for about 25 minutes.

local bus, Melaka

As well as the usual forms of transport, Melaka has some outrageously decorated rickshaws.

When arriving at the express bus terminal, you can catch the local bus into town for RM 0.80. A short walk from the Equatorial Hotel led us to Sunny's Guesthouse which was a good choice and set us back Rm 30 ( Aus$ 11).

A popular way to get around town is via the rickshaw. This traditional mode of transport is dying out across Malaysia. The drivers of Melaka go to great lengths decorating their vehicles with flashing lights, flowers, curtains and sound systems blaring out the "latest " hits, a popular track was Michael Jackson's "Beat It".

melaka, market, chinatown

Melaka's chinatown is the most impressive we have come across so far.

There are beautifully maintained shopfronts and houses with spotlessly clean streets. There is an amazing collection of antiques, artwork, clothing and shoes. You can still find people weaving bamboo and blacksmiths shaping glowing, red hot metal. There is ample Chinese stores selling an array of fresh and dried foodstuffs, medicines, liquor and specialized goods such as shark fin.

Melaka, Nonya cuisine

Melaka is considered the cultural heart of Malaysia. It is also the birthplace of Nonya cuisine, an intergration of Chinese and Malay culture.

Restoran Bibik Neo is at no.6 Jalan Merdeka, Taman Melaka Raya and run by the hospitable Marcia and Henry Tan. Marcia's recommendations included otak-otak ( banana leaf wrapped fish cake made with lemongrass, kaffir lime leaf, chilli and coconut milk ), crispy fried snapper with chilli sauce, prawn and pineapple laksa, wok fried kangkong and rice. Marcia emphasised the sole use of fresh ingredients over manafactured pastes and sauces. The meal was followed by a palate cleanser of Ais chendol... a dessert of shaved ice, caramelized durian fruit and pandanus flavoured rice "spaghetti".

Hoe Kee Chicken Rice Ball is in the heart of chinatown, at no. 4 Jalan Hang Jebat. This place is packed with locals devouring plates of poached chicken, braised cabbage, sticky rice balls and chilli sambal. Doesn't sound like much, but a perfect cooking technique and the balanced flavour was spot on.

Get to the weekend night market in the same street for a feast of food and karaoke; look for the Banyan Garden Cafe and order a bowl of laksa for Rm 4.50 and the old chika near the entrance selling smokey otak-otak for 40cents a pop.