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MELAKA: In addition to being a tourist haven, Melaka is famous for being a foodie paradise, and for good reason too!

Be it gula Melaka cendol or chicken rice balls, there are many tasty local treats you would be hard-pressed to find elsewhere.

It also helps that many of the eateries here are humble family-owned businesses, passed down from one generation to the next.

If you wish to experience the culinary offerings steeped in tradition, head over to the famous Portuguese Settlement, home of the Kristang or Serani people, a creole community of Portuguese descent.

About 10,000 members of the community still live in this settlement and they all take great pride in their heritage. Often perceived as seafaring folk, it is little surprise that their culinary culture revolves around seafood, as well as an abundance of spices.

The Portuguese Settlement is home to a lively food court where one can taste authentic Serani dishes. (Moganraj Villavan @ FMT Lifestyle)

This place, particularly at night, comes alive when the famous food court here opens for business. The stalls are predominantly operated by Kristang families, each claiming to serve the best food in town.

As soon as you step out of your vehicle, you will likely be swarmed by a group of hawkers, each promoting their individual stalls.

If you do manage to escape this mob, one place you can expect to dine on good food in relative peace and quiet is at the very end of the food court.

De Costa’s occupies the eighth stall and is a great place if you’re looking to enjoy an authentic Portuguese seafood meal.

The Salted Egg Squid makes for a great appetiser and is rather addictive. (Moganraj Villavan @ FMT Lifestyle)

It helps that service here is competent and fast, with the waiter quickly seating you, handing out menus and providing recommendations. More importantly, you will not be badgered to dine here, a massive plus point for De Costa’s.

So, what’s to be had here? Seafood of course in all its addictive forms!

The Salted Egg Squid for instance makes for a great appetiser. Sinful yet delicious, these calamari rings are rich in flavour and chewy in texture, with the salty and mildly sweet flavour being a delight to the senses.

For the vegetable component of your meal, De Costa’s Black Sauce Brinjal is seriously good.

The sweet, sour and sticky sauce of the Black Sauce Brinjal is what makes this dish memorable. (Moganraj Villavan @ FMT Lifestyle)

Despite its mysterious nature, the black sauce has a sweet and sour taste to it, with a hint of pepper. This combination of flavours work well with the brinjal, with its tender and mild sweetness making it a joy to savour.

Now it’s time for some spicy seafood, and the Portuguese Baked Stingray is definitely worth your money.

Featuring cuts of stingray served in a spicy paste adorned with sliced cucumber and onions, this is one dish you would be tempted to enjoy all by yourself. This dish is spicy enough to give your taste buds a kick, but not excessively so to the point of burning your tongue.

A second-generation chef, Juliana learnt her father’s recipes by helping out in the kitchen during her early years. (Moganraj Villavan @ FMT Lifestyle)

In addition, the stingray is cooked to perfection, with the meat sufficiently firm and chewy, infused with the strong flavours of the paste. The juice of the calamansi gives this dish an additional tangy taste.

Speaking to FMT, De Costa’s owner, Juliana de Costa revealed that it was her father who started the business in the 1950s.

“This is one of the oldest stalls here,” she explained, adding that she used to help her father in the kitchen whenever she could, picking up the recipes of all his best dishes along the way.

Even when she had a nine-to-five job, she was there in the kitchen after office hours helping her father out.

According to her, her seafood dishes have such great taste because of the fresh stock she gets daily from a local fisherman. “I’m also the only one here using charcoal to make the ikan bakar!”

So, the next time you find yourself in this part of the woods, head to De Costa’s for a comfortable and worthy dining experience.

Restoran De Costa

8, Medan Selera

Portuguese Settlement

75050 Melaka

Melaka Bandaraya Bersejarah

Business hours: 12.30pm-11.30pm (closed on Thursdays)

Contact: 0111-2539271 (Juliana)