Some of My Daily Breakfasts Around Jonker Street in Malacca

One morning, when I was paying full attention on preparing for my breakfast at the common area of Layang Layang Guest House, I suddenly felt as though I was being watched over from somewhere near my seat. I raised my head to find one of my Chinese guests looking at me from afar, with his hands in his pockets, and his face filled with curiosity. Puzzled, I asked if he needed any help, only to be told that he found my breakfast quite strange. So I thought to myself, perhaps it’s about time that I talk about how I survive as a temporary resident of this tourist attraction (I stay in the guesthouse itself, for your information), where dining out around this area could easily cost a bomb, or at least that is what people think.

I certainly don’t starve myself, because it is never a necessity when I have the ability to feed myself well, and I don’t want to risk suffering from gastric pain. I don’t cook, because there are no cooking facilities in the guesthouse, but only a refrigerator and a kettle. Each night before bedtime, I have to decide on a place to settle my breakfast the next morning; make my own breakfast or dine out, cereals with milk or toasts with tuna, et cetera. Here are merely some of what I had throughout the past three months. This particular blog post is not intended, so it will be very brief, just sharing. More detailed information will be provided next time!

Noodles.

There are plenty of places for different kinds of noodles just less than five-minute walk away from the guesthouse. Some are ancestral but not popularly known, some are there for the locals, and some are unreasonably famous among the tourists. One of my favourite has always been 大姑云吞面 (dà gū yún tūn miàn) located along the Heeren Street, also known as Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock today.

Western breakfast.

I don’t usually go for western breakfast, unless if I have the urge for something really filling or when I think it’s time to spend a little bit more in a classy café. To date, I have only chosen Ola Lavanderia Café and Kaya-kaya Café for a good western breakfast, for they are the nearest among the many cafés in town with people that I am more familiar with, as well as their operation hours that best fit my working hours. Open as early as 9.00am, and I might be one of your first customers of the day, provided that you serve quality food too.

Home-made breakfast.

Once in a while, I do grocery shopping together with Stephanie to stock up cereals, milk or yogurt drink, toasts, cherry tomatoes, vegetables, canned tuna, et cetera. Sometimes, we also buy some raw ingredients like chicken breasts to be cooked and served as lunch or dinner in the guesthouse. Cooking is done at Kaya-kaya Café, of course.

Here, I want to give a big shout-out to Farm Fresh Original Natural Yogurt Drink! I love it with a bowl of cereals like Corn Flakes or Honey Stars. Perfect combination! Either that or some toasts with canned tuna topped with cherry tomatoes, which is what my Chinese guest found strange. It could be the different cultures that we have; the difference between Chinese from China and Malaysian Chinese. I truly wish that I could share a piece of toast with canned tuna with him then, but it was just enough for myself, so I had to brush it off.

Traditional breakfast.

This is simply the best among any types of breakfasts I have ever tried in my life. Lung Ann Refreshments is my top choice, to the extent that I don’t mind eating the same food, including a set of toasts with kaya and butter (frozen and cut into thin pieces), half-boiled eggs and a cup of local coffee or tea, seven mornings a week. Lui Chiu Coffee Restaurant is also my top priority, but it is approximately 15-minute drive away from the guesthouse.

These are basically my selections for breakfast every morning that I managed to take a photo of them before I gulped them down. I have personally tried some of the food that are highly recommended by everyone on the internet, but many of them don’t give me a reason to waste my precious time on long queues for another time. In my opinion, it is sometimes better to live like a local, because that is how you truly experience the local lifestyle. Following the crowds will only lead you to what everyone has told you online.

Stay tuned for more interesting stories about my life as a foreign local in Malacca!

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