Motormouth From Ipoh – Asian Food & Travel Blog

486 Baba Low‘s popularity soared after the son started a business of the same name in Bangsar, KL (read the story HERE); effectively bridging the gap for Peranakan cravings here in the Klang Valley by bringing in authentic flavours of simpler Nyonya fares to the masses.

The annual pilgrimage to Melaka (I mean the times when I travel for leisure, not for work) has always led me to new dining discoveries worth sharing; from the traditional Teo Chew porridge stall that has stayed out of the radar for decades, a Hakka restaurant worth giving up that dinner of Satay Celup (again?!), a Teo Chew seafood restaurant serving to-die-for Or-Nee  and even an entire food and travel guide that included a dozen food stops and even sightseeing recommendations in between; just so you can burn off the calories and well, eat again.

This year’s first journey down south Melaka happened over the weekend, and accounted for a few firsts for me. This breakfast spot at 486 Baba Low in Tengkera for one; is one of those gems worth waking up early for. 

The very simple menu written with chalk on black boards; with prices that still remain unaffected by the intense commercialisation drive of Melaka

A quick glance around the stall (or maybe should we call this their kitchen?) and the surrounding seating area will make you question in disbelief; “Is THIS the reputable Baba Low with a branch in Bangsar, KL?”

Whenever I visited Melaka, I have always had this trouble of finding good breakfast spots. Lunch and dinner are relatively easier; with most tourist haunts capitalising on the late-risers and visitors coming down for a day trip. But waking up early before 8 am, and crossing off chicken rice balls (read about Chung Wah, Hoe Kee and Huang Chang) from the list, I was left stark naked (not literally) – out of choices. No satay celup, satay babi, nyonya food, or Portuguese cuisine opens for breakfast. And the Melaka wantan mee stall was not up to mark, maybe because I have not discovered the winning factor yet.

And then I read about 486 Baba Low (the number denotes the house or rather, bungalow where they stay and operate from) and their branch in Bangsar doing relatively well, I made a point to pay them a visit. Even just to see how their Nyonya Laksa, Pie Tee and Popiah would match up against some of the best in Melaka. (Not that I have tried a lot anyway)

That’s why you should come early. Avoid the crowd (mostly locals, and elderly), and the scorching hot sun in the afternoon

Driving around in melaka early in the morning is a delight. Not many tourists wake up early on a Sunday (understandable, given the opening hours of most popular stalls), and even the locals stay in and gradually adapt to the beat of the rising sun.

Finding our way to Baba Low was not easy, as the stall was not tagged on Waze nor could I locate this using my GPS with a supremely outdated map (2009). But thankfully, some helpful bloggers dropped hints and directions in their posts; leading me to Jalan Tengkera (where the Putu Piring place operates at come sundown) and towards the mosque (Masjid Tengkera). If you come from town’s direction, look for the mosque to your RIGHT and immediately turn RIGHT after the mosque. You will see this food stall hidden underneath shady trees on your LEFT. Map to come at the end of the post.

Pai Tee, Popiah, Nasi Lemak and Cendol are some of Baba Low’s signature items; and that’s not saying much since they only serve less than a handful of options. But a plus point is that, they really do excel in most of their cooking.

On to the food. We sampled their iconic Nyonya Laksa; bursting with colours and flavours yet won’t torch your palate at all. Brought to mind a curry laksa without the heat, infused with more coconut milk and bursting with ingredients such as fish balls, tau foo pok (bean curd puffs) and boiled eggs. Although the taste was agreeable, yet I was more taken in by the delicious popiah (Nyonya style, with the popiah skin infused with goodness of eggs and lightly charred) that was filled with chopped jicama that was tasty and juicy, cucumber and fried shallots and devoid of additional sauces. You can complement this with the chilli sauce provided, but the natural sweetness of the fillings was more than enough to please our taste buds.

The Pai Tee  (top hats)  consisting of crispy mould filled with chopped jicama, julienned cucumber and omelette strips was executed well, though we had a slightly better version a day before at Amy’s Heritage Nyonya Cuisine (post to come later). For the price of RM0.70 each, this was a steal and don’t give this snack a miss if you happen to be here.

Nyonya Laksa @ 486 Baba Low – More than enough to kick start your day. Share if you want to try the rest of the items.

And finishing off the breakfast (!) with an icy cold, refreshing bowl of Cendol. The right balance of sweet and savoury from the gula melaka and santan, the Cendol here ranks as one of the best in Melaka

We also eyed the basket of Nyonya Kueh over at the counter, the day’s special was this Apam Balik that was chewy, soft and infused with goodness of coconut milk and gula melaka. 

486 Baba Low Nyonya Laksa
486, Jalan Tengkera
75200 Melaka
*This is actually behind of house number 486. As soon as you see Masjid Tengkera (the white mosque in the top left corner of the photo), on your right if you are coming from Melaka town’s direction, turn RIGHT after the mosque into Lorong Tengkera Jaya. You will see this food stall hiding underneath some tall, shady trees on your LEFT.
Opens from 7.30 am until 4.00 pm
GPS : 2.202621, 102.236944
I read BangsarBabe’s review before dropping by.