MELAKA, Jan 15 — At first glance, it looks modest enough: golden and crisp. A quick turn of the chopsticks and its obsidian coat reveals itself. This is no ordinary piece of yong tau foo.
Then you bite in.
The crust lightly shatters, giving way to resilient fish paste that is faintly sweet and unmistakably fresh. The onyx hemisphere? That turns out to be a century egg!
Soft and yielding, the pei dan’s umami depth lends a savoury richness to the filling. There is a gentle contrast at play here: crunch against softness, mild sweetness balanced by the distinctive, mineral savour of the egg.
This is the deep-fried century egg stuffed with fish paste at Kopitiam Tanka, vey much the eatery’s standout offering. Utterly addictive, it’s the sort of item you find yourself looking for in the menu upon return visits.
Located at Taman Kota Laksamana in Melaka, Kopitiam Tanka is a homestyle shop specialising in Malaccan-style fish ball noodles and yong tau foo. It is a familiar name among locals — a place favoured by families, retirees and long-time regulars who come as much for the food as for the comforting sense of routine.
The cook’s station is positioned right at the front of the shop, and the ordering process is refreshingly straightforward. You choose your noodles — yellow mee, beehoon, koay teow or loh shu fun — then decide between soup or dry, before finally pointing out your preferred pieces of yong tau foo.
We began with the soup-based yong tau foo. The broth is clear and light, allowing the ingredients to carry the bowl.
The fish balls are bouncy and springy. Every bite is suffused with a clean, almost oceanic sweetness. Pork meatballs are firm and dense, well-seasoned without being overpowering.
Tofu stuffed with fish paste holds its shape, offering a pleasing contrast between softness and bite, while red chillies provide a mild rather than overpowering heat.
The noodles, however, are where Kopitiam Tanka’s sensibility truly reveals itself. Both of us opted for the dry version: yellow mee for one bowl, koay teow for the other.
The noodles are blanched and then tossed with rendered pork lard oil, fried shallots, chopped spring onions and crunchy cubes of fried pork lard.
On the table sits a bottle of chilli sauce — the kind every Malaccan instinctively reaches for. A spoonful or two, a thorough mix, and the transformation is complete.
What appears deceptively plain is anything but. The richness comes from the pork lard itself, coating each strand evenly, delivering flavour without heaviness. There is no need for copious seasoning with soy sauce; restraint is the point.
The deep-fried yong tau foo selection rounds out the meal. Who could resist a wafer or two of crisp and flaky tofu skin? Not us.
Eggplant turns soft and creamy beneath its fried exterior, while the bitter gourd retains just enough of its bite to keep things interesting.
Ultimately, however, it is the deep-fried century egg stuffed with fish paste that steals the show. Each bite reinforces the sense that this is the item to return for. If appetite had allowed, we would have ordered more without hesitation.
We just might, the next time we visit. (Might? We shall! We must!)
Kopitiam Tanka 成佳手工西刀鱼丸
5, Jalan Kota Laksamana 1/2,
Taman Kota Laksamana, Melaka.
Open daily (except Wed closed) 7am-8:30pm
Phone: 016-714 1398
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
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