MELAKA, April 7 — Food in Melaka is often synonymous with Peranakan cuisine, as though the city’s appetite begins and ends with ayam pongteh and Nyonya laksa.
Spend some time with the locals, though, and you’ll soon realise that this notion is far from the truth. Malaccans, just like everyone else, crave variety in what they eat.
Which is how we found the customers at Ann99 Kopitiam in Taman Pertam Jaya, not far from the touristy town centre: they were all busy tucking into their plates of Thai braised pork.
Known as kha mu in Thai, this is not a dish that one immediately considers emblematic of the historical city. Still, good food is universal; representation isn’t necessary for diners to revel in it.
The tender pork, steeped in soy sauce and aromatics, yields with a softness that speaks to hours of slow cooking. While the form is unmistakably Thai, the flavours clearly carries echoes of Teochew braising.
In other words, this is a dish we are familiar with, and one we feel an affinity for on some deeper level.
The kopitiam itself is modest, a typical no-frills neighbourhood setting. This is as it should be, of course, with the attention directed firmly at the food.
At the cooking station near the entrance, the owner works at a steady pace, tackling one customer order after another. The shop seems to mainly draw office workers and neighbourhood regulars, always a good sign, if you ask us.
We order what most tables seem to be having: Pork Leg Rice. (The dish is called khao kha mu in Thai; khao means “rice”).
Served atop hot steamed rice, the pork knuckle has been braised until the meat yields but does not fall apart, its layers of skin and fat softened into that unctuous gelatinous texture. Oh my.
The sauce itself is half the temptation; sinfully dark from hours of patient cooking. Reduced to a point where it almost clings to the meat before seeping gradually into the rice beneath. Such sweet, slow braised symphony.
Some sides, almost an afterthought: A halved egg, its yolk faintly stained by the braising liquid. Pickled mustard greens, sharp enough to reset the palate between bites. Basic, yes, but balanced.
Two sauces accompany the khao kha mu, and they elevate the experience further. One is a fiery red, vinegary chilli sauce reminiscent of what accompanies Hainanese chicken rice.
The other, phrik nam pla, delivers something more essential to a proper Thai meal. Fish sauce laced with bird’s eye chillies, raw garlic, and lime — the quintessential Thai dipping sauce.
We get heat from the chillies and umami from the fish sauce. We brave the pungency of the garlic. We celebrate how the bright acidity from the lime juice slices cleanly through the richness of the pork.
Our eyes water and our nostrils flare. Yet these are not distractions but badges of pride. No regrets.
Naturally we couldn’t help but order a bowl of their Pork Leg Noodles (or kuay teow kha mu) too. Here, the braise extends into a darker and more assertive broth, distinct from the lighter kuay teow nam sai (Thai clear pork noodle soup).
Flat rice noodles are the best choice for this heady brew, catching every last drop of liquid in soft folds. Pork meatballs introduce contrast, some barely there bounce to match the melting chew of the braised meat.
The friendly owner reminds us that there are more condiments at our table, from nam pla (fish sauce) and pickled green chillies to the omnipresent canister of granulated sugar — a must in any Thai eatery.
As adoring fans of kha mu, we are grateful that there is no attempt here to modernise. No reinterpretation. The food here is straightforward, delicious and unapologetically Thai.
Just a faithful rendering of a dish that has travelled across borders and tastes as good in a modest Melaka kopitiam as it does from a Thai street food cart.
Visit, and you might not be able to stop at a single plate or bowl. Or at least, make plans to return for more the very next day.
Indeed, who could blame you for surrendering to the call of kha mu? Resistance, as they say, is futile.
Ann99 Kopitiam
51, Jalan PJ 1,
Taman Pertam Jaya, Melaka.
Open Sat-Wed 7:30am–2:30pm; Thu & Fri closed
Phone: 011-2302 8609
* This is an independent review where the writer paid for the meal.
* Follow us on Instagram @eatdrinkmm for more food gems.
