I did all the touristy deeds on my 3-day trip to Melaka. Practically lived and breathed Jonker Walk (tourist belt) the entire time! As with all things touristy, not many lived up to the high expectations. But you gotta do them all the first time nonetheless!

Restaurant Aunty Fatso, also known as Madame Fatso Restaurant (no relations to Fatsochef!) has low social media exposure. It is located away from bustling Jonker Street and is frequented by mostly locals. I was drawn to the few but positive postings of her famous Cheese Mee-Hoon and was glad to find time to visit when our city tour ended earlier than planned one evening.

We arrived at Aunty Fatso’s as the crowd began to pack in. The brightly lit restaurant was decked in auspicious red tablecloths and red plastic chairs, typical of old school Chinese restaurants in Asia. There are 2 areas, the open concept main hall cooled by fans and an air condition room which sits a good 30-40 persons. We were lucky to score, albeit a table too big for the four of us, but nonetheless, one, in the air-condition hall. Service was efficient and swift. Moments after we sat down, a jolly lady plonked herself on an empty chair at our table! Aunty Fatso is in D’house, ladies and gentlemen!

Ordering was quick, with the matriarch herself at the helm recommending her house specials in between chit chat! The food followed very shortly after.

Signature River Prawn Cheese Mee Hoon 招牌生虾芝士米粉 – Scents of salty cheese and umami seafood broth accompanied the rice vermicelli Mee Hoon as it was set upon our table. The aroma alone was sensational! We knew at once, this is going to be great, and we were right! The medium sized portion fed the four of us generously and I wouldn’t have settled for anything less than what we had because it was so damn good! The rice vermicelli was tender soft, absorbing to its limit, all the flavors of the cheesy broth. The sauce, evident from its deep orange hue, tasted rich and full of fresh prawny essence. We each had a large river prawn which was sweet and firm; it’s head oozing creamy brain juice! We polished the dish clean.. not a single drop of that gorgeous sauce was spared!

Pepper Zhu Du Soup 胡椒猪肚汤– Pig’s Stomach simmered in a white peppery broth sweetened with Chinese wong bak cabbage and goji berries. What a tummy warming elixir! The pig stomach slices were very well cleaned; cooked just tender, so you can chew through with ease. The soup was strong but not overpowering in spicy white peppercorns. The cabbage added sweetness and cubes of tofu added soft bites in between sips. Clean, sharp and robust. And so generous with the ingredients, everyone had seconds!

Qing Long Cai 青龙菜 – My favorite Qing Long vegetables. Tender green chives quick stir fried in garlic and nothing else. It is crunchy and delicate, subtly sweet garlicky flavor without any chewy fibers. So good with just plain rice even.

Hotplate Lala Omelette 铁板啦啦– Oyster Omelettes are our go-to. But Lala Omelette is a first. This small meaty clam is usually cooked in soups or stir frys. In an omelette, they seem a little lost as they shrink in size. Whats lacking in lala, is made up for with shrimps. Flavor was on point, and eggs are always welcomed at my dinner table. Having said that, as far as Omelettes are concerned, I think oysters still reign over lala; only because the cooking style does not do the sweet clams any justice.

Steamed Tofu with Salted Eggs 金沙豆腐 – Like eggs, tofu is a close second favorite. This house specialty was simpler than I had expected. My first thought was how it was something I could probably whip up at home myself! However, credit goes to the sandy salted egg yolk coating the surface of the tofu. It wasn’t overly salty and the fine crumbly texture adds an interesting finish on the palate. Maybe not as simple as I had imagined after all. A very wholesome homestyle dish you can’t not like!

Fried Prawns in Special Sauce 亁煎虾碌 – A “special sauce” tasting suspiciously like Maggi Seasoning Sauce! But nonetheless, the familiar seasoning coated and flavored the prawns beautifully, enhancing the natural sweetness of the meat. Whole garlic and plenty of scallions go into the wok with these prawns, adding depth! Maggi sauce or not, this was cleverly executed. It didn’t leave me high or thirsty on MSG.

Aunty Fatso is friendly and chatty. She does not hard sell and offers sincere advice on what to order. And yes, she’s lovingly called Aunty Fatso because of her chubby build; but also because she prefers it over “Lady Boss”!

The menu boasts many, many items. Crabs seem to be a popular choice but we were too lazy to deal with getting our hands dirty that evening. Maybe next time! I am confident the rest of the dishes are good based on what they’ve done so far. I certainly enjoyed the unpretentious, easy going neighborhood vibe it radiates!

The restaurant may be basic, but it’s clean, spacious and comfortable. The best kept secret restaurants are where the locals eat, and judging by the crowd, I might have discovered one of them! I’m prepared to return in a heartbeat.

Restaurant Aunty Fatso 夜来香海鲜家@ No. 13-15, Jalan KLJ 1B, Taman Kota Laksamana Jaya, 75200 Melaka, Malaysia. , Malacca City, Malaysia Phone +60 12-611 6996

Disclaimer – This is not a sponsored post!