Jonker Street Night Market is the most famous tourist destination where you can have everything from food and all things related to street shopping in Malacca. It is called as Jonker Street or Jonker Walk and is one of the most famous streets not just in Malacca, but entire Malaysia as well. Jonker Street Night Market is always crowded, which also makes it lively as well, especially at nights.
Jonker Street is the primary Chinatown of Melaka, and there are a few antique shops. During weekends, the whole street becomes a long night market where you can spend your night shopping and trying out some unique street food.
I made my entry into the Jonker Street by a welcoming board. As I stepped into the street, there were numerous shops and vendors on either side of the street. You can see the heads of many people along the length of the road. Some people were busily chatting with the shopkeepers, and there were some people bargaining about the prices.
The street is filled with a few nuances of history. I noticed a huge lengthy dragon floating across the street right above our heads. This is one of the UNESCO’s World Heritage Site.
Jalan Hang Jebat, Melaka, Malaysia.
The night market is open on weekends from 06.00 PM to 12.00 AM. However, the cafes and restaurants are open till morning.
Fee: No entry fee
Jonker Street has emerged as one of the top-most food destinations in Malaysia. There are several good restaurants in the street where the major cuisine followed is Asian cuisine. I also saw a huge number of street food carts on the adjacent side of the streets.
I found many colorful dumplings selling shops on Jonker Street. Jonker Street in Melaka offers authentic and delicious dim sums. Dim sums come in different variations with different types of fillings in them.
In this dish, steamed buns are filled with delicious fillings, mostly with meat. The dim sums in Jonker Street have tender meat fillings that are seasoned with pepper, which makes it quite flavorsome.
You can try dim sums like glutinous rice ones, tai pau, siew mai, salted egg custard buns, and corn custard pau too.
Along the Jonker Streets, I found many fruits served by neatly chopping. I stopped at a Mango shop and tasted the fresh and ripe mangoes. There were also numerous shops that sold fresh juices, mango smoothies, and so on. There were also other shops that other fruits like guava are sold.
Different types of baby crabs were available at Jonker street. They are fried, and with added spices, the place was amazing.
Baby crabs are popular street food in Jonker Street. The tiny crabs are deeply fried and dusted with chili and they are super delicious in taste.
This is one of the classic Malaysian street foods that you will rave about for a long time.
This crab recipe falls a bit into the spicy territory, but you will love it once you taste it. Fiercely sauteed and flavored with ginger, garlic and dusted with chili powder, you can appreciate this dish right in Jonker Street.
If you can handle spicy food, you should definitely try this item. The Cuttlefish here is barbecued, which gives a crunchy bite to it and it is a bit salty and spicy in taste.
The potato sticks are a crispy snack you can munch on during your shopping session at Jonkers street. I bought and tasted a potato stick which was quite tasty and crispy.
Puding Longan is a delicious dessert that you can find in Jonker Street. The dessert is made using the locally available longan fruit. The dish is not extra sweet, so even if you don’t have a sweet tooth, you can try it out.
The dessert is cooked in many variations, but they all use longan fruit and pandan leaves to add to the flavors. This traditional Asian dessert goes well with almost any dish and it is sure to satisfy you with its delectable taste.
The pancakes are filled with Gula Melaka, a type of sugar native to Malaysia. Thought the pancakes are filled with sugar, but they are not extra sweet.You can also pour some Gula Melaka syrup on your pancake as well if you like them really sweet.
I was surprised to see the different cracking on the shell that gave a unique design to each egg. In Jonker Street, they were brown as the tea flavor was a bit extra.
Mango sticky rice is yet another Malaccan dessert. The dish is actually a Thai influenced dish, which is made of glutinous rice and mangoes.
It is a very popular dessert in South East Asian countries. This dessert item is made by steaming the glutinous rice, which makes it a bit, hence the name.
The rice is then sweetened with the help of coconut milk and gula Melaka, it is then served topped with ripe mango recipes. This dessert is truly a delight and one not to be missed.
You surely like your regular cup of tea, but have you tried the charcoal milk tea in Jonker Street?
It is quite an interesting drink and is actually a Tawainese inspired tea-based beverage. You will find quite a few charcoal milk tea shops in Jonker Street and this tea presumably has quite a bit of health benefits.
This tea that comes with activated charcoal can help you naturally detox your body and get rid of toxins. It is also believed to help with digestion problems and bloating.
So when you visit Jonker Street in Melaka, make sure to try a cup of this cool charcoal milk tea.
Durian is an exotic fruit found in Asian countries and there is still a great deal of debate regarding the taste of this fruit.
But nonetheless, if you are a fan of Durian, you will definitely love this food item.
Durian puffs is one of the signature desserts in the Melakan cuisine. Jonker Street serves some of the best Durian puffs in town.
Like veg puffs, Durian puffs are made with a filling of Durian paste instead of veggies inside the puffs. Take a big bite of the puffs to truly understand the flavor of Durian in it and if you can, finish this dessert off in one single bite.
This is an authentic Melakan recipe and you will find it easily in Jonker Street night market. This dish is prepared by cooking rice in a chicken broth. The rice then shaped in the form of a ball.
The rice balls are mostly served with tender chicken and topped with a delicate sauce made of garlic, soya, and chili. Try them out and you will definitely not regret the choice.
Nyonya Assam Laksa has quite a few variations. The one that you will eat in Jonker Street, has a more thick broth, due to the use of coconut cream in it.
Tau pok, prawns and fish ball are also added in the broth to add a bit more diversity in the dish and they are served mostly with julienned cucumbers.
The dish reflects the multicultural influence in the Melakan cuisine and you will definitely love slurping down a bowl of hot and delicious Nyonya laksa.
This delightful beverage is of coconut water with tender coconut. This drink will soothe you greatly in a hot summer day and a great delight for all the coconut lovers out there.
I was surprised to see a temple in the name of Lord Ganesh at Jonker Street. It is called as Sri Poyyatha Vinayagar Moorthi Temple, and it is the oldest Hindu Temple built in Malaysia.
Here are some of the things you can shop at Jonkers Street
If you are in Kuala Lumpur, you can take this one Full-day trip to Malacca which covers all the major attractions including the Jonker street walk.
I saw many hotels and guest houses here. It would be a great place to stay with different shops and top destinations like Encore Melaka in the neighborhood. If you are a shopping lover, then Jonker Street will be the most suitable place. I found many shops that sell delicious foods across the street. Here are the top places I would suggest you for a stay at Melaka, which is nearer to Jonker street.
Location: Jalan Tun Sri Lanang, Melaka, Malaysia.
Location: 27,29, and 31, Jalan Bunga Raya, Melaka
Location:118 Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, Melaka, Malaysia.
Location:168, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, Jonker street.
Location:18-1, Jalan Kampung Pantai, Malacca city.
Location: Jalan Tun Tan Chang Lock, Melaka.
Final words: So here’s everything you ever need to know about Jonker street and its food, shopping and nearby places to stay:). Have you been to Jonker Street in Melaka yet? Share your experiences with me below. Also, Please feel free to connect with me over my social media.
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Jonker street is one happening place. Loved it! A good recap of the visit, Seema.