The Humble Table — Restaurant in Malacca

TL;DR: A hidden gem for tasty, creative, & unpretentious food at an excellent price point. A must try for all Melakan foodies & receives a very, very high recommendation from me.

Drinks: Home Brew Kombucha & "Guiness Stout" Cold Brew Starters: Corn Ribs Mains: Tagliatelle Pork Ragu & Seabass Desserts: The Dessert of the Month - Pulut hitam (sweet black glutinous rice) served with crumble, vanilla gelato, coconut lime cream & fruit granita.

The missus discovered this restaurant by accident while looking for desserts in the neighbouring area. What drew her in was the sheer simplicity of the 2-page menu, offering something refreshingly unique, unlike anything that other restaurants in Melaka at this price point. Without hesitation, we set our GPS and headed straight there as soon as the workday ended.

Upon arrival, we were greeted by an unassuming exterior that hid the warmth of a cozy, minimalist interior. The humble tables & chairs welcomed us, while the open kitchen in the heart of the restaurant allowed us to witness the magic unfold as our dishes were prepared fresh by the chef.

Our waitress, wearing a welcoming smile, guided us to a suitable table and presented us with the menu. The hardcover menu featured two high-quality A4 pages with clear, minimalist fonts. She demonstrated an impressive knowledge of the menu and its components, answering all our questions and providing excellent recommendations.

The drinks arrived promptly, and both the homemade kombucha and "Guinness Stout" cold brew coffee set the stage for what would become the finest dinner we'd had in months.

The wait for our food was brief and entirely acceptable. The attentive waitress ensured each dish was served only when we'd finished the previous one, preventing any rush or overcrowding of our table.

Now, let's talk about the food; the chef's creativity and culinary mastery shine through in every dish.

We kicked off with the Corn Ribs as starters, a delightful surprise and an absolute must-try. These smoky, baked corn ribs, seasoned to perfection with paprika, come to life when paired with key lime, transforming this unassuming dish into a mouthwatering starter you won't find elsewhere in Melaka. My recommendation? Forget the cutlery; use your hands, as the washbasin is conveniently nearby.

For our mains, we indulged in the Tagliatelle Pork Ragu and Seabass. The homemade pasta, cooked to al dente perfection, absorbed the flavors of the San Marzano tomato-based pork ragu sauce. Shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano added the finishing touch, turning the dish into an authentic Italian pasta experience—well-balanced and bursting with flavor.

The Seabass dish, my personal favorite, featured impeccably cooked seabass glazed generously with fermented ginger from Bentong (a town in the state of Pahang that is popular for its ginger), perched atop crispy-on-the-outside, moist-on-the-inside potatoes, all seasoned with salted fish sprinkles, and adorned with a luscious red capsicum purée. Despite the label of "fermented Bentong ginger," the dish was incredibly well-balanced and satisfying.

The missus enjoyed the dessert immensely. When served, the waitress explained to us the components of the dessert & how best to enjoy it. Now, I'm not a fan of pulut hitam or sweet black glutinous rice at all & usually would not eat it if given a choice, but I was pleasantly surprised as once again, the chef's expertise transformed it into a delightful blend of sweet, savory, and citrusy notes that left us on a high note.

Given the prices on the menu, I can't recommend this place enough to those looking for a rare, creative, and outstanding gastronomic adventure.

Rest assured, we'll be...

Went there for early dinner and didn’t really enjoy it.The dishes we had include: Focaccia bread w/ garlic - 7/10 ~ RM 10 (perfect focaccia crust, good garlic flavour + slightly salty) Spicy ragu pork pasta - 7/10 ~ RM 29 (this was a recommendation by the staff as one of the best sellers BTW..decent amount of pork but undercooked pasta and lacks sooo much flavour ps. it WASNT’T spicy at all ) Carbonara w/ bacon - 6/10 ~ RM 30 (this was recommended by the staff there as well as a best seller since they do NOT use cream && sadly it wasn't tasty except for the bacon bits) Basil lime drink - 7/10 ~ RM12 (aromatic, refreshing & sour which was a good balance for those that don’t prefer sweet drinks)

I had a bit of hope looking into this café however sadly it was a 1 time thing. It was too expensive for very mediocre quality food. It wasn’t worth the price we paid at all. The food in general lacks flavor, lacks taste just mediocre food. When we got our food it looked soo good but looks deceived those hungry taste buds the portions are quite small. I have not tried anything else on the menu hence I can’t vouch for the rest however in my ‘Pasta’ experience it would be a hard NO for me.

Overall nice café with warm cozy vibes. The staff were nice and attentive. Thanks for...

This place feels like a relatively new Western-fusion restaurant trying to make a mark in Malacca’s food scene. It’s recommended to make a reservation, as the place seems to draw a crowd. That said, the overall experience was underwhelming.

We tried four mains, and frankly, none of them stood out. The dishes felt generic and lacked any memorable flavours. The pork shoulder, for instance, came with a large chunk of fat that threw off the balance of the dish. The red snapper was equally forgettable—just average and unremarkable. The ragu bianco rigatoni was probably the best out of the four, with decent pasta and a sauce that leaned a little sour but was still edible. The chicken dish, however, was the most disappointing of all. The presentation was sloppy, the portion was small, and at RM26, it felt like no effort went into it at all.

Ironically, the one dish that did impress us wasn’t even a main—it was the corn rib appetizer, which had more flavour and thought put into it than anything else we ordered.

Personally, I wouldn’t return. The mains didn’t justify the hefty price tags, and with so many better options in town, it just doesn’t...