This story is about a Malaysian foodie who thought he was chasing the “real” Melaka flavours. Instead, he was misled by the internet.
The last time I went to Melaka was a few years back, right after the lockdowns. Everyone had been hyping it up saying like “Bro, Melaka food is legendary lah, especially the asam pedas!”, so I went in expecting fireworks. What I got instead was… average. Not bad, but not something I’d rush to write home about either.
So when my friend’s birthday rolled around this year and we decided to do a 2D1N trip, I thought, okay, let’s give Melaka another chance. This time, I was determined to do it properly.
Planning the “Perfect” Foodie Trip
I actually sat down and researched like a student cramming for finals. TikTok, Instagram, even those old Facebook foodie groups where people type “MUST TRY!!!” in all caps.
I had a whole itinerary built from strangers’ posts. The “hidden gems.” The “locals don’t want you to know” spots. You know the kind.
I knew it was risky by trusting social media with your makan experience is basically like trusting a Tinder profile picture. You’re not sure if you’re getting the real deal or just a heavily filtered version. But let’s be honest – don’t we all do this now? When’s the last time you googled “best food in Melaka”? No one does that anymore. We just scroll, double tap, save, and hope for the best.
So, with hope in our hearts and stomachs ready for battle, we left KL early in the morning, buzzing with excitement.
The Great Asam Pedas Hunt
First mission: asam pedas. Because what’s Melaka without it, right?
We went high and low, checking off all the viral recommendations. And let me just say this: every single bowl we had was a letdown.
One was watery, like someone just waved a chilli over plain soup and called it a day. Another was so sour it made me wince. One was drowning in oil. By the fourth bowl, I felt like giving up.
I admit, I’m a picky eater. But even my friends – people who usually can makan anything and say, “not bad lah” – looked unimpressed. That’s when I knew it wasn’t just me.
And here’s the painful truth: I’ve had better asam pedas in KL. Imagine driving all the way to Melaka, only to discover that the hype doesn’t match the taste. It felt almost like blasphemy to even think that, but it was true.
Portuguese Settlement: Hopes Crushed Again
Still, we weren’t ready to give up. “Maybe the seafood will redeem the trip,” we told ourselves. So off we went to the Portuguese Settlement.
The vibe was there – the sea breeze, the chatter of families, the colourful lights strung around the stalls. It felt like the perfect setting for an unforgettable meal.
But when the food arrived? Another round of disappointment. Overpriced, under-seasoned, and forgettable.
At one point, I just sat there poking at my crab, feeling betrayed. Betrayed by TikTok, by Instagram, by my own naive optimism. Out of sheer frustration, I decided to do some retail therapy later that day. If food couldn’t make me feel good, at least shopping could.
Retail Therapy > Asam Pedas Therapy
I don’t usually shop when I travel, but this time, it felt like the only way to salvage my mood. I bought small things – some clothes, snacks, random trinkets. Nothing major, but enough to distract me from the fact that my taste buds had been let down multiple times in the same day.
My friends laughed at me for coping this way, but honestly, what else was I supposed to do? Eat another disappointing meal? No thanks.
The Algorithm Doesn’t Care About Taste
Somewhere between my third bad meal and that expensive seafood, I started thinking: maybe this is the real issue.
Social media has become our new travel compass. We don’t just explore—we consume curated experiences. Instead of following our noses or asking locals, we trust the algorithm. And the algorithm doesn’t care if the food is good. It only cares if the video is pretty.
Later, I came across a few comments online that made sense of it all. Apparently, even Melaka locals don’t eat out for asam pedas anymore. Many restaurants only cook it to sell to tourists. Quality? Authenticity? Secondary. The goal is volume, not taste.
That stung. Because all this while, I thought I was chasing the “real” Melaka flavours. Instead, I was chasing what the internet packaged as real.
And in the middle of chewing another bland mouthful, I couldn’t help but feel scammed.
The Birthday Still Happened
Now, to be fair, the trip wasn’t a complete disaster. We still laughed a lot. We walked by the river, enjoyed Jonker Street’s chaos, and made silly memories together. The birthday was celebrated, candles blown, cake eaten.
But the food, the one thing Melaka is supposed to deliver on, was the biggest letdown.
It became the running joke of our trip. Every time we sat down somewhere new, someone would say, “Okay, THIS will be the one,” only for us to walk away disappointed again.
Lessons from a Bowl of Disappointment
I think what I learned is this: travelling in 2025 is no longer just about discovering places. It’s about navigating the maze of content, algorithms, and paid reviews.
The internet tells us where to go. Influencers tell us what’s “authentic.” And somewhere in that noise, the truth gets lost.
I wanted to taste Melaka. Instead, I tasted the effects of over-promotion, watered-down recipes, and tourist traps dressed up as “local gems.”
The algorithm doesn’t care about authenticity. It doesn’t care if your food is bland. It just cares if the video gets likes.
And as someone who drove all the way there, forked out money, and left disappointed – I can tell you, the likes don’t help when the food doesn’t deliver.
So yeah, Melaka gave me memories. Just not the ones I expected. And the next time I see a viral video saying “Top 10 Must Try Foods in Melaka”?
I’ll probably scroll past.
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