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Cafe Malacca's menu offers both Malaysian and Western dishes conveniently divided into two distinct sections. I have to admit, though, that I only glanced at the burgers and steaks on those pages at the back, being much too distracted by the wide variety of Malaysian noodles, rice and snacks.

It was difficult to decide what to order. Along with a decent selection of wine and spirits, there were Southeast Asian beverages such as bandung - a rose-flavored milk-based drink that balances spicy dishes.

I love laksa, yet couldn't make up my mind whether to have Singapore laksa or Penang assam laksa. In the end, our waiter helped out by suggesting the Singapore version, as it was rich in coconut milk.

I loved the broth and how it gently flavored the noodles. Plump shrimp, tofu puffs and half an egg made the dish a meal that was just this side of spicy without being too overpoweringly so.  

We also shared the assorted satay, which came with two skewers each of pork, chicken and beef and served with little rice cubes, crunchy cucumber and pungent red onion, as well as a gorgeous dipping sauce heavily laced with chopped peanuts.

Another dish that is one of my all-time favorite comfort foods is beef rendang.

At Cafe Malacca, it is straightforward: just a generous portion of the fragrant beef stew and white rice on the side. The beef was so tender that it practically fell apart on my fork. It had a complexity that spoke of many hours stewing in mysterious spices and reminded me of subtropical jungles.

We also shared some vegetables: fried eggplant with curry leaves and fried carrot cake. The deep fried eggplant was seriously addictive. Crispy on the outside and sweetly firm yet tender on the inside, it was topped with a heaping portion of pan-fried garlic and curry leaves that added a welcome, slightly bitter contrast.

The carrot cake was actually made with radishes and pan-fried with crunchy bean sprouts, prawns and green onion. It boasted a charred finish that enhanced the soft radishes. Cafe Malacca has turned into one of my local haunts for whenever I have cravings for Southeast Asian dishes. I plan to work my way through the menu and maybe even give the Western dishes a try.