March 2011: Melaka Trip – Pak Putra Tandoori & Naan Restaurant

I didn’t believe it when a friend of mine tipped me that the best tandoori & naan in Malaysia is found in Melaka town.

Melaka for Nyonya food yes, chinese food yes of course, but tandoori? Naan?

That conversation marked the first time I’ve heard of Pak Putra. The said friend shared that tip when I said I was heading to Melaka for a food trip in the coming week. He persistently urged me to try it.

His enthusiam aroused curiosity in me. But not enough for me to make my way there as I was too distracted by the usual cuisine of Nyonya, satay & the rest since it was my first time to Melaka.

And just last week I was in Melaka again. This time, Cerventus himself, a Malaccan born & bred boy gave his approval too.

So the gluttony group of us, Yoga, April, Cerventus, Mei Ying ended up at Pak Putra for “Part 2 dinner” though we were already almost stuffed from our original dinner of satay celup.

The initial plan was to share a set of tandoori chicken and naan. Just one.
Well, one order lead to another, and we ended up with a whole table of food!

Food at Pak Putra certainly lived up to its hype; the tandoori chicken was superb & the naan was wonderfully airy & soft.

Based on my conversation with another Malaccan friend, the chicken marination are made up of 12 types of herbs and spices which includes cashew nuts & almonds . The mint sauce which accompanies the tandoori chicken is also another secret recipe, prepared with about 10 spices, including cili padi.

The result? Extremely tender & moist meat despite being baked in the hot tandoor oven.

Yes, Pak Putra’s tandoori chicken & naan is worth a visit. And as expected Pak Putra is packed, with a crowd that could rival our Selangor’s Murni‘s. And most diners opt to sit al – fresco for obvious reasons.

There were much publicity on its tandoori chicken and naan but Cerventus let us on a secret; the potato pratha here is to – die – for.

A thin pancake with mashed potatoes + herbs, this was seriously awesome comfort food; with crispy outer layers & soft savoury mash inside. 2 thumbs up!

We had the cheese naan, (moniker is Melbourne cheese for whatever reasons) and the Kashmiri naan as well.

The Kashmiri wasn’t outstanding as it tasted just like plain naan with sweet toppings; (though I noted that even the ordinary naan here triumphs over most other outlets’), and it was the cheese naan we preferred. Hardcore cheese lovers may prefer the ones that are gooey and flooded with cheese, but I’m fine with moderation.

Palak Paneer. It was spicy with the burn only felt at the back of your throat after you consume it. Our complains with this one was “Where’s the cheese??” . The spinach taste was very distinctive though.

The shop also serves a wide variety of Northern Indian food also known as Punjabi food. Prices are very reasonable too.

Yes, other than Nyonya food, pineapple tarts & chendol, Pak Putra should be on your to-eat-list too if you are in Malacca town! ;-)

Pak Putra Tandoori & Naan Restaurant
Address: Jalan Laksamana 4, Melaka, Malaysia.

All pictures are: