When people talk about Malacca, they invariably mention Jonker Street Night market and Jonker Street food. This iconic spot in the city has become one of the most visited places by both tourists and locals alike.
Wondering why? Well, the Jonker Street food during the night market is one of the biggest draws. Another draw is a number of popular shops that are permanent residents of Jonker street. I kid you not. These iconic restaurants have queues in front of them no matter what day or time you visit.
We’ve stood in line for an hour in some places. With toddlers, the longer lines were beyond us. Don’t worry. We are still going to give you the dirt on which places to visit and tips on how to avoid the longer queues.
This post may contain affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. Read my disclaimer for further information.
Jonker Street Night Market: Table Of Contents
- What Is Special About Jonker Street?
- Where To Stay If You Want To Visit Jonker Street?
- Iconic Restaurants On Jonker Street
- Jonker Street Night Market Timings
- Jonker Street Night Market Food
- Famous Food To Try At Jonker Street Night Market
- Souvenirs From Jonker Street Night Market
What Is Special About Jonker Street?
Wondering what is special about Jonker street? Well at first glance nothing! Located in the heart of Malacca’s Chinatown, you could pass by without realizing that you were close to the iconic street.
Established way back in the 17th century, this street was a place for merchants to trade their wares. This included food, textiles, handicrafts, antiques etc. Today, this aspect has remained pretty much unchanged. Jonker street is still the go to place for shopping if you are in Malacca. That however isn’t what gained the street its popularity across Malaysia.
Jonker Street Night Markets are legendary. In fact, people come from all across the country to indulge in it and enjoy the vibe. It is also one of the things that increased tourism to Malacca.
Where To Stay If You Want To Visit Jonker Street?
Malacca has a lot of different options available and trust me, you can get everything from hostels to high rises! There are spots which are child friendly and there are those which are perfect for people who want to enjoy the party scene. All in all, you will find that there is always something for everyone.
Accommodation With Kids In Malacca: One of the best parts about staying with kids in Malacca is that many of the accommodations have access to mini water parks. The kids absolutely love it! Plus the adults get to have plenty of fun too. FHS Water Theme park Resort and Melaka Town Area Water Theme park Suites are popular favorites.
Hostels In Malacca: As I mentioned before, there are loads of hostels in Malacca which makes staying in the city pretty affordable. The Ola hostel has exceptional reviews. The Yote 28 is another great spot to check out.
Luxury Accommodation in Malacca: If you are looking for a bit of luxury, try the Liu Men Melaka or The Majestic Malacca hotel. These accommodations have it all and if you consider what is on offer, you probably will find that the price is worth the splurge! The Double Tree by Hilton is a little way off but also worth considering.
Budget Luxury Accommodation In Malacca: If you want luxury but you don’t want to break the bank, Malacca has something for you too! Check out the Jonker Boutique hotel which has uber spacious rooms and some swanky decor.
Budget Accommodation In Malacca: Budget accommodation in Malacca doesn’t disappoint. It hits the highlights with a comfortable bed, good bathrooms and decent space. Most accommodations don’t have ultra swanky interiors but they are definitely pretty and pristine. A good example is the 1825 Gallery and Ava Malacca hotel.
Iconic Restaurants On Jonker Street
Jonker street night market is a great place for restaurants too!
Before we talk about the Jonker Street night market, let’s talk about the street in the day. There are a couple of iconic spots that you should try if you are in the area.
The Daily Fix Cafe
Highly recommended. We waited for 45 minutes in line for this one. The best tip that I can give you if you want to avoid lines is to arrive just before or when it opens. This is a spot where you will have the best western breakfast in town.
Jonker 88
Do not miss this restaurant. The queues are always long. We stood in line twice at this restaurant with kids. Each time for almost an hour. I think that itself will tell you how good it is. Jonker 88 is famous for Cendol and Laksa.
If you want to avoid the queue, you can take a parcel and eat it at home. Or they periodically call in people who only want Cendol. That line moves faster. You get to sit on a small bench while you devour the delicacy.
Aside from these Gravy Baby, Hard Rock café and Geographers café are equally popular. Unfortunately, we did not have the time to visit them all. On a side note, we did not notice queues here.
Jonker Street Night Market Timings
Jonker Street Night Market isn’t an everyday thing. In fact, if you want to catch one of the iconic night markets you should plan your trip on a weekend. The market is open on Friday, Saturday and Sunday from around 6pm till 12 am.
During this time, the street is a walking zone. No cars are allowed through. Not that they would have been able to navigate the crowds either way!
If you wander around Jonker street at 5 pm, you will notice that everyone is setting up shop. I loved this time of the day on the street. The crowds haven’t set in, there is space to maneuver and the kids did not get overwhelmed.
After 7 pm, the crowds really set in. You’ll find yourself elbow to elbow with people. It is fun in its own way. The crowds don’t leave the area till the wee hours of the morning.
Jonker Street Night Market Food
Jonker Street Night Market has some epic food.
Most people head out for the Jonker Street night market food. If you’ve been to Malaysia, you probably will have realized that night markets are popular all across the country. I’ve visited Borneo and seen people flock to them there too.
The food is one of the biggest draws. If I were to describe the Jonker Street night market food, I would divide it into three parts.
- The Jonker Street Restaurants (we’ve already covered these!)
- The main Jonker street night market road. This part of the night market is where you will get loads of snacks. From quail egg to dragon beard candy, there is literally something for everyone.
- The Jonker street market side road. I don’t know how to describe this better. Walk down the main Jonker street. Pass Jonker 88 and keep heading down. Somewhere close to the Seven Eleven, you will find a road that diverges from the main road.
The Jonker street market side road is hard to miss because it is packed with food stalls and people moving around. You’ll even find a spot to sit if you are lucky. Be prepared to order a drink if you do because that’s what they’ll charge you for a stool.
Famous Food To Try At Jonker Street Night Market
The number of options that are available in the Jonker street night market are quite overwhelming. Here are a couple of things that you should consider trying.
- Quail eggs
- Fried potato swirls
- Dragon beard candy
- Ice cream
- Fried crab
- Dumplings
- Grilled seafood
- Durian puffs
- Fruits (the variety is astounding!)
- Pancakes (The Malay variety!)
Souvenirs From Jonker Street Night Market
There are loads of epic souvenirs in Jonker Street Night Market.
One of the iconic things to do in the Jonker Street night market is to hunt for souvenirs. There are loads of shops around that have gorgeous collections of everything from clothes to household items. The Jonker Street night market however takes souvenir shopping to a whole new level. What can you expect to see while you are shopping for souvenirs at the Jonker street night market? Here is a list of items that we came across as we walked up and down the street.
- Clothes
- Bags
- Miniature figurines
- Magnets
- Shell handicraft
- Items made out of coconut shells
- Stickers
- Paint by number canvas
- Toys in all shapes and colors
- Jewelry
- Ultra cute headbands
- Keychains
- Popcorn
- Biscuits
- Dried seafood
Jonker street night market is really popular. While you may not really go nuts buying stuff here, the food is something that you should try. Visiting this particular night market is an experience that I would definitely recommend in the area. It was by far one of the largest night markets that I have visited in Malaysia.
