[FOOD] 20140711 Haji Musa Ikan Bakar @ Crystal Bay, Melaka

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I have blogged about Haji Musa Ikan Bakar in my previous blog which receives quite a number of hits and I guess the owner should thank me for promoting his stall as I see his stall expanding bigger and bigger every time I visit them.

Jokes aside.

I was introduced to this stall by a friend who is a local here in Melaka few years back and have never fail to drop by for their ikan bakar (grilled fish) every time I pass by Melaka. My last visit was back in July 2014, hence the date was titled as above.

If you are looking for something different than the usual Melaka famous food, this Ikan Bakar would probably be in your want-to-try list. It may not be the best around, but it is definitely best bang for buck although prices might seemed to be on the increasing trend every year (still affordable!).

Medan Selera Crystal Bay, Jalan Alai Perdana 8, Taman Alai Perdana, 75460 Melaka
Telephone: N/A
Opening Hours: 06:00pm until late

TO GO


The food court (medan selera) is located away from the usual hotspots of Melaka and unfortunately you will need your own transport to get to Crystal Bay. It's about 20 minutes drive from Melaka town centre along Jalan Permatang Pasir on the way down to Muar, Johor.

The stall is located within a housing area near a coast line called Crystal Bay. The exact name will be Medan Selera Ikan Bakar Crystal Bay. Basically there are two ways to get here. If you know how to go to the Portuguese Village from Melaka Raya then it will be easier for you. If you are heading to Portuguese Village or Aunty Lee's Nyonya Restaurant's direction from Melaka Ray, then you will just need to continue driving straight in that direction until the end of the road where you will pass thru traffic lights and Malay villages along the way until the end of the road where there's a big left turning (curve) where you will arrive at a traffic light. From that traffic light, turn right after the light turns green and you will soon cross a small bridge across a stream. Keep right after the bridge and you will see a turning to the right with a big pintu gerbang and you will see the signboard "Crystal Bay". Turn right and travel some distance and you will notice a signboard stating Medan Selara Ikan Bakar at your right side. Turn right again and drive all the way to the end then you will find yourself a parking area with the stalls at your left. If you came earlier then you will be able to find ample parking. The stalls open at 6pm, come any time later than that then you will have to pray that it is not weekend or public holidays.

Just key in "Jalan Alai 8" in your navigation app and you will eventually reach the food court. Look for stall number 3 or the one with the dark blue table cloth.

Would recommend you to come earlier for the tables and also the best catch.



SPECIALITY



Crystal bay is located near the beach which you can stop by before you dinner for sunset. The food court itself is located next to a river with fishing boats, but try not to look at the water will ya?


Just like any other ikan bakar joints, you get to choose your seafood at the counter and inform the boss on the preferred cooking method. The price is seasonal but reasonable, always check the price with the boss before you choose to avoid any "unhappiness". The usual seafood available includes:

  • Siakap (Seabass)
  • Pari (Sting Ray)
  • Kembung
  • Kerapu (Grouper)
  • Merah (Red Snapper)
  • Big prawns
  • Squid
  • Flower crab
  • Shellfish (lala, siham/kerang, bamboo clams, mussels etc)

It's best for you to choose your seafood to ensure the quality, or you can just tell the boss what you want and he will do the dirty job for you. After you done choosing, just pass the basket back to the boss for weighing and also to inform him on the cooking method. Cooking method varies according to type of seafood but commonly ordered flavours include:

  • Bakar sambal (sambal grill - spicy)
  • Bakar garam (salt grill)
  • Goreng tepung (flour battered)
  • Goreng chili (fried with chili)
  • Goreng kunyit (fried with tumeric)




Besides grilled seafood, each table is also served with nasi lemak, otak-otak (grilled fish paste) and occasionally coconut jelly by other stalls which will be charged accordingly if you choose to consume. The nasi lemak is just normal and small portion, and I usually take it along with my grilled fish and calamari.



One of my sure order will definitely will be the fresh prawn, nicely grilled with salt. Because you get to choose your prawn, you will have the biggest and freshest prawn on your table. The prawn is measured in kilo and average each prawn will cost you about RM3+ (very cheap for the size!). I usually order 2 or 3 per person, but if you love prawns, you might need to top up more. 

Tips for choosing prawn: look for prawns with head firmly attached and clear colour. 


Not forgetting the calamari with sweet and sour dipping sauce. The squid is best prepared with goreng tepung method which is very much like our Chinese style of preparing fried squid. Recommended portion will be one squid per person because you will not be able to stop once you start. Average per squid (big ones) will cost you about RM5 or RM6.


I would recommend you to skip shellfish due to a few reasons. The taste is not up to standard (at least from Chinese preparation point of view), and the lala is not properly clean with traces of sand within. Bamboo clam, however, would be a better choice.


The main highlight would definitely be the fish. I always order their Siakap (sea bass) due to freshness and cheap, and prepared with sambal. I don't quite like their pari prepared with sambal but that's personal preference. Nowadays their Siakap will cost about RM40/kg (inclusive of preparation), which is higher than my first visit of only RM30/kg.


Ikan kembung goreng chili, nothing much to shout about. Just ordered to try and should just stick to their signature grills.


SUMMARY


Ikan Bakar Haji Musa may not be the best in town but definitely the best bang for buck on top of its freshness. However, prices have increased and may need to reclassify from "cheap" to "affordable". Nevertheless, this stall is worth a try if you are looking for something different in Melaka.

Taste
☆☆☆☆
Not the best, but acceptable
Value
☆☆☆☆☆
Cheap and affordable
Service
☆☆☆
Friendly boss but staff might not be attentive at times.
Cleanliness
☆☆☆
Opening Hours
06:00pm onwards until late (Daily)
Wifi
Nil
Parking
Yes (RM1 parking fee might be chargable)
Website
Nil

GPS: 2.171094, 102.307875

farscope

Malaysian lad, engineer by background, banker by profession whom passionate in photography, food and travelling.

2 comments:

  1. Unknown10 July 2019 at 10:05

    U should try Mukmin ikan bakar ....way much better n delicious

    ReplyDelete

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