After living in Barcelona for 12 years, to say I miss tapas and Spanish cuisine & wine would be an understatement. I crave and hunger for everything from Ibérico ribs, Galician octopus, its fresh seafood, and the fact that you can drink brandy with coffee first thing in the morning and no one looks at you funny! So when I heard about Salud Tapas & Restaurant, that was the first place I visited on my recent trip to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Malacca. And friends, it did not disappoint.

Salud is located 1 block off of the historic Jonker Street Walk and walking distance from Liu Men luxury boutique hotel and other quaint properties within the heritage zone. Yet night after night it’s chockablock full of locals, not simply tourists, which is VERY different to most neighbouring restaurants. That’s because of the amazing quality ingredients and the love put into each dish by Spanish Chef Traba. It’s also due to the wonderful guest relations presided over by the charming restaurant manager Maria, also from Spain.

Come along and explore everything I enjoyed, plus a couple of dishes enjoyed by a trio of chivalrous locals sitting next to me who go there weekly for Chef Traba’s Ibérico ribs. I had so much fun speaking Spanish with Maria all night I forgot to shoot myself talking so you’ll hear my voice walk you through my dinner, dish by dish.

Contact Salud Tapas & Restaurant in Melaka

• Location: 94 Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock (Heereen Street), Malacca City
• To make a reservation, call them on +60 6 282 9881
• Be sure to follow them on Facebook & Instagram