While I have personally visited Asian Havana Cafe twice (first and second), it was my third visit that I came in the name of work and that means free food.

As I have written about them before and feeling lazy (again), I shall just post a raw (unedited) copy of my write up on Asian Havana Cafe. It’s tiring and brain exhausting to write the same topic / material twice with two different style and yet have the same points, you know?

While other cafes are die trying to woo tourists and locals with authentic Nyonya, Portuguese and Hainanese food, Calvin Loke dares to be different by introducing authentic western and fusion dishes to the local food scene through Asian Havana Café.

“The western foods here have been localized to suit the taste buds of Malaysians and have lost the basic elements like fibers, proteins, vitamins, carbohydrates and minerals.

“I not only retain the basic elements, I also emphasize on the foods’ presentations, textures and retaining the true essence of western food. In fact, I have improvised it and created a whole new fusion menu,” said Loke who started the restaurant in 2004 after returning from the states.

Capital of Cuba, Havana, is very similar to Malacca when it comes to the historical values, colonization history, cultures and peoples.

It was from there where Loke got his idea of naming his restaurant, Asian Havana Café, intending to recreate an Asian version of the Havana in Malaysia.

“Everything is made using the freshest ingredients and from scratch, with no artificial flavouring and preservatives used,” added Loke.

One could expect a huge variety and extensive menu of food and beverages, serving a wide array of local, western and fusion main courses, cakes and desserts, coffee and other beverages.

Best sellers and top favourites among the customers are Havana chicken cordon bleu, seafood baked carbonara, pan fried miso fillet, saba teriyaki, pad Thai Noodles and Thai pineapple fried rice.

Seafood baked carbonara is highly recommended to those who like strong and milky sauce to go along with their spaghetti.

Unlike most carbonara, mozzarella cheese are melted evenly on top of the noodles and seafood like mussels, prawns, clams, fish fillets, bamboo clams and slices of Australian giant squids.

“The combination of cheese and carbonara is the best, complementing each other and bringing out the full flavor of both ingredients, creamy and cheesy simultaneously,” said Loke.

To avoid the customers complaining that the chicken breast meat used in the Havana chicken cordon blue are too dry, Loke added layers of ham and mozzarella cheese in it before rolling them together to keep the meat moist and juicy. The meat is then wrapped with bread crumbs and deep fried.

You get two different textures combined into one, absolute crunchiness on the outside, soft, creamy and succulent meat on the inside.

Served together with spaghetti noodles and homemade Napolitana sauce as the base sauce, the sweet yet with a tiny bit of sourness sauce does a great job in opening up your appetite.

“We got ourselves a Thai chef to teach us the original and better way to cook Thai style pineapple fried rice and the key to a good plate of pineapple fried rice lies within the amount of turmeric powder used,” pointed out Loke.

Just the right amount of turmeric powder is used to bring out yet not overpower the taste of the fragrant rice and mixed seafood inside the dish. Raisins, sultanas and spring onions are used to garnish and add more colours to the fried rice.

Another specialty of Asian Havana Café is the flourless cheese cakes, mainly the white chocolate, dark chocolate with orange, Baileys’ Irish cream and the almond and orange cheese cake are a must try for diners to complete a wholesome meal.

“Only a flourless cheese cake is able to produce a pure, soft, moist and non sticky cake texture. It should melt in your mouth,” said Loke.

There are different promotions throughout the week, with coffee lovers’ day taking the lead on Monday, “Ho Cake Ah” on Tuesday, Queens’ day on Wednesday, sport days on Thursday, chill out Friday, “Yummm Sengggg!” on Saturday and hot plate Sunday.

On Fridays and Saturdays, diners can even order freshly made and rolled sushis starting from 7pm till 11pm.

Asian Havana Café
No. 2 & 4, Jalan Melaka Raya 26,
Taman Melaka Raya,
75000 Melaka.

06-2827117

Flaunt your student card and you are entitled to 10% discount, that was what I remembered during my last visit. Heh!

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