Puzzle Kitchen is a new cafe in Melaka, which claims to be the spiritual successor of Cafe Belge, which previously occupied the same spot. That was a Belgian restaurant (no surprise there) which we often walked past slightly too late at night to visit, usually to be met by an apologetic Belgian locking the doors. It used to do a range of Belgian and Dutch beers, plus mussels and chips, and there used to be art for sale. We noticed the name had changed the other day and were there at a sensible time, so took a look.
It still has Belgian beers, and there are still photos of the Grand Place in Brussels, but the mussels are mostly gone, and so it seems is the apologetic Belgian. A sad message on the wall notes a lack of staff and requests patience. The puzzle part of the name is reflected in the menu, noting a mix of Belgian, Italian and British food, plus the deal which gives you a free meal if you can solve a 300 piece jigsaw in 40 mins. There are also framed completed jigsaws for sale for RM180!
Anyway, it’s quite a nice place, and we found it comfortable enough. The lady serving us was on her own, both waiting and cooking, so it might get a little slow when it’s busy.
I went for the tomato soup and bowl of bread. The bowl had a few slices of fairly dry baguette, a mini croissant, and a nice olive roll. The soup was pretty good, though, being a very smooth blend with a balance of flavour.
Fiancée had the big breakfast, which came with toast, an olive roll, real bacon and sausage, 2 eggs, beans, and mushrooms in a weird looking sauce. These proved to be the nicest part of the meal for her, as they were buttery and creamy, while all of the rest was just so-so. Except the fried eggs, which somehow had hard yolk and runny white.
Both meals came with an iced coffee, at a set price of RM17, which is quite reasonable for this part of town. I liked the way the coffee was served in a Stella Artois beer glass!
With the large number of nice cafes still to try in Melaka, I don’t think I am likely to return any time soon, but you might feel it is worth a go, particularly if you fancy a Belgian beer. It’s near the junction of Jalan Hang Kasturi and Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock.
Address: 32, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock, 75200 Melaka
Telephone: 0177834236
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