MELAKA: With hundreds of years of history behind it, Melaka is a quintessentially charming city that has many stories to tell.
If you ever happen to be wandering around the Dutch Square, consider taking a jaunt in a north-eastern direction to Kampung Jawa, where there is a little, quiet establishment that is a vestige of the last century.
Whether you’re an older adult nostalgic for yesteryears or a Gen Z eager for an eye-catching social media post, this watering hole is certainly worth the visit.
Despite the bar’s iron grill shutters perpetually closed, they are actually open for business. In fact, they are open from 9.00am to 6.00pm every day, so just holler and Lee Lian Suan will let you in.
And just who is Lee? Well, the bartender of course, a familiar face to the locals living in this part of town.
Lee speaks perfect English as well as Hokkien, so feel free to make small talk; she has as many stories to tell as she has drinks to pour.
Apparently, the bar was founded by her father-in-law’s grandfather, and when she married her husband, she helped him run the business.
When his health started to fail, she took on more responsibilities at the bar and there she has stayed for the past few decades.
Funnily enough, despite her profession, you would be hard-pressed to ever find Lee drinking; she leaves her wares for her customers.Behind the bar where she works are several shelves holding bottles of all shapes and sizes, each containing an alcohol of some form.
Connoisseurs will likely have a good time here, trying out the traditional liquors, some of which are impossible to find in ordinary grocery stores.
Some of these liquor brands are even older than the bar itself, so it is certainly a break away from the usual beers and ciders you may be used to.
Of note are the Malaccan rice wines, some of which are infused with local flavours such as pandan and lychee.
In case you are lost for choice, which is a likely possibility, feel free to ask Lee for advice; she will tell you all that you need to know. She knows her stuff!
Even if you don’t drink all that much, Sin Hiap Hin is worth a visit because of the history behind its very walls.
Lee may tell you that this place used to be an opium den, with the well-worn steps leading to the chambers where addicts once laid intoxicated.
Back then, the street was a lot livelier, and somewhat seedier, with brothels and gambling dens surrounding the bar.
During the British administration, European officials used to show up here, often drinking side-by-side with labourers exhausted by a long day of work.
Apparently, the bar opened even earlier in those days, catering to fishermen who would grab a drink before heading out to sea, and returning for a second drink afterwards.
If you ask her about the Japanese occupation, she might share a tale or two of Japanese troops drinking themselves silly at the bar.
Foreigners still constitute a substantial part of the bar’s clientele, with curious tourists often popping by to take in the old-world charm, as well as a quick swig.
Drinks here are also rather cheap, with each shot costing a few ringgit at most; so if you legitimately need a drink, do drop by.
One certainly hopes that this bar will continue to stay the way it is even as the march of progress continues.
After all, such a historical treasure is growing ever rarer these days, and once lost, the stories within its walls and drinks will go with it.
Sin Hiap Hin
5, Kampung Jawa
75200 Melaka
Melaka Bandaraya Bersejarah
Business hours: 9.00am-6.00pm daily
