The other day, I decided to check out a new restaurant in Melaka, called Halia Inc.
It's located very close to Jonker Street and overlooks the river.
I imagine that at night, the view must be something.

Anyway, looking at the menu, the food was priced on the high side.
Every main course was priced above RM20 or so.
Fine. It may not be THAT pricey, especially if you're from KL or Singapore.
But this is Melaka, where all good food are priced quite affordably.
Even so, I had high hopes, reasoning that the portion may be big.

The waiter who attended to my table was not up to par.
When asked what kind of sauce is the primavera penne, he said that he'll have to check with the kitchen as he is unsure.
I can give the benefit of the doubt and assume that he's new.
But that's an extreme no-no for me.
Next, I asked that my mineral water be at room temperature and repeated this a couple of times to the waiter.
But alas, it came straight out of the refrigerator, accompanied by a glass of ice.
I think the place needs to improve on their service.
Even their welcome greetings were lifeless and without spark.

In the end, I ordered primavera penne with roasted chicken and fish & chips with mozarella cheese.


We'll start with the primavera penne.
The pasta was bland and the sauce tasted like cheese + water.
I did not notice any seasonings in the sauce, but was informed that it was the same sauce as their carbonara.
Therefore, I can state that the carbonara would be just as unsatisfactory.
I have had better luck with food trucks serving cheap pasta.
Even so, the roasted chicken was good.
It was the only part of the dish that I liked.


For the fish & chips, Halia Inc do offer a non-mozarella cheese version.
I do recall that it was a couple of ringgit cheaper.
Besides, the additional cheese is not recommended by me as it was too little and did not do any justice to the dish.


The dish came with three pieces of fish, which I felt were too thin, considering the price tag.
Taste was nothing to quip about and you'd get a more decent serving at any seafood franchise.
Like Fish & Co, or maybe Bubba Gump.
The fries was good and the tartar sauce was very nice.
Sadly, the sides and sauce were the only good things about the dish.

As a conclusion, I feel that the decor is nice with a utilitarian feel.
I did not try the coffee and desserts since I was left feeling very unsatisfied.
Maybe I chose the wrong dishes, but note that they were the recommended things on the menu.
In my opinion, Halia Inc should attempt to serve better food, considering how much they're charging.
I think the other dishes were not up to par too, as the table next to mine left in a huff after paying for the bill.
I think that they were as unsatisfied as I was, I guess.

Would I recommend this place? No.
But if you do try it, do share your experiences.
I would like to stand corrected.