The roar of V8s and V12s filled the air on a Friday morning as a fleet of Ferraris powered out of Ferrari Naza Italia in Petaling Jaya. Members of the Ferrari Owners’ Club Malaysia (FOCM) were headed to Melaka, taking advantage of a relatively calm weekend before the reopening of international borders. A rendezvous with Johor FOCM members at Freeport A’Famosa nearly doubled the size of the convoy before they pushed off for a traditional Chinese cuisine lunch at Lucky Palace.
From here, the convoy then arrived at the A Famosa, a Portuguese fortress built five centuries ago. The formation of Ferraris created quite a stir at the fortress’ façade – the most recognisable historical landmark of Melaka City, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2008. A casual afternoon tea at the restored heritage hotel of Liu Men provided a much-needed reprieve from the day of driving.
The balmy evening would then provide an invitation for members to saunter down the bustling Jonker Walk to the new Peranakan Mansion – a beautiful restaurant decorated in the eclectic style of the Straits Chinese from a century ago. Within these beautiful environs, the members were served with the cuisine, condiments and dessert that developed from the Peranaka Belle Epoque such as; chicken Pong Teh, Sambal Belacan and a decadent Sago Gula Melaka chendol. To enliven the evening, Martell provided a glimpse of its storied Zodiac series, the rare L’Or de Jean Martell Assemblage du Tigre (RM46,888), inspired by the third animal of the Chinese Zodiac and contained in a crystal carafe handcrafted by renowned French producer Manufacture Daum.
The next day saw the members bid a fond farewell to Liu Men as they partook in an authentic lunch of the Melaka favourite chicken rice balls at Pei Zing Melaka restaurant before heading for a bit of culture at the new K7 Melaka Art Gallery, a nascent art, commercial and community hub in Melaka’s Kampung Tujuh.
