Thanks for reporting back on your experience!

FWIW, I have been to both Melaka and Penang (Penang just a few weeks ago), and I enjoyed Melaka much more than I did Penang.

I had some high expectations of Penang, but after 3 nights, I still didn't find the "good" food there. I did visit the beach, but I'm not much of a beach person, so I found it kind of boring. Penang was OK but I don't plan to visit again anytime soon. (It doesn't help that it's a bit out of the way.)

On the other hand, I enjoyed the historical and cultural sites in Melaka and had a fascinating guided tour of one fantastic museum there. I was only there for a day but would definitely visit Melaka again. And because I'm in Singapore and KL all the time, it's much more accessible than Penang.