Little Nyonya Kitchen Malaysian Cuisines ( Geebung ) — Restaurant in Brisbane City

Having previously eaten food from Little Nyonya Kitchen via their market stalls and catering services, I was expecting good things from this visit to their restaurant setup in the Ferny Grove Bowls Sports and Community. Ultimately left me with some mixed feelings...

We ordered: Hokkien Mee, $16.90 Hainanese chicken rice, $13.90 Ikan Bakar pari (sambal stingray), $16.90

There's a 3% discount for cash payment, total paid $46.30

Wifey said the aroma of the Hokkien Mee took her back to Singapore, but the taste didn't quite match up to the smell. She would have also preferred a more even mix of the thicker Hokkien noodles and the thinner bee hoon. I agree that this would have given the dish a bit more textural contrast. Overall this gets a pass but didn't make the grade of “must try”.

The Hainanese chicken rice was more of a let down. The rice was too wet/clumpy, and the chicken tasted like it had been cooked too long. Normally the chicken in this dish should be poached to a touch past just cooked, then dunked in an ice bath to arrest the cooking process, giving you tender and silky flesh. That's not what we had... it was fine for chicken, but not what I expect from Hainanese chicken rice chicken. Wifey thought it was fine though. Still, I would not recommend, especially when there are better options much closer to home.

I don't know much Malay so didn't realise my ikan bakar pari (translated as “grilled fish with sambal” on the specials board) would be stingray. That was a nice surprise. Also surprising was the power of the sambal! Not for the faint-hearted, that's for sure, so guess who ate the whole thing themself? Sure I had to scrape off most of the sambal to manage, but I lived to tell the tale... and to recommend the dish, especially given it's not easily found elsewhere. There is about a 20 minute wait on this dish but it's worth it if you're a fan of...

Based on my last experience I would rate it a 1. I can hardly remember anything tasting that disgusting. It was literally like eating a spoon full of oil.

However we've been going to this place for many years back to when they were still at the Ferny Grove Bowls Club so my rating is not only based on today's disappointment.

The staff are lovely. They are chatty, friendly and are always smiling. You always feel welcome at Little Nyonya.

There is heaps of seating and parking available. Unless you are a huge group of people there is no need to reserve a table.

Pricing is ok and the food menu is quite extensive even though prices have increased a fair bit compared to their old restaurant whilst the menu has shrunk.

The food quality generally speaking is good although it's sometimes a hit and miss. Often it's lacking consistency. Example: for the same dish you sometimes get an extra banana leaf sometimes you don't. Sometimes you get a small portion sometimes a large ones. Sometimes all dishes come out on time, sometimes your partner will have to wait another 10-20mins before their dish arrives. Sometimes the noodles swim in oil or sauce and then other times they were cooked to perfection.

Hopefully the restaurant can work on the consistency so you can get a great meal every time you go to...

The char kway teow has good wok hay (wok flavour). I like their oyster omelette, which is a highlight for me and the main reason I will drive out from newmarket all the way to ferny Grove. It takes about 15 minutes from newmarket, but its still abit of drive for lunch. The servings are generous eg the nasi lemak, but the food lacks a certain refinement. I do not like their interpretation of beef rendang, as it lacks the coconut flavour. The sambal chilli is very very hot for my taste (I don't even want it in my plate because it burns). But for others who love very hot chilli, it's a delight. The popiah was very poor, large, cumbersome and lacked the sweet sauce. I would highly recommend the char kway teow and the oyster omelette. However, be aware they do not have the oyster omelette every week... so check the Facebook page or call ahead. Ambience: its a malaysian eatery in an old Aussie bowls club... it plays tricks with the mind... like stepping back into time 1968-69 , with old Malaysian flavours that don't quite hit the mark. But at least the give the malaysian...