Nyonya Lah by Javu — Restaurant in George Town

Pleasantly surprised by the nyonya food here! We were not sure what to expect from this rather new and modern looking place, and the food overall was very enjoyable. We had some clear favorites: fried yam and long beans was polished off super quickly at our table as the dish was so yummy, the babi pongteh and assam pedas had an authentic, homecooked flavor. I always love nyonya style otah-otah and though not the best here, it was pleasant enough with fresh chunks of fish. The pie tee fillings were tasty and flavorful, wished the pie tee cups themselves could be more crispy 😀 Oh the lor bak is also worth a mention. Presentation of the dishes in tingkat (tiffin carrier) bowls was a fun touch, and the service was commendable. They offer different seasonal kuih and the kuih lapis we tried was good too.

I was not a huge fan of the acar. The nutmeg sour plum drink with soda has room for improvement I feel - it was neither sour nor bubbly, just tasted bland and flat 😅 On the menu is lamb rendang (instead of the classic beef rendang associated with nyonya cuisine) which was a little disappointing for me, mainly because I don't like lamb much 😉 I was really hoping to find a classic nyonya laksa on the menu as well but this is not something they offer.

I think if you are in the area and looking for a decent meal, this is certainly a great and convenient choice! I'm not sure however that I would go out of the way to come back just for the nyonya food here though, especially without some of the classics. Exception are the fried yam sticks which I think are the one item on the menu absolutely worth...

I had some visitors from overseas, and I wanted them to experience some authentic Peranakan culture and cuisine while they were in Penang. This restaurant truly delivered, and we left the place fulfilled; there was nothing but praises from everyone.

While it doesn't look like much from the outside except for a brightly lit contemporary signage carrying the restaurant's name, once we stepped inside, we were greeted with tall ceilings and a long dining area that's adorned with reminders of the history of Penang; tiffin carriers, vintage pastry baskets, and pictures of old Penang give the place a nice vibe from the past.

We ordered babi pong teh, cincaluk pork, kari kapitan, acar, winged bean salad, asam prawns and sweet potato leaves in sambal belacan. Everything was delicious with a taste that reminded us of a home-cooked meal (refined and not overly salty). The cincaluk pork was flavorful from the cincaluk that imparted a delicately briny, fermented shrimp flavor, and the asam prawns were sticky, sweet and sour. The winged bean salad was "chef's kiss"; enough said. Most of the dishes were served in tiffin carriers which truly reminded me of my own past where I had daily tiffin food delivered for dinner, and they served as a nice conversation starter as well.

The servers were attentive and friendly, and also all smiles when we asked one of them to help us take a picture. We had a great time, great food and great service in a wonderful setting. I couldn't and wouldn't have asked for more. Highly recommended if you're...

Fairly lengthy wait for food even though restaurant was not at a full house occupancy. Extremely atrocious attitude by the wait staff and the owner of the shop! Ordered multiple dishes from the menu of which, majority of the dishes were salty however, the nyonya chap chye was extremely SALTY compared to the other dishes and this feedback was immediately conveyed to the wait staff upon trying the said dish. No actions were taken about my feedback and again, highlighted the dishes were salty to the owner of the shop to which, I was informed next time, to highlight earlier which I certainly did and my feedback was conveniently dismissed. The owner has poor attitude and shook his head as he walked away after highlighted my feedback. Extremely POOR service and attitude with mediocre dishes at best. Be warned! Needs huge improvement in communication skills and service. You will be better off trying a lot more established and nicer nyonya restaurants with better...