Tina’s Kitchen — Restaurant in George Town

Update: We hadn't been to Tina's for over a year. Well worth the wait. While she's moved premises just a couple of shop lots away, her welcoming presence and excellent food has not changed.

We tried the Asam Tunis Stingray that was tangy, with just the right tones of heat. Consumed with dollops of white rice it's an experience that your taste buds won't forget in a hurry. The Egg Plant with Prawn is a favourite of ours and was a perfect foil to the fish. We also ordered a plate of the vegetarian curry samosas which were delivered freshly fried and crispy like any samosa worth its while should be.

We thoroughly enjoyed the cold drinks - Nutmeg and Lime and Sour Plum. Just sweetened lightly and providing a soothing break from the searing heat outside.

Tina's Kitchen has become a big name even since the time when we last visited. Her small place just kept getting filled up. As long as her food and her friendly nature stay the same, old faithfuls such as us will keep returning 😋 👏 👌.

Older review: Lovely little place run by the most charming host, Tina. My wife, daughter and I moved to Penang a few months ago and have been to several good eating places. But this one is special. Lot of warmth and plenty of heart. And the food tastes awesome because of this wonderful mix of the right ingredients and involved hosting. The recipes have been sourced from her mother and other family members. It feels like a good home cooked meal. In fact this little place is set up with some restored furniture belonging to her family. Tina took the time to explain the dishes and also some of the more unique drinks that she serves. We were lucky to eat some of the tastiest food in our time here in Penang thus far. Our favourite was the stir fried eggplant. We opted for the vegetarian version of this dish. Cooked to perfection with the right amount of spice. The Kapitan chicken curry was rich and flavourful and the portion size was generous. In addition we also had the in-house special of Nyonya Nasi Ulam cooked with Basmati rice. So colourful and with so many accompaniments, each one telling its own story and yet coming together for a tasty symphony in your mouth. Our drinks - iced almond tea, iced lemon and sour plum and the lychee bubble - were fabulous and so refreshing. She also stocks up some real yummy biscuits both sweet and savoury. We took a pack home. Tina was a joy to talk to. She has so many experiences to share and is interested in knowing about her guests. She's also mindful of the need for family time when we were eating the food. We pray the five-month old Tina's Kitchen does really well and also hope that Tina is able to keep up her unique blend of kind, discreet and involved service. It will keep...

The food was mid and definitely NOT Peranakan or Nyonya food. Unlike the other reviews, service was atrocious.

When we entered, they looked pissed off. The staff gave us attitude from the second we sat down, and slammed down the menus. Didn’t give us time to look through the menu or give any recommendations. When we didn’t order any drinks, her face changed 180 degrees. Grabbed the menus again and went “tHaNk YoU” in a sarcastic tone. When the food came, the pork trotter vinegar had only one small piece of meat. 4 of us shared one piece of meat. The egg was probably one of the worst i’ve ever had. The smoked duck was so thinly sliced and oily.

When another group came in with reservations, their service was impeccable. They came out with recommendations on every menu and asked the group where they are from. So what’s the issue? You are only hospitable to people who make reservations? Even when we paid. Because my whole family had a horrible time here and this was a complete waste of money.

So disappointing.

Edit: I have never had a business threaten legal action over a customer leaving a honest food review before. This passive aggressive attitude is exactly why your establishment cannot improve and do better. BTW the bowl of “meat” was all fats, there was only one edible piece of lean meat. And given how nasty your staff were, how were we supposed to give our feedback. Just because we didn’t say it to your face doesn’t mean that it’s untrue. Hire a proper PR team and use some basic deduction skills before you reply next time. Customers, you may judge...

excellent food and service. would recommend to anyone who was curious about trying/learning more about peranakan food or just after a good wholesome meal in penang.

for dinner, we ordered the nasi ulam, stir fry okra with sambal, stir fried dried cuttlefish with jicama, and asam tumis stingray.

for dessert, we had the bubur cha cha, peanut soup, and horlor durian, grown at the owner's kampong.

for drinks, we had lo han guo and peach gum with longan (both hot).

the food was excellent. the nasi ulam was fresh and aromatic, and painstakingly prepared - every ingredient was hand cut/shredded. the okra was spicy (be warned) but perfect with rice. the cuttlefish and jicama was slightly sweet and moreish, and even better with the homemade sambal belacan that it came with. the stingray was super tender, and the sauce was punchy.

the horlor durian was amazing - super creamy, a touch bitter. we were fortunate enough to come in on the 15th day of the lunar month, which is when the bubur chacha is served, and it was a great mix of different yams/sweet potatoes. we loved the homemade tapioca jelly pieces. the peanut soup was not too sweet, with super tender peanuts.

the owner was attentive, very friendly, and offered us a lot of (delicious) freebies, such as homemade cookies and snacks. you can tell she takes a lot of pride in her restaurant, her culture, and the food she makes - and she rightly should. the service is what sealed the deal for us.

would 100% recommend to anyone visiting georgetown. a highlight...