Sri Nyonya Restaurant — Restaurant in Petaling Jaya

Zero complaints. Food arrived fast and were extremely tasty.

Food. We ordered the nasi ulam, kerabu asam pucuk paku, chicken kapitan, choi bou omelette, homemade sambal and ice cream (vanilla, and rum and raisin). The nasi ulam was very delicious and fragrant - they were generous with the herbs, while the pucuk paku was to die for. It had a sourish tinge to it and really whet the appetite. The chicken kapitan was not to my taste as it was a bit sweet but my husband enjoyed it. The choi bou omelette took awhile to reach us but we were informed that if not done right, it could be rubbery. Anyway, when it arrived, it was thick, tasty and worth the wait. The homemade sambal went well with everything and offers a bit more kick to those who prefer spicier dishes (like me). Generally, the dishes were not very spicy and suitable for my husband who can't take the heat. They have pong teh too but they don't make it regularly. The rum and raisin ice cream was absolutely delicious, and topped generously with rum and lots of raisins. They also have Bailey's, which I will try next time.

Service. The owners were very friendly and the lady was a bit spicy (haha but in a good way). She was thorough in attending to us and in her recommendations. The owners dropped by our table a few times to ask about their food. Honestly, no complaints.

Atmosphere. Very cosy, friendly and homely ambience. We and another table were first timers there, and had fun joking with each other.

Price. Our meal came up to about RM170 for 3 pax but it was worth the splurge for the tasty food and service.

Parking. We reached at around 6:15pm and there were a few parking bays still available.

Note: This is Penang Nyonya food, which differs in taste from Melaka Nyonya food.

We will be back again, for Nyonya food, ice...

Sometime yesterday evening, I ate at this place for the first time with a bunch of friends. To be honest, I don’t really know much about peranakan or Nyonya food, so I have no real frame of reference to draw from, or to understand what’s what. I didn’t even pay much attention to whatever was going into my mouth, but I did recognise one thing, which I suppose is comes naturally to anyone who uses food to stay alive: this stuff tasted very good. Not just good, in fact, but the kind of expertly-crafted good that seems calibrated and carefully put together, but really can only be that way because comes from years and years of practice and rehearsal. I hadn’t exactly bought a ticket to the theatre, and yet, I was getting art. I thought about smoke and spice, I thought about the throaty burn I got from the warm lemongrass and ginger tea (and I have to say, that was quite a hearty choke), and somewhere along the way my thoughts were interrupted by a sprig of mint I accidentally took in. I made sure to leaf the next one out. The finishing piece was a lovely rum and raisin ice-cream, where you could feel splashes of smoky liquor burst out of each raisin as you bit into it like fat raindrops.

You know what was really nice about this dining experience, though? It’s the thing I didn’t order, and that thing is the environment. It’s bright. It’s cozy. There’s quiet little piano-music tinkling faintly away which could be romantic pop-ballads from the eighties, or quiet church songs from a Sunday evening (and no, I do not know the difference). You’re surrounded by little things, like a piano (not so little), or a shelf with recipe-books, to remind you that you’re somewhere that breathes, the way a home breathes. And what better kind of place is there to enjoy great...

Brilliant & Flavorful Dishes

I was looking around for some authentic Chinese food when I stumbled upon Restoran Sri Nyonya, which I had saved on Google Maps.

And so came the visit, where I bundled my parents and the girlfriend into my car and drove over.

First impressions wasn't good and it's not Sri Nyonya's fault. Rather, it is located in some quiet stretch of dimly lighted roads.

We had our apprehensions.

But coming in, we were greeted with a homely atmosphere. And then I bumped into my friends, who love this place to bits and are regulars.

We were given excellent service by the young man who took our orders. And he gave us some excellent recommendations.

The food is slightly pricier but once we sank our mouth in it, we understood why.

The Kapitan Chicken was flavourful and full of spices. It reminded me of my favourite nasi lemak curry chicken that my mom used to tapau. Sadly, that stall no longer exist.

The fish gulai assam was excellent too. It was really fresh and the assam curry broth hit all the right notes.

We also had paku pakis, which was fresh and really good.

Finally, the rum and raisins ice cream, came with generous portion of rum and well made ice cream which wasn't too sweet.

Price: Slightly Pricier (about 130 for the four of us) Food: Excellent Will I return: definitely

Brotip:

1. Book your seats early as some days they have to turn people away.
2. Order the nasi briyani and beef rendang in advance. It is the bomb
3. Come in the afternoon to avoid the...