Nyonya Cafe – Authentic Nyonya Cuisine… and more

Usually I will have my lunch in New World Park when visiting CTY Aquatic Shop. After a while, I was not sure which restaurant to try. Nyonya Cafe, which is somehow easily missed, is a place where you can enjoy authentic nyonya cuisine (and more).

Compared to other restaurants, the cafe is seriously decorated with antiques, such as teapots, vases, bamboo baskets, and statues. The owner must be a serious collector.

In the menu you can see some Nyonya, Malay, and Chinese food. There is even spaghetti dishes in it. It makes me wonder whether it is really an authentic Nyonya cafe at first glance.

Nasi Ulam

Nyonya Laksa

I order Nasi Ulam (herbal rice) (RM6.00++) during my first visit. It is a Malay cuisine famous at eastern coast. For subsequent visits I ordered Nyonya Laksa (RM5.00++), which is rich in coconut milk and mild spicy compared to Penang laksa. Tastes good even though I still sweating :sweat:

Choon Piah

Loh Bak

鸿图面 Ang Tho Mee

Of course there are some Chinese cuisine as well, such as Choon Piah (春饼) (RM5.00++), Loh Bak (RM6.00++), and Ang Tho Mee (鸿图面) (RM7.00++). The different between Choon Piah and Loh Bak is that the later one is stuffed with minced meat (e.g. chicken) than vegetables. The Ang Tho Mee is like those “Shang Mee” 生面 as seen in some dim sum shops. The sauce is different and is rich in vegetables. The deep fried noodle looks like a mountain when it arrives.

Gandum

Bo Bo Cha Cha

Bee Koh Moy

I also order some desserts, such as gandum (RM3.50++), bo bo cha cha (RM3.50++), and bee koh moy (RM4.00++). They look a like but below are the differences:

Gandum (Malay): Make of wheat.
Bo Bo Cha Cha (Chinese): Yam, sweet potato, sago, and coconut milk.
Bee Koh Moy (Nyonya): Black Glutinous Rice broth (a.k.a pulut hitam in Malay).

They tastes good. They are rich in coconut milk and some people may not able to take it (stomach may spin like hell). I also ordered Nyonya Bak Chang (RM3.50++). Unlike Chinese meat bak chang, Nyonya bak chang has minced meat and the fragrant of ketumbar (Coriandrum sativum). It is gentle to your stomach.

Other than the one in New World Park, there are other 2 branches in Penang, including:

i-Avenue: 01-01-36, Medan Kampung Relau 1, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Penang. Tel: 604-6410788/0988.

Tanjung Tokong: 515-A, C.M. Hashim, 11200, Tanjung Tokong, Penang. Tel: 604-8997099

Few years ago, one of my colleagues complained that the food in i-Avenue was not really Nyonya authentic and was expensive. Personally I can’t comment on that since I not been there before. As a whole, if you are looking for affordable and authentic local cuisine in a nice environment, you should try this restaurant.