Auntie Gaik Lean’s Old School Eatery

Made an online booking for lunch seating using tableapp - easy enough! Food was fantastic and portion sizes very generous. All the classic Peraknakan dishes offered so your biggest challenge is figuring out which to try. Top marks for the Nonya curry chicken and kapitan curry. Kua pie tee is top notch, crispy pastry with delicious turnip filling. The sago GULA Melaka dessert was to die for!Atmosphere was good, crowded with families, instagrammers and food-curious folks - many crammed on shared tables appreciating a fine meal.A must-eat when stopping in Penang.

Few dishes were cold when they served, including the fried rice dish, fried food in Baba delight. They served food so quick after order was placed. wonder if they were pre-made. The service was none existing…. How did they receive a Michelin star?

All the food is very balanced taste and authentic. For Penang ppl who have heavy taste may feel okay okay. Food consider on high side, portion not so big. Is it worth? need to judge your own. Booking need rm200 deposit. High class toilet.

Food review: Auntie Gaik Lean's old school eatery, a Michelin Star restaurant.Taste: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Portion: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Service : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Ambience : ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Value: ⭐⭐Expectations are high since it's a Michelin star restaurant, so here's my take.It didn't take long for the waiter to come and service my table. I ordered Nasi Ulam and Chicken Rendang to accompany the rice dish and later decided to order the Bee Koe Moy (bubur pulut hitam with longan) for dessert.To my surprise, the waiter served my order within five minutes but then I realised that the food was already pre-cooked and ready to be served. The portion was good for a heavy eater like me and the presentation was up to mark for an establishment such as this award winning restaurant.I particularly enjoyed the nasi ulam as it was as authentic as possible although I'm missing the fish crackers. The sambal belacan (or was it?) was tasteful but mild. There was a healthy dose of herbs mixed into the rice but the rice was served at room temperature. I asked the waiter why and he said it's to preserve the herbs from the heat effect and to keep them fresh. Ok I guess it's a logical explanation for a non-foodie like myself.Moving over to the chicken rendang, while it was flavourful enough, I felt somewhat disappointed as it wasn't like the typical rendang that I'm used to. To sum it up, it tasted mild, lacking some crucial ingredients and more suited to tourists on a business class airline. To me, this was the biggest letdown unfortunately and perhaps other dishes would fare better.On a positive note, I was absolutely blown away by the dessert, Bee Koe Moy and by far it was the most sumptuous and interesting bubur pulut that I've encountered. The creamy texture and delicate taste of the pulut hitam was just awesome! Towards the end I felt the crunchy longan just before emptying the bowl with a satisfying smile.Overall it was an interesting experience for my first visit to any Michelin star restaurant. As to whether I would come again? Well with a two star rating on value for money, I still would but only if someone else is paying!

Being a 1-Michelin Nyonya restaurant, this place naturally comes with higher expectations. While the spices generally feel a bit more ‘toned-down’ compared to regular Nyonya establishments, the food is still quite tasty in general and is presented beautifully with carefully selected plating dishes set against the vibrant colours of curries, herbs and greens.