Auntie Gaik Lean’s Old School Eatery

Auntie Gaik’s Nyonya Restaurant truly lives up to its one-Michelin-star reputation. The restaurant exudes a classy and upscale vibe with its elegant interior, making it perfect for a special dining experience. The food is of exceptional quality, with flavors that are authentic and absolutely delicious. I ordered all the dishes featured in the photos above and enjoyed every single one of them—everything was superb! The owner is warm and welcoming, even graciously posing for a photo with me. Overall, I had a wonderful experience and highly recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting Penang.

A lovely set of dishes, each delightful in their own way. Loved the chicken rendang, the aubergine, and the juicy large prawns. The nutmeg punch was delicious too and a real pallet cleanser when switching between bites. 4 for atmosphere just because it's lit like an office! Very bright. But it was bustling and busy throughout and Auntie was spotted behind the counter.

Some of the dishes were a tad too salty for our taste. Otak otak was too salty and did not have the fragrance of spices. Curry prawn was also lacking in robustness. Pie tie and nasi ulam were good.We were not made to feel welcomed once we stepped in - given a number and were immediately shoo-ed out to wait even though we were already waiting for a table to be freed up soon.Ambience is good.But overall we feel the restaurant is overrated.

This place is a food lover's paradise! The petai prawn sambal was bursting with flavor, and the curry chicken was cooked to perfection, its gravy rich and aromatic. The plating was vibrant and inviting, a feast for both the eyes and the stomach. Definitely worth a visit for anyone craving authentic Peranakan dishes.

It took me awhile to come try this restaurant. Fortunately even without booking I could walk in today. Bear in mind that the main dining area has a couple of large tables and you may need to share them with other diners if you are unwilling to wait for the smaller tables.The staffs are friendly, efficient and keeps tabs on your meal at a respectful distance. The cold nutmeg drink I ordered came without ice, most likely to preserve the taste and preventing its dilution by melting ice. The taste was light, refreshing and fortunately doesn't have the overbearing excessive nutmeg smell.I started with pie tee, a cup like crunchy holder with delicious filling (tofu, fried shallots, turnip, carrot, spring onion I think). Mixed with the provided chilli, it was an excellent way to start the meal.The ulam rice had a refreshing green leafy taste and smell to it. In my opinion, you should order one and share. Eating it by itself is the best way to taste the flavors. If you mix this with the dishes you plan to order, the taste profile becomes a little strange.As for the stingray, perfectly cooked. The meat was tender yet firm, the curry was sour and slightly spicy. A good kick to the tastebuds. The lemongrass and mint dressing gave it an appetizing aroma and elevated the taste of the dish.The brinjal meanwhile, a deceptively simple looking dish. Love the sweetish sambal and the incredible uniform consistency of the brinjal. Finally the sago dessert. The frozen ball in the centre appears to be frozen gula Malacca and the slow melt and slow sweetening of the dessert made for a great tasting end to the meal.In short, well deserved reputation and a totally enjoyable nyonya food.